December 9, 2016

Crappie Trip
Spirit of Moonpie and I spent the 1st through the 3rd on the Blackwater below Rt. 189. The water was low and 49 degrees, air temps ranged from 30 to 60 degrees. Read more →

November 30, 2016

Fall Turnover
Spirit of Moonpie and I spent the 26th through the 28th on the Nottoway below Round Gut. The water was clear, very low and 47 degrees. Air temps ranged from 32 to 50 degrees, right chilly trip especially with all that wind. Read more →

November 25, 2016

Blackwater Low
Spirit of Moonpie and I spent the 20th through the 23rd on the Blackwater below Franklin. The water was very low and 49 degrees. Air temps ranged from 26 to 53 degrees. Read more →

November 16, 2016

I Can See Clearly Now
Spirit of Moonpie and I spent the 12th through the 14th on the Nottoway below Delaware. The water was CLEAR, LOW, and 50 degrees. Air temps ranged from an arctic like 26 degrees to 65 degrees. all us fisher-people have been upset all year that the rivers had a strange muddy like tint to them. I guess the Mathew event took care of that cause the rivers are so clear now the fish can CLEARLY see you a mile away. That’s what I’m blaming the poor fishing on anyway. I was fishing for Jacks, but only caught two keepers. I had many many hits but its like the fish would not commit, and I think it was cause they could see the boat. Anyway that’s my story and I’m sticking with it! I caught a few bass but they were mostly very small. Bout all were caught on a Mepps Minnow or a CC Shad. I really did not see much of any water quality issues, there was a strange brown splotchy looking film on the surface of the river in some places, but I think that’s just stagnant water from the swamps. I saw very little trash. I did find this odd piece of heavy iron on the West shore of the river about a half-mile upriver from Checkerboard Corner. There is nothing on that side of the river except swamp. Don’t know if this thing is something from logging years ago, like maybe from a small gauge RR track? It could be it’s just a piece of whatever that was being used as a trotline anchor and got thrown up onto the shore. A long time ago there were lots of long trot-lines set in this part of the river. If you think you know what it is by looking at the picture with this article, please contact me. All of my base camps were pretty much destroyed during the high water from Mathew, my base camp on this trip was no different. A thick layer of stinking swamp mud covered the entire little hole I stay at, which is in the swamp so it was of no surprise to me the place was blasted. I got it back in shape though and even with the rotting vegetative smell that was pretty bad, we had a great trip. It had been like 7 months since we were last there and evidently during our absence a new family of beaver have moved into the neighborhood. Both nights by the light of that giant bright supermoon those beavers protested us being there. Yes, I said protested. Over and over they would cruise past my campfire and slap their tails scaring the Moonpies out of us. I guess just like the rest of this crazy world even the River Spirits sometimes feel the need to protest on the two rivers we call the Nottoway and Blackwater.

November 9, 2016

Attack of the Hawk
Spirit of Moonpie and I spent the 5th through the 7th on the Nottoway below Round Gut. The water was 60 degrees, low and clear as glass. Air temps ranged from 39 to 70 degrees and except for being fairly windy, the weather was bout perfect. Read more →

November 7, 2016

Spirit of Moonpie and I spent the 23rd through the 25th on the Blackwater below Franklin. The water was back to normal level and 60 degrees. Read more →

October 9, 2016

Freezing Deer Rides Again
Spirit of Moonpie, Freezing Deer and I spent the 2nd through the 4th on the Nottoway below Delaware. The water was high at 7.89 on the USGS gauge at Sebrell, cloudy, 74 degrees and fast. Trash on this trip was not bad, but the water was really nasty on the surface and most of the swamps were spewing this brown looking stuff on top of the water. Just swamp ooze I guess. Read more →

October 9, 2016

High Water = Bad Fishing
Spirit of Moonpie and I spent the 24th through the 26th on the Nottoway above the Rt. 258 VDGIF boat ramp. The water was extremely high, nearly covering the ramp pier, fast but clear and 73 degrees. Air temps ranged from 59 to 88 degrees. I believe this is the highest the water as ever been when I have launched the pontoon boat. Read more →

September 18, 2016

Spirit of Moonpie and I spent the September 12 through the 14th on the lower Blackwater. The water was stagnant, nasty and 78 degrees. Air temps ranged from 65 to 88 degrees. Read more →

August 31, 2016

Spirit of the Eagle
Spirit of Moonpie and I spent the 29th through the 31st on the Nottoway. We launched from the VDGIF ramp at Delaware (Hercules). Read more →