James River Advice 2024

kfili reply :

So my local little jon boat lake I fished at regularly is now closed off to non-residents of the lake ????. I am super disappointed, the next closest lakes are about an hour away but I have the James river in downtown lynchburg about 20 minutes away! I usually avoid the river because I have no real understanding of how to fish it but now I dont have much of a choice. I will be taking my lil 12 ft jon boat (trolling motor powered) to the james river and was hoping someone could help me out where to start. What types of things should I be doing differently, what should I look for, ect.

I fished it a few times in the past from a kayak and basically just cast at laydowns and any eddy I could see. In the summer I had (some) success casting a texas rigged senko down a grass line I found.

I know Ill get the hang of it eventually, but would love if someone could help cut down the learning curve.

Thanks

Cheeseburger Eddie reply :

Nothing much different only the fish bite is a lot more dependent on the tides. Summer pattern for me is to fish outside creek bends, flip vegetation, fan cast points with deep water access, frog on the pads. Planning your fishing on an outgoing tide day will give you a better chance for success.

I'm Blue reply :

He's in Lynchburg,,, there are no tides, its a actual river. Small mouth territory.
Id fish it with 2 rods, one with 10lb test and a Pop r topwater and one with 15lb or so fireline or braid with a 3-4" curly tail grub rigged texas style, throw the pop R anywhere near but not in current early, throw the grub in holes later. Lots of smallies, I love river fishing, wishing I had bought a tunnel hull john boat rather than this big water glass boat I just got.
Been getting skunked fishing for largemouth

Sam reply :

Lynchburg. Hummmm. Here we go.

1. Its known as the HISTORIC James River.

2. The HISTORIC James is not tidal above Bosher's Dam in Richmond as mentioned above.

3. Smallmouth are abundant in the upper HISTORIC James so read up on catching river smallies.

4. When the train derailed, it killed everything in the river. Throw everything back you catch just to make sure you don't poison yourself, family members or the dog.

5. Wear your PFD at all times.

6. Bring your needle nose pliers. Bring two if possible.

7. Protect your self from the sun.

8. Wear a good pair of polarized sunglasses.

9. Have your fishing license with you.

19. If you come out of the rocks and see a ramp to the left with lots of toothless people, you have gone too far. You will be in Powhatan County at Watkins Landing.

As for baits, throw small hair jigs; small lipless crankbaits; small square bills; Senkos rigged weedless Wacky; and use a spinning rig to control everything better.

Have fun and let us know what you catch.

All the best for a safe adventure.

I'm Blue reply :

Hey Sam,,, which areas are fishable with a Glass boat was thinking of putting in at Watkins, ramp looks ok but no idea what up and down stream look like from there, also what train where ?

heyitskirby reply :

On 4/28/2019 at 8:21 PM, I'm Blue said:

Hey Sam,,, which areas are fishable with a Glass boat was thinking of putting in at Watkins, ramp looks ok but no idea what up and down stream look like from there, also what train where ?

I wouldn't go very far upriver from Watkins, but you can run all the way down to the dam downstream.

It gets shallow in spots along the banks, but as long as you only run the channel you won't have any problems assuming the river is not super low. That's not to say you can't fish the banks, I just wouldn't make runs along the banks.

Be mindful that this section of river is tight, has a lot of pleasure boaters and jetskis on the weekends, and there will be a lot of people on paddle boards and other self propelled boats. It can be annoying and most of these people will not respect your space.

The ramp itself should be fine as long as the river is not super low.

James Janousek reply :

On 4/28/2019 at 6:39 AM, Sam said:

19. If you come out of the rocks and see a ramp to the left with lots of toothless people, you have gone too far. You will be in Powhatan County at Watkins Landing.

This made me laugh. I did a float with a buddy from Maidens to Watkins and we totally underestimated how long it would take. Thought we could do it in 6-8 hours, way wrong. Spent the last hour just paddling our kayaks so he could make it back in time to pick his kid up at daycare. Multiple lessons learned on that trip...

CountryboyinDC reply :

I haven't lived near (within 30 miles) there for more than 20 years and I'm trying to figure out where you are that puts you 20 minutes from the James, but an hour from any other place to fish. Maybe Amherst or somewhere. With a 12 foot jon boat, wouldn't Leesville or something be better than that part of the James?

