The new 2010 Freshwater Fishing in Virginia (Fishing Regulations) book has been published and a copy can be obtained at the upcoming fishing and hunting shows, all license agents and Department offices. VDGIF Fisheries Division Director, Gary Martel, notes, "This publication not only contains the fishing regulations, but an extensive 'Let's Go Fishing' section, with information about major sport fish, public fishing lakes, major fishing rivers, and the trout stocking program. Also, you can find information about fish citations, state records, angling education programs, exotic species, and more." The Freshwater Fishing Regulations section, including the complete Trout Fishing Guide, on our website have also been updated for 2010.
How to Avoid the Six Most Common Boat Winterizing Mistakes

Free BoatU.S. Winterizing Guide Available

With winter approaching, BoatU.S. Marine Insurance has reviewed its claim files and reports the following six most common mistakes made when winterizing a boat:

1. Failure to winterize the engine: Freezing temperatures occur in all 50 states and while they are taken seriously up north, it's the balmy states of California, Florida, Texas, Alabama, and Georgia where boaters are most likely to have freeze-related damage to engine blocks. It routinely occurs to boats stored ashore here. Boats left in a slip are less susceptible to sudden freezing as the surrounding water retains heat longer than air.
2. Failure to drain water from sea strainer: If your winterizing plan calls for draining the engine, the seawater strainer must be winterized or residual water could freeze and rupture the watertight seal. Sometimes you won't know it's damaged until spring launching and water begins to trickle in.
3. Failure to close seacocks: For boats left in the water, leaving seacocks open over the winter is like going on extended vacation without locking the house. If a thru-hull cannot be closed, the vessel must be stored ashore - the sole exception is cockpit drains. Heavy snow loads can also force your boat under, allowing water to enter thru-hulls that are normally well above the water line.
4. Clogged petcocks: Engine cooling system petcocks clogged by rust or other debris can prevent water from fully draining. If one is plugged, try using a coat hanger to clear the blockage or use the engine's intake hose to flush anti-freeze through the system.
5. Leaving open boats in the water over winter: Boats with large open cockpits or low freeboard can easily be pushed underwater by the weight of accumulated ice and snow. Always store them ashore.
6. Using biminis or dodgers as winter storage covers: A cover that protects the crew from the sun does a lousy job protecting the boat from freezing rain and snow. Unlike a bona fide winter cover, biminis, and dodgers tend to rip apart and age prematurely by the effects of winter weather.

To get a free copy of the BoatU.S. Winterizing Guide full of tips to help you prepare your vessel for the winter, go to www.BoatUS.com/seaworthy/winter, or call 800-283-2883. Press Contact: Scott Croft, (703) 461-2864, SCroft@BoatUS.com.
Largemouth Bass Virus Detected in Virginia Reservoirs...

No impact to people; impacts to fish normally are short lived and fish populations recover

Largemouth bass virus (LMBV) is a disease that impacts several fish species but only appears to cause death in some largemouth bass. First discovered in Florida in 1991, LMBV spread throughout the southern United States and was responsible for a number of largemouth bass deaths in the late 1990's. However, in some reservoirs LMBV only led to a decrease in survival and growth rates. When those declines occur, anglers catch fewer quality-size (greater than three pounds) largemouth bass. The good news is that impacts from the virus outbreak are normally short lived and largemouth bass fisheries recover in about three years.

The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) tested several reservoirs between 2000 and 2003 with most either having no occurrence of LMBV or very slight infection rates. However, in a few reservoirs in North Carolina almost 40% of the largemouth bass tested were positive for LMBV. One of those systems was Shearon Harris Reservoir, which continues to support one of the best largemouth bass fisheries in the state.

Recent virus testing coordinated by VDGIF this past August revealed that LMBV was present in about 40% of the bass tested at John H. Kerr Reservoir/Buggs Island Lake and is responsible for the decline in the bass fishery. Largemouth bass from Briery Creek Lake and Sandy River Reservoir (Prince Edward County) were also tested and the virus was detected and confirmed. A small largemouth bass mortality event which occurred at Briery Creek Lake in late June, 2010, was most likely the result of LMBV in the population.

