Lake Anna, Va. - With water temperatures in the mid to upper 60s throughout the lake and dropping we are poised to enter the next phase of annual fishing patterns ...more here on Lake Anna. Once the water drops into the 60s you see a lot of fish movement. There will be vast areas of no fish and small areas of big schools of fish. You'll have to pay close attention to find these "Hot Zones" and you when you find them, the fishing can be excellent!
Striper - Striper are moving into the upper portion of the lake to feed on massive schools of threadfin shad. The "Hot Zone" will soon be above the second bridges in both branches. Currently, however, the schools are from The Splits up to the first two bridges, and around the power plant. We are catching keepers on Toothache spoons under breaking smaller fish that will take a variety of small, plastic swimbaits. Multi-arm rigs with 3" baits are working well now, too.
Largemouth Bass - Largemouth bass are less prone to be caught in the shallows when the water drops into the 60's, though they will be feeding heartily in the shallows for part of the day - usually in the mid afternoons. The backs of mid lake creeks often hold herring then and the bass school up and corral them for a buffet style smashing. You can also catch fish in the upper, flats sections of the lake using baits that allow you to cover a lot of water like a spinnerbait or lipless crankbait. The biggest limits/catches come when you slow down and pitch creature baits or jigs to willow grass lines in the upper portions of the North Anna and Pamunkey Branch. Currently, you can consistently catch bass pitching worms and creature baits to docks in the mid and up lake regions and along willow grass lines in the upper sections.
Crappie - Crappie have been on docks, shallow brush piles and rocks in the upper section of the lake since late last month. The average size will get larger and the fish will slowly move toward deeper and deeper holding areas, including bridge pilings until the water falls into the low 50s when they will begin to school off shore and follow threadfin schools.
Report furnished by McCotter's Lake Anna Guide Service. www.mccotterslakeanna.com. 540.894.9144