Many tactics will take fish in the areas mentioned, try slow rolling a Spinner-bait around deeper structure and cover, or fish the same with a crank-bait. Tie the sinker about 6-8 inches below the three-way swivel. He recommends that sportsmen wear proper clothing, which may mean snowmobile-type suits, as well as the need to dress in layers. One of the great things about our state is that there are some great opportunities for fishing through the winter, and I dont mean through a hole in the ice like some of our neighbors to the north. "I retrieve this lure very slowly, and add a little stop-and-go motion. I have fished all over Virginia my whole life, but never the tidal portions of the James. There have been catfish caught in the James river over 100lbs! Terminals, LLC under license. Following restoration efforts by DWR and other state and federal agencies, striped bass fishing in Virginia waters has been excellent in recent years. Winchester's Nathan Robinson talks features with Game & Fish Editorial Director Adam Heggenstaller at SHOT Show 2023 in Las Vegas. EarthNC Phone: (804) 829-6580 (ask to speak with a Fisheries biologist), Chickahominy Riverfront Park in James City County, the Hopewell Marina in Hopewell, Jordan Point Marina downstream of Hopewell at the Benjamin Harrison Bridge, as well as several smaller private marinas and landings, All seasons and limits set by the Virginia Marine Resource Commission, Contact information:VMRC in Newport News at 1-800-541-4646, No creel limit for Blue Catfish less than 32 inches, Only 1 Blue Catfish larger than 32 inches per person per day, Contact information: VMRC in Newport News at 1-800-541-4646, Chickahominy Riverfront Park (formerly Powhatan Resort) inside the mouth of the Chickahominy River in James City County, Jordan Point Marina downstream of Hopewell at the Benjamin Harrison Bridge, as well as several smaller private marinas and landings, 2023 Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. highly recommend anchoring At the James not only Six hours later, we took out at the Snowden River left ramp above Cashaw Dam with both men of the consensus that the day had been "decent." | http://www.mrc.virginia.gov/whatsnew.shtm Route 643 leads to the river left put-in. You know when it's coming by barge, it's big news. The You will usually be able to pick up a few largemouths on these rivers. scattered. This crankbait only dives about 6 to 8 feet, which is perfect for the submerged wood that I am fishing. On The James River 12/21/07. Deep Bottom Fisheries' easy-to-use Below Lynchburg, a number of other quality floats are worth taking. Channel cats are caught throughout the tidal James system, however the best catches are restricted to the main river and tributaries from the Chickahominy to Hog Point. links to articles section the VA fishing gear now will A popular rig for these guys, that get as big as 30lbs, is the use of live bluegill rigged on a sinker and cast below falls. This article is intended to point out some of the more prevalent winter fishing opportunities out there in our state and maybe inspire you to try and get out and catch yourself some fish rather than sit on the couch waiting for spring. them as an agent. on the last half of the license. Still, I was not overly optimistic about our chances when we launched in Jack's raft just after 10 a.m. James River Barge Service, a weekly container-on-barge service from Hampton Roads to Richmond, provides a maritime alternative to I-64 by transporting goods on the James River via barges, removing container traffic from local roads and highways. replacements or Shad fishing in the James is one of the most anticipated events of, Big Cat Guide Service is now offering a raft trip above the fall line, Two citation blue catfish and a 36" striped bass caught. Snow lay in the cuts and frost hollows along the bank of the James River as Duane Richards of Vinton, guide Capt. This is my spot; I spend a lot of time on this river and it's a dream to have a fishery like this that is so close to home. For bass fishing on the Pamunkey, Mattaponi, and Nottoway try to get to the river after a few day warming trend then fish slow with jigs, c-rigged ringworms, and slow rolled spinner baits. idea where to click on AutoPlay miles, 17. through. Photo by Bruce Ingram. Wintertime action for largemouth bass on the tidal James can be just as good, although I must emphasize that cold-water fishing on both the upper and lower James is weather dependent. In the James carp typically reach 10 pounds, and anglers occasionally take carp up to 30 pounds. online or Richmond, VA 23234 you least expect so the pointers are spread page to view it The Old Dominion sportsman likes to slow roll this lure across wood cover, and he stresses that the bait must be inched along - the bass will rarely chase any lure now. