For the Week Ending Sunday, Aug. 19, 2018

Monday, Aug. 13 (from Ron)...Fished Lovitt's this evening with the high water. It was amazingly clear, with sparse grass (unlike last year), and a non-existent bite. Managed one 11-inch bass to avoid the skunk. Really tough out there. Watched a fella who was within view most of the time and didn't see him get any either.

Tuesday, Aug. 14 (from Ron)...Fished Back Bay Tuesday evening from 6 to just about 8. Couldn't get a tap. Then they started to bite as I watched the sun go below the horizon. Was torn between continuing to fish or rushing back to launch site before I required lights,  which I didn't have with me. Decided to leave. Caught a dink, 1-13 and a 2-13.

Wednesday, Aug. 15 (from Ron)...Hadn't been skunked since May 25th, 56 trips (outings) ago. That changed this evening, though. The inevitable caught up with me. Fished from 6 to 8:15 and didn't get a single tap, bite or nibble. Oh well...been a very odd season. The water was extremely murky. Way too hot, but at least, there were no thunderstorms.

Thursday, Aug. 16 (from Ron)...Fished Blackwater this morning from 7 to 11. Bite was pretty steady, and I ended up with 10 bass, mostly around a pound. Biggest was 1-13. Bites were very subtle and therefore hard to detect. All fell to rubber worms of different varieties and colors. Tried Flukes and topwater, but they were not interested. By 1100, it was just too darn hot.



Thursday, Aug. 16 (from Ken)...The older I get the more I realize I have to maintain my fishing momentum. Case in point: Today was my first trip in a couple of weeks, and it was just like starting all over again. Couldn't hit the broad side of a barn, and every little thing that could go wrong did go wrong. I fished Albright's from about 6:30 to 2 o'clock and ran through a whole assortment of baits, none of which worked. It wasn't until I remembered a friend telling me he fished a spinnerbait his last trip to Albright's and did OK that I, too, broke out a spinnerbait and immediately started drawing some strikes. Lost my only two decent fish today--both would only have gone about a pound and a half. Ended up boating a couple of dinks, though, along with a couple of small white perch on the spinnerbait. The water temp when I started this morning was 79, and by the time I quit, it had jumped up to 90...almost 91. Had an email from the VDGIF biologist Chad Boyce this evening, nothing that his latest oxygen checks at Bob's had revealed continuing bad levels. Although he cautioned the staff down there to hold off on any tournaments for a spell yet, he noted that they held a tournament last night and plan to resume their weekend tournaments, too, this weekend. I tend to believe the problem in North Landing is improving, as evidenced by the fact the gar today were back in their usual location, but exactly what the current levels are, I have no idea.

Friday, Aug. 17 (from Ron)...Fished the lake on base this evening from 6 'til dark and was hoping the wind would turn on the bite, but it didn't. The breeze was refreshing until about 7 p.m., then it died down. The big ball of heat was relentless. Caught one dink bass and a small white perch while trolling a Mann's One-Minus crankbait. It was dreadfully hot.

Saturday, Aug. 18 (from Ron)...Awful morning trip to Lake Whitehurst, with the wind and a slew of "what could go wrong" did (I feel your pain, my friend, as evidenced in my Thursday report). Made about a thousand casts with plastics to shaded areas along the bank where structure was present, as well as lily pads and didn't get a tap between 0630 and 1030. Had a Mann's One-Minus hanging off the back, and a wee dink hit it in an effort to help me avoid a skunk. The wind was abysmal, and the boats were dreadful. Picked the wrong place to fish I guess. Had to try again this evening. Launched at Milldam about 5 p.m. and almost made it to my honey hole before the sky turned black, and the storm moved in from the west. Hightailed it out of there before the thunder and lightning arrived. Didn't get skunked because I tried a Spinnerbait (thanks Ken, with a twinge of sarcasm😉). Caught two "fish". Threw some plastics to the bank and grass, but didn't get a tap.

Sunday, Aug. 19 (from Ron)...Had to try for the big ones, but couldn't find 'em. Fished from 0700 to 1200, catching three dink bass, as well as a 1-3 and a 2-11, plus a bunch of white perch and a bluegill. Lost a keeper crappie. Had one white perch at 11 inches on the stringer but couldn't find anymore over 7 or 8 inches. Not worth keeping them at that size. The bass fell to Zoom U Vibe worms, and the panfish hit the micro spinnerbait.