[carp]

I launched around 12:30 and paddled out to the bridge and hooked up pretty quick and landed a nice 35" +/- striper. Igot lot's of good marks on the FF and had steady action till about 2:30 and called it a day. I picked up a new Shimono combo at Greentop and broke it in right ,my biggest fish so far in the Tarpon. The fish hit on a chart. jig w/ a white body chart. curly tail.

DARREN

 

[kayakfishgirl]

Good job. Let me know next time you head there, Kenny and I might met up with you.
I was at Greentop Friday around 1pm getting stocked up with trout fishing gear as I went to A P Hill Friday. I wanna go back now that I know they have all those ponds and they say the Bass action is great. A lot of friendly guys fishing, I think I talked my head off at each pond!
'Andrea

 

[nirschman]

you did this on the mattaponi recently? like, within the last week or so (it's feb 1st today)? catching stripers left and right?

am i misunderstanding, dreaming, or what?

i didn't know they stayed in there that long!

 

[kayakfishgirl]

Well, I thought the same thing but I had to research this myself and found out that their are schools of stripers that stay "home".
I will tell you, they stay home under the bridge..of course the old bridge as the new one still being built.
Before season even comes in, great fishing for stripers under there, especially to the left of the bridge from the public boat launch. No secrets...go fish it. I am thinking about it Saturday or Sunday. Now, as to the big one Carp caught...that's amazing! But not hard to believe. Birds work the hell out past the bridge a little ways. Drive over it a couple times and take a look-see.

'Andrea

 

[nirschman]

hahaha ... you guys probably had a good little laugh if you saw 2 suckers from richmond out in their yaks last saturday by the 33 bridge ... nice little trip, but NO FISH!!!

where did you guys put them? or did you leave them all with sore lips from the saturday before?

anyway, it was a good day for a paddle, somehow we missed the rain in 3 hours of fruitless casting around the bridge and in the general vicinity ...

saw some birds, but apparently they were chasing the french fries thrown out by a local crabber!

oh well, not that long of a drive from richmond, so we'll have to try again, ahem, when you guys tell us the fish are there ...

 

[carp]

I'll let you know when I go the next time.they are there ,you just have to know how to find them. Thanks Andrea!! I'll be there every chance I get.

Chartruese curly tail / white 1/2 jig.

DARREN

 

[nirschman]

hmmm ... appreciate the advice and optimism!

but i can't believe a striper would only go for the curly tail grub?
(which i have plenty of but of course didn't throw the day we went!)

what striper in his right mind can resist a nice half-ounce chartreuse spro bucktail, i ask you?

anyway, keep us posted, maybe we'll see you down there when it gets a bit warmer!

-joe

 

[kayakfishgirl]

Who is this? JOE? knows of the Spro...the Spro i say! and the color of the Spro. I have been told to keep my mouth shut about the Spro. and the color of that Spro. When I met someone special in my life they introduced me to the Spro!...How do you, Mr Joe know of the Spro and its size and color?[excited]

French Fry chum? Hmmm or yummm.

Wait a minute, I lost tons of Spro's under that bridge from failing to aim correctly where to place that cast. Litterally, I lost in one day about 6 Spro's. Man, I tried not to leave evidence around. I find that those stripers do like the red/white jig heads with either chartruse or white grubs.

I have got to put initials on those lost Spro's or just go to the "place" that sells them and keep buying them until they get out the stock!

Let me know when you head down again, 804-513-8740 take care who ever you are and doubting the where abouts of the stripers in West Point.

I am holding out for the Shad run, I can't wait. So much fun to catch all the Hickory Shad in the Mattaponi.[grin]

 

[nirschman]

the chartreuse spro is definitely my "confidence lure" for stripers - it seems like i can't lose if there are any stripers to be had and i'm throwing that spro bucktail!

(i always tell my buddies "when you don't know which way to go, go SPRO!")

now, about those shad you mentioned ... do they stack up at the bridge, or are they further upriver? (gosh, i'm just asking for all your secret spots, eh?)

of course we get a heck of a shad run in richmond in april, and only about 5 minutes from my apartment, but it's not exactly what i would call a "nature experience," and on nice days, it's elbow-to-elbow, especially on weekends ... not all that peaceful and relaxing, so it's good to have alternatives ...

will let you know when i'm heading down to west point, i think i'm gonna wait until it gets at least a few degrees warmer!

 

[kayakfishgirl]

Shhhhh, down low on the Spro!

Tried throwing a white Spro...not the same. You can go to stores out in Va Beach/other areas and walk to find the Spro..they are not present or the color of choice is still on the pegs, hmmm! So...fishy don't want to eat...throw the Spro. Anything will eat the Spro! (1/8th) A lot of people have said, throw something they haven't seen before. Girly colors don't exist when fishing.

Mattaponi has the strongest run of Shad. American & Hickory shad! They are bigger and more abondant in the Mattaponi. Has something to do with the river as it is the only one that has citric acid in the water.
Google the Shad run in the Mattaponi. MPRA, Mattaponi Pamunkey River Association has stopped the development of a "reservoir" that would damage the river and not to mention the area(s). Not to mention the Indian Population is very strong on the operation of Shad.
Aylett, wonderful area for Shad fishing but YES, many people come out to play during this season. You have to go up river, not to say they are not everywhere! Mattaponi River shad have been stocked by numbers of 4.5 million. Google "Mattaponi River hickory shad" or any other scenario of wording that would surfice.
Potomac, Choptank,York, Rappahannock and James. Plenty of more as I research and google. With all rivers I look for the curves in the river for the "holes".

Like I said, I can not wait for the Shad run. I experienced this with my boyfriend 2 1/2 years ago as he introduced me to a different world of fishing. He doesn't think I listen to him when he talks but I do learn a lot. Or maybe I should say "when I use to listen to him", haha. It is a good thing to go out and experience other waters instead of what we have in the backyard. I came from Chesterfield and played hard on the James River as my Dad introduced me to that river. The Pamunkey and the Mattaponi I think are great treasures, as I am sure others are also but going back to the shad...Mattaponi all the way!

By the way, I learned this past weekend that those stripers get way up in the rivers also!!!

Man, it is soooo cool to know the Spro.SSSprrro it!

'Andrea

 

[sunfish king]

yes.....Joe knows the Spro.
You know???
Kind of pricey to be losing them by the dozen though.

Was at the West Point bridge Sunday for a bit.....yes.....in the flurries. Caught 2 micro-stripers.
And stop all this talk of shad fishing.... I'm anxious enough as it is.[excited]