New River 2024

Im going to fish the New River in southern west virginia this coming april. Have any of you ever fished the new river? what lures have you had success with?

thanks

Hellgrammites!!!!! Waterdogs!!!!!

3in pumpkin grubs  tiny rebel crawdad

well, i dont know if we'll be using live bait just because its getting pretty expensive. But i was planning on throwning some tubes, grubs, and maybe some shallow cranks. you think that will do?

Tubes and Beavers. Tubes my favorite hands down on the New. For quantity and quality.I like fish exposed hook ( i.e. jighead) also. Hang ups are not really a big deal. If your wading then you can walk over and get un- hung. Even if your floating most can be retrieved by simply floating beyond the hang and popping your line. Dude, you gotta take some jerkbaits with you in April. Less numbers, but size will make up for it. I always take a few cranks with me on The New Earleir in the year before the grass and moss build up gets out of hand. Small bandits or Big O 's are cheap and flat out catch fish there.(Crawdad color ) Might not catch the numbers you would in May, but seriously have a great shot at 1 or 2 , 20+

inchers.

If i had 5 lures to take:

1.) 3" Gitzit Tube - Leech color

2.) LCP 78sp - Ghost Minnow or Clown(depending on water clarity.)

3.)GYCB Shadworm - Baby bass, Green/White Laminate

4.)Cotton Cordell Big O Crank 2 in model - Natural Craw.

5.) GYCB Senko 4 in - white, pearl, black

The New was one of my home waters. Unfortunatley ive moved a bit further North but i still get down there (mostly around the Hinton Area) 2 or 3 times a year.Shoot me a PM , i know ill be there in April and may, i just dont when.

Yes, yes, yes...I finally get to speak to a local. Pitchinkid, we just purchased an old historic home up in Lewisburg, WVA and I've been trying to figure out the good spots on the Greenbrier around that area. Over Thanksgiving last year, we rode down river towards Hinton to where the Greenbrier and New meet, as in talking to a few locals in Lewisburg, they were having some luck hooking into some musky in that area. This got us exicited. Nonetheless, I don't suppose you could recommend some good spots down your old stomping grounds way that would be good for a kyak/canoe float for smallies, put in and pull out spots? I've copied your recommendations down in the above post and will start pulling in some tubes. Tried senkos up in the Greenbrier with some luck, and this is my favorite bait, but the more local knowledge the better...

About the tubes...who makes the Gitzit tube (Canyon Plastics, Yamamoto, Strike King, etc.), and what are your methods of rigging it?

Much appreciated,

Randy Kight

will do pitchkid. My parents got a camp on the greenbrier last year and im lookin forward to going for the first time.

I live within 3 miles of the Greenbrier and with in 45 minutes of the New.  When you want to go, drop me a pm and I will gladly tell you of some good float trips, baits to use, etc.  If you want I will even guide you for free down the Greenbrier, some great fishing.  I always get excited when someone mentions my rivers on here.  take care.

Id love to live in Lewisburg. Alot of my childhood vacations were spent there. Sherwood lake, Anthony creek, Meadow of Anthony, Greenbrier, Tuckahoe, etc are all pretty close. Getting to your questions, you can put in right next to the dam. On the left side there is parking and a stairway ramp down to the river at the park or you can put in at the first bridge (new river side) below the dam on the left. Plenty of parking beside the bridge or you can drive under and park by the river. There are 2 takeouts before brooks falls both are on the left headed down river on New River rd county rt. 26. Both places have parking and and porta-potties. Its not a real long float but you can either take your time, stop and fish and get out and wade some and fish all day or go with the flow and be down to the takeout in 5 hours or less. How many gates are open also plays a key role. 2-3 gates open are ideal. Ive floated with 6-7 gates open and we caught bigger fish with real good numbers but the river just shoots you down so fast your at the takeout before you know it. Phone number for the corp. of Engineers office at Bluestone dam is 304-466-0156. Every morning at 7:00 they update the information( how many gates are open, water temp of the tailwaters, ect.). Gitzits are a product of Canyon Plastics i believe. There is a bait shop in Talcott called Lowells Market that has them. Also there is a new Bait shop close to the Dam that has a decent selection. I can not think of its name. Its near the park on the left side if your looking at the dam. Behind the Exxon if im not mistaken.All tubes are great, im just partial to Gitzits( i named my dog after them). As far as rigging them goes, I take a 1/4 oz, round jighead with a 1/0 - 2/0 hook. I slide it head first inside the tube, all the way to the top. Then i just push my eyelet through the tube.( i want the hook to be exposed right at the start of the skirt on the tube.)You can Texas rig them as well. But it seems that i tear more tubes up that way when im catching alot of fish. They will still get tore up on a jighead, but i think i get a bit more use out of them on a jighead.

