2024: Chatterbait, Just try it, Will Ya?

I caught a nice Bass on New Year’s eve in the frigid waters of Barcroft, but up until today had caught nothing in 2024. The Lake was frozen, people were out skating, we had snow and an artic blast during the beginning weeks of the year. Afterward we had torrential rains which muddied the lake with silt. 

I’ve been out on the water the past three days as the sun was finally shining down it’s warmth. The first day, Saturday the 3rd of February, the highest water temperature I saw was 41 degrees. That’s cold! The water was also very muddy throughout the Lake which makes for the toughest possible conditions to fool a fish into biting a lure. Over the course of two more consecutive days of fishing, I fished a jig slowly and methodically both shallow and deep, around cover and in open water, in the muck and on hard bottom. I fished a Jerkbait, Slow rolled a big Colorado bladed spinnerbait through trees, fished crankbaits like the Spro Little John and Rapala Shad Rap, all lures I have traditionally had success on in cold water in the past. 

I have always had a lot of confidence in and caught some of my biggest Bass of my life on Spinnerbaits, which do well in dirty water, and a blade on one like a big Gold Colorado style Blade puts out a lot of flash and vibration that can be felt in the fish’s lateral line. That blade style also can be fished very slowly, which is key in cold water because everything a Bass preys on is moving slower in cold water. It just looks more natural.

I was fishing based on past success, but having none in the present. I have heard a lot about something called a Chatterbait or bladed jig. My wife and I exchanged gifts during Christmas and she gave me a few. After having no luck and hours spent fishing slowly and methodically today with other baits, I decided to tie one on. I chose white with a silver blade and used a Zoom Swimming Fluke as a trailer. I was in a good spot. Significant depth change hard bottom, wood and direct sunlight found me in the best and warmest water of the day, at 44 degrees. After tying the lure on my line, I repositioned my boat and caught two nice Largemouth within 5 minutes of each other in the same 25 yard stretch of bank. It was really a corner along the Sunny side of the Lake where I caught them. 

You can feel the vibration of the Blade in the tip of the rod and it looked so enticing as it “hunted” or wobbled along. The boot tail of the trailer kicked like a Shad. Before I left the house this morning, my wife said to me, “Just try the Chatterbait, Will ya? Just try it!” I found out it is the perfect lure for cold, muddy water, and in any situation excels at mimicking a baitfish and it catches quality Bass. Confidence is everything in fishing and unless you take the time to try new techniques, you may be missing out on the hot new method when others are not producing. My advice, the moral of the story, “Try the Chatterbait, Just try it, Will Ya?” Now I know what all the hype is about. 

Fall Bass Fishing

Fall fishing is in full swing. The cool night time temperatures and shorter days are lowering water temperatures and Bass are actively feeding in preparation for Winter. In the last two weeks water temperatures have dropped from the mid 60s to the upper 50s.

Early on this season Bass were caught in deeper water suspended in wood. It seems now they are on the move and the last two times I was out with a water temperature of 57-58 I caught Bass up at the creeks in shallow water. It seems they are scattered and keying in on Gizzard Shad. I’ve caught them on flat sided crankbaits and willow leaf Spinnerbaits and after I go through an area I can slow down and usually pick one or two more off with a jig. The trusty old jig never fails and can usually produce some big fish. Suspending jerkbaits or minnow baits have also played a role and will be a good choice as the water gets cold this winter. Right now Bas are on the move chasing shad and if you get a lure in front of their face, They will strike, but you have to stay on the move too. If you don’t get a bite fan casting an area in 15 minutes, it’s time to keep moving.

Sometimes I will come to a good area and it is choked on the surface with fallen leaves, impossible to fish any lure with treble hooks. Often if I pick up that jig and punch it through the leaves, I can pill a Bass up from underneath. I usually like jigs over soft plastics when the water is cool, but a Texas rig is always a good snag less option too. I know at Burke Lake which I have visited three times this Fall, the aquatic vegetation is still so thick. A Texas rigged Creature Bait, or Hollow Bodied Frog seem to be the only lures I can fish that stuff with. Barcroft and Burke fish differently and i haven’t yet cracked the code on Burke. Barcroft lacks vegetation, has a lot of deep sunken wood and is more Riverine in nature. Of course I am a Barcroft native and it is a private Lake that receives far less fishing pressure too. In my next series of posts I will be writing about different regional Lakes. I now have the means and the time to explore. Barcroft is where I go when I have to catch fish and it has some big ones, but I want to expand my horizons and will be writing about my explorations in my new trailable mini Bass Boat. The Pelican Bass Raider I call, ” The Pup.” VADWR has so many opportunities and electric only Lakes are usually pristine. My Biggest Bass came from Abel Reservoir in Stafford county at nearly Seven pounds. I’m out to break that record.

43 years Old

The Spring was absolutely beautiful, but my anticipation was for the consistency in the weather that the hot Summer days bring. Lightning bugs, Bullfrogs, and Channel Catfish. And Striped Bass ripping through schools of Shad, While Snapping Turtles ate the rest. By my birthday, it all happened.