Sam reply :

On 4/28/2019 at 8:21 PM, I'm Blue said:

Hey Sam,,, which areas are fishable with a Glass boat was thinking of putting in at Watkins, ramp looks ok but no idea what up and down stream look like from there, also what train where ?

Blue, going down river towards Bosher's Dam and the City is great for all boats and fishing for both smallies and largemouths plus catfish.

Going up river from Watkins will introduce to many boulders and rocks and you may need a jet engine to get around safely and not destroy you boat and you will be in smallmouth heaven.

The DG&IF upgraded Watkins a few years ago and it is a great ramp. Good parking and easy backing the trailer to the Historic James.

Put in at Watkins and go down river and have some fun.

I put my Ranger in at Watkins and go all the way down to the dam and Tuckahoe Creek. You can fish the river all the way to Bosher's' Dam and back to Watkins.

And regarding the train, there was a derailment in Lynchburg that spilled some chemicals into the river. But so far, no problem with the water quality or fish.

Have fun!

Jared Tuck reply :

I have never fished the Upper James, but I assume that it is very similar to the New (which you should definitely fish if you get the chance to). Focus on rock and current this time of year to catch big smallmouth. While most recommend spinning gear for rivers, the New and James are pretty large bodies of water and I usually only take one spinning combo with me when I fish for river smallies. As others have said, topwater will work well. Don't count it out in the middle of the day either; river smallies are aggressive! My best advice is find the eddies and you will find the fish. A craw dragged on the bottom, or a swimbait slowly retrieved will catch the bigger fish, while finesse tactics like a wacky senko will catch you numbers. Have fun!

FooJet reply :

On 5/23/2019 at 6:53 AM, Sam said:

Blue, going down river towards Bosher's Dam and the City is great for all boats and fishing for both smallies and largemouths plus catfish.

Going up river from Watkins will introduce to many boulders and rocks and you may need a jet engine to get around safely and not destroy you boat and you will be in smallmouth heaven.

The DG&IF upgraded Watkins a few years ago and it is a great ramp. Good parking and easy backing the trailer to the Historic James.

Put in at Watkins and go down river and have some fun.

I put my Ranger in at Watkins and go all the way down to the dam and Tuckahoe Creek. You can fish the river all the way to Bosher's' Dam and back to Watkins.

And regarding the train, there was a derailment in Lynchburg that spilled some chemicals into the river. But so far, no problem with the water quality or fish.

Have fun!

Sam,

I'm new to the site; I joined to research the James. Looks like I came to the right place. I'm wondering how the water is upriver from Watkins...you mentioned boulders and rocks, how deep is the water? Are there any class one or two rapids up above? Is there a boat ramp above Watkins I could put in my boat (1760 River Rave w/ 80hp jet Merc).

Sam reply :

Hey Foo, welcome to the Forum.

Don't forget to introduce yourself in the Introductions section and always check out the Southeast section for information on Virginia waters.

I can't go up river from Watkins Landing (page 75) as I do not have a kayak or jet boat, but a lot of guys head up that way to fish for smallies in their jet boats or fight the river and rapids from Scottsville to Watkins Landing or Robious Landing (page 73).

Lots of rocks above Watkins Landing and water levels can get as low as one-foot.

May I make two suggestions?

1. Go to Bass Pro Shop or a tackle shop in NOVA and locate the GMCO map of Upper James River. They left out the word "Historic" in the title but the map is still a good one. It will show you the Historic James River from Richmond to Scottsville. It shows the rapids difficulty classifications along the route.

Or, you can go to their web site and order the map of the Upper James River,

http://www.gmcomaps.com/ Check out all the Virginia maps. Upper James is on page 2 of the Virginia link.

2. Go to Bass Pro Shop or a tackle shop in NOVA and locate the booklet, 2019 Freshwater Fishing and Boating in Virginia. Page 72 starts the DGIF boat ramps and access points on all bodies of Virginia waters (note page numbers above) and there are a number of public ramps listed for the Historic James towards Scottsville. Just look under the "Body of Water" column for the James River.

