Learning Lessons(Northern virginia) 2024
bartoopuck reply :
Anyone in NoVa want to meet up in the next few weekends and show a frustrated fisherman what hes doing wrong? I posted on the main page(frustrated at my wits end), but in summary, 8-9 trips, 0 fish. want to get some tips from someone live. I have a canoe with trolling motor.
A.Do? reply :
oh my! tons of fisheries near you that should be producing. I know a few guys that are just hammering them out. Are you fishing ponds? what kind of lures are you using?
I'm not in ashburn all that often but I'll let you know the next time I am (I can't guarantee you wont' get skunked but its always best not to be skunked a lone)
mudkart reply :
Where have you been fishing? PM if you want to keep those spots quiet.
bartoopuck reply :
ashburn pond, beaverdam creek reservoir, potomac river at roosevelt island
i have tried everything. plastic worms, spinner baits, crank baits. slow retrievals, fast retreivals. muddy water, clear water.....
bartoopuck reply :
Ill come down to alexandria, 4 mile run looked promising. I just want a few hours for someone to say "you see this, cast like this" or "you suck, heres why....." 
A.Do? reply :
beaverdam is tough! My friends gone 3 times and got skunked all 3 times this year. it can be a tough body of water to figure out.
Lately, the fish around me have been pretty close to shore. I'd be up for the 4 miler action but it can get pretty crowded on the weekends.
LHC - Bank Robber reply :
I can help you figure out 4mr, just pm me sometime when you think your gonna head down there. But right now you really cant go wrong fishing the main river with a spinnerbait.
NOVA Angler reply :
I live in Ashburn and would be happy to meet you somewhere local to help you out. Quality fish have been scarce for me around here recently, but I manage one here and there. Many of the ponds in Ashburn are heavily pressured. I can meet you one evening this week if you'd like. PM me and we'll work out the details.
LoudounFisher reply :
Were you at Beaverdam on Saturday? I saw someone there with a canoe and motor. I fished from about 7:30-12:30 and didn't catch anything. Tried all depths and a range of lures. I think it needs to warm up some more.
bartoopuck reply :
that was me canoe and motor.
wvuwhat reply :
Quotethat was me canoe and motor.
I think a friend an I are headed out to Beaverdam on Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday this week. I live a mile from the dock as the crow flies. We just got an inflatable 4 person "raft" "boat" what have you and it will be here Tuesday. I'm technically a newbie as well, but my friend kinda knows what he's doing.
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut right? PM me if interested.
intheweeds reply :
First off I want to say nice fish in your avatar A.Do. and yes the fish are REALLY tight to the cover right now. bartoopuck, fish tight to the cover. i was fishing claude moore ponds yesterday ( not a big fish fishery) and saw a guy fishing next to some laydowns and he was not casting into the branches and he got skunked. i walked over after he left and threw right into the thick of it and caught one on the first cast. I am new to NoVa also and I am trying to figure it out also, pm me if you want to fish. good luck out there.
Pikesnogle reply :
QuoteAnyone in NoVa want to meet up in the next few weekends and show a frustrated fisherman what hes doing wrong? I posted on the main page(frustrated at my wits end), but in summary, 8-9 trips, 0 fish. want to get some tips from someone live. I have a canoe with trolling motor.
Hey Buddy, I live in Ashburn as well and I would be honored to help you out.
I have been fishing the Reservoir for a while and let me tell you there is nothing easy about that place. I would prefer to not fish there, problem is it tends to stay a clear when we get a bit of rain.
Ever tried the Pavilion Pond off the Boulevard? How bout the pond of Ashburn Rd? Perhaps you've been to Willow Park. I might have a couple places that you haven't been to, my buddy and I are always have an eye out for new places.
I ALWAYS have luck at the pond in front of the Library in Ashburn, right off Hay road and adjacent to Stone Bridge High School. I have luck with Rapala X-Rap's here, (olive colored and white) as well as gold colored spinners (Mepps Agila 1/4oz.).
Give them a try if you haven't and if you have PM me and we can set up a meet this week, it's supposed to be gorgeous, and I will be fishing everyday all week.
stevecastle reply :
QuoteFirst off I want to say nice fish in your avatar A.Do. and yes the fish are REALLY tight to the cover right now. bartoopuck, fish tight to the cover. i was fishing claude moore ponds yesterday ( not a big fish fishery) and saw a guy fishing next to some laydowns and he was not casting into the branches and he got skunked. i walked over after he left and threw right into the thick of it and caught one on the first cast. I am new to NoVa also and I am trying to figure it out also, pm me if you want to fish. good luck out there.
