FISHING REPORTS
October-Early November
Mccotter's Lake Anna Guide Service-
Lake Anna, Va. – Get ready for a blaze of color around Lake Anna in the coming weeks and a blazing transition with fishing patterns. Bass, striper, wiper and crappie have begun to switch from summer to fall patterns with water temperatures now in the upper 70’s down lake and the lower 70’s mid and up lake. The water level is approximately a foot low and holding steady. Here’s what you can expect on your visit.
Largemouth Bass – Fish the lake sections differently and you’ll better understand the key to success. Down lake bass are schooled over humps and around points with current drawing over each. Use small topwaters, three-inch swimbaits and small, soft plastic jerkbaits when you detect schooling action. At some point these bass will head to the backs of the bigger down lake creeks, following the bait. Mid lake bass are leaving summer schools and frequenting vertical structure like channel drops and points. Some movement into creeks like Beaver Pond, Sturgeon, Pigeon, Mitchell and Marshall will occur this month. Afternoon action is best. Fish fast with small crankbaits, a small Tiger Shad spinnerbait and a small swimbait. Some bass will locate on docks later in the month and can be targeted using a shaky head worm. Up lake bass are most plentiful now and can be found feeding in the shallows along willow grass lines in the upper North Anna and around rocky channel bends in the upper Pamunkey Branch. Push into the headwaters of each and Terry’s Run and fish shallower and you might find some big schoolies on big shad. Otherwise, you toss a spinnerbait and small crankbait when they are biting along the grass and a creature bait or jig to entice them when they are not.
Striped Bass – Fish are ravenous now when you can find them active. Schools are in all three sections of the lake with the down lake and mid lake sections the most reliable. Up lake striper fishing can be outstanding in the evenings now, but the feed is unreliable. Good areas to target include Dike 3 down lake. The flats across from the marinas mid lake and up to The Splits are decent. Up lake stripers are usually found around Rose Valley and Stubbs Bridge in early October.
Striper – There was a big school down at Dike 3, however, with the September outage they have scattered out with the bait. Big school at Dike 2 and Scott’s flats, however, most of those fish are undersized. Contrary Creek has a school as does the Rose Valley region of the North Anna. Top October wiper lures are small swimbaits like the three-inch Berkley Rippleshad and small topwater poppers.
Crappie – Better fishing awaits as the water dips below 70 but there are some 10”+ slabs beginning to feed now in the upper section of the lake. Deep docks are where you’ll find the schools. Bridge pilings are beginning to draw them as well. Two-inch jigs and slip bobbers with small minnows are best
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Jim Hemby's Lake Anna Striper Guide Service-
BASS: Now is the time when the Bass start to feed up heavily before the cold winter months hit and Lake Anna produces excellent catches this month. The nicer Bass are relating to points , bends and flats on creek channels in the backs of the creeks where structure and bait are present. Soon, when the water temps cool substantially, the bait may move out of the backs of the creeks and the Bass will follow. Small crankbaits , spinnerbaits, rubber twitch baits and Senko's are taking nice Bass in shallower water and deep running crankbaits are catching Bass in the 8 to 15 foot depths. Also, a great pattern to try is fishing crankbaits and swim baits under the schools of Threadfin Shad in the creeks regardless if there is structure present. Humps in 2' to 10' and Bridges are holding Bass also as well as the old roadbeds . Anglers are catching fish on crankbaits and small worms worked on drop shots or jig heads around these structures. With the cooling nights the Bass can be caught right up on the banks in the early morning hours of the day. Downlake the rip rap and older fish structures that are no longer marked with fish bouys are holding schools of fish which are easily caught on topwater. Uplake anglers are working the shoreline grass beds with spinnerbaits with success.
STRIPERS: The fish are schooled throughout the lake in large numbers in the deeper holes. The Stripers are still in the main lake regions nearby flats poised to make their move as soon as the water temperature reaches 60*. The nicer Stripers have not yet turned on uplake, but will once the water temps drop. If you fish uplake concentrate your efforts at the mouths of creeks and the points on the main channel. Midlake the fish are stacked in the deeper areas in Rose Valley and around Stubbs Bridge. They are showing themselves regularly breaking on the surface in midlake regions and can be caught on Spooks, Pencil Poppers and Chug Bugs. The islands around Boggs Creek and the 2nd Dike region are producing numbers of Stripers but tend to be smaller fish. Fish have been breaking on the surface daily in the current in low light conditions. Plenty of fish to "spoon" up around the dike as well. A few fish are hitting bucktails and swim baits. Although the fish are over deeper water they are feeding in the upper water column so keep your bait presentations shallow. Live baiters, use planner boards, free lines and bobbers working large Gizzard Shad or jumbo minnows on the deeper edges of flats. Toward the end of the month fishing will break loose with the shorter days and the water temperatures falling creating excellent shallow water fishing with fish moving right up to the banks. Run your live baits next to the clay banks or throw Swim baits on the bank for explosive strikes. There are numerous schools of Stripers that have moved to the backs of the creeks also and are there for one reason, to eat! Find them and enjoy great action.
CRAPPIE: The slabs are shallow and feeding heavily on Threadfin shad. Concentrate on water depths of 3 to 10 feet fishing docks, shallow brush and rockpiles where baitfish are present. They are also roaming the flats gorging themselves on shad. Fish live baits, 2" grubs and small spoons. The fish have been active and great in size and numbers.
CATFISH: The Cats are still feeding well in depths from 10 to 20 feet. They love live bait worked near the bottom on the edges of flats. It is not uncommon to catch 20 to 30 a day.