I have a camp on the new river in Brooks on Fox addition Rd. Im sure ill be down there 2 or 3 times a year. Another member on this forum named Jimzee has a camp right on the Greenbrier about 3 miles past the dam. We float the new river 2 or 3 times a year.

Ive raised more muskies then ive caught on the new. I caught 1 right behind Dairy queen 2 years ago. No monster by any means, but a fun fight none the less. I think he was 29 inches. Jimzee caught a couple 2 footers last year i believe, in the same area. Ive seen other fisherman catch a few between the dam and the takeout as well.

Maybe sometime this spring or summer ill see ya down there. If there is anything else, just shoot me a PM and ill try my best to help you out.

I live in Lewisburg, give me a pm when you are in the area and we will go fishin.  I think the next state record largemouth will come out of Tuckahoe, awesome fishery, but as you know it gets hammered.  The original poster there is a tackle shop in Fairlea JTM Sporting goods, the fellas who operate the shop are always willing to help you out as well.  Good luck

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Id love to live in Lewisburg. Alot of my childhood vacations were spent there. Sherwood lake, Anthony creek, Meadow of Anthony, Greenbrier, Tuckahoe, etc are all pretty close. Getting to your questions, you can put in right next to the dam. On the left side there is parking and a stairway ramp down to the river at the park or you can put in at the first bridge (new river side) below the dam on the left. Plenty of parking beside the bridge or you can drive under and park by the river. There are 2 takeouts before brooks falls both are on the left headed down river on New River rd county rt. 26. Both places have parking and and porta-potties. Its not a real long float but you can either take your time, stop and fish and get out and wade some and fish all day or go with the flow and be down to the takeout in 5 hours or less. How many gates are open also plays a key role. 2-3 gates open are ideal. Ive floated with 6-7 gates open and we caught bigger fish with real good numbers but the river just shoots you down so fast your at the takeout before you know it. Phone number for the corp. of Engineers office at Bluestone dam is 304-466-0156. Every morning at 7:00 they update the information( how many gates are open, water temp of the tailwaters, ect.). Gitzits are a product of Canyon Plastics i believe. There is a bait shop in Talcott called Lowells Market that has them. Also there is a new Bait shop close to the Dam that has a decent selection. I can not think of its name. Its near the park on the left side if your looking at the dam. Behind the Exxon if im not mistaken.All tubes are great, im just partial to Gitzits( i named my dog after them). As far as rigging them goes, I take a 1/4 oz, round jighead with a 1/0 - 2/0 hook. I slide it head first inside the tube, all the way to the top. Then i just push my eyelet through the tube.( i want the hook to be exposed right at the start of the skirt on the tube.)You can Texas rig them as well. But it seems that i tear more tubes up that way when im catching alot of fish. They will still get tore up on a jighead, but i think i get a bit more use out of them on a jighead.

I have a camp on the new river in Brooks on Fox addition Rd. Im sure ill be down there 2 or 3 times a year. Another member on this forum named Jimzee has a camp right on the Greenbrier about 3 miles past the dam. We float the new river 2 or 3 times a year.

