Lake Anna Fishing Report April 2017 by Chris Craft

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APRIL 2017

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The Anna Point Marina/Fish Tales Big Fish Contest will continue through the month of April and we will pay $100 or a yearly ramp pass ($150 value) to the angler that catches the largest Bass, Crappie or Striper for the month of April. The rules are very simple……..

1- MUST LAUNCH FROM ANNA POINT MARINA and pay
the $10 ramp fee of be a yearly ramp pass holder.
2- Anglers fishing with a guide or employee must pay ramp fee before outing.
3- ALL fish must be weighed on porch scale at Fish Tales.
4- Tournament caught fish are eligible, however they must be weighed on porch scales as well.
5- Live and artificial bait is allowed.
6- All anglers in the boat are eligible with the paid ramp fee.

GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!

FISHING TOURNAMENTS
SAT 4-1 EXTREME BASS ANGLERZ
SAT 4-8 VA BASS FEDERATION REGION 1 LEE BLOUNT
SAT 4-8 VAO SPRING FLING 7:30A-3:30P WAYNE SNOW 540-717-3097
SAT 4-15 VIRGINIA KAYAK BASS CHALLENGE WWW.KAYAKTOURNAMENTS.COM CASEY REED CASEY.D.REED@GMAIL.COM
SAT 4-22 AUGUSTA COUNTY BASS JONS 7A-3P DOUG FITZGERALD 540-910-0078
SAT 4-29 SHENANDOAH VALLEY BASS ROB HOTTINGER 540-271-2957
SUN 4-30 SHENANDOAH VALLEY BASS ROB HOTTINGER 540-271-2957

BASS- Spring has finally sprung and the bass are heading into the shallows. At the end of March, in the extreme down lake region we already had a few bass on the beds. By the end of the first week of April, there will be many on the bed and even more up and cruising the banks looking for love.

Damiki Armor Shad soft jerkbaits and Dave’s Tournament Tackle Tigershad Spinnerbaits are two of my favorite way to catch bass this month. Fish them in and around the emerging willow grass, be sure to kill your bait on the outside edge of the grass and let it sink out of sight.

You can catch fish around and under boat docks all month long on shakey head rigged plastics, jigs, soft jerkbaits and shallow running crankbaits. Look for docks that have bluegill or crappie around them.

As we get closer to the end of the month, the shad and herring spawn will come into play, look for the on long shallow rocky points, rip rap banks, in front of sea walls (bulk heads) and on bluff rock banks first thing in the morning. Jerkbaits, spinnerbaits and top water baits will catch fish in and around this spawn.

If fishing for spawning fish, drop shot rigged plastics, shakey head rigged plastics and the Double “D” Skirtted Harvester Rig are great ways to fool these bass into biting. Just please remember C-P-R….. Catch-Photo-Release as these fish are our future in this lake remaining one of the best fisheries in Va.

CRAPPIE- These tasty panfish are headed to the shallows in droves, look for the around boat docks, beaver huts, willow grass and rock piles in the up lake region of the lake.

Two inch curl tail grubs rigged on a 1/16oz jig head will produce many fish for you. If you are catching only the smaller males up shallow, back off and fish deeper and slower, as the larger females are staged just out in front of them.

The will bite a variety of colors, we all have our favorite colors and here are a few of mine….. John Deere Green (Tractor Green), Wally World, Green Weenie and Electric Chicken.

If the bite is slow, small minnows rigged on a slip bobber is a great back up and sometimes you may need to employee minnows to get a school fired up.

STRIPER- You can catch striper in the uplake regions of the lake all month long. Bass Assassin Sea Shads rigged on a 1/4oz jig head, broken back redfins and top water walking baits will all produce fish. Loo for them above the 522 bridge on the North Anna arm of the lake and from the S-Turns up to 522 in Pamunkey.

LAKE LEVEL- Full Pool
WATER TEMPS
DOWN LAKE- 60-62 Degrees
MID LAKE- 57-60 Degrees
UP LAKE- 59-63

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

MARCH CATCHES