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Out at midlake by 11, weather was cloudy and overcast and fish were active. Water was down a bit from when I was here last and much clearer. Caught 5 in the first 3 hours for about 8-9 lbs, the biggest pushing 3. Saw fish busting topwater all over, including a citation largemouth that came clear out of the water right in front of me. Tossed the sammy for a bit but I got caught in a tree while casting and backlashed so bad I couldn't use that pole for the rest of the day. Spinning tackle works better for bank-fishing around trees, lesson learned. All the fish came on texas-rigged creaturebaits and senkos, had fish chase a 1/4oz ratltrap but couldn't get them to commit. Most bites were at or around the creekmouths and backs of coves. A good tip for fishing here on the bank this time of year: as you're walking around the shore, check out the creeks you cross over right near where they drain into the lake. If you see lots of minnows and bluegill swimming around, back out and fish the area in front of that. Carp seem to be a good indicator too, when I saw them the bass usually weren't far away. The bite slowed down later in the afternoon when the sun came out, but all together another good day at the BDCR.
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now were talkin... way to get after em early season... to go along with what mike said about the creeks that run into bdam, those are incredible spots on days after a rain as warm water providing a little current and making some muddy water will pull fish in close and you can clean up with a spinnerbait as was evidence last spring every time it rained... i still can't believe i can't drive 15 min and fish bdam anymore... gonna have to make a trip back from denver just to go fishing with sir purple worm and any of the other great guys on this forum
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Good to see you still swimming around here Brian. I am overdue on getting out to B-dam this year, but it seems to be producing nicely.
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Nice job Mike.
How's it going Brian?
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CozUF2001 wrote:
Good to see you still swimming around here Brian. I am overdue on getting out to B-dam this year, but it seems to be producing nicely.
Same here! Hope all is well Brian!
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Purple,
I plan on taking my jon boat out there soon. Going in from the church entrance can you recommend any good spots?
Thanks, Eric
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Hey eweezy, I've been doing pretty well lately fishing shallower water(1-6ft) towards the backs of creeks and coves. These fish are getting ready to spawn, so look for shallow, protected areas with a hard bottom that are adjacent to deeper drains and creek channels. Once you find these spawning flats, back out to the first major dropoff(sometimes only a couple feet will do it) and fish the areas thoroughly, especially around big rocks or any other visible cover you see. You can find these areas all over the lake, look for rocks sticking out of the water, that's usually a sign of good hard-bottom areas. I usually let weather and water conditions dictate where to fish on a given day. If the water is up high and stained, I usually fish mid or downlake and focus on shallow areas with inflowing water. If it's clear and falling after a bit of stable weather, I like to head uplake toward more stained water and fish a bit deeper. If its overcast and windy, fish will be roaming on the flats so cover water quickly with reaction baits. On bright sunny days it's better to fish smaller, subtler baits a bit slower and tight to cover. Hope this helps and good luck!
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purpleworm wrote:
Hey eweezy, I've been doing pretty well lately fishing shallower water(1-6ft) towards the backs of creeks and coves. These fish are getting ready to spawn, so look for shallow, protected areas with a hard bottom that are adjacent to deeper drains and creek channels. Once you find these spawning flats, back out to the first major dropoff(sometimes only a couple feet will do it) and fish the areas thoroughly, especially around big rocks or any other visible cover you see. You can find these areas all over the lake, look for rocks sticking out of the water, that's usually a sign of good hard-bottom areas. I usually let weather and water conditions dictate where to fish on a given day. If the water is up high and stained, I usually fish mid or downlake and focus on shallow areas with inflowing water. If it's clear and falling after a bit of stable weather, I like to head uplake toward more stained water and fish a bit deeper. If its overcast and windy, fish will be roaming on the flats so cover water quickly with reaction baits. On bright sunny days it's better to fish smaller, subtler baits a bit slower and tight to cover. Hope this helps and good luck!
Thanks for the excellent write up Purple. Hopefully I will get out there on Friday.
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Also do you consider uplake where the bridge is?