Ive raised more muskies then ive caught on the new. I caught 1 right behind Dairy queen 2 years ago. No monster by any means, but a fun fight none the less. I think he was 29 inches. Jimzee caught a couple 2 footers last year i believe, in the same area. Ive seen other fisherman catch a few between the dam and the takeout as well.

Maybe sometime this spring or summer ill see ya down there. If there is anything else, just shoot me a PM and ill try my best to help you out.

I really should have paid attention in English class. Sorry if you have trouble reading that mess.

I love the New River fishing... if anyone wants to do a float trip this spring or summer, just let me know.

It won't cost you a dime...   

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Tubes and Beavers. Tubes my favorite hands down on the New. For quantity and quality.I like fish exposed hook ( i.e. jighead) also. Hang ups are not really a big deal. If your wading then you can walk over and get un- hung. Even if your floating most can be retrieved by simply floating beyond the hang and popping your line. Dude, you gotta take some jerkbaits with you in April. Less numbers, but size will make up for it. I always take a few cranks with me on The New Earleir in the year before the grass and moss build up gets out of hand. Small bandits or Big O 's are cheap and flat out catch fish there.(Crawdad color ) Might not catch the numbers you would in May, but seriously have a great shot at 1 or 2 , 20+

inchers.

If i had 5 lures to take:

1.) 3" Gitzit Tube - Leech color

2.) LCP 78sp - Ghost Minnow or Clown(depending on water clarity.)

3.)GYCB Shadworm - Baby bass, Green/White Laminate

4.)Cotton Cordell Big O Crank 2 in model - Natural Craw.

5.) GYCB Senko 4 in - white, pearl, black

The New was one of my home waters. Unfortunatley ive moved a bit further North but i still get down there (mostly around the Hinton Area) 2 or 3 times a year.Shoot me a PM , i know ill be there in April and may, i just dont when.

I've been looking for Leech color in tubes, but can't find any.  Is there another color that works well?  I take it that Leech being blackish in color, that maybe another dark color, such as dark green with black flake, such as what I like to use locally as my senko color, may work?

Gitzits Leech color is somewhere between Black and Smoke. Cant go wrong with Green Pumpkin either. Pretty much any color tubes on the New river are awesome. Last place i found the Leech color was at Lowells Market in Talcot WV. I might be able to come up with some extra bags i have at the house. Ill check later today and PM you tomorrow and ship you some.

Found some Leech today at Dicks Sporting Goods...which looked to be almost completely out of most of everything.  I'll pick up some green pumpkin as well.  Much appreciate the offer on sending me some...very cool.

I have fished the New River numerous times for smallmouth, catfish, and my favorite muskie. If you are interested in muskie fishing, I would suggest going down to Whitethorn with some suckers or a large bucktail(4-5). That is where I caught a 36 lber.

wow, some locals, cool.  i am from lewisburg but now reside in union, about 20 minutes from lewisburg.

i have fished the greenbrier and new for 26 years.

march and april can be great on these rivers. good flow and very active fish. among what others have said, dont forget about the jerkbait and senkos in the spring. dynamite baits for this time of year.

the new from narrows to to glen lynn is hot in the spring and there is also a c & r at sandstone bridge down. just above sandstone bridge is a nice hole for smallies and walleyes.

another good tatic is to split shot a berkley gulp minnow 3 inch in smelt. throw them at the head of eddies and let em drift down the eddie line.

I was wourding how the fishing was down in Radford under the interstate to the dam. Planning on taking my boat down this spring. Never been there just looking for knowledge for that area.

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I was wourding how the fishing was down in Radford under the interstate to the dam. Planning on taking my boat down this spring. Never been there just looking for knowledge for that area.

The guy you want to talk to about that area is New River.  He posted on this thread and invited people to pm him for information and possibly a fishing trip.  Nice guy, we were going to go fishing last spring, but my health prevented it.  >

Hey Retired... Let's do that float trip this spring, just let me know when to be there. Weekday's are best for me.

