# Richmond anglers



## lowpine (May 28, 2002)

With the price of gas getting so high and the 2 hour ride down to the beach, I've been thinking about taking advantage of fishing opportunities closer to home, in the Richmond area. 

I was down at Pony Pasture a couple of weeks ago and got to talking with one of the DGIF officers, he was telling me about the flathead catfish fishery in the James... according to him we've got one of the best fisheries around. You use saltwater weight gear (or heavy freshwater) and live line bream on carolina rigs! then..... wait for the take. You can wade, or fish from a jon boat or canoe. Early mornings and late evenings are best. 

I know there are a bunch of folks from the area that are P&S's, any of you guys go out for the flatheads? I'm thinking of going down this weekend to give it a try :fishing:, probably Sat afternoon and fish till dark.

later,
steve


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## ASK4Fish (May 4, 2005)

IMHO, that fishery is gravely underestimated in the eyes of many, even down here in the SE metro area, small lakes hold big cats, just this spring, my buddy elliott and i targeted cats in lake whitehurst, and landed three flathead, 10, 18, and 22lbs, respectively...this is in a lake where there are said to be none...so give it a try, they do fight well, but winter fisheries of the feline fish sort are much better, and the fish are more resilient during that time of year...give it a try, if you can find it, Gizzard shad is IMO one of the best baits you can get, and it doubles as excellent striper bait aswell...


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## FishinAddiction (May 9, 2006)

ask4fish said:


> imho, that fishery is gravely underestimated in the eyes of many, even down here in the se metro area, small lakes hold big cats, just this spring, my buddy elliott and i targeted cats in lake whitehurst, and landed three flathead, 10, 18, and 22lbs, respectively...this is in a lake where there are said to be none...so give it a try, they do fight well, but winter fisheries of the feline fish sort are much better, and the fish are more resilient during that time of year...give it a try, if you can find it, gizzard shad is imo one of the best baits you can get, and it doubles as excellent striper bait aswell...



bingo!


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## das5moto (Oct 11, 2005)

Early summer when we had some real heavy rains and the river got muddy I saw Flatheads being caught in the #35-#60 range.

I typically do light tackle downtown, but did bring a little heavier gear and rig a small threadfin shad on a flounder rig and caught about a #12 Flathead,

The James is a great river.


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## Fly Wacko (Aug 8, 2005)

*Flatheads...*

Some of us have been nailing them on the Fly for quite a while...

SSShhhhhh...don't tell anyone.

FW


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## basstardo (Jun 5, 2006)

A flathead on the fly has got to be one hell of a fight! We used to catch them up in the Ohio River a lot. We'd live bait them with 6"-14" shad, bluegill, chubs, sucker chubs, and even small carp. I've only been spooled once in my lifetime and it was in the Ohio River. I have absolutely no idea what it was, but it ate about a 10" live shad and spooled a 5500 Abu with 40 lb test. I love flathead fishing almost as much as saltwater fishing.


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## redneckranger (Jan 19, 2006)

Channels are just as good in the James Chickahominy areas


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## Loop Wing (Aug 23, 2006)

damn it my sectret is out. email me and I will set you on the right track. I fish there about once a month.


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## bigfred (May 6, 2006)

*Let me know when*

Lowpine ,I live in the Richmond area and am free some Saturdays(Wife permits) and after Church Sunday,give me a call 628-0524( MCV transportation between 3:00 and 11m,bigfred


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## cobiacatcher82 (Sep 19, 2006)

*pony pasture*

I've actually been fishin right around pony pasture for a few years now for flatheads... ive caught quite a few too.. this is how i went about it

we would stop by a nearby lake and catch a few bream and put them in a bucket with a aerator to keep them alive. we got our canoe and set out from the huguenot flatwater area (to the left of pony pasture off the same road exit) we paddled down to the "Z dam" or whatever you want to call it and got out on the other side on that little island. We would walk down a bit and try to find holes where you could find some still, slow-moving water. We basically just used the fish finder rig and casted the live bream out there to sit and wait... it was a hectic effort to get the bream and get out there early in the mornings, but once we did... it was worth it

just go out and look for some holes where u see the water moving with random slow moving holes around

also... from talking to people about fishing for catfish, i heard goldfish make amazing bait for em, and you don't have to make extra effort with keeping fish in water with oxygen. I chose to take bait to the area i was fishing because the flatheads have basically eaten of the bream and other fish you can use for bait.. too hard to catch your own bait in the pony pasture area


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## Loop Wing (Aug 23, 2006)

bream are the best. Now let's delete this thread


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## FishinAddiction (May 9, 2006)

we oughta all have the 1st Annual Pier and Surf James River CatFest in the fall!