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I am not an expert on any basis of Beaverdam, but I know two spots One is three coves to left if you are looking out at beaverdam from Church rd. It is a huge rock bed. There is also a huge point right across from church rd. Fish that point and that entire cove from church rd to the point. That is where I have caught all of my fish on beaverdam pretty much. I am going out sometime in the next three weeks and that is where I will go.
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I heard there were some pretty big catfish in Beaver Dam.
Someone caught a citation Flathead there in 2007:
http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/fishing/va … ;year=2007
Has anyone done any catfishing there?
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I guess I consider the south part of the lake where the 3 creeks meet uplake. Church parking seems to be about midlake for me, and the north end down by the dam is of course downlake. Skinsfan is right about that point across from the church, that's a really good spot to fish in the summer. There's an old roadbed that goes from the end of the church rd straight across the lake by that point, and I think it has a bunch of old bridge pilings on it too. Good luck to ya and lemme know how it goes out there, if you don't post try and shoot me an email.
As for catfishing, I've caught a few random flatheads while fishing for bass on jigs and spoons. I've tried fishing for em down by the dam a couple of times with shrimp and stinkbaits but didn't have much luck. I guarantee you though there's some huge ones swimming around there. That place has an amazing population of big gizzard shad, and that's what those big cats love to eat. I'm sure one of these days someone's gonna pull another giant out of that place.
I saw the thread about all you guys heading out there in May, unfortunately I don't think I'm gonna be able to make it that weekend. I've attached some pics from last year as inspiration for you guys, all these we caught in the end of April and early May last year at Beaverdam. The fish should be done spawning by then and will absolutely crush topwater plugs in the mornings and evenings, so make sure you get out there early. Take Plan B's advice and get a bone-colored zara spook and toss it out there. That kid must've caught a hundred pounds of bass out there on that bait last May, and I've seen him almost get his arm broke off a couple of times. Good luck everyone and tight lines
Last edited by purpleworm (Apr-15-09 2:36PM)
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Mike, this post explains a lot about your past posts.
I'm a north "up" and a south "down" kind of guy.
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those photos of low water make me wish that I had known about beaverdam last year.
the place is filled to the brim now, which is great for the water supply etc-- but how nice it must have be to be able to stroll leisurely around the perimeter without having to calculate every cast around the trees and so forth behind you.
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Thanks for the responses everyone. I will be going out there tomorrow morning so we will see what happens.
Eric
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hey fellas... all is good in denver... i actually just joined a local bassmasters club and will be tourney fishing starting in may which is going to be a blast... ok so the cove where the three creeks meet on the church road side which is uplake according to mike ( the cove that runs way back towards brambleton golf course) is ground zero for topwater after the spawn... there are so many boulders and contour changes in that cove which give endless ambush points... it's epic for a shore fisherman if you can brave the jungle and ticks... no baitcasters either because you have to get creative with your casting... i fished with a 7' medium and 10lb mono... i like it lighter so you can bomb the lure and cover more water from one spot... good luck guys
here are some pics of what denver has had to offer since i moved including this 3lb smallie from this morning
brown trout... 4lbs12oz and 26" long on a spinnerbait...lol
a baby northern pike for the lake i caught it at... 28" long. I can never get a photo of the good ones for fear of losing a finger or two
same lake with the pike... average size lmb is 4-5 lbs... no joke... football city... here is a 5lbr
there is some great smallie fishing out here... overall sizes don't get huge but lot's of healthy ones.. 2lb5oz
good luck at bdam everyone... postspawn is what's up and mike, you need to get the craft back in the water with some oars... then it doesn't need to be registered... i used to take it out with that one orange paddle and get around just fine
tight lines
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Dang B those are some nice fishes! You catch em like that all summer and then you get powder days at huge mountains in the winter? I don't know what I'm still doin in VA...there may be a move to the Rocky Mountains in my near-future And don't worry, I'm gonna git me an oar and some duct tape so I can get that tin can of yours floating again. Beaverdam Yacht Club here I come!
Last edited by purpleworm (Apr-16-09 1:42PM)
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