Photo by Ron Sinfelt

Largemouth bass anglers in Virginia have endless places to dunk their boat or cast their lures. But over the years, the fishing has waned at some waters and picked up at others. This year, we researched the better waters in each region to help point anglers in the right direction whether it be for numbers of fish or memorable trophy catches.

TIDEWATER REGION
Scott Herrmann, fisheries biologist for the region, pointed out that as of late last fall, Beaverdam Swamp Reservoir was ranked fifth in the state for the nine citation bass that had been registered by anglers. Only Smith Mountain Lake, Lake Anna, Sandy River and Briery Creek topped Beaverdam in terms of citations.

The reservoir was sampled during the spring of 2005 and showed a number of bass in the 12- to 15-inch range. Herrmann and company sampled 131 bass per hour while probing its waters, and that sample included many 3- to 5-pound fish and some nice 7-pound bass. The size structure at Beaverdam is very well spread out and there is a good mix of nutrients and abundant cover, making the reservoir very productive. This is particularly true in the upper creek arms where the water is shallower.

Anglers should concentrate their efforts uplake during the spring. Coves are the places to begin casting in March and April as the fish begin their spawning rituals. Bass anglers will find that a 15- to 20-fish day is not at all out of the question on Beaverdam. Herrmann also said that the town of Gloucester maintains a second boat ramp in the uplake part of the reservoir where anglers can access it for an additional fee.

Another largemouth gem that has come on strong in the last two years is the Chickahominy River. The Chick had strong 2004 and 2005 year-classes, which means anglers will see continued improvement in the fisheries in the near future, with increased catches of 12- to 15-inch fish. As most local anglers know, the drought that devastated much of the river fisheries in 2000-2002 finally gave way to much-needed rain and a boost in recruitment from surviving bass afterward. Seventy-one percent of the bass sampled in the fall of 2005 were young-of-the-year fish. Angler catch rates have doubled between 2002 and 2005. Anglers here reported the highest catch rate of bass in 2005 than any other catch rate that VDGIF has on record from the annual surveys that they conduct.

Bob Greenlee, fisheries biologist for Region 1, pointed out that there are some really nice fish in the Chick. An extremely strong 1998 year-class of fish has produced a number of 4- to 5-pound fish in the recent past.

If good weather patterns continue, anglers should expect to see improvement in the bass fishery on the Chick. There is plenty of great habitat in the form of submerged aquatic vegetation, cypress trees, duck blinds and cattails along the river. Private boat launches are numerous on the river, putting anglers within striking distance of good bass water in minutes.

More information can be obtained by calling (804) 843-5968.