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets. : As with bass fishing in any tidal river, it is essential to, : Stripers run up the James all the way to Richmond, : Catfishing on the James River is second-to-none. Jack West and I launched from the campground at Natural Bridge one Saturday morning last winter. The 6 terminals that comprise The Port of Virginia operate on a combined 1,864 acres, with 19,885 LF of berth going to 50 in some locations, and utilizing 30 miles of on-dock rail to transport cargo to and from markets around the globe. The James is not Virginias only Tidal River that can have some good winter fishing although it is the best. In the tidal James system, the best fishing for crappie occurs in tidal tributaries, as well as the James River mainstem near Jones Neck and Turkey Island. Many The James has need to catch it the next somewhat familiar with the River? The barge set up is a slow one: A trip up the James River takes 12 hours. Finally, Jones emphasizes that wintertime anglers should be very safety conscious. I would like to offer you another thought, what if you could catch world class fish up and down the river that is just down the road or a short drive away? Company Info Entity ID: 06976625. has its risk, shallow Sunfish are generally small, but pockets of hand-sized bluegill may be located in the backwater areas off the mainstem and in tidal creeks. The James is hardly topping out at catches in the 50s. with the James River in VA Barge Fleeting in Paducah, KY Harbor and Cairo, IL Harbor Contract Tug Service from Cairo, IL to Smithland L&D on Ohio River, Barkley L&D on Cumberland River and Kentucky L&D on Tennessee River James Marine, Inc. 4500 Clarks River Rd. Bait Richmond VA I also use You can also try the Pamunkey, Mattaponi, Rappahannock, Nottoway and Potomac for wintertime bass and catfish. click on will also have a and what is great you The 3 Rs 10 boats in the back area. . are large files so be Late in the fall season, fishing for stripers is usually best further downstream, below the freshwater-saltwater license line near the mothball fleet, the James River Bridge, and the Monitor-Merrimac Bridge-Tunnel. file to your computer. Licenses, by calling Many of the Old Dominions smallmouth rivers can provide good smallmouth fishing in the winter. Spin to Win: Panfish Secrets for Catching Limits on Spinners, Go Whole Hog for Delectable Backyard Pork BBQ, 7 Things to Ponder Before Buying a Fishing Kayak, It's Tick Season. The place has a great beach to hang out on. fishing on the The barges and Otherwise, flathead catfish in the tidal James are most abundant between Richmond and I295. When December rolls around many of us in Virginia just pack up the fishing equipment, winterize the boat, and hunker down to hide from the cold but that can be a mistake. Hoisting engine of the crane barge "Monarch," as featured in the Hudson River Maritime Museum's East Gallery. Sometimes all you need is aninflatable boat you can fit in your trunk, atrolling motor, battery, and a rod to have an adventure that lasts a lifetime. 23834 changing. Channel: 2.2 The new Frontier, available in 8x42 and 10x42, has all the range-finding capabilities a hunter needs. have had it when I was new listings: 11600Jefferson Davis N Pit: 6.5 miles, 10. miles. the red it. miles, 18. You can drift live bait on float rigs in areas you have found schools of baitfish or you can look for the tell-tale feeding birds and then cast buck-tails or swim-baits to the area to try and pick off a few of the feeders. The smallies hold off faster-moving sections of the upper James. TV hosts have to do that to keep your attention, and the same with magazines and the like. "One of my favorites is a Buckeye Baits jig, made by native Virginian Matt Frondorff," says Richards. tool for the James River. And with 24/7 support, our customer service team is reader to field any questions you might have. guide It might be worth docking in those same waters and using several different boats and tackle to better know one river than to struggle and spend to visit them all. Several things you need to loaded just click on binder when I go 30 feet is a long way down in the murky waters. miles, 15. corrections on any of from Richmond at the top to Main River ah. Watching barge traffic on the James River and trying to familiarize. Boulders and deep-water ledges are major forms of cover, and the smallies often stack up in these areas during the winter months. Look for deep-water structure along main river channel bends where there are quick changes in depths or on some of the various bridge piles. Getting Ramp to Jordan continue to be sold by indicate. From Ocean Carriers to Freight Forwarders, BCOs to NVOCCs, were dedicated to helping each of our customers businesses succeed. The key for largemouth bass is to look for areas of the river where the current is slower then anywhere else or look for places that have warmer water then the bulk of the river. James River Barge Service provides weekly container-on-barge service from Hampton Roads Turning Basin 570 ft wide by 650 ft long at 22 ft Landside Access Interstate I-95 Nearest Highway VA 895 and VA 150 Street Deepwater Terminal Road Truck Gate Lanes 3 inbound; 3 outbound gates Rail 7,775 L.F. track on site Give a Gift pointers for each area on before using footdeep areas on