The New river is pretty good fishing all over, but the fish seem to run larger above Claytor lake.

Have rig.. will float. 

I fish in southwest Virginia in Galax, Va.  Its about a 1 mile strip that really produces the fish!  we use cranks (jointed shad-rap) in the winder and fall, and rubber (Senkos, lizards, trick worms, and baby brushhogs) in the spring and summer.

here are a few:

pm me if u have any questions

A few of us from NOVA are thinking about planning a trip down there to camp and fish along the New River one weekend this spring. What would be the best time to be down there? Any suggestions on where we should camp? Of course we would welcome the company of ther Bass Resource memebers if they were interested as well.

I fished the New River when I was at VT usually near McCoy (drive up the railroad tracks by Big Falls Road). As I recall, there is a camp ground near "Big Falls". I'm not sure exactly where other campgrounds are located along the New but we'd be open to other suggestions if the fishing is better in other areas. Right now I'm not sure if we'd be floating or wading, but both are possibilites. Any suggestions?

Too cool...

CONGRATULATIONS!

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Yes, yes, yes...I finally get to speak to a local. Pitchinkid, we just purchased an old historic home up in Lewisburg, WVA and I've been trying to figure out the good spots on the Greenbrier around that area. Over Thanksgiving last year, we rode down river towards Hinton to where the Greenbrier and New meet, as in talking to a few locals in Lewisburg, they were having some luck hooking into some musky in that area. This got us exicited. Nonetheless, I don't suppose you could recommend some good spots down your old stomping grounds way that would be good for a kyak/canoe float for smallies, put in and pull out spots? I've copied your recommendations down in the above post and will start pulling in some tubes. Tried senkos up in the Greenbrier with some luck, and this is my favorite bait, but the more local knowledge the better...

About the tubes...who makes the Gitzit tube (Canyon Plastics, Yamamoto, Strike King, etc.), and what are your methods of rigging it?

Much appreciated,

Randy Kight

I'm working at Snowshoe mtn currently and thinking about staying through the summer. Smallmouth fishing is my main summer hobbie im in search for some good floattrips in the area

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I fish in southwest Virginia in Galax, Va. Its about a 1 mile strip that really produces the fish! we use cranks (jointed shad-rap) in the winder and fall, and rubber (Senkos, lizards, trick worms, and baby brushhogs) in the spring and summer.

pm me if u have any questions

Pretty fish!

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Yes, yes, yes...I finally get to speak to a local. Pitchinkid, we just purchased an old historic home up in Lewisburg, WVA and I've been trying to figure out the good spots on the Greenbrier around that area. Over Thanksgiving last year, we rode down river towards Hinton to where the Greenbrier and New meet, as in talking to a few locals in Lewisburg, they were having some luck hooking into some musky in that area. This got us exicited. Nonetheless, I don't suppose you could recommend some good spots down your old stomping grounds way that would be good for a kyak/canoe float for smallies, put in and pull out spots? I've copied your recommendations down in the above post and will start pulling in some tubes. Tried senkos up in the Greenbrier with some luck, and this is my favorite bait, but the more local knowledge the better...

About the tubes...who makes the Gitzit tube (Canyon Plastics, Yamamoto, Strike King, etc.), and what are your methods of rigging it?

Much appreciated,

Randy Kight

I'm working at Snowshoe mtn currently and thinking about staying through the summer. Smallmouth fishing is my main summer hobbie im in search for some good floattrips in the area

I bet you have been getting some serious snow there. There is a pretty good float from Narrows, VA to the WV State line. Some shorter floats in Beaver. Just depends on how long you wanna fish or be on the water. Snowshoe is pretty close to alot of good fishing on the New.