Remember, the Historic James is very dangerous from the Pony Pasture and then to downtown Richmond. I believe only those who are serious kayakers try their luck on this portion of the Historic James. Unless you are a pro who knows how to handle Class IV rapids, please keep it simple and don't go below the Pony Pasture to Richmond.

Kayakers put in by the Huguenot Bridge (page 76) and this is the area where people take lessons on how to use a kayak. It is extremely busy on weekends.

Fishing the upper Historic James River is great for smallies. As you go below Watkins Landing towards Boshers' Dam the largemouth fishing is very good, too.

Good luck. Have fun. Be safe. Have all your required equipment and fishing license with you as the VDGIF conservation officers will show up from time to time at the various ramps checking on the guys and gals.

Let us know what you find out and what you did.

P.S. Just thought of the Richmond Fishing Expo in January at Meadow Event Park by Kings Dominion.

Great people who know the Upper Historic James River and will share information with you. Here is the link to this year's past event: http://www.richmondfishingexpo.com/

Check it out and watch for it for the 2020 show.

FooJet reply :

Thank you for all the info Sam.

CountryboyinDC reply :

On 6/25/2019 at 6:16 PM, Sam said:

Remember, the Historic James is very dangerous from the Pony Pasture and then to downtown Richmond. I believe only those who are serious kayakers try their luck on this portion of the Historic James. Unless you are a pro who knows how to handle Class IV rapids, please keep it simple and don't go below the Pony Pasture to Richmond.

I read this and wondered where there were Class IV rapids on the James. I haven't run these, but they're Class II (which can still be on the difficult side for someone just learning a SOT kayak). A lot of other good info in your post.

Sam reply :

Country, as you sit in traffic you will have time to look at the map of the Upper James River by GMCO.

It shows the classes of the rapids along the river from Scottsville to Richmond.

I was incorrect. Seems the Class IV rapids are in the Richmond area. There are no Class IV rapids in the upper James.

Thanks for pointing this error to us so it can be corrected.

Darren. reply :

Welcome aboard, @FooJet!

As to the Historic James, @Sam, that's some fine advice (esp #19 ).

I've got relatives in Lynchburg and was there in the Spring walking over the

bridge downtown. Couldn't get a good enough look as I wanted with all the

fencing they've installed, but what I could see was delicious to the eyes as

far as smallie territory. Hope to fish it some time when we're out visiting

again.

CountryboyinDC reply :

On 6/27/2019 at 4:11 AM, Sam said:

Country, as you sit in traffic you will have time to look at the map of the Upper James River by GMCO.

It shows the classes of the rapids along the river from Scottsville to Richmond.

I was incorrect. Seems the Class IV rapids are in the Richmond area. There are no Class IV rapids in the upper James.

Thanks for pointing this error to us so it can be corrected.

I may live in the concrete (or actually 1/4 acre manicured lawn) jungle now, but I was born in Bedford County (a good part of my family still lives there). I used to fish out of a canoe a fair amount up around Eagle Rock, back when it was the smallmouth destination rather than the New.

Boomstick reply :

I have no idea about bass fishing on the James River, but I watch the catsandcarp youtube channel now and then and he catches some nice catfish on the James River, so if you get bored of bass fishing or just want to mix things up, try throwing some spam, boilies or chicken liver.

heavyduty reply :

On 6/25/2019 at 9:27 AM, FooJet said:

Sam,

I'm new to the site; I joined to research the James. Looks like I came to the right place. I'm wondering how the water is upriver from Watkins...you mentioned boulders and rocks, how deep is the water? Are there any class one or two rapids up above? Is there a boat ramp above Watkins I could put in my boat (1760 River Rave w/ 80hp jet Merc).

Next ramp above Watkins is Maidens Landing on Rt 522. You can run your jet there. If you are experienced, you can run Watkins to Maidens. Going upriver from Watkins you have the following ramps:

Maidens

West View

Cartersville

Columbia

Bremo Bluff

Hardware

Scottsville

Howardsville

Midway

Wingina

James River State Park

Bent Creek

Lynchburg

Hardware is boulder strewn and very tricky

Scottsville to Howardsville is difficult, almost impossible to not hit rocks at normal levels

Howardsville ramp is better suited for canoes and kayaks

Wingina ramp is short and can be difficult to launch a jet

Smallie fishing has been off this year so far. Not sure if due to all the high water or if RR spill in Lynchburg did have an effect on the fish.

