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APRIL BIG FISH CONTEST…………………..
We will be paying $100 or a Yearly Ramp Pass ($125 value) to the anglers that catch the LARGEST BASS, CRAPPIE & STRIPER each month!!!!!
Here are the rules…….
MUST LAUNCH AT APM/FISH TALES and either pay the $8 ramp fee or be a yearly ramp pass holder.
Fish can be caught on artificial or live bait.
If fishing with a guide or employee,
RAMP FEE MUST BE PAID BEFORE OUTING.
RAMP FEE MUST BE PAID BEFORE OUTING.
Tournament caught fish are eligible, however they must be weighed on the porch scales.
CONTEST RUNS FROM APRIL 1-APRIL 30
UPCOMING BASS TOURNAMENTS
SATURDAY & SUNDAY MORNING SERIES
EVERY WEEKEND in APRIL FROM 7am-12pm
$100 Entry Fee – No Membership Fee
Contact Chris Craft or Dave Fauntleroy at Fish Tales
April 11
Wiked Worms Bass Tournament
7am-3:30pm
$25 entry fee + $10 Optional Big Fish Pot
Contact Jeff Damron
April 12
Fish for the Cure
Breast Cancer Awareness Fund Raising Tournament
6:30am-3pm
$80 entry fee + $20 Optional Big Fish Pot
Contact Mike Forsht
As I sit here and write this, the Morning Spring Sun is shining through the window and it feels really nice!!!!!!!! Look for the water to start warming up and the fish starting to getting frisky and shallow. The full moon is on April 4, with that being said, I think the big push of fish to the shallows will happen sometime around April 11. Right in the middle of the full and new moon.
BASS-The Largemouth have already started to make a move up. Look for them on the first break line off of the shore in 4-10 feet of water early in the month. They will really start to cruise around looking for spawning areas and mates. To target these cruising fish, being stealthy and long casts are a must!!!!!!!!!!!! When they first pull up and start cruising, they will be very spooky (especially in the clear down lake region).
Down lake and mid lake, soft jerkbaits like Zoom Super Flukes and Damiki Armor Shads will put numbers in the boat for you! My color choices in the Armor Shad are White Silver Flake on cloudy days and either Pro Purple or Pro Blue on sunny days. Rig them on 8-12 pound Izorline with a 4/0 Gamakatsu EWG Hook.
Hard jerkbaits will also continue to catch fish all month.
As the water warms up, you can get more aggressive with them as well! My custom Crappie Color has been one of the hottest colors on the lake the past 2 years and continues to catch them. Fish Tales has the original Purple and the new Blue in stock!!
These two colors are a perfect match to the Dave’s Tournament Tackle Tiger Shad Spinnerbaits that work so well out here.
If venturing uplake, the emerging Willow Grass will start to hold more and more fish each and everyday. As the crappie start to pull into the grass for their spawn, the Largemouth will follow them and feed on the unsuspecting specks. Fish the jerkbaits on the edge and the spinnerbaits in the middle of the grass!
Jig & Pig combinations pitched into and around the willow grass are a great choice on bright sunny days. Carolina rigged lizards is a great way to slow down and cover a lot of water at the same time, this technique also produces large fish……as long as you do not mind dragging the “OLD BALL & CHAIN” around.
As April draws to an end, look for almost all of the fish to be shallow. As the post spawn kicks into action, top water baits will start catching numbers of fish. Large walking baits like the Damiki Rambler and Pay Check Repo Man are my two favorites.
REMEMBER THAT THIS IS C-P-R TIME!!!!!!!!
CATCH-PHOTO-RELEASE
PLEASE THINK ABOUT FISH CARE AS WELL.
DO NOT HOLD ANY FISH, ESPECIALLY LARGE FISH BY THE BOTTOM LIP HORIZONTALLY, THIS WILL BREAK THEIR JAW AND THEY WILL DIE A SLOW PAINFUL DEATH. PLEASE SUPPORT LARGE FISH WITH BOTH HANDS. THANK YOU.
ALSO, PLEASE DO NOT LAY THEM DOWN ON BOAT CARPET, GRASS, GRAVEL OR ANY OTHER SURFACE IN ORDER TO GET A PICTURE, THIS REMOVES THE PROTECTIVE SLIME COAT ON THEM AND MAKES THEM MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO SORES.
CRAPPIE- At the current time, the crappie are still suspended in deeper water and bridge pilings. With this stretch of warm weather, look for the to make a push to the shallows very soon. As the water warms into the mid to upper 50’s, they will start to pull into the Willow Grass, Beaver Huts, Lay Downs, Boat Docks and even move up shallower on the bridges.
Small minnows on slip bobbers is a very relaxing way of fishing, just sit back and wait for the cork to slowly go under. I prefer to catch them on artificial bait, my choice is a 2″ Kalin Curly Tail Grub rigged on a 1/16oz jighead. Top 3 colors for me are John Deere Green, Wally World and Green Weenie.
Just pull up to a Willow grass bed and start casting, once you find them, they will school according to similar size in the spring. Just keep fishing until you locate the size of fish you are happy with.
STRIPER- The striper are heading into the uplake region for their annual spawn run and will be willing to take a variety of artificial baits as well as live bait. Early and late in the day, Broken Back Redfins and shallow jerkbaits are great choices. After the sun comes up, soft plastic swimbaits rigged on either an under spin head or straight jighead works well.
Look for them around the mouyh of Duck in Hole and Goldmine Creeks on the North Anna side and from the S-Turns up to Little Florida on the Pamunkey Arm.
LAKE LEVEL- FULL POOL
WATER TEMPS
UPLAKE- 50-53
MIDLAKE- 49-52
DOWN LAKE- 50-54
DIKE 3- 56
Chris Craft
CCBASSN GUIDE SERVICE
Anna Point Marina
Fish Tales