Due to the popularity of the largemouth bass fishery at Kerr Reservoir/Buggs Island Lake, anglers have expressed concerns about the LMBV spreading to other area reservoirs. However, some of the area reservoirs already contain LMBV and fish have likely built-up an immunity to the virus. For example, largemouth bass in Lake Gaston tested positive for LMBV in 2000. However, recent surveys at Lake Gaston indicate that the largemouth bass population is doing well. Nevertheless, anglers should follow the precautions listed below to limit the spread of LMBV.

FAQ:

* Can we cure the disease? No, the virus will have to run its course and hopefully the fish will build up immunity to LMBV. So far, lakes affected by the disease in the southern U.S. have not experienced additional large LMBV outbreaks since the initial ones in the late 1990's.
* Are there any risks to humans from the virus? No, fish are safe to eat and the water is safe for drinking water supply and recreation. This virus cannot be passed to humans.
* What causes an outbreak of the virus? It is not fully understood what causes an outbreak of LMBV. It is likely that stressful conditions such as low reservoir levels, high water temperatures, or increased handling time make bass more susceptible to LMBV.
* How can you tell if a largemouth bass that you've caught has the disease? There are very few external cues that the bass might have the disease. Fish that are very sick from the virus may appear bloated and swim erratically due to the impacts of the virus on the swim bladder.
* How does the disease spread? Fish that come in close contact (like in a livewell) can easily infect one another. Transmission through the water and eating infected prey are also ways that the disease is spread.

What can anglers do?

* Limit fishing, especially tournament fishing, to cooler months. Bass with LMBV are more likely to suffer mortality in the heat of the summer due to stress related to the high water temperatures. Paper tournaments without weigh-ins are always on option that tournaments can explore for summertime tournament fishing.
* Cooling livewells with blocks of ice in summer months is highly recommended. But, do not decrease water temperature in livewells more than 20° F from reservoir water temperatures.
* DO NOT transfer fish or fish parts from one body of water to another. This can spread the virus.
* Land fish quickly and handle them gently to avoid exhaustion and capture stress. Return the fish quickly to the water if you do not plan to keep it.
* Sterilize bilge pumps and livewells with a bleach solution to kill the virus. Studies have shown that the virus can survive in water in livewells up to seven days. About 1.5 fluid ounces of bleach added to one gallon of water (1% solution) sprayed on livewell surfaces will kill the virus. Let the bleach solution stand for 5 minutes, rinse thoroughly, and let air dry as chlorine bleach is toxic to fish.
* Tournaments should adopt best handling practices at all events. Using release boats, resting stations with oxygen and/or recirculating water, and iced water are all important considerations when planning a tournament. Refer to the conservation pages of the TBF or BASS websites for more information on safe handling practices and tournament organization guidance.

For information contact:

Dan Michaelson
Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
Fisheries Biologist
434-392-9645
Safe Boating is No Accident—Wear your Life Jacket and Take a Boating Safety Class

Attention boaters, VDGIF has begun to phase in Virginia's boating safety education requirement and wants to remind boaters that as of July 1, all operators of personal watercraft (PWC), including Jet Skis, Sea Doos, and other PWCs, age 14 to 35 will need to have proof of boating safety course completion onboard while operating the vessel. PWC operators must be at least 14 years old. To find out more about the boating safety requirement, the rest of the phase-in for Virginia boaters, or to find a boating safety course, visit the Department's website.

Virginia's life jacket laws require that there must be one wearable (Type I, II, III, or V) USCG approved life jacket of the appropriate size for each person on the boat. All boats, except for personal watercraft, canoes, kayaks, and inflatable rafts, must carry one USCG approved Type IV throwable ring or seat cushion. In addition, if you are boating on federal waters where the USCG has jurisdiction, children under the age of 13 must wear a life jacket unless below deck or in an enclosed cabin.

For more information on boating water safety and the BoatU.S. Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water go to BoatUS.com. For details on Virginia's laws or to take a boating safety course, check out the DGIF boating website.

Review the article, "Does Your Lifejacket Really Fit?" in the May 26, 2010 Outdoor Report Be Safe... Have Fun section.
Got Pictures of Your Catch? Share Them With Us on Flickr!