2-3' on the Cartersville gauge, you can pretty much get anywhere with the jet. Bent Creek needs to be 3.5' or above to get around safely up that way.

FooJet reply :

Thank you everyone for the information.

BryanRVA reply :

I know this is an older post, but does anyone know how long the float is from Watkins to Roubious in a kayak?

flyfisher reply :

On 8/10/2019 at 6:34 AM, BryanRVA said:

I know this is an older post, but does anyone know how long the float is from Watkins to Roubious in a kayak?

it is around 5 miles so it al depends on water levels and if you are fishing etc...

FooJet reply :

On 6/28/2019 at 8:48 AM, heavyduty said:

Next ramp above Watkins is Maidens Landing on Rt 522. You can run your jet there. If you are experienced, you can run Watkins to Maidens. Going upriver from Watkins you have the following ramps:

Maidens

West View

Cartersville

Columbia

Bremo Bluff

Hardware

Scottsville

Howardsville

Midway

Wingina

James River State Park

Bent Creek

Lynchburg

Hardware is boulder strewn and very tricky

Scottsville to Howardsville is difficult, almost impossible to not hit rocks at normal levels

Howardsville ramp is better suited for canoes and kayaks

Wingina ramp is short and can be difficult to launch a jet

Smallie fishing has been off this year so far. Not sure if due to all the high water or if RR spill in Lynchburg did have an effect on the fish.

2-3' on the Cartersville gauge, you can pretty much get anywhere with the jet. Bent Creek needs to be 3.5' or above to get around safely up that way.

I’m considering fishing the James for this first time this weekend. Planning to put in at Watkins.

The water level at Cartersville reads 1’. Will I be banging my boat on rocks and spending my time freeing my boat rather than on fishing? Thoughts?

Brad Reams reply :

On 10/11/2019 at 11:33 PM, FooJet said:

I’m considering fishing the James for this first time this weekend. Planning to put in at Watkins.

The water level at Cartersville reads 1’. Will I be banging my boat on rocks and spending my time freeing my boat rather than on fishing? Thoughts?

1 foot! yikes

I think you'll be banging & dragging all the way

I floated Scottsville to New Canton 3+ weeks ago

gauge was about 2.5' still dragging in many spots.

Cartersville looks too low

Brad Reams reply :

They got some rain in the mountains, but the water hasn't made it down stream yet

the green is normal

red is very low

yellow is below normal

FooJet reply :

Thanks Brad Reams for the info.

I’m now leaning towards waiting for the river level to go up before fishing the James, especially since it’s a 2:45 hour drive for me.

Brad Reams reply :

On 10/12/2019 at 2:46 AM, FooJet said:

Thanks Brad Reams for the info.

I’m now leaning towards waiting for the river level to go up before fishing the James, especially since it’s a 2:45 hour drive for me.

welcome

I hope a rise in water level will help the fish bite

wasnt too good a month ago

heavyduty reply :

On 10/11/2019 at 11:33 PM, FooJet said:

I’m considering fishing the James for this first time this weekend. Planning to put in at Watkins.

The water level at Cartersville reads 1’. Will I be banging my boat on rocks and spending my time freeing my boat rather than on fishing? Thoughts?

Watkins is slack water backed up by Bosher's Dam. Watkins down to the dam you'll be fine. Watkins up about 1/2 mile you will see a couple islands and ripples/rocks (end of slack water created by Bosher's Dam). You can get thru in a kayak or canoe, a jet maybe on plane but will have to be very careful.

drakesndrum reply :

Floated the upper James yesterday from Howardsville to Hatton Ferry, low and slow was the word and low and slow it was. Fishing was a little slow, although my buddy did catch a pretty 18.5" smallie. Jet is out of the question, our yaks were bumping bottom A LOT. Good luck!

FooJet reply :

Thanks for the updates.

