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

What a week! Start off with the snow that was basically gone by Wednesday.

Friday, I made a trip up to Richmond to meet with the kids I went to high school with for lunch. We originally planned on meeting closer to the middle school, but the group outgrew the party room there, so we switched locations to an Italian restaurant closer to Tucker High School.

It was a beautiful Friday, and Capriccio’s Italian Restaurant was perfect. We had a few last-minute cancellations, but 19 of us kids got together. There is something about gathering not with just friends, but family. People who know the true you, those who grew up with us and know everything about us.

The talk is always amazing. The past and the present always come together with laughter. We are so lucky to be able to do it. Some of us have to travel to attend, but it is a journey that is so rewarding. Like the movie Stand By Me says at the end, “I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?” It is so true!

I left lunch and headed to my daughter Vanessa’s and picked up my grandson Bentley. Of course, I had to take the time to play with all the grandkids. River, Landon, and Sebastian are all growing up too fast. I had planned to go fishing Saturday, and Bentley had been wanting to go. I got my hugs goodbye and my “I love you, granddaddy,” and we headed back to my house.

Saturday morning, Bentley and I waited a little bit so it would warm up some before we headed over to Wilna Pond and another adventure.

We hit up a few spots near the dam and worked our way toward the back of the pond. We were using a variety of different baits but weren’t finding any biting bass. We saw a gentleman and his son out there ahead of us, but we didn’t see them catching anything. We knew there was someone else there also, but we hadn’t seen them yet. Finally, we saw them paddle out of the back, but they hadn’t caught anything either. The man and his son came past us, and they hadn’t had any luck either. But they were just so glad to be able to get out and enjoy the beautiful day.

Bentley and I kept fishing hard, making our way back to the front. Bentley made a cast and thought he had snagged a leaf until he got it to the boat. His leaf turned into a small crappie. We laughed hard and released it back, but that was the best we could do for the day.

Around the Pond

With the weather turning warmer this week, things should really heat up in the ponds. The water temperature should rise into the 50s, finally, and that will start the bass to move shallow and toward the spawning flats.

Once the water temperatures reach the 50s, topwater baits will start working. It will be slow, but if you love those explosions, now is the time to start thinking about the walking baits and poppers. A shallow-running crankbait worked from the shallows out to the dropoffs is a prime choice. And so is a suspending jerkbait worked along the edges of the spawning flats and out along the drop-offs. While some may be moving up, the bigger bass will sometimes be waiting and holding in the deeper waters still. And the lipless crankbait is still a great bait to use to cover a lot of water.

Safety in Mind

While the temperatures are finally feeling so good, the water is still very cold and dangerous. Hypothermia is still a real threat. Make sure to wear your life jacket, especially when the big motor is engaged.

Have your kill switch attached to your life jacket so if something happens and you are thrown out of the boat, the motor will die. And wear your life jacket all the time if you are in a kayak or canoe.

Keep a complete change of clothing, including a towel, in a dry bag so you can change should you fall in. Think safety first, have fun, and live to fish another day!

Bassmaster Classic Questions?

With the Bassmaster Classic next week, the adventure begins. As a kid growing up, you think about stepping on that stage and holding up a big bag to win it, but my dream, which I still have, just will never happen. I did not choose that path.

But now I get to be there, covering everything. I get to talk to the anglers and experience the Expo, which is so different from anything except for the old days of the Richmond Fishing Expo. If you have never been, it is something you really need to experience once.

What would you like to ask the anglers if you could? Let me know and I will do my best to get the answer for you.

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.