Back in Bed by 9:30

[R22]

I didn't get to the lake until Saturday evening. I had decided not to fish on Sunday because I wanted to watch the UVA baseball game which was in California and didn't start until 10 pm. ESPN did not show the UVA game so I decided to turn on the light and see what bait I could get in an hour or so. I waited about 45 minutes, threw one time and sorted through 10-12 dozen keeping only a couple dozen alewives that were 5 inches or greater.

I left the house at 6:00 heading south. I found very few fish so I decided to head up BW just a bit after a post from last weekend seemed to get some pretty good action. I stayed on the lower end and as I slowed, I began marking larger numbers of fish right away. I had lines in the water by 6:40 dropping three light lines on planers. Before deploying more planers on the port side and while I was adjusting the distance between the boards, I saw the bait jumping out of the water. In a matter of a split second, I was hooked up and in another second doubled up. Both fish to the boat and both were about 25 inches. As I was resetting those two boards the third was hit but no hook up. Over the next two hours the action was constant. As I was by myself, I never placed more than 4 boards in the water and all on one side. I caught nothing that was significant in size with the largest fish just under 29 inches.

Altogether I caught twelve fish, lost several more, had 2 doubles and was able to boat all four of those fish. I ran out of bait just before 9 am and called it quits.

I crawled back in bed about 9:30. Now, I appreciate ESPN for not showing that game.

[mwardncsu]

And Gator says there are no fish on the Blackwater

Seems each year they take a left as they come back up the lake - then eventually return to the Roanoke.

I do remember one year making a long run down the Roanoke and up the Blackwater - dropping off plane near Christmas Tree Island. As soon as the sonar locked on after coming off plane we were on a massive blackout school of fish. Gotta love those days!


Nice report - who wants to watch UVA sports anyway

[striperjohn]

Naaaa you sure you weren't lost? I don't think Gator would fib;D

[seajay]

Sweet ! Gotta love those kind of mornings solo.

[Bert]

I've told you guys before that they are thinking about draining blackwater and restocking it in an effort to improve the fishing over there. Gator knows what he is talking about!

[mwardncsu]

Now's the time to go put a net across the mouth of the Blackwater to keep all the fish up there....

[Gator]

It appears that R22 caught all twelve fish that reside in the Blackwater. Nice job Sir.

Looks like I'm going to have to start fishing at the State Park.

[mwardncsu]

Alright - I've got it figured out. I'm going to sit at the confluence of the Blackwater & Roanoke Rivers. I will charge a toll for all striper fisherman heading from the Roanoke to the Blackwater based on those that believe the reports of all the catching happening over there. Then, I'll charge a toll to all those going from the Blackwater to the State Park on the Roanoke side that believe Gator...... I win either way

Now, I'm off to pick out a new boat that will be paid for with my new found earnings.......