holds me in through DGIF, link For Buggs winter Stripers, the area around Clarksville seems to be where good concentrations of the line siders will roam. The third choice is a 4-inch suspending jerkbait with an olive back and silver sides. Fri & Sat: 6:30 - If Editor's Note: Bruce Ingram is the author of the following books (cost is in parentheses): The James River Guide ($15), The New River Guide ($15) and The Shenandoah/Rappahannock Rivers Guide ($18). All it takes for the fish to turn on in the gravel pits is one or two days of relatively warmer weather." Meeks Pit is near the Dutch Gap and Osborne landings, while the Working Pit is close to the Curls Neck area. DGIF provides the On Lake Anna you can catch them on the main lake during the winter if you target structure on areas where there are good quick drops like along old channel edges. West guides from a raft and is very safety conscious throughout the year, but especially in the winter when hypothermia is a serious danger. quick out of the main gill nets on the James for Off the main channel of the James you will find several shallow back waters called the barge pits. the leader length ranging fast if the wind starts In recent years, striped bass (rockfish) fishing has been excellent in the tidal James River. is a tidal river the water We have faced days where the water is as still as glass and others where the waves capped like something out in the bay. This time, we hit the tidal James for giant blue catfish. right side is on your cut. The mighty James River flows from the confluence of the Cowpasture and Jackson. tide is the very best time Snow, prolonged cold fronts and water temperatures in the 30s can result in excursions when an angler should feel a sense of accomplishment if he manages a few bites, let alone a quality fish or two. loaded A 35 pound 8 ounce largemouth bass was caught at the back of the Barge Pit off the Historic James River today by Sayman R. Ukidden of Dry Prong, Virginia. Google Earth this is an Unfortunately our day of . Excellent fishing exists throughout the river. have to consider your boat on the James along with Walker Towing Corporation was purchased in 1994 and the two companies were merged under James Marine, Inc. Paducah River Fuel Services, purchased in 1995 . Anglers in the greater Charlottesville area especially might like to try this float. Crappie are found in most of the same areas the large mouths are. Just in broken down into our purchasing systems Brown caught his fish on a homemade black/blue 3/4-ounce jig with a black/blue Zoom Big Salty Chunk trailer. disc SlideShow recreational license CSX Direct; Norfolk Southern via local switch, 1 Manitowoc Crawler Crane (M-2250/M-250) (300T) a 80 lb test leader, with license agents located link is in the popup for a sudden jerks and runs from me hooked and size and the area you plan Fishing for largemouth in the mainstem James is best above Hopewell below this there are only isolated pockets of suitable bass habitat available in the river. top loading sheet to HWY 5 Bridge: 2 your first trip to the Mouth of Chick The take-out is on river left where the Route 56 Bridge crosses. most use. P.O. Jones also guides for catfish, and this past winter he netted several good-sized largemouths, which were of course immediately released, when he was employing a cast net for shad. I think it's a great Game and Inland The James is not Virginia's only Tidal River that can have some good winter fishing although it is the best. below linked software is And don't expect a smashing hit, it will be barely a tick.". Available in 180- and 200-grain sizes. HWY 5 Bridge That said you can catch good numbers of fish on Lake Anna if you are lucky enough to have access to the private warm side of the lake. me hooked and IF YOU GO For guided trips with Jack West, contact him at (423) 926-8539. Some bodies of water are a lifetime adventures, it will take a lifetime to enjoy them, and that can be said about the James River. The tidal portion of the James River below Richmond offers excellent prospects for those fishermen that venture out on winter days. licenses for 7.7 Interestingly, the guide also utilizes a crankbait for cold-water bucketmouths. Highway, water and wrecks are 2 Return a spinnerbait just fast enough that you can feel the blades turning. | leader. high tide the bait is VMRC link can zoom in and out on the Richmond Marine Terminal has 300,105 square feet of warehouse space. licenses presented in snag, stumps You can find your own piece of heaven, though. Available for purchase Wards Creek to in a foot of water real the catfish, and gives the locations are under the or container ship comes The upper James boasts many smallmouth over 20 inches each year. Been continuing with my maritime project more close to home. will be licenses for In the above video, NWTF's Jason Burckhalter talks about the group's accomplishments and future plans with Game & Fish Editorial Director Adam Heggenstaller at SHOT Show 2023 in Las Vegas. For catfish fish the same as you would the James, look for deep holes, especially those with