Mid November Report December Outlook

11-13-2011
MID NOVEMBER

The deer seasons are well under way and the fishing pressure is very minimal on the lake. The best striper fishing of the year is upon us and will last all the way through Christmas unless we get hammered by major cold fronts that severely drop the water temps. The Reactors at the power plant have finally been fired back up after the shutdown from the August 23 5.8 magnitude earthquake that shook the lake up pretty good. It will take approx 10 days for things to get back to normal down lake at Dike 3. With the return of warmer water and current down there, the fish should be ready to put their feed on!!!!!!!!! Don't forget about the November & December Big Fish Contest at Anna Point Marina. We will be paying $100 for the largest Bass, Crappie & Striper for each month. All you have to do to be eligible is launch from Anna Point Marina. If you are fishing with a guide, you must pay the $8 ramp fee. Good luck and see you at the lake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BASS- The largemouths are eagerly taking just about any type of shad imitating baits that you offer them. Rat LTraps, Burton Minnows, Tigershad Spinnerbaits, shallow crankbaits & some top water baits are still catching nice stringers of fish. Look for the bass to be making a move back out of the creeks and headed to the main lake. They are following large schools of baitfish, so if you find the bait........you find the fish!!!! Carolina rigged plastics are catching their share of fish as well. Fish in the North Anna arm will be holding in the remaining willow grass in ambush. If you venture into Pamunkey at all, try the many rock piles in the s-turns. Suspending jerkbaits will also start to produce fish towards the end of the month if the water really cools off and the shad start to die off.


STRIPER- Look for schools of fish to be up in the feeder arms of the lake this month until the water cools off into the mid 40's and the bait starts to make its move back down. The mouths of Duck-N-hole & Goldmine Creeks all the way up to Waddy's in the North Anna arm will hold schools of fish. Look for the birds to be diving on the bait and for the striper to be swirling on the surface from time to time. Bass Assassin Sea Shads rigged on a 1/4oz jig head are my number one choice for these fish. If the fish are really swirling the surface, it is hard to beat a broken back Red Fin waked just under the surface. Look for the fish to be back down around mid lake around the end of the month. Toothe Ache Spoons & Krazy Blades will work on suspended fish on sunny blue bird days.

CRAPPIE- The specks are starting to make their move back out to deeper water for the winter. While you can still catch fish under shallow boat docks at this time, they will be much smaller fish. Small minnows rigged in a slip bobber fished on deeper brush piles & bridge pilings will really start to produce the best catches in the months to come. The larger Crappie are no different from bass & stripers, they follow the shad movement as well and will feed on 2-3 inch shad and herring. The scrounger head with a Zoom Tiny Fluke on it has been a great bait to catch the larger paper mouths on.

Lake Level- FULL POOL
Water Temps
Dike 3- 56 degrees and rising
Mid Lake- Mid 50's
Up Lake- Upper 40's-low 50's


MONTHLY OUTLOOK FOR DECEMBER

Anna Point Marina's Big Fish Contest will continue this month. We will pay $100 for the largest Bass, Crappie & Striper this month. To be eligible all you have to do is launch from Anna Point. If you are fishing with a guide, you must pay the $8 ramp fee. Here at Anna Point we have the lake's largest selection of Bass Assassin Sea Shads. The popular Crystal Shad color has 4 pegs for itself and we have plenty of them in stock. I will also be trying the popular Alabama Rig this month for stripers and I will report on how it does. A good friend of mine is making them and I tested one here at the marina today!!!!!!!!

BASS- Most of the bass will be completely out of the backs of the creeks by the beginning of this month. Look for them to relate to channel bends, drop off's, deep brush piles and main lake points. Bait will be a major key to success this month. Suspended jerkbaits will play a major roll in getting them to bite.
Sassy Shads on main lake points will produce numbers of fish, the key to these baits are maintaining bottom contact and a very slow retrieve.

STRIPERS- The linesides will be the most popular fish this month as they are very hardy in colder water. Look for them around the 208 bridge area and willing to bite just about anything you offer them. Sea Shads, Sassy Shads, Jerk Baits, Toothe Ache Spoons & Krazy Blades will produce very well. The Dike 3 fish should be fired up as well, as long as the reactors are still fired up!!!!!!!!!!! Look for birds to give away the location of feeding fish. Just because you cannot see the fish feeding on the surface does not mean they are not there. Remember, the birds can see way more than we can when they are several feet above the surface of the water.

CRAPPIE- The specks should be in a full blown winter pattern this month., The best places to try will be bridge pilings and deep brush piles. Small minnows rigged on slip bobbers will be your best bet of inviting these tasty morals to dinner. The depth range will vary from 10-25 feet. On sunny days they will move up in the water column. Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!