Brad Reams reply :

On 10/12/2019 at 4:24 PM, drakesndrum said:

Floated the upper James yesterday from Howardsville to Hatton Ferry, low and slow was the word and low and slow it was. Fishing was a little slow, although my buddy did catch a pretty 18.5" smallie. Jet is out of the question, our yaks were bumping bottom A LOT. Good luck!

how do you like that stretch of river?

or is it similar to the section below Scottsville?

I really like the section from Hardware to New Canton.

drakesndrum reply :

First time on it, but it was a nice float. Could spend days there exploring all the structure.

Brad Reams reply :

On 10/16/2019 at 6:45 PM, drakesndrum said:

First time on it, but it was a nice float. Could spend days there exploring all the structure.

nice I like the sound of that. I think I'll need to give it a try myself

supersmittyc reply :

On 10/12/2019 at 8:09 AM, heavyduty said:

Watkins is slack water backed up by Bosher's Dam. Watkins down to the dam you'll be fine. Watkins up about 1/2 mile you will see a couple islands and ripples/rocks (end of slack water created by Bosher's Dam). You can get thru in a kayak or canoe, a jet maybe on plane but will have to be very careful.

Fishing between watkins and beaumont (rt. 522)is just about impossible in a boat. Dont waste your time trying to launch at beamont as the water is ankle deep for about a mile. Have been spending a lot of time at watkins down to bosher dam. Plan to drive up and launch from Cartersville soon...

drakesndrum reply :

On 10/16/2019 at 8:41 PM, Brad Reams said:

nice I like the sound of that. I think I'll need to give it a try myself

There are a couple of pretty good rapids in that stretch also, and with the low water they were a bit tricky to navigate. My buddy flipped his yak, luckily we got all his stuff and he wasn't hurt. I believe I stayed way to the left side going downstream and got through them both fairly easily, although my big ass did bump bottom several times.

Sam reply :

Let the drought end and the James go back to its correct level.

As stated above, Watkins Landing to the west is very difficult to transverse.

Watkins Landing to the east towards Bosher's Dam is easier to fish and has some good water.

If you have a buddy you can double up and do the following for some great fishing. By the numbers:

1. Drive to the Pony Pasture and drop one of the cars off in the parking lot.

2. Drive west along River Road and go under the Huguenot River Bridge over the Historic James River and go to the right when the road dead ends, towards the river. You will see parking and aramp in Huguenot Flatwater.

https://www.google.com/search?q=richmond james river parks&rlz=1C1EODB_enUS534US537&oq=richmond's+james+rive+parks&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l3.8263j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&npsic=0&rflfq=1&rlha=0&rllag=37540093,-77482326,6008&tbm=lcl&rldimm=13530647582163216593&lqi=ChpyaWNobW9uZCBqYW1lcyByaXZlciBwYXJrc0ig6eSs1JWAgAhaLQoFcGFya3MQAxgAGAEYAhgDIhpyaWNobW9uZCBqYW1lcyByaXZlciBwYXJrcw&phdesc=cxP5MIvOeBE&ved=2ahUKEwjo36DL_qDlAhVnc98KHbeTDz8QvS4wAXoECAoQKg&rldoc=1&tbs=lrf:!2m1!1e2!2m1!1e3!3sIAE,lf:1,lf_ui:1&rlst=f#rlfi=hd:;si:13530647582163216593,l,ChpyaWNobW9uZCBqYW1lcyByaXZlciBwYXJrc0ig6eSs1JWAgAhaLQoFcGFya3MQAxgAGAEYAhgDIhpyaWNobW9uZCBqYW1lcyByaXZlciBwYXJrcw,y,cxP5MIvOeBE;mv:[[37.6371057,-77.33521619999999],[37.5135913,-78.8976323]];tbs:lrf:!2m1!1e2!2m1!1e3!3sIAE,lf:1,lf_ui:1

2. Unload your kayaks at Huguenot Flatwater ramp and go fishing either from Flatwater down to the Z-Dam where you porage across it on the northern bank and then down to the Pony Pasture where there are a lot of rocks or....head up river towards Bosher's' Dam and fish to and from Bosher's Dam to Flatwater or the Pony Pasture.