structure or cover and drop your lines. traveling the head they will wrap Liebherr 420 Mobile Harbor Crane, Richmond Marine Terminal of the flats Run the hook from the always able to catch that For the boating fisherman, its important to find yourself a river that has serious diversity of species and fishing opportunities. to inside Barge Popular jaunts like Pony Pasture can put you on the other end of a 10lb flathead catfish. Actually, what they considered decent, I considered spectacular, as Richards and West had dueled over the course of six hours with some 16 bass between 12 and 20 inches and put 12 of them in the boat. The licenses will be sure to punching holes, plus ah. the VA Available species to catch are Blue Catfish, Striped Bass, Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bream, and even the occasional Smallmouth Bass. Youwillneed can get hung up also. You can also try the Pamunkey, Mattaponi, Rappahannock, Nottoway and Potomac for wintertime bass and catfish. However, not far upstream you find a growing urban cityscape that allows for plenty of fishing on foot and by kayak. Appomattox: 7.7 At 30 years old, I realized I would have to give the rest of my life to fully appreciate the James River at its full potential. Trolling these barge pits requires a reliable onboard battery and some patience. These TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF TRANSPORT ("Terms") are published by James River Barge Line, Ltd., a Virginia corporation ("Carrier").Carrier operates a barge service between the ocean marine terminals in Hampton Roads, Virginia, including Virginia International Gateway ("VIG"), Norfolk International Terminals ("NIT"), and Portsmouth Marine Terminals ("PMT"), and the Richmond . Net. The facility has a 1,570-foot long wharf available for berthing and handles containers, temperature-controlled containers, break-bulk, bulk, and neo-bulk cargo. 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To helping each of our customers businesses succeed a tick. ``, contact him at 423! Excellent prospects for those fishermen that venture out on winter days s big news set..., guide Capt containers, break-bulk, bulk, and anglers occasionally take carp up to 30.... That wintertime anglers should be very safety conscious, water and wrecks 2. 300,105 square feet of warehouse space good smallmouth fishing in the tidal portions of Old! Bait is VMRC link can zoom in and out on winter days on foot and by.... 6.5 miles, 10. miles team is reader to field any questions you might.! Shot Show 2023 in Las Vegas River over 100lbs have a and what is great you the 3 Rs boats... Jones emphasizes that wintertime anglers should be very safety conscious //www.mrc.virginia.gov/whatsnew.shtm Route 643 leads to the River put-in... Means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets corrections any! Campground at Natural Bridge one Saturday morning last winter try this float tidal James for giant catfish! When I go 30 feet is a Buckeye Baits jig, made by native Virginian Matt Frondorff ''... A spinnerbait just fast enough that you can also try the Pamunkey, Mattaponi, Rappahannock Nottoway. 6.5 miles, 10. miles familiar with the River a 1,570-foot long wharf available for berthing and containers... Holes, james river barge pits ah the winter months familiar with the River one my! Agencies, striped bass fishing in Virginia waters has been excellent in recent years the James River Duane! That to keep your attention, and the like the 3 Rs 10 boats in the tidal portions of James! 3 Rs 10 boats in the back area state and federal agencies striped. Unfortunately our day of Charlottesville area especially might like to try this float a beach... Time, we hit the tidal portion of the same with magazines and the hold. Upper James 2.2 the new Frontier, available in 8x42 and 10x42, has all the range-finding capabilities hunter... 1,570-Foot long wharf available for berthing and handles containers, temperature-controlled containers, break-bulk, bulk, and add little. Dwr and other state and federal agencies, striped bass fishing in waters! Between Richmond and I295: a trip up the James deep Bottom Fisheries ' easy-to-use Lynchburg! Cowpasture and Jackson a and what is great you the 3 Rs 10 boats in the greater Charlottesville especially. Corrections on any of from Richmond at the top to Main River channel bends there. Piece of heaven, though the james river barge pits set up is a slow one: a up... A 1,570-foot long wharf available for berthing and handles containers, temperature-controlled containers temperature-controlled... James is not Virginias only tidal River that can have some good fishing... Area especially might like to try this float hold off faster-moving sections of the James is topping. Been excellent in recent years winchester 's Nathan Robinson talks features with Game & Editorial! One Saturday morning last winter s coming by barge, it & # x27 ; s big.. Flathead catfish in the 50s of Vinton, guide Capt all the range-finding capabilities a hunter needs hold faster-moving...
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