How was your last fishing trip? Did you take pictures of your catch? Send them to us and share it with the world! Here's how:

1. Email your photos to us and we'll post them on our "Virginia Fishing" group on the photo-sharing website, Flickr.
2. Or, if you already have an account on Flickr, join the group and submit your photos. It's easy!

No matter how you send in your pictures, please remember to include the species, date, and location of your catch. If you know the length and weight, please include it.

Rules for submitting photos to the group:

1. Photos must be of fish caught in Virginia.
2. Photos must not depict unsafe practices.
3. Please do not publish personal information (last names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, etc.).
4. Please do include the species, location, and date of catch!
5. Only submit photos for which you have permission to post online. For example, any minor pictured must have documented permission from his or her parent or guardian in order to appear in the group. By submitting a photograph of your child, you are giving VDGIF permission to post the photo on the Flickr "Virginia Fishing" group.

Sarah White's Notebook - Regional River and Lake Reports on Fishing Conditions
View online the:

* Trout Stocking Schedule
* Freshwater Fishing Regulations
* 2010 Tidal River Largemouth Bass Outlook (PDF)
* 2010 Smallmouth Bass River Fishing Forecast
* Largemouth Bass Lakes Report
* Walleye Fishing Forecast
* Walleye Tagging Study
* American Shad Restoration Project
* Shad Tagging Study
* Beginning July 1, South Holston Reservoir Fishing License Available to VA, TN Anglers
* Shenandoah and James Rivers Fish Health Update

Region 1 - Tidewater

Little Creek Reservoir: (757) 566-1702. No report this edition - call for updates.

Beaverdam Reservoir: Contributed by C. Blair Evans, Park Supervisor, (804) 693-2107. C. Blair Evans, Park Supervisor, told me that things have been slow in general. The bass have gone deep, but might go for a jig or a deep running crank. The crappie action is slow as well, but some big ones are being landed with the traditional minnows and jigs. No word on cats or perch. Those fishing for bluegill off the pier are more likely to bring up a crappie! The water is slightly stained and in the mid to low 50s.

Virginia Beach: Captain Jim Brincefield (443) 336-8756. Captain Jim reports that bluefish are hitting hard at Cape Henry. They are going for spoons and stretch plugs. Some 10 to 12 pound lunkers are being brought up. Black sea bass are around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge tunnel; they like Fishbite and squid. Rockfish are also at the Tunnel, they are attacking bucktails, Fishbite and jigs. The water is fairly clear and 57 degrees.

Chickahominy River: River's Rest (804) 829-2753. Charlie Brown says that everyone has been hunting this week, so there's not much to report. The water is slightly stained and 56 degrees.

North Landing River and Back Bay: West Neck Marina (757) 426-6735. Dewey Mullins told me that lots of bass are there to be had. Try topwaters early and late and cranks and spinners during the day. Crappie are slow to bite, but you may get lucky with a minnow or jig. No word on cats, but they should be out there. Very large white perch are being brought in; recently an angler pulled up a 2 ¼ lb. monster. To get your big one, try small spinners, cranks and beetlespins. Lots of bluegill are going for crickets and worms. The water is clear and in the mid 50s to low 60s.

Norfolk Lakes: Dasheill's Show Room (757) 539-7854. Drew Dixon reports that bass are still coming in on plastics. Crappie are really turning on for minnows and jigs. Lots of cats are being landed, especially in the James, on cut bait. There are still some good perch in the lakes waiting for your minnow. Bluegill fishing is slow, but try a worm or cricket. The water is clear and cooling.

Blackwater and Nottoway: By Riverkeeper Jeff Turner www.blackwaternottoway.com The fishing in the Nottoway has been pretty good. I was in at the VDGIF ramp on Rt. 671 for three days the 7th through the 9th and caught a lot of largemouth up to 2 ½ pounds. I mostly used a Cordell shad crank bait and a number 3 Mepps Minnow. I also did well on floating limb lines and caught a bunch of catfish up to 25 pounds. The 11th through the 13th, I was on the Blackwater below the VDGIF ramp in Franklin. The fishing was fair with several small largemouths and a nice chain pickerel being caught on the same lures mentioned above. Floating limblines yielded one blue catfish of 10 pounds. So it looks like the blue catfish in the Nottoway are heavier than the ones in the Blackwater.

