Some of the best fishing you might be missing in southwest Virginia

Fishing in the winter is not for everyone, but maybe it should be.

Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean you have to put your fishing gear away until spring. There are some fantastic fishing opportunities all winter long in Virginia.
You can readily catch trout, walleye, striped bass, largemouth and smallmouth bass and panfish in the commonwealth throughout the winter months. But, before we talk about where and how to catch them, first things first, dress appropriately. That means layering up. Here’s a list of what outdoors outfitters recommend:

• Thermal base layer
• Heavy pants. Lined, if possible
• Wicking material fishing shirt
• Sweater or sweatshirt
• Heavy coat. Gore-Tex or similar material, if possible
• Waders
• Hiking or wading boots
• Gloves
• Hat

Layering also means that you can remove or add layers as temperatures dictate. That can come in handy on a day when morning temperatures can be in the 30s, and afternoon temperatures can climb into the 50s. Comfort is key, and if you’re comfortable on the water, you’re going to enjoy the experience and increase your chances of landing fish.

So, now that you have an idea of how to dress, you want to know how and where to fish. That’s going to depend on the target species.

If it’s trout, start with a visit to the Virginia Division of Wildlife Resources Trout Management webpage. The state stocks a variety of lakes and streams with rainbow, brown, and brook trout throughout the winter months. You’ll want to target those waters that have been stocked, or waters that are managed for wild native trout.

Small spinners, jigs, salmon eggs, or spoons will take those trout. Fly fishing can also be effective. Remember, stealth can be vital. Streams can be very clear in the winter and trout will spook easily. Fishing baits slowly can also be key. Because water temperatures are lower, the metabolisms of those fish are in low gear.

Metabolism is also going to play a major role in targeting species like bass, walleye, and stripers on lakes and in rivers. They aren’t as active. They won’t move very far or very fast to take a bait. About the only time they are active is when they’re feeding. That gives us a huge clue to help catch those fish.

“I’m looking at my downscan and I know we got some bait here,” said angler Scott Wood as he surveyed the electronic fishfinder on his boat one recent winter day on Philpott Lake in Henry County.

Fishing is a big part of Wood’s life. The Roanoke area native is a veteran tournament fisherman and he’s on the pro staff at Sportsman’s Warehouse. On his off days you can usually find him on Smith Mountain Lake targeting striped bass, largemouth, and smallmouth; or on Philpott Lake going after walleye and bass.

Wood says finding baitfish is key because that is the forage base larger species feed on. Find a school of bait, and you can be sure that gamefish aren’t too far away.

“These fish have to eat, they’re going to eat, you just have to put it in front of them,” Wood said as he jigged a soft plastic bait.

There were plenty of fish showing up on the electronics. “See those marks right there, those are walleye or maybe bass,” said Wood as he pointed to the electronics screen.

Jigging is an effective technique in the winter. So is throwing a jerkbait. A jerkbait resembles a wounded baitfish slashing through the water as it’s retrieved. It can be an especially effective way to target winter bass.

Wood says to look for structure: “They suspend in these trees, these laydown just off of these rock bluffs, a lot of times they’ll get shad pushed up against this and they’ll feed on ’em during the day”
On this day, jigging was more effective as we took largemouth bass deep.

Panfish can also be taken through the winter. They will hit live bait presentations either still-fished vertically or under a bobber. Popular live baits for panfish are waxworms or small minnows. Small jigs will also work.
So, even though the wind is blowing and the temperatures are dropping, you don’t have to stop fishing. Remember to prepare for the elements, and do your homework on your target species. You’ll be just fine.

Hey, we want to see your winter catches. Send us photos of your recent fishing successes. We’ll post them our “Bragging Board.” Send those fishing photos to gnoleff@wfxrtv.com

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