Did you get out over the weekend or one afternoon and do any fishing?

I had big fishing plans, but first I had to get those pesky doctor appointments out of the way. So that meant Monday and Tuesday were out of the question.

Of course, I can’t help trying to make people laugh to lighten up their day. I had to have blood drawn, but it is located in the same area as the OB/GYN at VCU. I went up to the desk to check in, and I started rubbing my belly and told the lady I was there to check to see if my baby was doing good. She busted out laughing. Didn’t hurt me at all and it made her laugh — that’s a win in my book.

Wednesday, I slipped over to Wilna Pond just before lunch to have a little fun and to hopefully find one of those big bass there. I fished around, but it was tough. I did find a little 8-inch bass, but not what I wanted.

Tim Gray made his way over and hopped in the boat with me. It was slow as we kept moving along, but I finally found a nice bass that ate my wacky-rigged stick worm. I then found a nice 3.36-pound bass that had me excited. I kept switching up baits hoping to find a big bass, but kept coming back to the wacky-rigged worm.

Fishing hard but still being able to laugh, we kept going. Tim was getting a few bites but was having a problem keeping them hooked up. I found another 3 1/2-pound bass while Tim got them almost to the boat and then they were gone.

We continued to search but never did find one of those monster bass. It was still a great day. We were able to get out on the water and do what we love and share a lot of laughter.

Thursday, I hit Wilna a lot earlier, hoping to find an early bite. It was difficult. I could not get a bite, even with the wacky rigged worm. I thought with the approaching cold front they would be biting a lot better. I kept searching, moving along the shore, paying special attention to the wind-blown shoreline. Nothing was working, so I pulled off the bank and tried the middle more.

At 11:20, I finally made my first catch on a lipless crankbait. I felt it when he ate it, but it just didn’t feel right. I knew it had to be a small bass; it just didn’t have any real weight as I pulled it in. What a surprise when I got it to the boat. No bass — just a bluegill whose eyes were bigger than his mouth.

It was almost 2 o’clock before I managed my first bass. It was a good 2-pound bass that ate my wacky-rigged worm. I tried my crankbait, my spinnerbait, and a bunch of other baits, but again, they would only hit the worm. I caught a few more — keepers but not big — before I had to stop to do a conference call about the Kids Fishing Day at Wilna and in Port Royal this coming June. I’ll provide more details soon.

Once I got done, I went back fishing but lost count of how many bass I caught. It was like they turned on a feeding switch. I fished longer than I had planned, but it’s difficult to stop when they are biting.

Around the Pond

In the local ponds, pay attention to the weather. The water temperatures are starting in the mid- to high 50s and warming up during the day. With the warmer weather returning next week, the water should stay above 60 degrees, finally.

Work the areas heading to the spawning flats and the backs of coves. A moving bait covers a lot of water. Use a spinnerbait, a chatterbait, and a shallow running crankbait. Work your way to the shallows. A Texas-rigged bait or a jig are great choices around structures like logs and stumps. The edges of the lily pads are another great spot to search for the bass.

Don’t forget about a wacky-rigged worm. The hook is the main thing you need to pay attention to. If you are fishing in more open water, an open hook is fine, but if you are throwing it around any cover, you need to have a hook with some type of weed guard. Some have a plastic or wire guard that comes back and hooks on the hook. I also use a type that has antennatype appendages that help push the cover past the hook.

All three types work great. Just pay attention to how your worm falls and watch your line. I throw mine on a spinning reel, but a baitcaster will work as well. I can skip it better on a spinning reel, and it allows me to get it up under low-hanging limbs and in some tighter spots.

Safety in Mind

While the weather is warming up, remember that the water is still cold. Hypothermia is still a concern.

Wear your life jacket, especially when the big motor is engaged. Have your kill switch attached to the life jacket. If you get thrown out of the boat, or just thrown from the wheel, it will kill the motor so you don’t get seriously hurt.

Leave a float/bank plan with someone on shore, and let them know if you make any changes. Safety starts with you. Have fun, think safety first, and live to fish another day!

If you get to go fishing one afternoon/evening or this coming weekend, take some pictures of your catch or the kids having fun. I want to see them and share it here for everyone to see just how beautiful the Northern Neck is for fishing. Send your pictures, fishing reports, questions or comments, to FishingNNK@gmail.com. This column is about you and for you and fishing in the Northern Neck. Remember, “Do yourself a favor, take a kid fishing.” Make a memory to last a lifetime.