It's FRIDAY and another possible . . .

OK, in the right frame of mind and the weather is threatening, cold, cloudy, and expected storm winds this afternoon.  Murphy is with me this morning as I spilled my glass of ice with flavoring on the keyboard.  First real task of the day - cleaning the keyboard.

Fishing plan is tentative.  Have a call to Pete asking for his best guess as to start at Terry's Run or at Tim's on the North Anna River.

Plan to do the Kabiki rig to try for a few gizzards for bait.  Then, bull then on boards to learn about the boards and also maybe boat a striper.  Will stop at the Fish Tails store and get a real surface plug (pencil popper) or other popper that might be effective this time of year.

Stand by for the usual report.

Well, it didn't happen, I didn't get on the water. Came down with a severe gout in my ankles have cookout walk for shovel days. So the boat trips out ready to go. Now it's Monday and I'm waiting for an inspection on the Honda in will try to get on the water as soon as it is finished. Might be about 2 o'clock before I actually have launch the boat. Last report had the bait and stripers in Terry's Run.

Since I can't do  cast net, I'll have to try the pencil popper in the evening just before dark. That means after dark getting back to the dock.

If I make it on the water there will be a full report of my success or failure.

Whoppee, I made it to the Lake Anna, or did I?

OK, it's Wednesday Oct 14 and I decided to get on the water.

But, also had to get new and old meds to help my gout and arthritis.  So, I gathered the garbage as the dump is on the way to the Food Lion pharmacy in Mineral.  Did a tiny bit of shopping at Food Lion and headed back to the house.  I have a scooter (motorized chair) and hauled rods and other gear to the boat.  Doing my best to rush, but everything seems to go Murphy slow, except my declining health. 

OK, boat on the road to the Rockland Creek community launch.  I know they were supposed to change the lock code, but maybe they didn't.  Yeah, what other dumb thought can I have.

 

 Called a neighbor and was able to get the code.  I have to back the boat as close to the dock as possible so I can step into it.  Don't want the boat to leave the trailer completely as I might not get everything right, per past mistakes?  Now about 4 PM and the sun is hiding in the scattered clouds.  Boat launched with line attached, gate closed, parked truck, and I'm on my way.

Pete said there was lots of gizzards at Tim's area, so I decided to head that way.  I'd been there a year earlier and didn't know for sure where I was.  Headed towards Christopher Run or Tim's is one duck leg both the same?  The North Anna is like a snake with egg bulges with lots of turns that hides the channel from one bulge go another.  Well, every lake seems to require some experience to navigate in the day.  But, near dark everything looks the same.  especially if ya get busy doing the activity - fishing.  Once I passed Rose Valley, I was unsure of what turn to where?  Called Pete R and got encouragement.  Chose the correct fork to stay in North Anna river. But the river seemed to be coming to an end?  Whew, a small channel off to the right and Tim's!  In the exact area I was supposed to be.  Gizzards flipping most everywhere and a few breakers. 

I was at the location to seeing the gizzards flippin, cast a surface lure near by and/or into breaking stripers, maybe try my Sabiki to hook gizzards, run the modified Bugz Planer boards, and maybe boat a striper. 

OK, Pete assured me I was on the right track.  He led this old horse to water, but .  .  . 

Decided to flip my frog (the surface lure) as it was already on the casting rod.

 

 Lots of tosses, but nothing.  Didn't see my pencil popper, so I put a realistic looking shad on and flipped it for a while.  Nothing!  Great, there were two pencil poppers in the box.  Flipped it .  .  . where'd it go?  A popper that sinks? 




Murphy again!  OK, give up on flipping for stripers.

Motored above the bridge to a huge open bay and lots of baits on the sonar an large arches.  Deloying the trolling motor was working great the bow deck chair post to steady me.  Loading the trolling motor with the rope was working well too.  So, I just wandered as the sun set in the heavier dark clouds.  Back below the bridge to the smaller bay and began trying the Bugz Planer boards that I added a second foam and the LED flashing light. 