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## ASK4Fish (May 4, 2005)

Cobia Chaser said:


> we oughta all have the 1st Annual Pier and Surf James River CatFest in the fall!


i'd be down...im used to lake style catfishin, but i'd give it a try, and believe me i'd be able to bring PLENTY of shad for everyone...


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## lowpine (May 28, 2002)

Sounds like I'm gonna have to give this flathead fishing a try.... time to bust out the canoe.

bigfred, I'm in the same boat as far as getting fishing time(I've put in a requisition )... if it works out for Sat, I'll give you a call.

CC82, catching the bait before hand is a good suggestion, that would suck to not be able to catch any bait once you're there. There's a pond down the road that's loaded with bream for the taking. I suppose I need to pickup one of those areators for the cooler. 

One thing that kind of threw me while talking to the DGIF guy, he mentioned that smallish largemouth were one of the best baits for flatheads! I had been under the impression that you could'nt use gamefish for bait. He said it's perfectly OK, but whatever you use has to go against your daily creel. I was still skeptical after he told me about the creel deal, but he had a badge and a gun to back it up.... I took his word for it 

Oh yeah, I found this article online .... http://www.virginiagameandfish.com/fishing/catfish-fishing/va_aa075404a/

I like the idea of a Fall CatFest! I'm in!

later,
steve


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## scooleen (Feb 27, 2008)

The james is such a great place to wade or boat. It offers great shad in the spring, striper, and SM and LM bass and of course, the king, cats. But I also have found a pond that holds carp, and as of yet have not caught a carp on my fly, but am anxious to get one soon.


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## FishinAddiction (May 9, 2006)

my favorite places to fish is the Dutch Gap area down to the Benjamin Harrison Bridge!


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## NTKG (Aug 16, 2003)

absolutely awesome fishery. garth and I have been hitting the river on the bad wind days and been getting fish from goochland down to the city. we should all go one day


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## Fly Wacko (Aug 8, 2005)

*Bait...*

Y'all use that stinky stuff...We purists will stay with the fly.

FW


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

That sounds like it would be a great trip.


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## bigfred (May 6, 2006)

*Home*

Lowpine,I can be reached at home at 264-5070. Just mention fishing trip to Janet( my wife,lawyer and book keeper)and how to get back to you.
bigfred


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## dirtyhandslopez (Nov 17, 2006)

Live bait shouldn't count as stinky David. Good, but not stinky


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## basstardo (Jun 5, 2006)

Live bait will outfish stinky stuff any day of the week for flatheads. Same is true for blues in my experience. Fresh cut gizzard shad is the bees knees.


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## NTKG (Aug 16, 2003)

yeah been usin live stuff. no stinky icky for me. I was out there and got some nice ones on my plug set up yesterday. 7ft w/2500


btw, anyone know what length citation is on a flatty?


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## basstardo (Jun 5, 2006)

Here ya go: http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/fishing/trophy/sizechart.asp

Flathead is 40" or 25 lbs.


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## NTKG (Aug 16, 2003)

WHOO HOOO. got me one with a 2500. Thanks basst, ima go call my buddy and giv'em some chit now


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## ASK4Fish (May 4, 2005)

NTKG said:


> WHOO HOOO. got me one with a 2500. Thanks basst, ima go call my buddy and giv'em some chit now


haha...imho my favorite light cat-fish set-up is my 6'6" st.croix armed with a 2500 stradic loaded to the gills with 20lb. braid...the 22lb. i metioned earlier in this thread was caught on that set-up...fresh cut gizzard shad, like i said, the best you can get...for any cat...


