I started out and ran down to Walton's since it has seemed that fish have been there some lately. I started searching and trolling near the hump and worked my way around and zigzagged across the creek. I was marking a few scattered fish but nothing exciting and most looked on the small side.I trolled past the Virginia Dare and turned around back in about 25ft of water. Just as I was coming out of that cove I had a Holy S#!t moment. Fish marks filled my sonar screen! And glory be, one actually bit my lure. I could tell he wasn't too big so I just slowed to idle and wrangled him in. The other two lines were still in the water and kept getting bumped but not bit. The beauty I boated was 19".

So all this took about 3 minutes tops. I made a hard u-turn to hit the school again. They were gone!!!!. Reminded me of that movie Gone in 60 Seconds. I circled around and zigzagged toward the creek mouth but nothin' doin'. They were gone. I still trolled around there some and marked some fish but never again that school. On the way out toward the creek mouth I did pass over a small bunch and hooked another fish. It was a 19" twin.

So then I was mildly optimistic for a good day having boated two fish in about an hour. HA!!!! Little did I know. So I trolled out of Walton's and past the State Park headed to the S-curve. I was marking a fish or two here and there but mostly they were down a bit, 40-60ft. Almost to the first curve I swore I was marking fish down 90-100ft over 150ft in the river channel. But I kept on trolling. Past the ospreys, across the river, into Strawberry Banks, out of Strawberry Banks, and around the S-curves. A few scattered fish was all I saw.

So I checked those deep fish and they were still there. So I jigged over them. I had 3 jigs going, 2 passive in the rod holders and 1 I was actively working. I jigged there for an hour and got nothing. Were they really fish? If not, what was that? Then I headed back to the mouth of BandB. I was marking a few scattered fish but mostly down around 40ft. Again I saw a bunch of deep fish 50-60ft behind the yellow house. Back out with the jigs. Zip. Nothing bit. Darn.

I decided to run up lake above the bridge. I started at R31 and went up. Same story, different chapter. I marked scattered fish, 2 small schools down deep but no biters. Went all the way to R35 with no bites. But, heck, the weather was nice. I hope things pick up cause my filet knives are getting rusty.

Later Joel

With the full moon up I wanted to head out very early and get some night fishing in but watching the Weather Channel showed just enough showers in the area that I held off until my regular dawn start time.  I cruised right to Waltons for a quick look.  I was marking a few scattered fish and trolled around searching I managed one 20" fish near the VA Dare, but that was it. I didn't spend much time there and ran down to the S-curves to look around. Nothing there just like on Saturday. Nothing up in Strawberry Banks either.

So after hearing of all the fish around Blackwater/Gills after the tournament Saturday I decided to make the run.  Again, I'd not done it before so this was an experiment.  It wasn't bad.  Made the fast cruise and found at least 10 boats working the area.  I also saw Don H. and he said he got three that morning - of course that was before I got there.

As I trolled around I was marking fish and some in actual, real schools. Most looked to be 30-40ft down and while I was there nothing came up to bite.  I didn't notice anyone else boating fish either.  I made some lure changes and trolled around for a couple hours and then headed down lake to Bulls Run.  I went into Bulls Run up to BU3 and marked a big school but didn't get any to bite. So late morning I ran back to Betty/Becky and trolled to mouths. I was marking fish but again they were down and not biting. I found one good school inside Becky but noting bit. On a whim I ran up lake and trolled the stretch from R31 to R34. I marked scattered fish all over but it seems they already had lunch and weren't biting. At least half the marks did look like small fish. I think I'll try some more on Friday. Later Joel

No need for a long, detailed narrative today. I totaled ten stripers and one large mouth bass today. The problem was that the stripers were all 11" to 19".

I caught fish everywhere I went. Walton Creek, the S curve, the mouth of Strawberry, Carter's Island (no fish there), and the mouth of Betty and Becky. Most of the small ones didn't even make the reel click, I just happened to see the rod bobbing.

All the fish bit while trolling and all but the 19's bit the smaller Bomber minnow bait. Blue back took the most. It was fun and it kept me busy but I would have liked a couple of 30's thrown in there too.

I was baked, fried, and par-boiled by noon. I'm thinking of adding a full enclosure with A/C to the boat. Hmmm... Off to the ocean tomorrow.

Later Joel

So I started as usual at the dawn's early light. I ran into Betty and Becky looking but all I saw was some bait and some small fish marks on the sonar. There were a couple boats floating around the creek mouths but I saw nothing caught. I checked in front of the condos and across to the other side but still saw nothing. I gave that up quick and ran down to Walton's. I cruised around extensively but only saw the small echos, some bait and maybe a lone fish here and there. Nothing to get busy about.

So I ran down to the osprey nest and started trolling. I did begin marking fish but only singles and pairs. No big deal. I did see a bunch of fish toward the end of the point running off R16 but I couldn't get any to bite. So I trolled across the lake to head into SB. Right at R15 I heard one click from a reel and looked back to see the rod sort'a bobbing. I picked it up and felt a small wiggle so I fought the fish to the boat. This fish proved that stocking works cause it was an over eager 13". Yes, I said 13, one inch more that a foot. It also proved that all those small marks on the sonar were small fish. A good thing to know. There looked to be more of them there but I didn't bother. I trolled through and around the banks but saw and caught nothing.

On the way out I couldn't help but pass by R15 again. Sure 'nough I got another fish. I almost couldn't believe that it measured 12". Yes, that is only a foot, no extra inches. I kept trolling and made a pass all the way around the S curves looking. I did mark pairs of fish (looking bigger) here and there. Most were deeper, 30-40ft, and no bites. I pulled up lines and just started cruising down lake along the channel looking. I went past Carter's island and kept going to Rabbit island. Still wasn't seeing anything. Then since I was that far and hadn't done it before in the new boat, I ran all the way to the dam. I did look for fish there and along the mountain but still saw only ones and twos.

The cruise back to B&B wasn't bad even though I kept the speed down due to boat and wake traffic. I started trolling again at the condos because I remember in the past that some fish seem to show up at the creek mouths in late morning around noon. I was in fact marking some real fish but no numbers.I made a loop into Betty to the gazebo and was on the way out when a real fish hit. Easy to tell immediately that this was a good one. It didn't like the boat cause every time I got it close it took off again. This one was getting me tired! Finally got it in the net and dropped a very nice 32" into the boat. Time for a break. I made two more loops and passes in the area hoping for lightning to strike twice but it didn't happen. Fair enough, I called it a day. Going out tomorrow again.

Later Joel