It all happened! All my boyhood dreams were fulfilled once again. I caught Two turtles including one that was as big as Car Tire it seemed. It fought like a Ray and was released unharmed. Who knows how old it must have been? I finally figured out the secrets as well to consistently catch Catfish to eat. I changed the style of my hooks and weeded through the yellowbellies until all I caught were Channels. I am a Bass Fisherman, so there was a bit of learning to do, but I got it.

AND ON MY BIRTHDAY, the dream is kept alive in another sandy haired River boy with the same old Hungry eyes, my young nephew Wallace proved he is another natural born fisherman. I spent the day being lazy with him on his Farm in Dickerson, Maryland. Catching Bream and Bass. I am so proud. I am so blessed!

Fishing Lake Barcroft 2021

Fishing Lake Barcroft this year has been fantastic. It started out in Late February, Early March when the best method for catching cold water Largemouths coming out of their winter doldrums was a slow twitch and pause of a suspending minnow bait. As the water warmed into the 50s and the prespawn feeding binge began, good numbers of Bass were caught on diving plugs or Crankbaits and basically anything that mimicked a Shad. Once Bass got on their beds, soft plastics like Tubes, Lizards and Flukes did the job. I try not to fish for Spawning Bass though. Not all Bass spawn at the same time. There are always some in prespawn and postspawn mode in the spring that can be caught on Crankbaits, a type of lure that over the years I have collected way too many of and as this post is being written, I am selling some on Lakelink. I fished Barcroft with cranks since I was a kid and they still produce. They are excellent choices for covering water quickly and depending on the size of the diving lip can cover all depths. I caught my Biggest Bass this year on a crankbait in the Prespawn period. Overall, most of the Bass I caught this year during daylight hours have come on cranks, with a few other nice sized Bass caught from sunken wood and under docks and pontoons on jigs. and soft plastics like Tube lures and Texas rigged worms.

A Sample Of Crankbaits

Fishing for other species has also been good this year. I have caught Catfish, Crappie and some surprisingly nice sized Sunfish too. My favorite time to fish now that we are in the heat of Summer is early morning and After dusk into the midnight hours. Giant Bass that don’t show themselves in the daytime can be caught on surface lures and especially at night, big spinnerbaits, which are a mainstay in the tackle box year round too. From Dawn until about ten o’clock in the morning, Surface lures or Topwater lures can produce some thrilling strikes as Bass explode on the surface of the water and crush the lure. Poppers, Walking Baits like the Heddon Zara Spook and Buzzbaits all catch Bass. My secret weapon after dark is a Big Black Arborgast Jitterbug, a wobbler that has been around a very long time and never gets old. It produces Monsters at night. Check out my sale posts on Lakelink and buy some of my lures. They all catch Bass. I’m just trying to downsize my arsenal. Barcroft is a hidden gem and as I write, more and more people that live in the neighborhood are starting to get interested in the fishery. For a Suburban Lake, with limited cover and vegetation, it is a remarkable fish producer. Best of luck on your next outing! Check out my previous Homewaters Blog posts. I hope you find them of interest.

CATFISH

You know it’s not a Bass when you feel the digging and twisting of a big catfish. I used to fish for cats as a boy, but later mostly concentrated on catching Bass. A couple of years ago I hooked into a big Channel catfish while out Bass fishing and it peaked my interest in Cats once again. Catfish, especially big ones, are just plain fun to catch. Contrary to popular belief, Catfish are not just bottom scavengers. They can chase after their prey and hit moving targets, as did that one on my Bass Crankbait, an artificial diving plug used to imitate Shad and other Baitfish. When you hook into a Cat, you feel the weight and the power and the pull. They dig and dig and then start to twist. I have caught several on accident while Bass fishing and it’s always a battle to the boat. Two years ago, I decided I would try targeting them specifically.

The best bait for Channel Catfish in Lake Barcroft is probably cut Shad. Catfish tackle consists of a medium/heavy powered rod and a hook line and sinker. That’s it. I use what is called in Bass fishing, a Carolina rig. About a half ounce or three quarter ounce sliding egg sinker, a bead and a ball bearing swivel tied to about a six inch leader and a 6/0 hook. I use 30 pound test mono main line and a 17 pound test leader, that way if I get snagged on wood or something I can break off the leader and all I loose is my hook and not the rest of the gear. Just tie a new leader. Channel Cats in Barcroft can grow quite large, in excess of 20 pounds.