That was me getting skunked! Thanks for the tip. I'm pretty new to fishing and am trying learn as quickly as possible. Has anyone fished the pond next to the Home Depot or the pond off of Palisades Pkwy? This is a great forum for learning where to go and what to throw.
jaystu11 reply :
hey guys
i am not technically new to NOVA, but i did just move down here in november of 09.
i am always on the lookout for new waters to fish.
if you are looking to stay local, i havent found much. a lot of those big commercial ponds, and some local parks, but nothing has REALLY produced.
however, if you dont mind a 20-30 minute drive, you can try burke lake, occoquan res, and lake anna. those are some of the prime bass waters in this area.
if anyone is interested in some other info, or some info about my personal results on some local ponds, feel free to msg me. i am definitely willing to offer any advice i can.
Dan: reply :
geez, we got Loudoun County people coming out of the woodwork!
The problem I see with Burke, the Occoquan Reservoir, and Anna is that they are very difficult to fish successfully without boats. If you have a small boat, checkout Beaverdam Reservoir out west of Ashburn. It's near you and it can be really good. A group of guys NOVA just did very well out there this past week.
If you don't have a boat, your best bet is to learn how to use Bing Maps. It is an invaluable resource. Also, make an effort to meet other members. Lots of guys are more than willing to share spots and info with people they've met.
Bigs reply :
Quotegeez, we got Loudoun County people coming out of the woodwork!The problem I see with Burke, the Occoquan Reservoir, and Anna is that they are very difficult to fish successfully without boats. If you have a small boat, checkout Beaverdam Reservoir out west of Ashburn. It's near you and it can be really good. A group of guys NOVA just did very well out there this past week.
If you don't have a boat, your best bet is to learn how to use Bing Maps. It is an invaluable resource. Also, make an effort to meet other members. Lots of guys are more than willing to share spots and info with people they've met.
Sometimes shore fishing at Anna can be good if you know where to go. My friend Mike caught an 8 pounder from shore at Anna about 3 weeks ago. Heck I can catch tons of small ones right off of my boathouse all year. For years I didnt have a boat and I used to catch bass, sunfish and catfish all day from shore on the warm side. There is even a public fishing area there where you can cast to the warm side or the cold side depending on which side of the bridge you stand on. I seen guys catch many big stripers off that bridge and it's free to use. You have to either know where to go or have friends who own property there. It doesnt have anywhere near the shore potential as the potomac tho thats for sure. I bet riverside park is heating up now, from what I heard the big bass are staging at the mouth of LHC feeding right before they spawn.
AnglerNFuego reply :
Quotegeez, we got Loudoun County people coming out of the woodwork!
Indeed. Nothing wrong with it--just funny.
LHC - Bank Robber reply :
Quotefrom what I heard the big bass are staging at the mouth of LHC feeding right before they spawn.
Ive been finding slightly bigger fish back in the creek, but I dont fish out of a boat, so they might be stackin up out there by Mt vernon.
Dan: reply :
QuoteQuotegeez, we got Loudoun County people coming out of the woodwork!The problem I see with Burke, the Occoquan Reservoir, and Anna is that they are very difficult to fish successfully without boats. If you have a small boat, checkout Beaverdam Reservoir out west of Ashburn. It's near you and it can be really good. A group of guys NOVA just did very well out there this past week.
If you don't have a boat, your best bet is to learn how to use Bing Maps. It is an invaluable resource. Also, make an effort to meet other members. Lots of guys are more than willing to share spots and info with people they've met.
Sometimes shore fishing at Anna can be good if you know where to go. My friend Mike caught an 8 pounder from shore at Anna about 3 weeks ago. Heck I can catch tons of small ones right off of my boathouse all year. For years I didnt have a boat and I used to catch bass, sunfish and catfish all day from shore on the warm side. There is even a public fishing area there where you can cast to the warm side or the cold side depending on which side of the bridge you stand on. I seen guys catch many big stripers off that bridge and it's free to use. You have to either know where to go or have friends who own property there. It doesnt have anywhere near the shore potential as the potomac tho thats for sure. I bet riverside park is heating up now, from what I heard the big bass are staging at the mouth of LHC feeding right before they spawn.