Got the planer on the water and the flashing light started as soon as it hit the water.  Somehow, I got a photo above and the light is visible almost exactly in the center of the photo. 

Didn't have a bait on the hook dragging behind the board and it didn't want to pull strongly to the side.  Not sure why.  Maybe the light on top changes the pitch of the board so it slips water too much.  May need more weigh on the keel?  Yeah, and sink the board just like my pencil popper.

Now dark and the cloud cover leaves little to guide me home.  Got the electronics dimmed and I'm on my way.  Running about 20 as I know there is an island with a Xmas tree on it.  The only feature above water.  The channel between the tree and the State park a series of S turns that I feel safer following.  Don't like them sudden rocks tickling my hull. 

The Navionics Plus graph performed great as I had a trail going to the location I fished to get me back home.  The 208 bridge seemed like it took forever to actually see any features.  Lots of cars, etc. and other marina structures, but nothing to light my way.  Had to turn my bow spot light on to be sure.  OK, passed the bridge, called my wife as she said she would meet me at the dock to load the boat.  Then, I opened it up a bit in the familiar water and got by the Nuke Plant.  The Dam lights are near blinding headed to Rockland Creek.  Turned into the creek and there was car lights pointed down the channel.  Sounds good, but at night, looking into bright lights is blinding.  So, I zoomed in the navigation screen and dimmed again.  Now Mel (my wife) has here flash light on too.  She thinks I'm crazy being on the water at night.  Yet, it's a learning experience for both of us. 

Finally got the boat tied to the dock and then the real chore began.  Backing the trailer down the ramp in the near dark.  Forgot to leave the bow light on the boat that would have made it simpler.  I forget lots of things these days.  Mel is doing her best to light the dock so I can keep the trailer close.  Finally got it about right and got the boat on the trailer.  Mel got the cable hitched and I got to the truck and hauled the boat out the gate.  Two tired elders (Team Elder School) hobbling in the dark to close the gate, work the combination, and head for the house.

No, it's not the end of the story.  I parked my motorized chair on the side of the driveway where I could ride it back to the garage from where I park the boat.  No one would guess that it sank in the dirt and seemed like the drive wheel was in a hole.  Well, it was,  and took both of us to get it back on the driveway. 

Well, what left of this story can be written tomorrow or tomorrow.  Rest for a day and maybe try again on Friday 16.  At least it won't be Friday 13.

I will get an early start, and early start, and early start .  .  .

Another Friday and yipee, another striper fishing afternoon

Of course I'm not ready; however, I do have some things accomplished.

.  Fueled the boat
.  Did real Magic on the reels
.  Recieved extra foam for the Bugz planer boards and modified 2 R & L
.  Gave a lot of thought to lights for night planer board use, but .  .  .
.  Updated the Navionics + card, but not back on the boat
.  Got a tentative fishing plan from Pete DeRosario
.  May have a novice on board this trip

What about the PLAN

Pete will be on the water at High Point Marina at 2 PM.  Lake Aana is now full pool and I'll launch at Rockland  Creek and motor to HPM.  The novece is a friend and hasn't fished this lake or species.  Will be a show and tell adventure.

Will do boards and corks in the North Anna after getting EASY bait in the Pamunkey or Terry's Run. Yet, I might stop at Fish Tales and get a dozen shiners.

I'll have 6 rods for planers, two for down lines and one cork.  I'll toss in one casting rod for the unexpected.

Got refresher planer board technique from Pete.  I didn't  realize how much I forgot.  Have to make a little chart about line weight, boat speed, depth of fish, etc.

Whoops, Damn health issue.  Got bad gout in boat ankles and can't walk.  Had to call Pete and cancel our meeting.  He notified me that he got bait a bit further up Terry's easily, but didn't tell me if he boated any stripers.  Just said the bite was rushed.  Leafs falling like mad and filling the boat. :(  It is Fall, isn't it.

OK, here's the Water Bugz planer board with the LED light mounted on top.  The LED light has a wire loop on the bottom.  I pushed it into the foam and then drilled across the planer.  I used a small high speed screw, like drywall to secure the light.  Would work with a paper clip straightened or a tooth pick.

