Claytor Lake, VA

Lake:  Claytor Lake, VA
Date: 6/29/2012
Weather:  HOT.  90+ Degrees hot 
Water Conditions:  Stained
Water Temp:  84.8
Time:  1pm t o 3pm

We were fishing the main lake up from DeHaven fishing mostly offshore structure for bass and tighter to shore in pockets of shade / docs.

We didn't get to fish for long but did pick up two gills off a chartreuse 2" grub and then Cody missed a good bite on a 6" black and purple worm and I lost a tripple hitter on a 3" swimbait.  Just couldn't drive the hook in, he hit HARD!

Claytor Lake

Lake:  Claytor Lake, VA
Date: 6/23/2012
Weather: Clear and HOT.  90+ Degrees hot 
Water Conditions:  Water was turbid from boaters, and oddly muddy up near lighthouse bridge.  It was a nice green around the public ramp though.
Water Temp:  86
Time:  1pm t o 3pm

This was a short trip with no hard fishing nor expectations.  I only threw 3 lures.  A small grub 2" into the shade for gills.  Had a few hits on a grey smoke but picked up a fish on a green/chartreuse grub.  I did have a few small bass come out from under shady areas to inspect but I think only one may have hit from under a large doc.

I also threw a light colored fluke at some docs and around some structure.  I may have had one hit but no hookups.

Lastly, I dropped a jig (black with a few strands of chartreuse).  No hits shallow, nor under docs / near shoreline structure.  But I was fishing the DeHaven side of the lake, north of DeHaven and was checking some standing timber.  So I pulled off the bank a bit further and flipped the jig out to some timber and picked up some hits and lost at least one bass.

They were holding in 6-12 feet of water roughly and were actually fairly aggressive as I had some follows and flashes from fish coming out of deeper water and going after the jig as it was swimming back up to the boat.  They may have been more shallow in the shade but I did not get to expand the pattern any.  But, I did find the stumps I was looking for, and some overall more shallow water *less than 20 feet* that I didn't know was there.  Maybe this has potential early and late...and maybe for hybrids/stripers?  Well see...

Claytor Lake

Lake:  Claytor Lake, VA
Date: 6/13/2012
Weather:  Overcast skies into clear skies overnight.  High around 85 low 53 at 2AM. 
Water Conditions:  Water was slightly milky but not bad.  We had expected some bad storms a few days prior but ended up with just enough rain to milk things up a tad.  All indicators were that today would be excellent fishing.
Water Temp: From 80 down to 76
Time:  5pm to 1am

We started by fishing for bluegill for bait.  Fished back into the back of the first cove up river on the right from the public ramp (Lost the map, cannot remember the name).  Fished hard for bait, caught 2 gills.  Circled back out of the back and along some docks and picked up a 13" keeper spotted bass.  No others.  Missed some really small gills.  All caught on 2" grub.


Moved to Clapboard and tried for more bait gills and shad.  Managed one more small gill and a few shad with the throw net.  Shad kept going deep, and otherwise the fish just were not hitting at all.  It was approaching dark so we headed down towards DeHaven park for cats / stripers.  It was being fished, so we moved to just below Dublin Hollow.

We fished for a few hours here.  We continually heard shad coming up and the occasional striper busting.  We fished Alabama Rigs, Red Fins deep and shallow, bomber cranks and cut bluegill; only had one hit, and I landed a 9" Bluegill of a white crankbait.


Over all, a horrible day of fishing.  Other anglers indicated the same lack of success. 

Most common fish:  Bluegill
Largest fish: 13" Bass
Species Caught:  Bluegill, Bass, Shad (cast net)

Moncove Lake

Lake:  Moncove Lake, WV
Date: 6/10/2012
Weather:  Clear skies, high about 85.
Water Conditions:  Bank Fishing - We were in very shallow water, but there was still a definite stain to the water.  Clarity was more than a few feet it seemed, and the water temp an estimated 80 degrees in the shallows.


Overall we had limited success.  The time of day, location, and weather all played against us; however, we were still able to catch a variety of fish.  Most came off live worms fished on the bottom, and a few came off a beetle spin, pulling a 2" black grub.  Bass were reacting and there were a few still on spawn.  Very small bass.  A passing cloud would spark the fish to feed more aggressively for a short moment then return to their protection under the lily pads or tight against other cover.  Most hits occurred within a few feet of some sort of cover.

Most common fish:  Bluegill
Largest fish: 13" Bass
Species Caught:  Bass, Bluegill, Yellow Perch