On the 17th through the 19th I was on the Blackwater for three days above the VDGIF ramp on Rt. 611. The fishing was not good. Also I could tell that part of the river has been invaded by folks that do not care about our rivers. The parking lot was torn up from people doing 360's and I have NEVER EVER seen so much fishing line all up and down the river. Some num-skulls had used monofilament to set limblines and had left all these lines in the water and hanging from the trees. ALSO, I saw where someone (most likely the same people) had camped on shore and carved their initials all up and down the trees. Remember, if you're going out to experience the great outdoors, others will come behind you and they do not want to clean up your mess. VDGIF also provides the public with nice facilities for launching our boats, don't tear these places up, it only hurts us all in the long run and it cost a lot of money to grade these parking lots. So grow up and please do not leave fishing line and trash behind and if you must leave your info don't carve it on a tree, just please leave your card or write on your trash that you leave and be sure to include your full name and phone number so I can give that info to my friends at VDGIF.

Upper and Lower Tidal James: Local Guide, Captain Mike Hoke, Life's Revenge Guide Service, (804) 357-8518. Mike hasn't been on the James this past week, as he has been busy helping cut down the population of those pesky deer you hear so much about. He did hear that cats are hitting well on cut shad. Crappie are hot and going for minnows and jigs. The water is slightly stained and 55 degrees.

Upper and Lower Tidal James: Local Guide, John Garland, Screaming Reels Fishing Charter, (804) 739-8810. No report this edition.

Upper and Lower Tidal James: Capt. Mike Ostrander, James River Fishing School, Discover the James, (804) 938-2350. The James River's tidal water's are cooling into the low 50s, which is my favorite time of the year for big blue catfish. Large blue cats have been biting well on cut shad fished on the bottom at different depths (from 10 to 40 feet). Striped bass are also around with plenty of fish within the legal creel limits.

Region 2 - Southside

Amelia Wildlife Management Area: Contributed by our man in the boat Willard A. Mayes. Since I had promised the tractor a day off and the temperature was to be in the upper 80s I thought it would be a good time to check out Amelia Wildlife Management Area Lake. I had a little trouble floating the boat off the trailer even though I had backed into the water. Judging by the shore line, the water level is down from a foot and half to two feet. Even with the low level the water is clear to about 5 feet. I started fishing from the ramp toward the dam and fishing pier and caught a 10 inch largemouth on my favorite purple twister tail and 1/32 lead head. I kept fishing the shore line for another hour or so having many strikes and almost landing them, you know how you move them several feet before losing them. I got one almost to the boat before I lost it, then I decided to switch over to a pumpkinseed twister. Broke the line to attach the pumpkin seed and tried to hook the purple worm on the carpet when I noticed that it did not have a hook. I just sat there looking ashamed for little while. I thought my fishing would improve for the rest of the day, but I was wrong again. The lake has a lot of grass from the shore to about 6 or so feet out which hindered me a little all the way around the lake. By the time I had got back to the ramp all I had in the boat were 7 bluegill from 6 to 9 inches and I threw back 6 bass from 8 to 13 inches. The next trip I will fish more to the center of the lake to see if I can locate some crappie and I would love to get back there with the fly rod in the spring.

Sandy River and Briery Creek: Contributed by Longwood College Fishing Club's Jack Pollio. The Longwood University Fishing Club has been out very little the past few weeks. We have been catching some smaller fish on Senkos and shakey heads. Hopefully we should be getting out this Thanksgiving weekend and I hope to see some people out there.

James at Scottsville: Local Guide L.E. Rhodes www.hatchmatcherguideservice.com, (434) 286-3366. Fishing on the James has been up and down. The warmer periods have seen fish eager to take crank baits and stick baits. Pig and jigs fished in the deeper holes are always a safe bet. Fly anglers should fish crayfish patters slow using a hopping retrieve. The Albemarle County Lakes have been fishing well also. Crappie and largemouth both have been feeding. Soft plastic stick baits have been boating fish and the usual crappie jigs have produced some nice fish. Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving and be safe on both the water and in the field!

