Pacemaker Fishing Forum

purpleworm · Apr-20-09 4:43PM

Cloudy, overcast skies and a bit of wind after a few days of stable weather with a front rolling in...perfect weather for bass fishing right? That's what I thought, so I negotiated a reschedule of lunch and shopping with the girlfriend, which of course I paid dearly for. By the time I got to the lake, I had already convinced myself I would be catching a citation. I pulled up in the parking lot and the place looked like final-day weigh-in at the Bassmaster Classic. There were literally 50 people out there by the church, at least 10 boats and canoes and no place to park. People all up and down the bank fishing, dudes throwing sticks in the water so their dog can chase them, obnoxious couples screaming foreign languages to each other as they kayak right in front of my honeyhole-I saw it all that day. Now I understand this is a public lake and everyone in the world has just as much of a right to use it as I do, but geez. I consider myself a reponsible, considerate outdoorsmen. I'm quiet, I respect other people's space and I never leave trash. Even small things like a cigar butt or discarded jig trailer goes into my cargo pocket, not on the ground. I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that almost every spot I went to had fresh trash around it that was not there 2 weeks before. Thankfully enough, some Cub scouts were out that day picking up trash. I thanked them graciously for their efforts and gave them some good fishing baits. Something alarming I noticed was that all the new trash I saw wasn't the typical beer bottle and can o worms, it was all fishing stuff. Nice stuff. Empty boxes of Rapala crankbaits, 50 lb. braid tangled in a tree limb, discarded packages of tungsten bullet weights. The kind of stuff that casual worm n bobber fisherman don't typically use. I guess I assumed that people who were serious enough about fishing to buy that kind of gear would know better than to leave trash, but obviously I was wrong. I fished hard all day throwing my best baits in my best spots and got completely skunked for the first time this year. I've been out there in everything from rainstorms to bluebird post-frontal and i almost always catch something. Initially I chalked it up to bad luck, but after thinking about it I'm wondering if our recent posts have had something to do with it. Now I'm not by any means implying that members of this board are to blame for the trash or the fact that I can't catch fish. I'm confident that the vast majority of you are responsible outdoorsmen who know better than to use nature as a dumpster. What concerns me is all the unregistered lurkers. I'm sure you've all logged on at some point and seen 1 or 2 registered members and 8 or 9 guests. I have a feeling that alot of these guys are the ones to blame. I guess the only thing to do is cool off on the posts and be a bit more vague when it comes to locations. I enjoy reading other people's posts and sharing my experiences very much, but unfortunately there's just too many inconsiderates out there reading to make it worthwhile. Even a bigger, relatively low-key lake like Beaverdam isn't immune to the perils of fishing pressure. Fortunately for me however, there is a cure for fishing pressure-itis and it is called Buggs Island. I'll be heading down there for 4 days next weekend and will be sure to post when I get back. With 50,000+ acres it'd probably a bit harder for all those lurkers to poach our sweetspots, hehe. Ok I'm done with my little rant, I'm sure it's not the first or last time you've heard someone whine about this subject. So to all the responsible fisherman out there I wish you good luck and tight lines, and to the rest I ask you to not turn BDCR into the Potomac River on Memorial Day Weekend. Thanks.

bigfoot · Apr-20-09 5:03PM

I dont bring my dog down there anymore because of the trash he always seems to find bottles or hooks or some sort

I would say propose that we make a part of the forum only for members but it might send new people away

Last edited by bigfoot (Apr-20-09 5:05PM)

Ernie · Apr-20-09 5:23PM

Good luck down at Buggs!!

I am not sure we can credit the nonsense you saw to the site. Beaverdam has always been a place that many folks would visit.....the same story you told could be said 25 years ago...that place was always a trash receptacle in my opinion. Low water conditions kept many away and now they are back in full force. Assuming that some lurkers have learned from our posts, I still don't think they (if they are true fishermen) would trash up the place. I see the same crap at Fletchers, on the Potomac (upper) and the 'doah! Some folks just don't care.....regardless of race, gender or nationality.

But we can help! These type of posts will make people think before they trash and they might even say something to an offender.

BTW, I would have no idea how to make the Forum be a "members only can read". Remember that I created (and pay) this simply for our enjoyment. Lots of fishing friendships have been made with this tool.