3. If you are in the Pony Pasture area, you can paddle to the southern bank and one guy holds the kayaks while the second guy walks out of the river and onto River Road.

4. Get car from Pony Pasture parking lot and drive along River Road to where your buddy is holding the kayaks and load them on your cars. Be ready to give finger to those people who yell at you for blocking the road.

5. Go home with some fun memories.

The area between Flatwater and the Pony Pasture is one of the best kept secrets in Richmond fishing. If you want, you can catch your fill or bass and bluegills, etc. and use them for catfish bait at the Pony Pasture. Big catfish at the Pony Pasture and they are friendly.

Have fun; wear your PFD; always go with a friend when fishing the Historic James River; and let us know how you do and if the police show up when you are loading your kayaks back onto the car at the Pony Pasture.

Brad Reams reply :

On 10/16/2019 at 9:55 PM, drakesndrum said:

There are a couple of pretty good rapids in that stretch also, and with the low water they were a bit tricky to navigate. My buddy flipped his yak, luckily we got all his stuff and he wasn't hurt. I believe I stayed way to the left side going downstream and got through them both fairly easily, although my big ass did bump bottom several times.

understood.

Last month had a few tricky spots Hardware down to 7 Islands.

yep SAM agreed! low flow conditions

We got to the ramp after dark!

not fun paddling in rapids almost blindly

drakesndrum reply :

Floated the Rivanna today, still very low and dirty after yesterday's rain. Didn't think it was going to be as stained as it was, maybe 2' visibility. Bite was tough, only hits I had came on the Whopper Plopper around wood. Caught two, one 15-16" chunk and one dink. Tried topwaters, flukes, swimbaits, cranks, jigs, tubes, wacky worms, etc. Only thing they wanted was the plopper and really only the two I caught hit it hard.

TnRiver46 reply :

On 10/18/2019 at 7:28 AM, drakesndrum said:

Floated the Rivanna today, still very low and dirty after yesterday's rain. Didn't think it was going to be as stained as it was, maybe 2' visibility. Bite was tough, only hits I had came on the Whopper Plopper around wood. Caught two, one 15-16" chunk and one dink. Tried topwaters, flukes, swimbaits, cranks, jigs, tubes, wacky worms, etc. Only thing they wanted was the plopper and really only the two I caught hit it hard.

Nice fish! Which size WP?

Brad Reams reply :

On 10/18/2019 at 7:28 AM, drakesndrum said:

Floated the Rivanna today, still very low and dirty after yesterday's rain. Didn't think it was going to be as stained as it was, maybe 2' visibility. Bite was tough, only hits I had came on the Whopper Plopper around wood. Caught two, one 15-16" chunk and one dink. Tried topwaters, flukes, swimbaits, cranks, jigs, tubes, wacky worms, etc. Only thing they wanted was the plopper and really only the two I caught hit it hard.

nice report! my Plopper/Choppo luck has dried up, hasn't worked since early summer.

I recommend trying NED rig for smallies.

I'm a new believer in that lure.

I switched to NED on my 2nd day of Sept float and it was a big difference in the # of bites.

On 10/12/2019 at 1:49 AM, Brad Reams said:

They got some rain in the mountains, but the water hasn't made it down stream yet

the green is normal

red is very low

yellow is below normal

river conditions are Looking a lot better now

drakesndrum reply :

On 10/18/2019 at 7:42 AM, TnRiver46 said:

Nice fish! Which size WP?

Plopper 90, have a 75 too but seem to have better luck on the 90.

As far as NEDs go, I've caught fish on them, but end up getting hung up more than anything. I'll figure it out!

TnRiver46 reply :

On 10/18/2019 at 5:28 PM, drakesndrum said:

Plopper 90, have a 75 too but seem to have better luck on the 90.

As far as NEDs go, I've caught fish on them, but end up getting hung up more than anything. I'll figure it out!

Ok ive been chucking the 130

Sam reply :

130 is great for the big ladies when the water is calm.

I agree with Drake to downsize your Whopper Plopper to a size 90.

After you have your five bass limit you then go to the 130 if you want to invest the time and effort to try to catch that one big one.

And yes, with an exposed hook your Ned Rig will get hung up on the bottom. But that is the way it is fished.