And even all that depends on the time of year but there are better places to shore fish, especially within a closer distance.
jaystu11 reply :
QuoteQuoteQuotegeez, we got Loudoun County people coming out of the woodwork!The problem I see with Burke, the Occoquan Reservoir, and Anna is that they are very difficult to fish successfully without boats. If you have a small boat, checkout Beaverdam Reservoir out west of Ashburn. It's near you and it can be really good. A group of guys NOVA just did very well out there this past week.
If you don't have a boat, your best bet is to learn how to use Bing Maps. It is an invaluable resource. Also, make an effort to meet other members. Lots of guys are more than willing to share spots and info with people they've met.
Sometimes shore fishing at Anna can be good if you know where to go. My friend Mike caught an 8 pounder from shore at Anna about 3 weeks ago. Heck I can catch tons of small ones right off of my boathouse all year. For years I didnt have a boat and I used to catch bass, sunfish and catfish all day from shore on the warm side. There is even a public fishing area there where you can cast to the warm side or the cold side depending on which side of the bridge you stand on. I seen guys catch many big stripers off that bridge and it's free to use. You have to either know where to go or have friends who own property there. It doesnt have anywhere near the shore potential as the potomac tho thats for sure. I bet riverside park is heating up now, from what I heard the big bass are staging at the mouth of LHC feeding right before they spawn.
And even all that depends on the time of year but there are better places to shore fish, especially within a closer distance.
i agree to some extent. i think that those bodies of water ARE most efficiently fished from a boat, however since its still early, and the bass are entering spawn mode, the shallows are where you want to be anyways. these are ALSO the areas best reached from shore.
however, if you DONT have a boat, your options (unfortunately) are rather limited. as mentioned before, local ponds, small docks, basically any place you can find that doesnt already have someone on the shore fishing is a opportunity.
it should be noted though, that most of the water in this area is extremely pressured. people around here ARE just like they say: either you are a vulture, hunting the boards looking for other peoples honey-holes trying to land a lunker, or you are a REAL bass fisherman looking to enjoy the experience. most experienced fisherman WONT give you open information over these posts for the simple reason that people are free-loading constantly. your best bet is to contact people individually and try to fish with them.
eg: i dont own a boat, however i will rent a john boat here and there when i want to fish all day. but, i do a LOT of shore fishing wherever/whenever i can. if you are interested in joining me, or have a spot and you want a buddy to check it out with and tinker, i am up for it. just PM me.
ballsbluff reply :
Hey Guys:
I have been fishing the upper potomac for a couple of years without too much success. Last August I bought a 16.5 G3 bass boat and have been launching at Whites Ferry and Algonkian. I am always looking for a partner to help me figure out what I am doing wrong. Anyone interested? I live in Leesburg near Costco, so we could meet at my house and head out. The boat is ideal for 2 people fishing but can do 3 also. Let me know if anyone wants to come. I plan on fishing Friday if anyone is free.
A.Do? reply :
I know a few guys that have a lot of success on the upper potomac. I haven't had that much success myself though. I've fish from algonkian a few times from my kayak and have caught a lot of fish but nothing big. I'd be more than happy to go with you one day and share whatever knowledge i do have.
drewmc34 reply :
Ballsbluff
Anytime you want to go ....i am ready.......except this weekend cause i am heading to deep creek lake for some smallie/pike/walleye action (hopefully)
PM sent...
ballsbluff reply :
I am heading out in about an hour to launch at Whites Ferry if anyone wants to fish. It is just me, so I have room for someone on my boat. Let me know pretty soon. You can call me on my cell too at 703-946-5949.
NewAngler reply :
I'd also love to get out. Won't be able to help much, but we may be able swap some info. Let me know the next time you get out.
DC Bandit reply :
As with the others, I'd be happy to join you sometime. I have no specific knowledge of the UP but have caught a few fish in my lifetime. I'm sure that we could find them...
bartoopuck reply :
The weekend of the first im out of town, but the weekend of the 8thish in may Im up for goin anywhere. I have a canoe with trolling motor and i enjoy exploring new waters.... but either way, i just want fish for a bit, get some valuable knowledge and quit getting skunked.....PM me if your up for that weekend.
VTFynnley reply :
My neighbor and I have been up and down the potomac and its creeks but would love to fish with someone with a boat. We've caught some smallies and lmb but would love to see what we can snag on a boat. Problem is we don't have a boat 
If anyone has one and wants company let me know!
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