I will continue to post my fishing stories just as I always have.

mudkart · Apr-20-09 6:06PM

I feel your pain. I've stopped posting fishing reports on another (much larger) forum for this reason. I was fishing one of my favorite lakes last fall, and met an angler who remarked upon a post I had made on this other forum and how it helped him out. I said "Cool, what's your screename?", or something to that effect, and he replied that he never has posted, just lurks for information. So, upon discussions w/ some other NOVA guys that did post fishing reports, I stopped such posts. I think with only ~ 90 registered users, this site does not present as much of a problem. I have no problem sharing info w/ other anglers, as long as it is a two way street, and because the spots I post about are hardly secret. I've also previously vented about the trash problem, but, I'll keep that for another day. I will say that the trash I see is not as you describe, i.e. higher-end tackle, rather, it is mostly worm or chicken-liver containers, beer and soda containers, etc. Some guys I met at L. Royal have come up w/ the best solution I've seen: they hang plastic grocery bags from tree branches at convenient spots then spend the time to empty/replace them when needed.

Paul Naj · Apr-20-09 6:32PM

Last year I started fishing there in late April and most of my days were weekdays. The few weekends I did fish were definitely crowded with all types of "sportsmen". I chose to go on weekdays because my work schedule allows me an occasional morning away. All of last year including April and May, I never saw more than 3 other boats / canoes / kayaks out there. That happened once and a few times it was me and 1 or 2 other guys and several times by myself. When summer came along it was rare to see anyone else fishing on weekdays.

Well I was out this past Friday and there were 7 other boats out fishing. One of them was Eric from this site and his friend Thomas. They are great guys and consider them my new friends. They are clearly very respectful of the fishery, eager to explore new water and just plain nice guys. I also met a guy who lives in New Mexico who is here working in DC through the summer. He was a really nice guy and we struck up a conversation. He mentioned that it was nice to see it quiet for a lake in Virginia. I told him that it was actually a pretty busy day suggesting the warm weather and some recent posts on the internet drawing attention to the water. His response was "that's exactly how I found out about it". Now again, he was a true sportsman and a nice guy but that's not completely representative of what happens regularly with this type of attention.

I have first hand experience on how posting information about specific spots can have a negative impact on a fishery. It happened quite a bit in NJ surf fishing for Striped Bass. My friend is the creator and owner of stripersonline.com. It has become the highest traffic fishing website in existence. It started pretty small and humble for NJ bass fishermen and even back then we would go to fish areas that got little traffic during certain parts of the year only to find guys spread all over a particular rock jetty and we couldn't even get on it. We were going there that night because experience taught us that on the stage of tide we had that night and the wind conditions that the fish would be there. We found out later that those guys showed up because they read a report that someone caught a fish there the day before. This wasn’t a rare event back then. Unfortunately many of today's fishermen are lazy by nature and want the fast track to catching fish. As the site traffic grew my friend eventually implemented a “no specifics” policy for reports on his site. It got out of control to the point where threats were made to him and some of his friends so something needed to be done. I also know of some stuff that went down this past year on the Bass Resource board because of similar problems in ponds not too far from here. I'm not saying that a little tip from someone on where to go doesn't come in handy to all of us from time to time, but NOTHING replaces the experience you gain by going out and researching new locations and using trial and error to figure out what the fish are eating and where on the lake they are doing it. Brian (Plan B) was gracious enough last year to give me a few hints for the summer fishing there. His hints definitely caught me a fish or two but the majority of fish I got last year were by applying his hints and figuring out similar patterns and spots around the lake and, once learned, taking those same principles to Occoquan and catching fish there too. We are lucky that we have a small community of great people on this site and we’re probably not at risk for any of this stuff happening even with the lurkers but it could certainly become that way quickly with some good fishing days. You know the old concept of “you tell two friends and so on and so on” … It’s much less a problem with the Ashburn Village ponds because they are private but it’s tough to control public waters. You hear all the time at how places like Lake Burke are so difficult to fish because of the amount of pressure it gets. Don’t be fooled into thinking the same can’t happen to BDC because it’s bigger.

Not that I'm a largemouth bass guru but I have many years of saltwater fishing experience and it sure helps me around here. If anyone is interested in learning how to become a better fisherman I'm willing to tell them everything I know or what's been working for me with regard to conditions, depth, lure, presentation etc. I don't think telling them where to go will make them a better fisherman. Just because someone has good success or luck in a body of water for a few days, it doesn't mean that water is any better than any others in the area. Year over year consistency will determine that. If fish are in a pre-spawn pattern on Beaverdam Creek, unless there's a major weather anomaly in one place and not the other, they will be in a pres-pawn pattern at Occoquan, Fairfax Lake, Burke Lake etc within a few days or a week of each other with water depth having the final affect.