Have fun.

Brad Reams reply :

On 10/18/2019 at 5:28 PM, drakesndrum said:

Plopper 90, have a 75 too but seem to have better luck on the 90.

As far as NEDs go, I've caught fish on them, but end up getting hung up more than anything. I'll figure it out!

yeah I had that problem at first with NEDs.

I started using a half senko, then switched to a grub semi-texas rigged. Not perfect, but I'll get it figured out also.

the main thing I noticed is it falls straight down

On 10/18/2019 at 9:37 PM, Sam said:

And yes, with an exposed hook your Ned Rig will get hung up on the bottom. But that is the way it is fished.

yeah I think for lake fishing it's different.

it was getting snagged way too much for me, so I improvised.

I think they make them with weed guards also.

FooJet reply :

On 10/16/2019 at 10:47 PM, Sam said:

Let the drought end and the James go back to its correct level.

As stated above, Watkins Landing to the west is very difficult to transverse.

Watkins Landing to the east towards Bosher's Dam is easier to fish and has some good water.

If you have a buddy you can double up and do the following for some great fishing. By the numbers:

1. Drive to the Pony Pasture and drop one of the cars off in the parking lot.

2. Drive west along River Road and go under the Huguenot River Bridge over the Historic James River and go to the right when the road dead ends, towards the river. You will see parking and aramp in Huguenot Flatwater.

https://www.google.com/search?q=richmond james river parks&rlz=1C1EODB_enUS534US537&oq=richmond's+james+rive+parks&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l3.8263j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&npsic=0&rflfq=1&rlha=0&rllag=37540093,-77482326,6008&tbm=lcl&rldimm=13530647582163216593&lqi=ChpyaWNobW9uZCBqYW1lcyByaXZlciBwYXJrc0ig6eSs1JWAgAhaLQoFcGFya3MQAxgAGAEYAhgDIhpyaWNobW9uZCBqYW1lcyByaXZlciBwYXJrcw&phdesc=cxP5MIvOeBE&ved=2ahUKEwjo36DL_qDlAhVnc98KHbeTDz8QvS4wAXoECAoQKg&rldoc=1&tbs=lrf:!2m1!1e2!2m1!1e3!3sIAE,lf:1,lf_ui:1&rlst=f#rlfi=hd:;si:13530647582163216593,l,ChpyaWNobW9uZCBqYW1lcyByaXZlciBwYXJrc0ig6eSs1JWAgAhaLQoFcGFya3MQAxgAGAEYAhgDIhpyaWNobW9uZCBqYW1lcyByaXZlciBwYXJrcw,y,cxP5MIvOeBE;mv:[[37.6371057,-77.33521619999999],[37.5135913,-78.8976323]];tbs:lrf:!2m1!1e2!2m1!1e3!3sIAE,lf:1,lf_ui:1

2. Unload your kayaks at Huguenot Flatwater ramp and go fishing either from Flatwater down to the Z-Dam where you porage across it on the northern bank and then down to the Pony Pasture where there are a lot of rocks or....head up river towards Bosher's' Dam and fish to and from Bosher's Dam to Flatwater or the Pony Pasture.

3. If you are in the Pony Pasture area, you can paddle to the southern bank and one guy holds the kayaks while the second guy walks out of the river and onto River Road.

4. Get car from Pony Pasture parking lot and drive along River Road to where your buddy is holding the kayaks and load them on your cars. Be ready to give finger to those people who yell at you for blocking the road.

5. Go home with some fun memories.

The area between Flatwater and the Pony Pasture is one of the best kept secrets in Richmond fishing. If you want, you can catch your fill or bass and bluegills, etc. and use them for catfish bait at the Pony Pasture. Big catfish at the Pony Pasture and they are friendly.

Have fun; wear your PFD; always go with a friend when fishing the Historic James River; and let us know how you do and if the police show up when you are loading your kayaks back onto the car at the Pony Pasture.

Sam,

is the water level between Flatwater to Pony Pasture suitable for a boat?

how about from Bosher Dam to Flatwater?

Sam reply :

On 11/8/2019 at 11:07 AM, FooJet said:

Sam,

is the water level between Flatwater to Pony Pasture suitable for a boat?

how about from Bosher Dam to Flatwater?