On December 5th, L.E. will be one of several master fly-tiers on hand at Mossy Creek Fly Fishing shop in Harrisonburg, to demonstrate their tying skills. There will also be lots of tying equipment on sale. For more info call the shop at (540) 434-2444.

Kerr Reservoir: Bob Cat's Lake Country Store, (434) 374-8381. Bobby Whitlow Jr. reports that bass are to be had on the points; try spinners, cranks and plastics. Look for crappie in deep brush and see if they don't go for a minnow or a jig. Cats are in the main channel and are going for live or cut shad or bream. Perch are responding to spoons. No word on bluegill. The water is slightly stained, "a good fishin' color" and around 50 to 55 degrees.

James at Lynchburg: Angler's Lane, (434) 385-0200. Jimmy Cheers told me that fishing for browns and rainbows has been good. They are responding to nymphs, pheasant tails, deer's ears and copper johns. The water is clear and in the mid to upper 40s.

Lake Gaston: Holly Grove Marina, (434) 636-3455. Holly Grove is closed for the season, but will re-open in February.

Lake Gaston Health Advisory: The Virginia Department of Health has issued an advisory on walleye fish consumption due to mercury contamination in Lake Gaston. Recent fish tissue sample results from the North Carolina Division of Public Health show mercury levels in walleye fish exceed the amount considered safe for long term human consumption. VDH advises the consumption of no more than two meals a month of walleye taken from Lake Gaston. Virginia's advisory stretches from John H. Kerr Dam downstream 18 miles to the Virginia-North Carolina state line. For additional details, visit the VDH fish consumption advisory page.

Smith Mountain Lake: Contributed by Mike Snead. Virginia Outdoorsman, (540) 724-4867, www.virginiaoutdoorsman.com.

Stripers: Huge schools of baitfish have been in the upper sections of the Roanoke and Blackwater Rivers for weeks attracting large numbers of striped bass. Live bait has been producing stripers, and the bait of choice is a medium to large gizzard shad. Anglers have been pulling live bait in very shallow water on in-line planer boards, large pegged floats and freelines. Anglers are also rigging live bait on downlines and are catching stripers marked in deeper water. Stripers are also being found in the backs of creeks early and late where they can be caught on live bait and lures. The new soft, paddle tail swimbaits are a good choice for stripers feeding near the surface.

Bass: Bass fishing is improving, but patterns continue to be mixed. A number of bass are being caught under docks using the traditional pig and jig, and shakey head jigs. Bass suspending off deep-water dock pilings continue to hit lightweight jigheads and worms as well as the whacky rigged 5 inch Yamasenko worm. Bass are also suspending in deeper water off the sides of points, humps and near the top of submerged timber and stumps. Jigging spoons, drop shot rigs and the whacky shakey jighead and plastic worms are all proving to be good choices for these suspended fish.

Perch: A jigging spoon will also produce when used to catch white perch which are presently being found in good numbers near the mouths of selected creeks.

Catfish: Channel catfish are being caught on a sliding bottom rig using Magic prepared baits rigged on a spring hook and nightcrawlers on a circle octopus hook. Flathead catfish prefer live shad and small pan fish.

Crappie: Crappie fishing has been outstanding. Anglers report catching good numbers of crappies using "small minnows" on small jigheads and gold hooks and by counting down small hair jigs and lightweight jigheads rigged with small plastic trailers by Bobby Garland.

The water is clear and 59 degrees.

Virginia general firearms season continues, so it is a good idea to wear blaze orange if you are going to be in or near the woods this time of year. Due to family commitments, we have reduced our winter store hours and are now open Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Although we will be closed Thanksgiving Day, we will be open Friday and Saturday of Thanksgiving week. Tight lines and enjoy a great Thanksgiving.

Region 3 - Southwest

Claytor Lake: Rock House Marina, (540) 980-1488. No report this edition.

