2024 Year In Review

2024 Fishing Stats 

Total Days Fishing  = 64 days 

Total Hours Fished  = 234.75 hours 

Average Length of Time on Water per Outing= 3.67hrs

Total Fish Caught  = 1,080

Average Fish Per Outing  = 16.87

Fish Per Hours = 4.6

Minutes per Fish = 13.04

Biggest Bass = Two 20" plus Smallies on back to back casts on Bluestone in March on KVD 1.5 Sexy Shad. 

Biggest Fish  = Claytor Striper

Most Memorable Fish = Brad's Smith Mountain Striper

Highlights = Catching > 100 bass on Greenbrier in May, Smith Mountain Trip, Cranberry River Retreat trip, catching > 100 in 4.25 hours on New River in September, Bluestone Striper, flood that lasted all of October from hurricane run off. 

Fish Catch Total Since 1/2008 = 11,623

Goals for 2025

1. Catch 1,100 fish 

2. Catch 5 bass over 20”

3. Do some fly fishing 

4. Fish some remote places

5. Fish some sections of The New I have yet to see 

6. Take a coupe trips up to Northern part of state to fish 

After the Flood - October 7th, 2024

First time back out on the water in last two weeks due to hurricane Heleine run offs. New River still bombed out and likely to stay that way. Greenbrier fished tough due to falling water levels and high pressure high skies. I did manage to catch 15 but had to work to find them, nothing big, had one nice one chase. The window to harass river smallies is shrinking. 

Total Fish = 15

Biggest Fish = 13”

Best 5 Fish = 57”

Miles Floated = 3.25

 Minutes per Fish = 11

Annual Fish Total = 1080 

Perfect September Morning- September 24th, 2024

Greg and I caught a cloudy, cool but not cold morning, with no wind and stable water. Greg landed 56 and I caught 64. We had some nicer fish mixed in. Deep structure ledges, some push water and middle seams continue to flat out produce, I had a musky take  the bass had hooked and my fluke all in one quick swipe. 

Total Fish = 65 

Total Team Fish = 121 

Biggest Fish = 17” 

Best 5 Fish = 70” 

Minutes Per Fish = 3.51 

2024 Fish Total = 1065

To put this last week into perspective. I have boated 285 bass in my last four trips down the river from September 18th through the 24th. I am gonna go ahead and put in for vacation for this week, next year. 

100 Fish to Reach 1,000 - September 23rd, 2024

Going into today I needed 99 fish to reach the 1,000 fish mark for 2024. I thought if I could get 50 today and 50 tomorrow I might make it this week the way they have been bitting. When I started it was hot and windy and the bite was slow, I found a few in a deep push water ledge set. Then clouds and rain started moving in and the fish went crazy. I ended up catching 100 bass in 4.25 hours. Once I caught 99 I had to get to triple digits. This has to be the fastest I have ever got to 100. I caught a couple nicer fish and lost one that was 3 or so pounds. 

Total Fish = 100 

Biggest Fish = 16” 

Best 5 Fish = 67.5”

Minutes per Fish = 2.55 (new record) 

Colt’s New River Adventure - September 22nd, 2024

On the first official day of fall Colt, Brad, and I flat out of on the fish despite 85 degree temperatures, bright sun, and wind. Colt caught 20, Brad 29, and I caught 65. Lots of fish coming from middle seam ledges and push water in bunches. All fish caught on flukes and g tails. Chartreuse outperformed white or mix. At total of 114 combined fish in 3.5 miles over 3.5 hours is some of 2024’s finest fishing. My 2024 fish count is up to 901. I hope to push it over a grand before we are done. 

Total Fish = 65 

Biggest Fish = 15.5”

Best 5 Fish = 68”

Minted per fish = a sizzling 3.23

September Selloff - September 18th, 2024

Finally a day with clouds, no wind, and stable weather. Fishing on the New was the best I have seen since June. I caught 57 and Greg caught 39 for a 2 man total of 96 fish over 4.5 hours. No bigs but fun catching number. Lots of fish on plopper and rest in fluke. 

Total Fish = 57

Biggest Fish = 13”

Best Five Fish = 60”

Minutes per Fish = 4.6 

Clearwater Aquarium - September 14th, 2024

Clean clear water and bright high skies  made for some interesting sites but tough fishing this Friday. Numbers and size are down up to this point this fall, but still catching some fish. 

Total Fisk = 10 

Biggest Fish = 12”

Best Five Fish = 54”

Minutes per Fish = 25.5

High Skies Slow Bite - September 11th, 2024

Slow day with bright sun, low water, and high skies. Greg won the day with a couple better quality fish. We saw and spooked a few bigger fish but production has hard today. 

Total Fish = 8 

Biggest Fish = 12”

Best 5 Fish = 52”

Minutes per Fish = 30

Rain Front Wind - September 7th, 2024

Rain early gave way to some wind that made for adverse conditions. We caught some small fish about a dozen each. I had one big one follow it in and not take the fluke. Trolling motor battery dying down cut day short when coupled with wind impacts. 

Total Fish = 12

Biggest Fish = 11”

Best five Fish = 54”

Minutes per Fish = 20

September Sunshine - September 5th, 2024

Fog burns off to give way to bright September sumshine. Caught a few off of a grass line where the shad are still hanging out, 

Total Fish = 17

Biggest Fish = 14.5”

Best 5 Fish = 57”

Minutes per Fish = 13.2 

First Fall Striper - September 4th, 2024

Nahodil and I fished 4.5 hours at daylight on the Stone. Caught mostly small fish minus one solid smallie and 8 poundish Striper. Beautiful crisp cool morning to be out there. 

Biggest Fish = 31” Striper 16” smallie

Best Five Fish = 60”

Minutes per Fish = 12.59 

Pre Labor Day Heat - August 28th, 2024

It was 80 degrees by 9am headed to low 90’s. Bite was slow. Landed 14 on three hours. Biggest about 14”. Summer heat is making a last stand headed into the Labor Day Weekend. 

Total Fish = 14 

Minutes per Fish = 12.89

Biggest Fish = 14”

Biggest Five = 57”

First Cool Morning on Bluestone - August 21st, 2024

Randy and I spent a day catching up and catching some smallies on a crisp cool morning in the 40’s. Had a few nicer fish sprinkled in but mostly small. Beautiful morning to be on the water. 

Total Fish = 20 

Biggest Fish = 14”

Best 5 Fish = 60”

Minutes per Fish = 15

Saturday Morning Smallmouth- August 17th, 2024

Jarod and I fished from 7:00 to 10:45 on Bkuestone lake on a Saturday that started with rain then cleared out. I caught a lot of fish but few big ones. Jarod lost a 3.5 pound fish at the boat. We managed to boat 37 fish total. Some bigger fish than last time out. 

Minutes per fish = 11.59

Biggest Fish = 13”

Best five Fish = 56”