 

Don't know what this is intended to show.  Maybe how to clutter a desk?

Just to show where the screw was placed to hold the LED.

Pete sent a note to let me know he directed a buddy to a great fishing spot on Sunday, Oct. 11 and .  .  .  Now have to get the practice frog off my casting rod and use a Pencil Popper.

 

 

 

On a top water?  Maybe a pencil popper?  A great catch for Lake Anna!

 

 

 

 

WHAT ABOUT FISHING FOR STRIPERS AS A LIFE ENDEAVOR?

October 5 and the sun is out inspite of the weather forecast.  Need to make another trip to the Rockland Creek dock to view the water conditions.  Then, make a plan for fishing Friday, Oct. 9.  Need Pete DeRpsario's blessings.

Got to get busy and make the Kiptopeke plan too.  Jimmie Beaty (Teacher) sent a note that he will be on the Bay on Nov. 15.    No reply from my brother Raymond as to an arrival date to make reservations.  joytbkiptopekecows.blogspot.com 

OK, back to night lights for the Water Bugz planer boards.  Now realize the wheel is already invvented. all accessories are available at www.bottomdwellerstackle.com.  If not at www.waterbugz.com.

ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER PLAN!

And the rains came and the water level will soon be too much?

        Hurricane Joaquin isn't here yet and the lake is rising!

Where will the bait be and where are the stripers?  Maybe ambient temp being 20 degrees below normal will get them into a seasonal pattern - schooling!

Looking down the ramp on 9/28/15, where's the water?

Note the mud along the left white seawall that follows the channel to the lake. 9/28/15

The water level on 9/28/15. 

The water level on 10/1/15, notice the level on the ramp and the proximity of the water to the bottom of the dock.

The photo below is the water level on 10/1/15.  The channel to the lake doesn't show any mud along the seawall.  Great!

I can hardly wait to take photos of the same area by Monday, 10/5/15 to see if the top of the seawall can still be seen. 

Most all of the emergency alerts are withdrawn and the lake water level is near identical on 10/2/15 as it was on the 1st of Oct.

Rockland Creek water is quite clear even with the continuing rain.  See the launch ramp below the surface.

What about Tim's on North Anna?

Yep. really old muddy!

So, where will he baits and striper schools go?

Well, on John Kerr, the baits and stripers  head for clean water, almost the mud line down river.   At the mouths of creeks that have clean water.  no rain in the forecast.  How long will the mud last?  Is it only surface, or how deep does it go .  .  .

Pete says they will go deep into the channels in Lake Anna.  Hmmm, is Friday Oct. 9 really a fish night?  

Working feaverously on the Bugz planer board lights.  Also giving my reels a Real Magic treatment and checking them twice.  WHOOPEE, A FISH AFTERNOON COMING.  Best not tell my love that I will be out after dark.  Hope Pete locates help for my boat.

What about Navionics Plus and updates for my chart?

Recently, I wondered if I had the most up to date charts for my fishing.  So, the chip went to Green Top to have them look at it.  Nope, told it wasn't up to date and spent time waiting for the experts to do the deed.  During the last adventure, I noticed that I didn't have the contour lines as in the past.  So, tonight, I did the 45 minute upgrade on my own.  I learned in the past not to use Google for the deed as the changes in the program and crashed my computer.  Have to use Internet Explorer for the deed and all goes well without problem, just incredibly slow. 

While poking around Navionics.com, I realized that I had access to all the mapping on my chip to make future plans and I could even print the maps.  I found that the contour lines I was looking for became evident with the zoom in.  The satellite overlay brings all the roads with the terrain.  Pretty neat!  Can't wait to make a plan for  my next adventure.  Maybe get way points on my graphs to remind me of where I'm supposed to concentrate my fishing effort.

Wanted to print the chart, but .  .  . can't seem to get it right.  Maybe later?

it didn't work well.

