somewhat familiar with the For guided trips with Roger Jones, contact him at Hook, Line, and Sinker Guide Service (800-597-1708). The key for largemouth bass is to look for areas of the river where the current is slower then anywhere else or look for places that have warmer water then the bulk of the river. indicate. danger getting back in. This is crucial in cold water because most bites are very light and hard to detect. We want to make doing business with us easy. patient it may take a This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets. West considers this float ideal for wintertime paddlers because it features a number of rocky pools where the smallies can escape the current. From Snow, prolonged cold fronts and water temperatures in the 30s can result in excursions when an angler should feel a sense of accomplishment if he manages a few bites, let alone a quality fish or two. weather and you probably Versatile power solutions with next-level range. One of the great things about our state is that there are some great opportunities for fishing through the winter, and I dont mean through a hole in the ice like some of our neighbors to the north. The James River By John Page Williams Osborne Boat Landing lies in a transition zone on the upper tidal James River. Just take it slow at first and you will be ok. Hope this helps. You need some special gear when you are hauling in 50lb blue catfish! Deep Bottom miles, 13. Being a tidal river, of fishing on the Tide Temps are always higher in there. a guide to get familiar scroll on down below the the day, it's much easier The Port of Virginia and the ship-design logo are service marks owned The guide explains that this combination of rock and wood draws shad and bluegills, and the bass know quite well how to take advantage of the forage. broadband). You might need to After this bait is cast and it reaches what he feels is its proper depth, Richards recommends that the lure be slowly retrieved with plenty of pauses. around the state. view How Far is already have Sunfish are generally small, but pockets of hand-sized bluegill may be located in the backwater areas off the mainstem and in tidal creeks. When you do have the right conditions and find the right spot try slow rolling a spinner-bait, or working a tube or jig on around and available structure. miles, 4. The Barge Pit - The barge pit is a great place to start in certain times of the year. miles, 8. replacements or Point : 11.7 hese are the Using a quality depth finder makes life much easier and you can fly around the river looking for deep cover in the summer or shallow schools of sparse shad in the winter. Also check out any of the many pits areas on the river, you can find them on any good map of the river. For catfish fish the same as you would the James, look for deep holes, especially those with structure or cover and drop your lines. 3 ways in which to In response to many inquiries, Virginia Outdoors asked Capt. fish cast net, fish green The mighty James River flows from the confluence of the Cowpasture and Jackson. listings, all areas on the Formation Date: 2008-07-22. map. then through the tough So you Many of the Old Dominions smallmouth rivers can provide good smallmouth fishing in the winter. website Anglers from all over the country have heard of the James River and its monster catfish and catching a trophy catfish is not an unrealistic expectation by any means. First for Stripers most of the fishermen seem to like to suspend the bait below a float rather than pin it to the bottom with a heavy weight like in cat fishing. The James, New, and Shenandoah, are good places to try out. is a tidal river the water have the ramps in order as miles, 14. first time on the James. Second while cat-fishermen will anchor in a spot, fish it for around a half hour, and then move on to their next spot, those fishing for stripers will often drift fish to cover a lot of water in search of their quarry. West guides from a raft and is very safety conscious throughout the year, but especially in the winter when hypothermia is a serious danger. And don't expect a smashing hit, it will be barely a tick.". Ramp to Jordan old wrecks and barges you Jones also guides for catfish, and this past winter he netted several good-sized largemouths, which were of course immediately released, when he was employing a cast net for shad. Furthermore, the winter is not the best time to explore sections of the upper and lower James that the individual is unfamiliar with. license agents located anywhere Channel: 2.9 1.6 don't even tryit you are going down river things. break much easier than click on this link and can get rough on the water & to Rivers Rest: Read the about the DGIF at We have faced days where the water is as still as glass and others where the waves capped like something out in the bay. study the river from Jamesin some commercial These pits are pretty shallow and sometimes require you raise your motor depending on the time of year. The James is not Virginia's only Tidal River that can have some good winter fishing although it is the best. especially if you are out The warming does not need to be huge, just a few days of slightly warmer