I'm with Mike in that I don't care what everyone chooses to do but my reports probably won't contain specifics simply because it doesn't really help anyone. Read Mike's post about Reflection Lake, he's right on the money. If he were catching 5 lb fish on every trip there it would be different. Having a couple of trips with big fish over a few years makes it no different than the ABC ponds. I give Mike and Brian a lot of credit. They are young guys with an old school approach to learning and becoming better fishermen by figuring out what is special about each body of water they fish. Learn from their success by applying it to the water you fish and search out new places. It will be 10X more rewarding, I promise. Chasing reports from lake to lake may give you some false confidence but will not make you a better fisherman.

Just my 2 cents.

Paul

bigjeffie · Apr-20-09 6:46PM

I have had the same thoughts and feelings.

However:
If it werent for pacemaker, for purple's comments, i would never have fished BD.
This generosity has facilitated some great fishing moments for me.

hopefully everybody else got skunked that day too, purple. (there's a selfish thought of mine !)

BD is a lake that will defeat most anglers. I dont know it as well as you, but I have had to work hard to catch fish there. Your clues gave me the confidence to keep grinding.

I have had a good enough spring that a day w/o a 5 pounder or better finds me a little disappointed.
It's not that I always get one, but they come often enough that the bar has been raised.

Expectations hone my focus, but will also tend to undermine the simple pleasure of fishing when they fail to materialize

Ernie · Apr-20-09 6:53PM

Paul Naj wrote:
Chasing reports from lake to lake may give you some false confidence but will not make you a better fisherman.

Just my 2 cents.

Paul

Paul- worth more than 2 cents!! Thanks.....

I fished Beaverdam Reservoir in the early 80's....I would launch my 12 foot boat there. It was an easy launch back then. That place, like many other bodies of water, has had it's ups and downs. We didn't have the internet back then but we did have Partlow's. That was the place to get your fishing info.....and a good bologna/cheese samich!!

Figuring it all out is more than 1/2 the fun. I know catching fish is the best but trying to figure out how to get them to strike is the real deal. Look at the recent Fletcher's reports. That place has always produced. Now, it not doing as well but we will keep trying. The pressure there is INTENSE....folks lined up almost shoulder to shoulder on the shore and boats galore.

Mudkart made a good point, we only have 90 registered users (many are not from this area). We do have a fair amount of "guests".

I know that Cedar has had a few more folks fishing it than in the past. Many of them are students including 10 year old Brett who manages to catch a few fish on his own. I applaud that and would hope that folks won't take advantage of what is being built here.

It is my opinion that many folks are out because we have had a very long and dull winter. I bet the fishing preassure will go down soon.

You see, most of you guys are pretty good at fishing....most folks will give up after a few skunks. I have enough skunks over the years to stink up Loudoun County all by myself!

BTW, I have NO intention of building this site to more than what it is.....I like it just this way.

skvan · Apr-21-09 5:45AM

I can understand why people would not want to give specifics out of locations and baits used, by the same token though...

Last year I had never fished and had no intention of ever fishing. Then a buddy of mine really wanted to go trout fishing on his Birthday and I reluctantly agreed to go with him using one of his rods. I caught nothing other than the desire to go fishing for the peace and calm of it all.

So stumbleing around in the dark as to what to fish for, where to fish and how to fish I stumbled upon this site. The hints and tips given by everyone here on a regular basis is what keeps new fishermen like me going when they are in desperate need of assistance and guidance and are skunking out all the time. but for the encouragment and advice of those people I am fairly sure that fishing would be something I would have done for a few weeks and then given up. Instead I have now got 5 rods , 3 tackle box's full of baits designed to catch the fisherman and not the fish and still very little clue that what I am doing is actually correct and a life time hobby to enjoy.

So to those of you that are kind enough to post your spots and your fishing tips. I truely thank you !

Ernie · Apr-21-09 6:31AM

I do understand a bit about locations...that's a tough one. BUT, sharing style, baits etc should be a no brainer and that is not what Mike (purpleworm) is talking about. He saw a lot of folks and a lot of trash...that is a problem.

We do have many people looking in that are not members. As an example, there are 30 some members of the BRHS Fishing Club. Only some of them are registered (and that is OK) but they all get their BRHSFS info on the site. Charlie was going to try to build a website for the club but I offered him a space on the FORUM. It was an easy fix.

I also know that there are many family members that peek in once in a while to see what their grandkids or kids are up to.

This has been a most informative thread!!