  

So, on to another project related to striper fishing.  Here's a  drop light.  It is activated to flash when in the water.  Seems to have a concentrated beam directed out the top and much less illumination around the peripheral.  It may be best to mount it with the top pointed toward the boat?

Here, the drop light sits on top of the planner.  Too heavy and the Bugz planer board and needs additional foam to recover proper floatation.  It's usual for the Bugz planer board to haul a 7 inch blueback herring and it's look alike alewife.

I ordered 10 replacement foams.  Hopefully they have adhesive backs so I won't have to experiment with adhesive to get them installed.  The Bugz boards come with single or double foam.  I ordered one set of the double foam planer boards just to be sure I get it right.  The weights on the bottom edge are meant to balance the board in the water so it pulls correctly.  Adding the drop light to the top messes most everything up.  I'll start with the middle installation so as to try and maintain some of the original balance.

 

I might try the Walleye planer boards as they are larger and the drop light shouldn't make a difference in floatation.  The Walleye also has a lead weight in the bottom edge that can be reduced to get better flotation.  Yet, I see some Bay fisherman adding more foam and flashy stick-ons to their boards.  Maybe a drop light attached to the bottom edge of the planer board would .  .  .

 

Time will tell if this reinvention f the wheel works.

 

The photo below is the Walleye planer board.  I added the reflective material.  Note the vertical pin at the left of the board.  The line to the bait passes inside the slot and the pin keeps it in place.  The pin is spring loaded making it simple to remove and load the planer board.  The Bugz planer board above uses a modified snap swivel that is difficult to use under most conditions.  A loop must be made in the line, then follow the coiled wire in the clip.  Sounds simple, but in low light conditions or with cold hands?  Might be a better choice to see if the Bugz planer board might be modified to work similar to the Walleye planer board.

 

 

 

 The foam on the Walleye planer board is protected by the plastic planer.  The lead can be moved forward or back to balance the board to the weight of the baits.  Usually a 12 to 16 inch eel when I use this planer on the Chesapeake Bay.

 

I think the Walleye planer board will easily carry the drop light piggy back without disrupting the performance.  The Walleye board is easily 4 times the size of the Bugz planer board.

FINALLY MADE A FISHING ADVENTURE ON LAKE ANNA

A typical fishing adventure on Lake Anna in September (25th) 2015.

 

Pete let me know that he would be launching at Christopher Run  about 3 PM on Friday. We corresponded that maybe he could meet me at High Point Marina, but never firmed the meet. So, I loafed along getting my stuff ready, what I didn't get done earlier.  I always forget something, age related?  By Noon, I was very anxious and at 1 PM, I had the boat hitched and was headed out of Rockland Creek community to meet Pete and crew at CR. 

 

The water at Rockland Creek is too low to risk trying to launch and load my boat solo, so I went to Christopher Run to launch.  The photo is of near normal water level earlier in the year when the water level was a foot low.  The water level  is now at least a foot lower and the distance between the pontoons and the float level for my boat coming off the trailer might be 50 feet.  The channel to the right is very narrow as the bottom is exposed along the entire sea wall.

Contrast the above and the below photo taken this September 28, 2015 with the above taken a month earlier.  The mud below the seawall is a bad sign.  Not the worst as in the past, the pontoons were sitting on the mud.

The below photo shows the terrible slope of the ramp that can hang a trailer  between the wheels and the  ball.  Normal water level is about 6 inches below the bottom of the dock.  The pontoons make loading and launching a boat nearly impossible.

 So, the decision was to launch at a commercial marina.  I hoped that Pete and crew (Ryan and TJ) would be at Christopher Run launch to help me.  I had lots of time so I took the scenic route to get there.  I thought I usually  passed Christopher Run launch along the planned route.  Bad choice as I ended up on the wrong road at Food Lion, about twice as far as if I'd headed to Route 208. 

 

Imagine my surprise when looked  back at the trailer  and notice that the 8X10X12 wood block I had strapped to the fender as a step was GONE!  The strap was flapping in the breeze.  A closer look in the mirror had a block at the back of the fender and?  Cars following close behind me and what if the block dropped.  No place to pull off as the road is narrow, twisty, and .  .  .  Food Lion gave me a chance to stop and take a look.  The block slid back and lodged behind the trailer tail light.  Why it stayed there, I don't know.