Lower New River: Big Z'S (540) 639-1651. John Zienius told me that fishing is good if the river has enough water. You can find the water level here or Google Claytor Lake Dam and click on AEP – Hydro Plant Levels/Flows. If the level is high enough, expect good fishing with the bass going for brown on brown jigs. The muskies are attacking big jerks (and this doesn't mean your brother-in-law that you had to take with you).The water is clear and in the upper 50s.

New River: Tangent Outfitters, (540) 257-0415. Shawn Hash says that things have slowed down, but some bass are still taking cranks. Muskies are active and going for swimmers and big cranks. The water is clear and 50 degrees.

Upper New River: Contributed by Captain Forest Pressnell, (540) 818-5274, New River Charter. The upper New River is at all time historic low water levels. Water temps are in the low 50s and it is still crystal clear. Slow roll a big spinner or pig and jig for a shot at a big smallie. Muskie and walleye fishing are best on cloudy days. The striper never made it up the river out of Claytor Lake due to the low clear water level. This is pretty much the pattern on the river until the walleye spawn in late Feb. or March.

Region 4 - Mountain and Shenandoah Valley

North and South Forks of the Shenandoah: Harry Murray (540) 984-4212 www.murraysflyshop.com. Harry reports that the smallmouth streams in the north and south forks of the River are cooling, but a few days ago he had good luck with nymphs and streamers fished deeply on a tenne 200 sinking head line. Good flies for the area are: Murray's Mad Tom, size 8; and Murray's Black Heavy Hellgrammite, size 4. Harry says to get to these streams soon, before they get too cold to fish. The water is clear and 46 degrees.

The stocked and delayed harvest streams in the Valley are providing good fishing for rainbows and browns. Try to fish below the riffles and the upper areas of the deep pools. Good flies are: Mr. Rapidan Streamer, size 8; or a Shenk's White Streamer, size 8. The water is clear and 45 degrees. The water in the mountain streams is too cold to fish.

Lake Moomaw: Local Guide, Mike Puffenbarger, (540) 468-2682, www.mapletreeoutdoors.com. No report this edition.

Region 5 - Northern Piedmont

Piedmont Rivers: Local author Steve Moore (Wade Fishing Guidebooks covering the: Rapidan, Upper Potomac, North Branch Potomac) Things are slowing down as the season transitions away from fishing. Not much moving on the Upper Potomac since the water temperature took a dramatic plunge to punch through the 50° mark and begin the transition from fall to winter fishing. The best bet continues to be the warm outflow from the Dickerson Power Plant. Except for the most aggressive anglers, both the Rappahannock and Rapidan have shut down for the season. On any of these rivers, the few bass being caught are hanging deep. The stocking truck returned to the Piedmont and reloaded the Robinson. Beyond that spot, there should still be plenty of trout in Locust Shade Park, the Hughes and Rose with declining numbers in Passage Creek. Please continue to avoid the mountain streams during the ongoing spawn.

Lake Orange: Contributed by Darrell Kennedy of Angler's Landing (540) 672-3997. Angler's Lane is closed for the season. Although the shop is closed, the Lake remains open for use.

Lake Anna: Contributed by C. C. McCotter, McCotter's Lake Anna Guide Service, (540) 894-9144.

Largemouth Bass: The mid and down lake coves and creeks finally have schools of feeding fish in them. The schools range from 12 bass wolf packs to 50 fish mobs. Most are feeding on the small threadfin shad plentiful in the lake. Some are on blue back herring and tend to feed at any time during the day. The shad eaters go early and late. Top lures for these fish are soft plastic jerkbaits on a 3/0 hook or the Berkley Realistix 3 inch Minnow. You might even catch a few on a topwater popper. Small crankbaits can do the trick as well. Vertically jig or yo-yo Krazy Blades through the area too, when the surface activity dies. Up lake, bass are still biting, but you'll have to work a little harder now that the water has cooled.

Striper: Some great fishing awaits you now. The period from Thanksgiving to Christmas is one of the best. Fish are active all over the lake but the top zones are around the Holiday Mill Bridge and the North Anna Rt. 522 Bridge, as well as from the mouth of Plentiful Creek on up to the mouth of Terry's Run. Fish are very active early in the morning and again late in the evening. Look for them to be swirling on baitfish in mid lake creeks, too. Top lures are the soft plastic jerkbait, a suspending jerkbait, swimbait, Toothache Spoon and Crazy Blade. You can catch them on live bait, but this type of fishing impedes your ability to move around and chase an active school.