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## redneckranger (Jan 19, 2006)

scooleen said:


> The james is such a great place to wade or boat. It offers great shad in the spring, striper, and SM and LM bass and of course, the king, cats. But I also have found a pond that holds carp, and as of yet have not caught a carp on my fly, but am anxious to get one soon.


where's a good place for smallies up there


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## das5moto (Oct 11, 2005)

I target 14th street bridge to Browns Island for SMB.

Never disappointed.

I do not fish in the Pony Pasteur / Texas Beach area, but have heard they produce as well.

I switch to salt water this time of the year, as i have yet to really figure out hotweather SMB fishing.

April 1-May 15 is typically a bonanza. Shad, herring, SMB,LMB, White Perch, Stripers, Crappie.


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## redneckranger (Jan 19, 2006)

das5moto said:


> I target 14th street bridge to Browns Island for SMB.
> 
> Never disappointed.
> 
> ...


with hotweather LMB its night crawelers night crawelers night crawelers


where is Pony Pasteur TX Beach at?


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## lowpine (May 28, 2002)

BigFred - check your PMs


redneckranger - I don't know if you're familiar with Richmond, but its 1 mi west on Riverside dr on the southside of Huguenot Rd Bridge. Otherwise you can google 'richmond james river park' for some links.


later,
steve


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## redneckranger (Jan 19, 2006)

lowpine said:


> BigFred - check your PMs
> 
> 
> redneckranger - I don't know if you're familiar with Richmond, but its 1 mi west on Riverside dr on the southside of Huguenot Rd Bridge. Otherwise you can google 'richmond james river park' for some links.
> ...


thanks for the info


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## bbcroaker (Jan 6, 2005)

"lowpine" can you tell me how to get from Stoney Point shopping center where Dicks Sportn Goods is to the Poney Pasture?
Thanks in advance.


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## lowpine (May 28, 2002)

bbcroaker said:


> "lowpine" can you tell me how to get from Stoney Point shopping center where Dicks Sportn Goods is to the Poney Pasture?
> Thanks in advance.


StoneyPoint only ~ 5 mi and a couple of turns away from PP. I hope you didn't need these for Sat... I didn't see this till this morning. 

Come out of StoneyPoint and get onto (exit right onto) Chippenham South(rt150), go ~1mi. Take the Huguenot Rd exit ramp, turn Left at top of ramp, this willl get you going North, go 3-4mi. As Huguenot goes from 4 lanes to 2, you'll be approaching the bridge, take the exit to the right. At the bottom of the ramp you're in between the 2 parks: Huguenot Flatwater boat lauching to the left (~1/2 mi) and Pony Pasture to the right (~1mi). You'll see signs for both.

later,
stevenj


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## cobiacatcher82 (Sep 19, 2006)

to get to pony pasture, there is an exit that takes you right under the huguenot bridge on the side leading towards the midlothian area, im sure there are signs for it, or huguenot flatwater, one or the other... i fish there all the time, endless amounts of places to fish there, lots of people go there to swim around though

i fish there all the time for smallies, there are a good amount of smaller sized ones but you can get a good sized one from time to time, went out yesterday and got about 15, largest being about 16 inches... using 3" brown and pumpkinseed colored gary yamamoto worms hooked straight through the middle with a small red circle hook, the smallies love that rig! just cast out and jig it in like you would with any other worm...

when i hooked that 16 incher, probably the largest smallmouth i have ever seen trailing right behind it along with another good sized one... that bad boy HAD to be a citation, swam right up to my feet and took off never to be seen again

anyone have any advice on catching the carp in the river?


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## 13lbflounder (May 4, 2008)

Oatmeal balls for the Carp. Works everywhere...add a couple drops of vanilla extract to the oatball and you will catch them. Treble hooks will keep in the oat ball very well, but the way the Carp's lips are bugle shaped makes them difficult to remove the treble hook.


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## bbcroaker (Jan 6, 2005)

Thanx lowpine and cobiacatcher! 
No I didn't need it for Sat lowpine. 
I was at the SP. Shops last week with wife and thought next time I could just let her drop me off down at the river and fish while she shops.
I do this in Williamsburg .Take my kayak and she drops me at Waller Mill. Much better than shopping.
Heard there was a launch place on the river there up from the bridge. Went to scout it out but ended up going across the bridge.
I had been there several years ago but got turned around. I forgot I wasn't on Huguenot when comong out of the shops.
I'll remeber this next time.


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