Yes, you could use a boat between Flatwater and the Pony Pasture but there is no ramp to launch and you probably will not be able to take the boat over the Z-Dam.

We use a raft. Just float and throw white grubs and anything else you want.

Best bet is a kayak.

From Bosher Dam to Flatwater, once again launching is a problem but people do fish that area in kayaks.

In both cases check the river flow as getting down river is easy. Getting up river can be a challenge if the current is strong.

Have fun!

FooJet reply :

On 11/8/2019 at 4:13 PM, Sam said:

Yes, you could use a boat between Flatwater and the Pony Pasture but there is no ramp to launch and you probably will not be able to take the boat over the Z-Dam.

We use a raft. Just float and throw white grubs and anything else you want.

Best bet is a kayak.

From Bosher Dam to Flatwater, once again launching is a problem but people do fish that area in kayaks.

In both cases check the river flow as getting down river is easy. Getting up river can be a challenge if the current is strong.

Have fun!

Thanks again Sam!

Sam reply :

On 11/9/2019 at 9:45 AM, FooJet said:

Thanks again Sam!

You can launch your kayak at Flatwater Park at the foot of the Huguenot Road Bridge's southside.

If you look at a map of Richmond you can find the park along the Historic James River directly south of the UR campus.

This is where the kayakers launch and you can go either to the east or the west.

Have fun and be safe.

FooJet reply :

Tomorrow, I’m heading to fish the James for the first time. Taking Sam’s advice, putting in at Watkin’s and fishing down to the city.

Any updates and advice on lure selection would be greatly appreciated.

Sam reply :

On 11/10/2019 at 7:41 AM, FooJet said:

Tomorrow, I’m heading to fish the James for the first time. Taking Sam’s advice, putting in at Watkin’s and fishing down to the city.

Any updates and advice on lure selection would be greatly appreciated.

You can head towards Richmond but you will be stopped by Bosher's Dam.

Right before the dam and to your left is Tuckahoe creek. Fish it all the way to the back.

Be safe and let us know how you do.

Brad Reams reply :

On 11/10/2019 at 7:41 AM, FooJet said:

Tomorrow, I’m heading to fish the James for the first time. Taking Sam’s advice, putting in at Watkin’s and fishing down to the city.

Any updates and advice on lure selection would be greatly appreciated.

hope you had some luck, and I'd enjoy reading your report if you want to share.

I tried wading for 1 hour on the Doah Sunday but no luck. river still 18" below normal.

I may make a wading stop in Richmond on Thursday ...

Sam reply :

On 11/12/2019 at 10:54 PM, Brad Reams said:

hope you had some luck, and I'd enjoy reading your report if you want to share.

I tried wading for 1 hour on the Doah Sunday but no luck. river still 18" below normal.

I may make a wading stop in Richmond on Thursday ...

Be very, very careful when wading in the Richmond area.

Can you bring a friend along?

Can you wear your felt sole boots?

Your PFD is a must.

I have no idea of the water flow in the Historic James around Richmond. Check it out before you venture into the river. Check out this Internet site:

https://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=akq&gage=rmdv2

Be safe.

FooJet reply :

On 11/11/2019 at 8:20 PM, Sam said:

You can head towards Richmond but you will be stopped by Bosher's Dam.

Right before the dam and to your left is Tuckahoe creek. Fish it all the way to the back.

Be safe and let us know how you do.

Put in at Watkin’s, fished to Bosher’s Dam...didn’t get one hit. I wasn’t aware of Tuckahoe Creek. I’ll have to fish it next time.

Sam reply :

On 11/13/2019 at 11:50 AM, FooJet said:

Put in at Watkin’s, fished to Bosher’s Dam...didn’t get one hit. I wasn’t aware of Tuckahoe Creek. I’ll have to fish it next time.

Yep, feast or famine on the Historic James.

No telling where they went. The smallmouth could go anywhere while the largemouth would be in the area you fished.

They probably went deep, coming up to get something to eat and sun themselves now and then.

And yes, try Tuckahoe Creek but be ready to lose your tackle. Lots of tree stumps and roots on the bottom.

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