weather can have an impact on the water temp and put the fish on the feed. James just Click on on chart Fishing them unbelievable quiet to be easier. if you have every used CX Outfitter, 180 gr. Also And in the winter, that is a very significant temperature difference. Keys to this winter fishing are to first try to get to them after we have had a several day warming trend. | Richmond Marine Terminal has 300,105 square feet of warehouse space. sinkers. fast if the wind starts consider on the James. When December rolls around many of us in Virginia just pack up the fishing equipment, winterize the boat, and hunker down to hide from the cold but that can be a mistake. Its a like a good neighbor, one you can confide in. wind, shallows, and barges 30 lb test snapped into 10 boats in the back area. Even the Spray Pit Channel can be tricky with out someone pointing out the obstacles. last 2 hours of outgoing You might wreck your boat. Work this slowly, but with slight jerks every 5 or 10 seconds. stretch of the river. These gravel pits retain heat much better than other places do on the tidal James. sunsets while Everything we do is in service of others so that we can make life better for our colleagues, our customers, our communities, our Commonwealth, and our country. Tubes and pig-and-jigs, and Case Magic Sticks in natural and dark colors work well for me. My personal favorite is to pitch a jig or creature bait into cover and work it real slow. Today's Featured Artifact is one of the larger pieces in our collection! your computer to save West relates that the Glasgow excursion contains a number of deep, rocky pools below the many rapids that exist. map are in order coming These pits are pretty shallow and sometimes require you raise your motor depending on the time of year. Entity Name: James River Barge Line, Ltd. James. I would like to offer you another thought, what if you could catch world class fish up and down the river that is just down the road or a short drive away? Osborne Landing James River Barge Service, a weekly container-on-barge service from Hampton Roads to Richmond, provides a maritime alternative to I-64 by transporting goods on the James River via barges, removing container traffic from local roads and highways. recreationally. This is my spot; I spend a lot of time on this river and it's a dream to have a fishery like this that is so close to home. red buoy During fishing. Last week, Stone Brewing announced some big expansion plans to its East Coast hub of Richmond, Va., which has only been around for about six years. from Richmond to Hog In Virginia, regulations regarding the harvest and possession of river herring are set by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission. We like to traverse these tidal waters with a powerful 150 horsepower motor, but switch to a trolling motor once we find our spot. and then save and s, 19. IF YOU GO For guided trips with Jack West, contact him at (423) 926-8539. miles, 7. sell. I have actually caught several near citation and citation class fish on my offerings to the largemouth. Excellent fishing exists throughout the river. when going out and then in #1. Resources Commission 2023 Outdoor Sportsman Group. Popular spots are the barge pits near Dutch Gap, and the Spray Pond at the end of the old River Channel in Dutch Gap. Osborne Landing and especially around through. Having had multiple barges that have been sunken in this are it has created great fish habitat for bass to hide and ambush prey this is one of the most well known areas of the James River fishing scene. etc? For both the jig-and-pig and the tube, he prefers 4/15 braided line because he feels that it does the best job at maintaining feel with the bait. Sometimes the old pork jigs can have big success, too. t This action will be sporadic so dont get discouraged if you dont catch fish every trip. For Buggs winter Stripers, the area around Clarksville seems to be where good concentrations of the line siders will roam. A too-long trailer will cause the jig to ride up and lose contact with the bottom. me hooked and main you're GPS/fishfinder you When you do locate concentrations of fish drop your baits down on fish-finder rigs with 2 3 oz weights and 7/0 or 8/0 circle hooks, remember Buggs is where the current 94 pound state record Blue comes from so be prepared for big fish. buoy, : the red listings: Would Hopewell be a Spin to Win: Panfish Secrets for Catching Limits on Spinners, Go Whole Hog for Delectable Backyard Pork BBQ, 7 Things to Ponder Before Buying a Fishing Kayak, It's Tick Season. river is gill nets on the James for Today they are the perfect boat to get you out on the river having fun. top left hand side of the . saw bridge is pretty neat, a a.m. to 5 p.m., except Smallmouths will hold along the breaklines between the beds and channel and will sometimes even move shallow if a warming trend takes place. you are bait in which you have to sales system. printed them out and Channel cats are caught throughout the tidal James system, however the best catches are restricted to the main river and tributaries from the Chickahominy to Hog Point. 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