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James River Bass Fishing Report July 27th 2013

Posted by melvin on July 31, 2013

James River Bass Fishing Report July 27th 2013. Follow along with professional bass angler Melvin Smitson as he reports on his recent James River bass fishing trip. Get Melvin Smitson's James River bass fishing report >

Story From: www.melvinsmitson.com

Date: July 31, 2013

James River Bass Fishing Report July 27th 2013:

Hello bass fishing fans!

Photo Of Professional Bass Angler Melvin Smitson

I'm back from my James River bass fishing trip. This James River tournament report was for the FLW Bass Fishing League Shenandoah division held on July 27, 2013.

Before I get to far into my James river bass fishing report I just have to say my decision making was way off today. I finished in 76 th place with 2 bass for 3 lbs 09 oz. Leaving me in 28 th place over all for points at the end of the year.

My day really started to come undone while I was driving down to the James River on the 2.5 hr trip I had ventured from Baltimore, MD. That's when I had all but decided that I was running to the Chickahominy River sometime before this tournament was through. Preferably first thing in the morning.

That thought was put on the back burner once I arrived at the ramp. I gathered some solid Intel that swayed my overall approach and my overall timing. As it turned out, I wound up fishing on the James River for most of the day.

One first hand James River report I was privileged to hear went like this " You don't have to run all the way down to the Chickahominy River. You can catch all the bass you need to win this tournament right here on the James River."

Those words stuck with me all day. while the thought of running to the Chickahominy River poked me in the ribs like a bad case of poison ivy begging to be scratched.

I blocked out the itch to run to the Chickahominy River as best I could and decide to start on a island of lilly pads on the James river. The tide was high and was way back into the lilly pads as far as it could get.

A 15'' largemouth bass hit my soft plastic stick bait and I landed him in short order. I thought to myself cool your jets this James River bass fishing might not be so bad after all.

It was still early in the day, so I decided to pack it up. After realizing that these pads had too much water in them. I wanted to find some docks, cypress knuckles or lay downs on the James River with hard banks behind them. That away the bass would be easier to catch.

That all sounded good, but the James River tide ripped so hard at times that it was a challenge just to hold good boat position for me and my co - angler.

For the most part the move to hard structure paid off. My Co - Angler landed 3 largemouth bass on shaky head around 2 o'clock and he missed a bunch more.

He wondered if his shaky head hooks where sharp enough so I checked them out for him. I told him they looked fine. By then his confidence was rattled but I was experiencing a similar trend myself.

I was throwing a soft plastic stick bait rigged wacky style around the docks. I would fish it out to the last piling and reel it in swiftly to the boat. Just as I started reeling it in they would grab it and get off somehow.

These bass were hitting my wacky worm real light, they usually thump it. Today you really had to watch your line because these James River bass would just pick it up your bait and swim with it.

This started me thinking the bass are in the mood for something swimming. So I tried a Gambler BIG EZ swimbait, Buckeye swimjig and a bladed swim jig w/ custom Gambler skirt. Other than something grabbing my fire tiger Megabass Knuckle 60 crankbait not much action happened for me on swimming style baits all day.

I slowed back down with a drop shot and didn't get a bite. For some reason these James River largemouth bass preferred a lighter presentation like a shaky head or wacky worm. I caught a few little bass on a Eco Pro Tungsten shaky head and did a little better catching 6 bass that measured around 11.5 inches on a Flick It head from Buckeye Lures.

My travels today only took me as far down as Chippokes Creek. By the time I got there it was around 3 hrs later than it should have been. A guy I talked to said he just finished catching 15 keepers in Chippokes Creek and his biggest bass was pushing 7 lbs.

Unfortunately, the best I could do today is 2 keepers on wacky worm. I missed 4 other bass on wacky worm that looked like they might have been keepers and wound up with 14 bass total on the day.

I'm always receptive to fishing grass beds and I did find some grass matted up in a creek but it was to thick and ran all the way to bottom of the creek. Leaving no room for bass to get under it so I could punch threw with a punch weight. The water looked like a Yoo - Hoo chocolate drink most of the day and I burned a half tank off boat gas.

Sounds like most the bigger fish were caught just off the James River in a few different creeks. Another angler I talked to said he caught a 4 lb bass on a lizard and a 5 lb bass on a crankbait up in a creek off the James River.

The bottom line is that there appear to be plenty of worth while bass on the James River and creeks that are just off of it. I think we were in some real good largemouth bass fishing spots on the James River at the wrong times all through out this tournament.

Now that I have a better feel for the river. I would like to visit the James again so that I can get my timing down. This is what I'll be focusing on for next time on the James River. ( Chickahominy River Excluded )

* When to go

* Where to go

* What to throw

This ends my James River bass fishing report. Thank you for following my bass fishing career as it unfolds. Please join me on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google+ for additional bass fishing news & information.

Tight Lines & Heavy Limits,

Melvin Smitson

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James River Bass Fishing Report July 27th 2013