James Float...mon 8/17

[steveearle]

Floated the James on Monday from Cox Ford to JRO Campground (thanks for the tip...Gary at JRO was great...). Caught about 15-20 bass, 1/2 smallies, 1/2 spots), which seemed pretty slow. Caught a couple of goggle eye and 2 small whites. I had bass on a Zoom finesse worm, a Bass Pro Tender tube, a small spinnerbait, and topwater including a Cultiva Gobo Pop and a small Yellow Magic. I missed a bunch of fish on the spinnerbait and the poppers. It was my first James float and I feel a little more familiar now. I think my fishing was affected by not knowing the length of the float plus I did not bring a watch, plus Ihad my dad with me...I did not want to go too slow b/c 11.4 miles is a ways. I think I fished some stuff too fast. As soon as we put in I had a good smallie, a good spot, and my dad lost what I think was a good samllie (he had that problem a few times). Anyway, after that I thought we were going to crush em but then we hit some dead water, etc....We also got caught in the storm and I paddled fast through some sweet holes that I now regret....Anyway, it was a good time and I think the next time I will do much better....I did see some cool things that I did not think that I would.........

1. About a half-mile into the float (I was standing up as we used the 17' aluminum from JRO) I had a 4 lb plus walleye swim by the boat...Did not think there were any that far up. I saw one other confirmed walleye, but aftet talking to Gary and him confirming there are a ton in there due to stocking all the way up to Y bridge, I think I saw at least a half dozen, but did not want to sound stupid making the claim.

2. I did not know the whites were that far up. I used to fish them during the spawning run when I was going to school at SMSU but they did not seem to go very far above Blunk....

3. I saw more channel cat than I ever thought I would on a float. I saw 3 or 4 stragglers just swimming along and then we pulled up on a sycamore blow down and were watching a school of large (all 10-20+ lb) carp hang under the tree and when we got to the end, a school of 5 or so channels blew out the end, inlcuding a 5+ lber...

4. If I never see another gizzard shad, creek chub, redhorse, hognose, or any kind of sucker it will be too soon. Unbelieveable what and how many you see while standing up...

Finally, after a long 11+ miles and no big fish, I caught a 17 1/2" smallie on my last cast of the day less than 100 yards from the campgroung...kind of funny.

[Flysmallie]

Well at least you caught a good one at the end. Sounds like a pretty good trip except for the rain. I have caught one walleye below Y bridge but that's the only one I have seen. Might have to start looking around more. The catfish in the river are everywhere. I have seen schools with probably 30 fish in them. Nothing big probably around two pounds.

Nice report.

[smallmouthjoe]

Every time I fish above Delaware Town I always catch two or three walleyes. They always seem to be holding behind current breaks right where I expect to find smallmouth. Sounds like a great trip, thanks for sharing.