Catfish have sensory systems all throughout their body, their whiskers, or barbells, and even their skin can smell and help track bait from long distances away. I targeted them this year in shallow water from a stationary dock and did no more then sling the bait out and let it sink and sit back and wait. An easy bait to use is chicken livers. I learned a long time ago, Chicken livers do not stay on the hook long, so there is an ingenious solution to the problem. Take a piece of tubular elastic, stuff the liver inside and tie both ends so the liver is snug and the bait oozes blood and scent through the elastic mesh. The fish don’t know the difference. They track in and eat the whole thing. It’s a neat little trick and the bait stays secure in the sack for a pretty long time. Smaller Bullhead Catfish will nibble at the outside and give a distinctive tap to the rod tip. Sometimes if you let them chew on it, they will get hooked, but big Channels take the bait and will pull your rod in the water if it’s not in your hands or a good holder. I generally do not keep fish to eat anymore, but if you like fried Catfish like I do, there is nothing fresher than what you catch yourself. Big Channel cats put up a fight. That’s my favorite part of everything.

Winter Fishing 2018 on Barcroft

This winter on Barcroft fishing began in early January.  Ice still covered much of the Lake, but Bass were caught in the deeper open water.  It wasn’t until February that the action really started to pick up.  Bass were caught on suspending Jerkbaits, Spinnerbaits, Flat sided crankbaits, anything that mimicked an injured Shad.  Shad are the primary forage for Bass in Barcroft and that is why they get bigger each year.  I heard of a report of a nearly seven pound Bass being caught on a Spinnerbait just last week.  The biggest Bass of the early March tournament was just over five pounds.

The tournament was won fishing suspending Jerkbaits and Flat sided crankbaits in 15 feet of water near sunken trees.  Shallow water spinnerbaiting should be the method of success as the water warms and the fish enter the prespawn feeding process.

The Heat of Summer

Deep water bottom change and deep water cover is where big Bass can be found in The Heat of the Summer, unless of course the late Summer thunderstorms bring muddy water to the lake.  Then I fish shallow water cover with jigs.

If the water is fairly clear, I use Texas rigged worms and Carolina rigged worms or lizards near deep structure.  If the bottom is firm and lacks cover like wood or weeds, I use the Carolina Rig.  If I am fishing cover like trees, brush piles and grass, I use the Texas rigged worm, or a jig.  Deep diving Crankbaits on points with deep water structure work well too.  I love to fish with surface baits at night and in the early morning, but don’t always get the chance.  Hot Bassn’ action I’ve learned from Tournament Pro Mr. Larry Nixon.

 

Gizzard Shad

 

Lake Barcroft is full of a silver sided Baitfish called Gizzard Shad.  It has become the main forage for all predatory fish in the Lake.  Gizzard Shad also attract birds of prey like the Osprey, Great Blue Heron and even Bald Eagles along with sea birds like gulls.

Shad move in schools, or Pods and roam open water areas feeding on microorganisms and plankton.  They are an oily fish, a great bait for Catfish as cut bait with a powerful smell.  They are the main forage for Largemouth Bass, especially in the cool water periods.  I know this because   I have been using Shad imitating  lures  and have had good success with solid catches of healthy and chunky bass this winter.   Everyday I have been out so far this year I have caught quality sized Bass and the only two lures I have been using is a suspending Jerkbait and a Spinnerbait.  Where there is bait, like Shad in the water, big fish can be found.  Tim Hardy

The Pelagic fish of Barcroft Sea

Long about 1999, some fish called Hybrids were stocked in Lake Barcroft.  They were a cross breed between freshwater White Bass and The saltwater Pelagic, meaning to travel and chase prey in open water, fish,  the striped bass that spawns in freshwater and can live in freshwater impoundments.

Back in the mid 90s, there were large numbers of the silver sided baitfish called Gizzard Shad living in the Lake.  They had few predators at that time besides the Largemouth Bass Channel Catfish, and the Osprey, although through the years and because of the Shad, we have more birds of prey in Barcroft.  The Shad were in such great number and the deeper water lacked oxygen and they began to crowd themselves out and die.  I worked as a Lifeguard on the swimming beaches and the stinky dead fish would wash up in piles.  Part of my job was to burry them.

Then the Watershed Improvement District decided to stock the fast foraging hybrids to control the Shad Population in 99.  They also made improvements to the deep water Aeration system of the Lake.

I remember the first one I caught was on a Crankbait and it measured about 12 inches long.  The next time I purposefully fished for them was in the middle of the first decade of the 2000s, about 2003-2005.  They got big fast.  I caught them in the deep water bubbles of the WID’s Aeration system and I caught them up the Holmes Run creek channel trolling soft plastic shad baits on a half ounce jig head as fast as my trolling motor would go.

It was much like the Mackeral and Mahi fishing I had done in the Outer Banks.  Trolling at Moderate speeds with flashy baitfish imitators .  I caught them on Sassy Shads and Bomber Crankbaits trolled at different depths and I caught them on Topwater in the aeration system with a chrome Zara Spook.  Sometimes you would see gulls and other birds diving on a school of Shad that were being eaten below by the Hybrid Striped Bass.  This is what reminds me of Sea fishing as The Captain I went out with there one winter was looking for those diving Gannets for his Ocean Stripers.  His Mate told me they had caught Stripers up to 50 some pounds, but I was just a little too late and cold for that.        Tim Hardy