 

 

 

The red strap on the ground was almost melted clean through from rubbing on the tire.  Unfortunately, the grease hub cover went somewhere.

 

As it happened, last trip to Scottsburg, I brought some 2 inch aluminum angle to fabricate a step that I could anchor to the top of the fender to help my crotch over the rail.  Something I wanted to accomplish, but kept forgetting the aluminum angle.  I hadn't worried about the frequent trips from the house to the community launch ramp.  But, the necessary travel to a Lake Anna commercial boat launch hadn't given me concern that the block might come loose.  Oh yeah, but shit happens when Murphy is lurking.

 

Stand by for a photo of the finished step.

 

The block on the stern deck of the Sea Pro, trashed  the strap, and was back on the road.  Now getting late, but I could still make Christopher Run by 3 PM.  On Route 522 headed North and suddenly CR was .  .  .  yeah, I got stopped, but what a stop!  The power brakes on the Ford 250 diesel are designed not to lock.  Never adjusted to the design and it feels like the truck will never stop.  Especially with about 5000 pounds of boat/trailer behind me. 

 

Pulled into the CR launch/camp entry and then had to walk to the hill to the store for the parking/launch pass.  Off to the launch and I was making circles to decide how to launch my boat.  The ramps had what looked like stone/brick pillars well above water as a dock for the ramps.  How to launch solo from this facility.  A decision wasn't necessary as I got a text from Pete telling me that he was on the water.  On the water at High Point Marina! :(  OK, the CR office decided to refund my ten and I was off to High Point Marina. 

 

Paid the $8 High Point Marina fee and got the boat ready to launch solo.  Undo the winch, the safety chain, the boat tie downs, assure the bilge plug is installed, get the launch line attached to the trailer or truck.  I decided on the bow stop of the trailer.  OK, gave the truck one backward bounce and the boat slid off the trailer and came to a stop at the end of the line.  Wait, the wind is blowing hard and the boat line is inside the guide-on.  The boat is now doing circles in the launch area.  No way to get it back on the trailer and to difficult for me to get the boat?  Fortunately, the handy guys saw what was happening and came to my assistance.  I let the boat line  loose enough so the boat could butt up against the adjacent leeward dock.  The handy man was on the boat, tied it off with my lines and I loosed the launch line.  Another lesson learned, maybe.  Hey, hey, at least I got a lot for my launch/parking fee! 

 

Now back in the truck an off to the parking spot. 

 

Pete sent another text to say he was way past Stubbs and Dillard bridges in Terry's Run and bait was tough.  Took me a while to meet him past Day Bridge.  He'd tossed the cast net for quite a while and didn't have any baits.  Shortly after I arrived and watched Pete and crew boat filled net, Pete pointed out that flippers most everywhere.  Had only took a few tosses at this location to fill his bait tank.  I was gifted with two large gizzards and  several dozen small baits. I only used a half dozen of the smaller baits and one of the gizzards.

Pete suggest that I pull planers on one side of the channel and he would do the other as the flippers seemed everywhere and might be good to pull through them.  No luck, so Rose Valley was Pete's next choice.

 

I think the herring, if that's what they were, were a smaller baits.  Maybe 4 inches long I'd rather have at the larger shad, I think blue blocks.  Could be threadfins, alewife's, too.  If a reader knows, let me know.  Is it all in the nose? My fishing buddy Bill Fowler says the small baits are threadfin.  Threadfins won't live more than 2 minutes on the hook.  Bill advised that the gizzard is too large and the herring (bottom 2) are about right for striper baits.

 

I had my TM down and Pete finished his bait collecting and was off to try Rose Valley on the North Anna branch.  Took me a while to get my gear ready to travel.  The new post I installed on the fore deck in lieu of the seat was working well to keep me steady.  The line I tied to the TM head made retrieval somewhat simple as compared to trying to grab the TM head to lift it.  Typically, it would spin at the most inconvenient moment and drop back in the water.  Can't do that with the rope!

