Opening Night Snagging

[Seth]

I hit a small male at 12:30 out in front of a cove below Ashercane Bottoms. About 2:30 the fish started flopping on the surface and we got into them again and hit nine fish and landed six. We got all of our fish around Ashercane Bottom. Nothing huge, biggest was only about 50-55lbs. Mostly small males.

My dad and mom snagged up by us and never did touched a fish all night. Only difference was we were casting and using 10-15 foot surf rods and they were trolling using 9 foot casting rods.

[hoover25]

Good job!!

Call me stupid but is Ashercane bottom above or below Fall Creek? Apparently, I should bring a map with me this weekend.

We'll be hitting the Rock early Saturday....hope its not too crowded.

[Jason Essary]

Nice numbers man. Went Thursday morning 4 3hrs, caught one 28lbs and one 58lbs. Went This morning (friday) for anouther try and only got one at 64lbs. Both were males (let the small one go). All caught in ashers also....

[Seth]

Ashercane bottom is where the river widens up about a mile above flat creek I would guess. There's and old boat house up by where the we hit the fish. The little cove that that boathouse sits in is almost always good for atleast one fish a trip for us.

My buddy and his dad crappie fished during the day Thursday and boated all the way up to McCords Bend and said there was a ton of paddlefish up there that they seen too. One of them said they flipped there jig by a big log, and then the big log turned and swam past the boat, it was a big spooner laying right on top of the water.

McCords Bend should stay hot as long as the water temps stay 50+ I would imagine with the water levels at pool this year.

[hoover25]

It was slow for us. We landed one decent male, but that was it.

Hopefully, the rains will come and the big girls will start moving up. My stomach is rumbling for some caviar.

We did see a crappie fisherman hooked up to a spoonie on his ultalite.....he was having a bit of trouble with it.

[rainbow]

Where is McCords from the bridgeport launch?

[Steve Smith]

McCords Bend would be quite a run from Bridgeport up the James River. Others may be able to be more specific. McCords is right off of Hwy 248 just west of Galena by auto. Last year, the lake was so low you couldn't get a medium size boat through McCord's shoals. This year should be different, but I haven't checked it out yet.

[Seth]

If you want to head directly to McCords Bend, you would be better off launching at Walnut Springs. I'm not sure if there is a ramp in McCords Bend, although I am sure there is.

We launch out of bridgeport just because we start snagging at the mouth of Flat Creek and just snag our way up the river alot of times. Sometimes we find a pocket of fish and don't make it up to Walnut Springs or McCords Bend.

Last year we ran up as far as we could to McCords Bend and had to stop when the water was just barely trickling over some gravel. The water was really clear up there and there was a lot of shad, but that was it. We didn't catch any crappie or nothing up there when we fished it.

[CBNMO]

Rainbow, McCord Bend is upstream from the bridge. I don't have a map here but it might be 10 miles up stream? You go past Poing 15 (Flat Creek coming in from the left, boat ramp there and another up Flat Creek about a mile), stay on the James, go past another boat ramp on the left (the channel gets narrow and shallow at times, and crosses the mud flat from the right to left side of the river across here), go on up and the river makes about a 180 degree bend to the right, McCord Bend is another 3/4 mile? Just before you get to the McCord Bend boat ramp is where the river usually gets shallow again. This time it is creek gravel instead of mud.

If you would rather drive to McCord Bend, the ramp is ok. A 4X4 is nice at times depending on how heavy your boat is. They have field camping there and day access too.