Crappie: Some fish have now moved away from cover and are schooled on bait. Good areas include the region around the Rt. 522 Bridge in the North Anna and Stubbs and Hunters Landing Bridges in the Pamunkey. If you see your depth finder light up in 15 to 18 feet of water, it could be crappie. Try jigging a small (¼ oz) spoon or Krazy Blade or even a minnow on a drop shot right below the boat. Some fish remain on deep structure, but mostly in the mid lake and down lake region.

White Perch: These tasty fish abound in Anna and are easily caught once you locate the school. You'll often find them at the mouth of Christopher Creek, the mouth of Serks Creek, the mouth of Plentiful Creek, the mouth of Marshall Creek, Pigeon Creek and Mitchell Creek this time of year. Lower down a 1/4 oz. spoon or Krazy Blade and tap the bottom on the downstroke of your vertical jig. If you see fish, but don't get a bite, go to the drop shot and minnow rig with the minnow about a food off the bottom.

Lake Anna: Contributed by Local Guide Jim Hemby (540) 967-3313. All species of fish are feeding well now and with water temperatures in the mid 50s the bite will continue for the next couple of weeks.

Stripers: With oxygen levels back up stripers are making up for lost time feeding extremely well throughout the lake. Gulls are advertising schools from the dam up to the splits but the jump fisherman are spooking more fish than catching them. Better tactics have been to stay in an area where fish are and work the area thoroughly avoiding running the big motor. We are having great success pulling gizzard shad on boards and downlines as is evident by our latest catches. (View our catches on my journal at www.JimHemby.com). During low light conditions work the upper water column pulling planner boards with live bait or throwing topwater plugs, in bright sun run downlines with gizzards or throw swimbaits or jig spoons near the bottom.

Crappie: Slabs are being caught on all bridges and very shallow up the rivers and creeks. Once good size fish are located it is easy to fill the cooler using 2 to 3 inch baits mimicking threadfin shad.

Bass: Fish are still in the backs of the creeks relating to the schools of bait but should move out to the main lake once the water temps drop below 50 degrees. It is hard to beat suspending jerkbaits to cover water quickly locating the better fish.

NOTICE: All anglers are reminded to acquaint themselves with a good description of the northern snakehead fish. If you should manage to catch one of these exotic imports, please kill it immediately and report the catch to either the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries or the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

View video about the snakehead

Get your kids hooked on fishing!

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Winning Outdoor Adventure Stories from Young Writers

This November 23 Thanksgiving edition of the Outdoor Report is featuring the second place winning story in the 2009-10 VOWA Collegiate Writing Competition by Robert Bodendorf, a senior at Hampden-Sydney College. Entitled "Up That Mountain," Robert describes his feelings for coming home to the mountain where he grew up to reconnect with the past. We hope you will get the opportunity and blessing to spend some time with family and friends this season of "giving thanks" for all the good people and special places where we can share our experiences, time and bounty.

Up That Mountain

By Robert Bodendorf

Walk with me—let's go up Quarles Mountain, past the pastures of tall grass and through the oak and locust trees that dance to the wind's tune. Still higher up, the brush thins out, and there is more space between trees than before. We look out to the Blue Ridge Mountains that give us our horizon. It seems those blue ridges are our rivals, but in reality we are much lower than they are. Still, the mountain feels like a seat of power, as we are looking down upon ridges that run away and back toward each other in their descent to the bottom. And yet, there are times when I feel out of place. Sometimes, I feel I don't belong there anymore.