Pete texted that he wasn't doing anything at Rose Valley, so I decided to look at Marshall Creek for stripers.  Nothing to stop for, so I went on down river to look at the West side where the stripers were a few weeks earlier.  Nothing!

Getting dark, and the evening bite should have started when Pete texted to tell me that he boated a small striper.  By now, he was well up river just below Holladay Bridge near Tim's.  So, I was off again and still light enough to overview electronics all the way hoping for a striper school to stop on. The Splits starts a series of "S" turns up the North Anna River.  A tortuous path in low water, no cutting across.  But, there are flats and deep gorges to view along the way.  Rose Valley Island has one pine tree what seems to be a tree in the middle of the river!

Finally caught up with Pete just about dark.  He had his full array of planers, etc. and already boated stripers.  Earlier there wasn't a bite in the shallows, so I was working on getting a few down lines deployed.  Pete sent another text - get yer planners out!  OK!

 

My Sonar and structure were showing lots of marks.  Hard to get my planners on the water as compared to Pete's crew of three.  I was so intent on getting my planers out, getting the trolling motor going, that I almost over ran Pete's planner array.  So I didn't have a lot of baits in the water.  Might have been the reason I didn't get any hits.

 

Any way, I got to test electronics again in total darkness running all the way down North Anna River to the High Point Marina. Total cloud cover and not many shore/channel buoys.  I never been as far up river before when it was night, so it was a challenge. I was familiar with the area where the hazards were and made it all the way back to the High Point Marina dock.

 

The Lowrance screen shot below has structure on the right and charting (navigation) on the left.  The depth and shore is well defined and even though I couldn't see beyond the bow, I was pretty confident that I wouldn't run aground or into objects.  As a safeguard, I let a previous trail (blue-green) stay on the monitor and use it to return along the safe path when I headed out.

 

The display below using the medium chirp can be incredible when it's adjusted properly for color and gain and the targets are within the cone of the sonar.  I haven't got there yet.  However, contrast the Simrad chirp below with the above Lowrance structure that I tried to get the screen shots as near the same time as possible.  You can see the vertical dashes in the structure display at the same depth as in the chirp display.  The dashes out to the 15 feet on the bottom of the screen are what's below the boat to the bottom.  Beyond the 15 foot marks are large fish mixed in with lots of baits.  The stripers (?) shown on the chirp screen shot must be just outside the sonar cone.

Loading the boat on the trailer was pretty difficult because the lake is so low and I was alone and trying to get the trailer close enough to the dock so I could step from the boat to the dock,  didn't work.  I  didn't make it simple,  the dock  was just about 6 inches farther than I could step. Besides, I had to stand on the rail to step UP to the dock.  Considered climbing down into the water, but eventually decided to risk the long step to the dock. Well I made it because I'm here writing the blog again.
 

Pete boated several stripers, one was almost 24 inches.   I don't know about the others that he caught.  He may send photos later.

I'm exhausted this morning and the Sea Pro is sitting on the driveway now blocking access for all the cars. I was too tired last night too move one of the cars so I could park the boat out of the way. It's still raining today and I have to get out and back the trailer down to the culvert so I can empty the bait tank and toss the bait.  But was really pleased that I could actually get on the water and fish for a short period. The only thing that might have made the trip better was if Mel had met me at the dock and after loading the boat we could have stopped at Vito's for pizza.
 
So that's my story even if I do get the wrong names on the wrong places.  You can tell it's kind of typical for Joy fishing solo.

Jim Hemby posted another great description of how he interprets his electronics, blog.jimhemby.com Saturday September 26, 2015.  Well worth taking a look for those thinking to by electronics or how to use them.  Well, I always check Hemby's blog as he always tells what is essential for striper fishing on Lake Anna.  He also has dialog about how to keep the baits alive, but I'm more interested in how to tell what bait is the current best for stripers.  It changes throughout the year based on the striper metabolism.