James River Report 5-14-19

[Bill Babler]

Launched at Aunts Creek, back ramp at 6:00, pulled out past point 10 going up hill and it was murky, not muddy but more than Ice tea.  Lots of floating stuff, mostly up to Campers.  From Campers up water turns into nice James River Green and not so much debris, but enough that I wore my life jacket anytime the big motor was running, all day.

Started out fishing a blade thru the bushes across from Jackson and fished it to point 12, mostly fishing points or long runs.  Caught  8 mostly K's and small LM.  Switched to a 1/2 oz. PigSticker GP Orange with a big Nicholes orange craw trailer and it was on.  Kept the boat in mostly 15' and under and fished it from in front of the bushes back and dragged it quite a bit.  

Most of my bites on the blade were out in front of the bushes, nothing in or behind them so I thought the jig might work, and it did.  Had another 15 mostly nice 2.5 pound keepers on the jig.  All most all of them were Jaw's with a  LM thrown  in, except for 3 keeper K's off one location.  Fish were on the small points and shallow rocky runs, seems like the main lake points I fished did not produce quite as well.  I tried some 45 degree stuff and steeper, but the flatter stuff was much better.  The kind of banks that you are a full cast from the fronts of the bushes and still in 15' of water.

Fished up to Cape Fair Marina and caught 3 off the ramp.  All keeper K's.  Don't know whats up with that, they don't usually live there as bigger critters  patrol that area.

About Noon the wake boats came out and for the life of me I could not understand people pulling children thru that debris, but then again I'm not all that adventurous.

Lots of nice bites on a jig up the James with some very nice SM up to Cool Water.

Surface temps 67 at launch and take out.

[STLbassbuster]

Always enjoy reading your reports Bill & thanks for sharing!

[bferg]

Thanks for the report Bill... Headed over there this Friday/Saturday and will be in the Big M area.  Is the topwater bite coming together much up the White?

[vernon]

With two days to go before we get back down there you got me sitting here shaking like one of those paint mixing machines!

Heck, I can't even tie a knot to get any jigs rigged up!

Looks like worms and bobbers for me again......

Might even get me a new cane pole for this trip!

Thanks for the great report (as always).

[5bites]

With Cape Fair Marina advertising wake boat activities all winter long on facebook I’m not surprised they’d be out. It’s a shame (it’s May and up a river!) but not surprising. 

 

Good report though. The jig bite is very good news. Last Friday the points weren’t nearly as good to us as just straight flat stretches. We couldn’t get a flipping bite going and everything came out front. I was particularly bummed because fishing willows and buck brush is one of my very favorite things in life. Nevertheless the keitech  made up for it. 

[Quillback]

2 hours ago, vernon said:

With two days to go before we get back down there you got me sitting here shaking like one of those paint mixing machines!

Heck, I can't even tie a knot to get any jigs rigged up!

Looks like worms and bobbers for me again......

Might even get me a new cane pole for this trip!

Thanks for the great report (as always).

What?  You know they are predicting strong storms this weekend, is it a coincidence?  

You're starting to scare me, I promise in the future to be nice to you and hopefully stay on your good side.  I don't need any of those storms to be directed at me.

 

[Bill Babler]

5bites, i worked pretty hard on the brush with a blade and a jig and maybe where I was flipping  was wrong, but all my bites were out in front.  Most where you would sit a boat to flip.  I also had success almost paralleling, putting the boat in 15' and throwing ahead in front of the bushes and bringing it back that way.

At the risk of getting in trouble here for trolling, I also as usual caught them dragging it likewise. 5' to 15'

As always you know there are fish in them there bushes, but that is a slow go when you can just reel them in out in front and don't have to stand there and pick them apart.  I have a feeling that friggin Hard head is going to be a BIGGGGG factor.  In the James River right now you are not going to miss many bites.  You get it in front of one that wants to eat it and your going to catch it.  I just don't know if there is enough bites up there for this kind of a tournament.

Remember several years ago when they were catching 20 plus keeps a day in that Elite here, up the White winding a wiggle wart?  They were weighing 11 pounds or so.  That is the same derby that Davis caught them on a Biffle Bug.  I think thats the kind of numbers that will be needed.  I just got to thinking, in any of the stained water maybe a bladed jig or a chatter bait might really catch them and catch them quick out in front of those bushes.  So the James might come into play more than I originally thought.

I'm usually terrible at guessing these deals.

[BassPastor]

Great report. 

Have you tried any topwater first thing in the morning? 

[vernon]

19 hours ago, Quillback said:

What?  You know they are predicting strong storms this weekend, is it a coincidence?  

You're starting to scare me, I promise in the future to be nice to you and hopefully stay on your good side.  I don't need any of those storms to be directed at me.

 

You're one of the good guys Quill so you've got nothing to worry about - although I'd be careful about associating with some of these other naysayers that might make the mistake of underestimating what I'm capable of!

Sometimes that voodoo that I do scares even me.

[5bites]

15 hours ago, Bill Babler said:

5bites, i worked pretty hard on the brush with a blade and a jig and maybe where I was flipping  was wrong, but all my bites were out in front.  Most where you would sit a boat to flip.  I also had success almost paralleling, putting the boat in 15' and throwing ahead in front of the bushes and bringing it back that way.

At the risk of getting in trouble here for trolling, I also as usual caught them dragging it likewise. 5' to 15'

As always you know there are fish in them there bushes, but that is a slow go when you can just reel them in out in front and don't have to stand there and pick them apart.  I have a feeling that friggin Hard head is going to be a BIGGGGG factor.  In the James River right now you are not going to miss many bites.  You get it in front of one that wants to eat it and your going to catch it.  I just don't know if there is enough bites up there for this kind of a tournament.

Remember several years ago when they were catching 20 plus keeps a day in that Elite here, up the White winding a wiggle wart?  They were weighing 11 pounds or so.  That is the same derby that Davis caught them on a Biffle Bug.  I think thats the kind of numbers that will be needed.  I just got to thinking, in any of the stained water maybe a bladed jig or a chatter bait might really catch them and catch them quick out in front of those bushes.  So the James might come into play more than I originally thought.

I'm usually terrible at guessing these deals.

It’s like you said there are definitely fish in there but they’re either in a bad mood or just not as many. The ones out front are more than eager. I’d rather catch them out of the bushes than wind a keitech but again when they make it that easy why not? Plus I had my kids and just wanted us to have a good day catching and we all did. It was a good day. Tomorrow I’m bringing our associate pastor down to hopefully have another good day. Our last trip to grand was pathetic so I need to make it up to him lol. 

 

You mentioned the wobble head. I almost asked if you threw it. I lobbed it a couple times last week but not where I should have. Tomorrow I’m lobbing it more.