The guide added that the positive effect from the warmwater release lingers downstream to the Interstate 295 bridge, also known as the Varina/Enon Bridge, about 1 1/2 miles downstream from the power plant. Besides the old barges, the pit also contains ample amounts of rocks, sunken trees, brushpiles and a host of other flotsam. The barge pit is indeed a backwater hotspot on the Tidal James.

Although the barge pit area is Roger Jones’ number one wintertime hotspot, the guide sometimes ventures forth onto the main river. He said from Osborne Landing to the 295 bridge, a distance of approximately four miles, is where he prefers to concentrate.

“This area also has warmer water because of the power plant,” the Richmonder explained. “But this stretch also features some wing dams or jetties that are great wintertime structure. The jetties are designed to direct water away from the banks, so as to prevent erosion. The eddies those dams create really concentrate wintertime bass.”

The guide likes to work 1/4- or 3/8-ounce jigs, tipped with 2-inch plastic crayfish, through those eddies. I found Roger’s use of plastic crayfish as a trailer interesting because the conventional wisdom is to employ pork at this time of year, and I questioned him on that.

“The truth is that I just couldn’t stand to fish with real pork anymore, it was always gunking up everything and making a mess,” Jones sheepishly admitted. “And I know that pork is supposed to give off a lot more scent than plastic, especially in the winter and to be so much more durable and lifelike.

“But, you know, after making the switch to plastic, I can’t say that I am catching fewer largemouths, even in the wintertime. The action of the plastic trailer looks pretty good to me. I can tell you one way where I have followed the conventional wisdom for wintertime bassing -- my use of hair jigs. I do believe that hair jigs, as advertised, have more buoyancy and flair and behave more lifelike in the cold water than rubber jigs.”

Another favorite off-season bait of Jones’ is the Bandit 200 series crankbait, specifically in a crayfish pattern. The guide said that he is well aware that cranks are not considered to be wintertime lures because obviously they are relatively fast-moving baits and are designed to attract reaction strikes from warmwater bass.

But remember, he continued, that he is only targeting places on the James that offer warmer water than the nearby environs. Another reason why the guide is successful with a crankbait now is that he employs a reel with a 5-to-1 ratio. Avoid high-speed reels he urged. And with the slow-speed reel, Jones is able to barely nudge a crank along at a slow, steady pace with plenty of pauses. The largemouths are very lethargic and don’t seem to respond well to erratic motions and jerks.

Yet another go-to bait now is a 1/4-ounce single blade (size 5 in nickel) spinnerbait with a twin tail grub affixed as a trailer. The Richmonder prefers the single blade because he likes for this lure to helicopter down to wood cover and then he retrieves the spinnerbait in the slow, rolling fashion. His next choice once more fits into the unconventional category.