After a start with showers and highs in the mid 70s, things cool quickly. Highs only around 60 and falling into the 50s with overnight lows getting into the mid 40s. Water temperature will drop quickly into the low 60s.
Crankbaits are in their super season. They cover water and cover. Mann’s Baby 1-Minus is my favorite. It can be used at various speeds. Better when contacting cover within a foot or so. There are a few very good colors. Firetiger is the best all around. Add bright orange paint to the belly and replace hooks with a red #4 KVD MUSTAD short shank triple grip. A black #6 for the back hook. Spool 12 pound test Gamma Edge Fluorocarbon line. For rods, it varies. Longer rods for longer casts. I use 7’ rods for more accurate casts to targets. Other colors, red in stained water and Shad patterns in clear water.

Cooler temperatures are on the way. We should see a water temperature drop by month’s end to around 60! This opens the tacklebox for most moving baits and topwaters for sure. Buzzbaits, poppers, walkers, and wakers! Note, water warms in midday toward the evening providing a good topwater bite! Speed is key…

POTOMAC RIVER - D.C. - Smallmouth and largemouth bass are hungry and taking live bait, fished along the Virginia shoreline, from Key Bridge to Chain Bridge. An occasional walleye is being taken from the upstream point of Three Sisters Islands, drifting nightcrawlers and live minnows across the bottom. Downstream, bass are orienting around bridge pilings and on dropoffs throughout the city. Washington Channel, Blue Plains, The Spoils and Washington Sailing Marina are the more productive areas.

OCTOBER OUTLOOK

As we head into October, we are being greeted with a lake that is just above full pool and water temps in the low to mid 70's. The fall fishing is going to be one for the record books.

The popular Sunday Morning Bass Series will wrap up on Sept 30 and will finish the year with a 21 boat average per event. The SMBS Fall Classic (100% payback) is Scheduled for Sunday October 21 from 7am-3pm. All you need to do is fish one regular season event to be eligible.

Talk around the lake is about the upcoming 2018 Angler Appreciation Tournament on Saturday October 27 (Make up date for weather will be on Sunday October 28, 2018). The entry fee is $120 and includes two big fish pots. Boat numbers will be assigned in the order that entries are received.

As in the past, there will be three flights of boats that are separated by 15 minutes each.

1st Flight- Boats 1-50 7:30am-3:30pm
2nd Flight- Boats 51-100 7:45am-3:45pm
3rd Flight- Boats 101-150 8:00am-4:00pm

BASS- With lake levels at full pool, there is plenty of cover to fish around the lake. Water willow, lay down trees, boat docks, stumps and any other type of cover you can imagine has water on it and will more than likely have fish around it as well.

Look for fish to actively chase bait and feed heavily, especially in the morning and late in the day (sometimes all day long) in preparation for winter. Moving baits such as a Dave's Tournament Tackle Tigershad Spinnerbait, Lipless Crankbaits (Rat L Trap or Red Eye Shad), 1.5 & 2.5 Squarebill Crankbaits are all great choices for covering water and locating fish.

Fall is also one of my favorite times to fish with top water baits. Walking baits, poppers and buzz baits are always tied on my rods this time of year. Another favorite bait of mine is a soft jerkbait, this is probably the most versatile bait that I use. You can fish them weightless, weighted or on a jig head. Rigged on a Scrounger Head is one of my favorite ways to fish this bait.

CRAPPIE- The crappie are starting to make their move towards their fall ambush points. Look for them to start showing around boat docks and shallow bridge pilings.

Fish a small minnow rigged under a slip bobber with minimal weight (just enough to keep minnow in place) or an abundance of artificial baits. Mt favorite is a 2" Big Bite Lures Curly Tail Grub rigged on a Mizmo 1/16oz jig head in Tractor Green, Green Weenie, Back/Blue Chart Tail and Wally World.

STRIPER- The Striper are actively chasing bait to the surface and birds have already started to show up at the lake, they will continue to do this through at least Thanksgiving week, but could go longer depending on weather.