Paul Naj · Apr-21-09 7:54AM

Exactly right Ernie. The information you need to get confidence or motivation is here in the how's and why's of the report. The where is honestly less important. Learn how to fish a pond, a small lake, a reservoir, a big lake, a stream and a river and you can apply the techniques anywhere. It's a great community of people that share a common passion for fishing and willingness to help others.

In addition to the trash problem I would only add that overcrowding and noise can put a damper on some of the smaller ponds and ruin it for the guys here who put their time in exploring. I've also seen first hand small lakes get pretty fished out by people who keep fish regularly.

I'm happy to publicly share virtually everything about my success except the location. I will also add that any of you are welcome to email me privately for additional information if you need an extra shot of confidence. Just don't email me right now because I've been skunking it up out there lately. lol.

CozUF2001 · Apr-21-09 9:58AM

Many valuable points. Many valuable concerns. When push comes to shove, fishing is an opportunity for us all to get away from reality, clear our heads, and experiment with what we know on the water. It should be a past time that is revered and one that should be cherished as we all seem to cherish it. I can only hope that we all continue to learn, share, and experiment. Thanks for the forum.

Ernie · Apr-21-09 1:44PM

Curly wrote:
This is the most "long winded" thread I've ever seen on this Forum.

Well then...I will keep it going!!

I remember when I tossed around the idea to have a website/forum. My original goal was to have my friends be able to connect and communicate about fishing so that a fishing buddy was always readily available.

Nothing has changed.....I just have more friends!

Paul Naj · Apr-21-09 2:35PM

Pacemaker wrote:
Curly wrote:
This is the most "long winded" thread I've ever seen on this Forum.
Well then...I will keep it going!!

OK, I'll play along...

Last summer I fished with Ernie and a bunch of guys (and gal) from his church. We had an awesome day fishing. At the end when we were coming off the water someone asked how we knew each other and Ernie said "we met on the internet!"

I have no further comment...

purpleworm · Apr-21-09 4:26PM

I agree with everyone. The trash situation is a bummer, but I guess that’s just what happens when you have a nice lake next to a heavily-populated suburb like Ashburn. I’m sure most of that rubbish is left by just handful of irresponsible people. Unfortunately all we can really do is make sure we don’t litter ourselves, and maybe every once in a while pitch in and help clean up too. I’ve probably pulled a 1000 yards of old fishing line out of that place and brought it to the trash can, and I can definitely say I feel better about myself for it.
As for all the people we’ve seen out there lately, it was probably a bit unfair for me to imply that posting on this website has anything to do with that. I’m sure there are a handful of people who saw our posts and were inspired to head out there and wet the lines. But it was also the first nice weekend of the year and the first time in a couple of years the rez has been at full pool. I’m sure the vast majority of the people I saw out there that day have never even seen this website before. I know posting does have somewhat of an effect on fishing pressure, but it certainly isn’t so bad that it’s gonna keep me from sharing some experiences. I think Paul is right when he says it’s always good to be somewhat discrete when it comes to exact locations. We are next to a big metropolitan area and there are lots of people out there with an internet connection who want to catch fish. And of course, some of us show-offs need to just suck it up and keep the really good days to ourselves
All in all, I think this website is a great thing and its benefits far outweigh its negatives. I’ve enjoyed sharing my experiences and reading about others and will continue to do so. I wish everyone the best of luck this weekend. Lots of warm, stable weather should get the fish up on those beds real soon. I’ll be sure to drop a post when I get back Monday from Buggs. Tight lines fellas.

purpleworm · Apr-21-09 4:33PM

Hey Ernie, is Parlow's that little white general store over by gum springs and 606? I think I've been there before, they have old-school pictures of 50lb stripers that came out of BDCR way back in the day...

Ernie · Apr-21-09 5:20PM

That general store is all closed up. Partlow's is where Carolina Bros. BBQ is now on Ashburn Rd. That was a cool place when it was a General Store. They had minnows (3 sizes), worms and good, home made eats.

Pacemaker Fishing Forum

#1 Apr-20-09 4:43PM

Beaverdam Stinks 4/19/09

#2 Apr-20-09 5:03PM

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#7 Apr-20-09 6:53PM

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Paul Naj wrote:

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#12 Apr-21-09 1:44PM

Re: Beaverdam Stinks 4/19/09

Curly wrote:

#13 Apr-21-09 2:35PM

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Pacemaker wrote:

Curly wrote:

#14 Apr-21-09 4:26PM

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#16 Apr-21-09 5:20PM

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