The author likes to fish pre-spawn bass in places like Briery Creek, Occoquan and other reservoirs full of cover like the standing timber here. Photo courtesy of Mark Fike.

In our chats with fisheries biologists all over the state, it soon became evident that largemouth fishing is good within a reasonable drive of just about any town. The fairly stable weather patterns we have experienced in most parts of Virginia the last five years or so in terms of rain and temperatures have allowed the bass populations to have at least average reproductive success and, in some cases, better than average success.

In each region, we have highlighted some very good bass fisheries. But keep in mind that our focus is largely on public waters and typically large fisheries. According to the biologists on the water sampling the bass populations, there are a number of other good opportunities in the form of small waters that may be just as good if not better than the larger well-known impoundments. If you know of a small pond or lake nearby, give it a shot. You might find that the money you save on gas can be put toward a taxidermy bill!

TIDEWATER REGION
In the Tidewater Region, anglers find an assortment of great bass angling opportunities in both rivers and impoundments. We hit both on the recommendation of the fisheries biologists who work the region.

Bob Greenlee, fisheries biologist for VDGIF for the northern portion of the region, gave the nod to the tidal Chickahominy as his choice for a bass-angling expedition. He also suggested other tidal tributaries of the James River, including Herring Creek. Anglers are finding better aquatic vegetation growth on the river now, which equates to better largemouth habitat.

The Chickahominy has always been a popular bass fishery, but anglers noticed a serious decline in the fishery in the late 1990s, which coincided with a severe drought lasting several years. Once the drought broke in the fall of 2002, the fishery rebounded. By the time biologists did the 2006 electrofishing survey, they had record-breaking numbers of bass charted. Some of the rebound can be attributed to supplemental stocking of largemouth bass. Ongoing research is gathering data on the long-term survival of these fish.

Natural recruitment of bass during the last few years has been very good -- and 2005 was exceptional -- and anglers are already seeing that year-class at the ends of their lines. There are a number of bass in the 3-pound range and even some fish up to 7 pounds being caught. Herring Creek has become locally notorious for producing fish over 3 pounds.

First-time visitors will find that the river is only hard to fish because there are so many places that hold bass. On calm, sunny, early-spring days, anglers might look for shallow mudflats because there the water warms more quickly. Once the spawn concludes, look for bass near channels in conjunction with structure such as cypress trees, duck blinds or blowdowns.

To fish this river effectively, an angler will need a tournament-sized bass boat to keep in position during a moving tide or a large johnboat with a motor to run from location to location. Greenlee expects the fishery to remain in good shape for at least the next few years because of the recent successful spawns.