There are many baits you can use to catch these fish. A Bass Assassin Sea Shad rigged on a 1/4oz jighead and casted into the swirling fish is a great way. One of my favorites is with a Cotton Cordell Broken Back Redfin, these sub surface wake baits draw violent top water strikes and the hook up percentage is way better than a true top water bait.

Trolling will still play a roll early in the month, but as water temps drop casting will be your better choice. Spoons vertically jigged while watching your electronics will always catch fish when you can locate them feeding in deep water.

Early in the month, look for them to be around the splits. As the water cools. the bait will start to push up in the river arms and major creeks throughout the lake. Towards the end of the month, the S-Turns in Pamunky and above the 522 bridge in the North Anna arm will hold large schools of fish.

Please have respect for other anglers chasing Striper as well, if you see someone casting into schooling fish, DO NOT run the big engine up into the fish and start fishing right beside them. You can ease into them with the trolling and everyone can catch fish and everyone will be happy!!!!

September 25, 2018
LAKE LEVEL- FULL POOL (2" high)
WATER TEMPS & CLARITY
DIKE 3- 80 Degrees CLEAR
DOWN LAKE- 78-80 Degrees CLEAR
MID LAKE- 75-78 Degrees CLEAR/SLIGHT STAIN
UP LAKE- 74-78 HEAVY STAIN

Chris Craft
Anna Point Marina/Fish Tales Tackle Manager
540-895-5900 ext5

RAPPAHANNOCK RIVER: After a rainy, tumultuous summer, Chris Hicks reports the water has finally cleared in time for some late-season bass, crappie and cat fishing.

POTOMAC RIVER: Reel Bass Adventures reports the river has cleared nicely and most areas are fishable. More bass are being caught on hard cover than grass.

Chickahominy Lake Fishing Report – October 17, 2018

Capt. Art Conway of Conway’s River Rat Guide Service (804-514-1486) out of
Ed Allen’s Boats and Bait reported that Chickahominy Lake mid-day water
temperatures were in the mid 60’s in the main lake on Wednesday
(10/17/2018), with lower temperatures at the upper end of the lake. The
lake level was about 8 inches above the top of the dam and dropping. The
water was medium brown and slightly to moderately cloudy in the central
lake, but quite murky on downwind shorelines.

Saltwater- The hot bite right now is the widespread Speckled Trout action. Anglers are encountering Specks in big numbers, with lots of keepers in the mix. Many are reporting 100 fish days, but most are undersized. Lynnhaven Inlet, Rudee Inlet, many of the creeks of the Eastern Shore, and Buckroe Pier. Most are having their best luck with soft plastics, and Gulp! baits attached to light jig heads. Topwater baits are still producing the bigger Specks. These areas mentioned, are also producing Puppy Drum. Some are reporting Pups in the 20-28 inch range.

Freshwater- The James is still stained and a bit high - 7.2' at the Westham gauge in the upper portions. There hasn't been much to report from this past week due to the high levels. The lower James is looking better, but again, there hasn't been a whole lot to report. Tidal anglers have been focusing more on the Chickahominy River, as it usually remains clear under heavy rain.

LOCAL WEATHER AND TIDES FOR POTOMAC

Lake Anna State Park

6800 Lawyers Rd., Spotsylvania, VA 22551;

Phone: 540-854-5503;

Email: LakeAnna@dcr.virginia.gov

Leesylvania State Park

2001 Daniel K. Ludwig Dr.,

Woodbridge, VA

22191; Phone: 703-730-8205;

Email: Leesylvania@dcr.virginia.gov

Tom Bateman‎ to Potomac River Bite Club

Chickahominy Lake Fishing Report – October 17, 2018

Kerr/Buggs Lake Information

What's Happening at Fletcher's Boathouse

Anna Point Marina Angler Appreciation Tournament click to see more

Anna Point Marina Angler Appreciation Tournament

Steve Camp is feeling frustrated.

Chris Craft and Fish Tales shared a post.