Fishing Report From Cape Fair Marina

[Outdoor Girl]

We are still open and will be until November 1, 2011 and even then when the weather is pretty we will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Even on bad weather days there is a good chance that one of us will be here on the marina doing paper work or working on the docks. So if you get cabin fever or the urge to go fishing then come on down. Oh yes, I almost forgot. The camp grounds for the first time is allowing winter camping. Now the water will be turned off to prevent freezing but the electric will be on and they are welcoming the hardy to come use the camp grounds and enjoy the beautiful winter scenery.

Now to the fishing report! Well what can I say, the bass fishing still “stinks”. Sure you can catch short fish but the good ones are really tough. On the Sunday open fish-off we did have a beautiful 6.28 black bass checked in with a total stringer weight of 13.34 pounds winning the event. That six pounder was the first big bass weighed in over 2 months. The water temperature is dropping into the sixties and the water color varies from very clear to a nasty green.

Black Bass: The algae is in its winter die off mood and we believe it is affecting the PH in the lake water. We really don’t know why the bigger bass are so fussy but nobody is catching them with any consistently. The shad are in the back of the bigger coves and are thick. The bass are back there and just about anything will at some point get hit. Spooks and buss baits early will catch bass. Flukes with a hook only in white pearl and bubble gum is doing well right up on the banks and always around shore brush and lay down trees. Peanut butter and jelly colored jigs dragged across gravel points in about 15 foot of water will catch fish. I will say this, we are getting some beautiful brown bass coming in mostly caught from the marina on up the James river as far as you can go. Bass fishing will get better. They have to start hitting spinner baits in the backs of the coves soon.

Crappies: Come on down now, the crappie are biting. Minnows are the go to bait. Fish them shallow or deep as long as you drop them around brush and trees and lay downs off the banks. They are really tight to cover, but they working all the way up the rivers and mid way in the bigger coves. The fisherman that work at it (we never said it was easy) are bringing in limits of 15 crappie each.

Catfish: Good cat fishing is still happening and plain old dough baits seem to be the ticket. Flat heads are still pounding crank baits on bluff ends. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit if trot lines wouldn’t still pick up some good cats.

Perch: Some of the biggest perch I’ve seen in a while are being caught around boat docks and steep bluff slides. Plain old worms and bobber, small hooks and light line will fill the frying pan.

[Spinnaker]

Thanks for the tips. I want to come down for the "big" bite frenzy, but who knows when that will be for certain. I guess I can always bring my waders, flyrod and trout gear and hit Taney if they are not running a lot of water. But I really want to experience the fall bite sometime.

[BrianS]

I actually cranked up a limit last Friday way up James and Flat Creek. Naturally couldnt catch anything during the tournament