Once anglers know the latest information on where the stripers have been found, they can head for those areas and look for bait using their fish finder. As noted above, there is plenty of bait at Anna. McCotter advises anglers to find the bait and then fish just above or just below the "plugs" of baitfish. Typically, this means the anglers will find fish in the upper tributaries, such as the North Anna and the Pamunkey Branch.

McCotter is choosy when it comes to the equipment, particularly the fish finders he uses to put clients on fish.

"A good 480x480 pixel count depthfinder is a critical tool for winter striper fishing. Ours are set up so we can see schools at 35 mph. The new Lowrance HD series permits anglers to see fish at 60 mph due to higher wattage and faster processors."

McCotter also shared that a good fish finder allows anglers to see the bait in deep water, which is where the fish will likely be. In December, baitfish will often be found in 10 to 20 feet of water. He went on to tell us that by January, the baitfish will move downlake some and spread out into more open-water areas in deeper water.

"I have often found stripers holding in 30 to 38 feet and feeding from there shallower," our source noted.

Not to be overlooked at Anna is the hot water discharge downlake near the power plant. In fact, this is a great place to look for fish when it gets really cold. The great difference in water temperatures here attracts bait, which of course brings the striped bass on too.

My personal schedule limits the amount of time I can spend on the water, so I asked McCotter what he would do if he only had a few hours on the water and wanted to bring home some fish. His answer was straightforward.

"I would use a Toothache spoon. It is a very efficient way to see if the fish being viewed on the Lowrance are going to bite. The spoon goes to the bottom and stays right in front of the fish. If the fish are higher in the water column, you can yo-yo it back to the boat. The spoon is also a close imitator of a threadfin shad, which is a top winter striper prey."

McCotter added that a second lure choice would be a Crazy Blade and a third choice would have to be the Berkley Jerkshad on a 1/4-ounce jighead. Alternate choices include a Little Jimmy 1/4-ounce bucktail or a Rolling Runner with a Jerkshad. The Jerkshad on the Rolling Runner has a belly spinner, which McCotter says sets it apart when the baitfish are thick.