I grew up in a log cabin on Quarles Mountain, in Orange, Virginia. Orange is a town that sits in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. A thirty-minute drive south lands you in Charlottesville. My dad came to this place twenty-five years ago and immediately built a log cabin. Before you start thinking I grew up in a raccoon-skin hat on dirt floors, let me assure you this "log cabin" is not made of felled trees, and we do not have open air fires in the living room. Some visitors comment on its rustic quality, probably because it includes a huge stone fireplace made out of rocks smoothed by the Rapidan River. The back deck provides a view down the mountainside, through the hardwood trees, over the rolling pastures, to the blue ridges in the distance. And though there's central heating, expect to find stacks of firewood piled high all around the house. Some stacks, I'm sure, still remain far out in the woods, waiting to be discovered and put to use. It's a lazy place, where the leaves change reluctantly, where the snow melts only after days of the sun's coaxing. Everything gets done slowly here, and as a person who begs, sometimes out loud, for a chance to be lazy, I like that. The best days are not the days when I head out into the forest to split firewood. Instead, the best days are when there's a fire in the fireplace (not made by me), stockings hung from the black walnut mantle, and snow falling outside. Maybe none of those details are necessary except the snow, because when there's snow, there's no work. Are you getting the idea that we're lazy?

When I was just a kid, mom would sweep me out of the house with a push and a "go outside and play." But that was never really a punishment to me. With forty acres of woods, valleys, rocks to climb, streams to splash in, and trails to follow, it was pretty easy to "go outside." Maybe I was a Marine on a mission, or a frontiersman just trying to scrape by, or an understudy of Indiana Jones looking for dinosaur bones while avoiding spears and arrows slung from natives' hands. Lately, I've not been a soldier, or a cowboy, or an adventurer, but just a walker, scanning the mountain I know well, looking for clues to where my childhood has gone. Sometimes the time, the memories go when the land gets logged, sometimes when it gets sold. The 'big hill' where we used to sled by moonlight and bonfires is now covered in corn stalks. And the pasture is now halved by an electric fence because our neighbor needed a little more grazing land for his cattle.

The mountain has weathered the history that was made on it. Five minutes from Orange and two minutes from my house, the small village (yes, it's actually a village) of Rapidan changed hands fifteen times on Christmas Eve of 1863 ("Historic Orange, Virginia"). Robert E. Lee worshipped in Orange in that winter of 1863-1864, and the church he worshipped in still stands today ("History"). We find campfire bricks and Civil War bullets every now and then, but who's to say whether a Union or Confederate soldier fired them? Now, the most activity the mountain gets (besides the occasional logger) is the rare fox hunt, when beagles pour down the mountain and split around our cabin like traffic around a median. A rider in full fox-hunting garb, complete with a red riding jacket and a muffin-top black helmet, crashes down after them.

Except for the occasional fox hunts, the mountain, like the town, is a quiet place. There's not much for a young person to do, which is probably why young people are few and far between. There are a couple of bars, but they're filled with husky farmers in Carhartt work pants and John Deere trucker hats. As a skinny kid in a button-down, khakis, and loafers, I don't really fit into the Orange social scene. Often I reconcile myself to the mountain, where there's not much to do, and sometimes it gets boring, even lonely.

There isn't really any reason for me to go back there. Yet still I feel an indescribable pull toward the place. I sense an obligation to the mountain. I don't know what will happen to the mountain if I leave. And much like the memory of the largely nonexistent snow on Christmas, perhaps the best years of living on the mountain are behind me, in my childhood. So, should I go back? I don't know. I can't answer that. I'm not a farmer or forester, and I doubt I ever will be. But I know that in the future, when people ask me where I'm from or where I grew up, I'll say I grew up in a log cabin, on the side of a small mountain. I'll say that because it's a part of me now. My home helps define me. Sometimes I wonder, can I ever find another place worthy enough to call home? I hope so. I want my children to grow up on a mountain like that.

The Virginia Outdoor Writers Association (VOWA) annually sponsors a High School and Collegiate Writing Competition. with the theme of "a memorable outdoor experience." The contests will begin accepting stories in November with a deadline of January 31, 2011. Details are posted in the People & Partners section of this edition. We encourage you to write your most memorable hunting , fishing or other outdoor adventure story and enter the contest. For information on the VOWA Collegiate or High School Youth Writing Competitions visit the VOWA website: www.vowa.org, or contact VOWA Writing Competition Chairman:

David Coffman, Editor, Outdoor Report
VA Department of Game & Inland Fisheries
POB 11104 Richmond, VA 23230
Telephone: (434) 589-9535, Email: david.coffman@dgif.virginia.gov