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Yes, yes, yes...I finally get to speak to a local. Pitchinkid, we just purchased an old historic home up in Lewisburg, WVA and I've been trying to figure out the good spots on the Greenbrier around that area. Over Thanksgiving last year, we rode down river towards Hinton to where the Greenbrier and New meet, as in talking to a few locals in Lewisburg, they were having some luck hooking into some musky in that area. This got us exicited. Nonetheless, I don't suppose you could recommend some good spots down your old stomping grounds way that would be good for a kyak/canoe float for smallies, put in and pull out spots? I've copied your recommendations down in the above post and will start pulling in some tubes. Tried senkos up in the Greenbrier with some luck, and this is my favorite bait, but the more local knowledge the better...

About the tubes...who makes the Gitzit tube (Canyon Plastics, Yamamoto, Strike King, etc.), and what are your methods of rigging it?

Much appreciated,

Randy Kight

I'm working at Snowshoe mtn currently and thinking about staying through the summer. Smallmouth fishing is my main summer hobbie im in search for some good floattrips in the area

I bet you have been getting some serious snow there. There is a pretty good float from Narrows, VA to the WV State line. Some shorter floats in Beaver. Just depends on how long you wanna fish or be on the water. Snowshoe is pretty close to alot of good fishing on the New.

Whats the greenbrier like from Cass down to Marlinton (atleast i think its the greenbrier that goes through Cass)

I'm use to fishing river like the Rapidan and Rappahanock in Central Va around the Fredericksburg/Culpepper area

Personally I've never floated north of Renick, I have no idea about the river that far north.  I have floated every stretch from Renick to Alderson, and can help you out in those areas.  Like pitchinkid said you aren't far from some good fishin.

I love the new bio tubes from Big Bite Baits.

any body been on the new lately...wondering if the smallies was moving during this warm spell

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any body been on the new lately...wondering if the smallies was moving during this warm spell

6.5 gates open on Bluestone. Tail water temp was 39 Degrees this morning. Wont be long. A couple good weeks of 40 - 50 degree days will turn them on. Seems like 45 is the magic number for me on the New.

Just to let ya'll know high and muddy right now, both the new and the greenbrier here in WV.  Doubt there will be any fishing this weekend.

Yeah, you are not kidding.  The New is churning.  Be several days before it is fishable again.  Too bad, cause the muskies were hitting pretty good.

How is the river looking? I hope we don't get all that rain tomorrow and make the river get up again. Planning on making a trip down there next Friday.

It was just beginning to be "off color" rather than muddy.  I did catch a few last week, but it was still up.  I am sure this rain will ruin it again for a few days.

The Greenbrier between Caldwell and Ronceverte looks fishable, the New at the 64 overpass is still churning and high.  Newriverfisherman please post when it is good to head toward Hinton.  thanks

Sorry Retired, I am below Claytor Lake, not near Hinton.  I have camped near there and fished a little.  River was up and muddy yesterday, but a couple of guys were out.  Musky fishing I would guess.  They were going pretty good before all this high water.

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A few of us from NOVA are thinking about planning a trip down there to camp and fish along the New River one weekend this spring. What would be the best time to be down there? Any suggestions on where we should camp? Of course we would welcome the company of ther Bass Resource memebers if they were interested as well.

I fished the New River when I was at VT usually near McCoy (drive up the railroad tracks by Big Falls Road). As I recall, there is a camp ground near "Big Falls". I'm not sure exactly where other campgrounds are located along the New but we'd be open to other suggestions if the fishing is better in other areas. Right now I'm not sure if we'd be floating or wading, but both are possibilites. Any suggestions?

New River Junction @ McCoy Falls (Big Falls Park) is a family campground. The same people who do the inner tube float trips.

As far as I know New River Park farther down the road is a private campground where you must own or rent a permanent site. They have a website if you search for it.

I do a good bit of wading around Parrott and from McCoy to the Eggleston bridge.

This past weekend the water was high, fast, and murky. I reckon Claytor Lake is still discharging a good bit of water.

The New is still a little high and dingy, but I caught 5 smallmouth this morning, two of them over four pounds.  Things are looking good for the next several days.

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