Brad's Birthday Musky & Backcountry Smallmouth - May 8th, 2026

 

 

For the last several years Brad and I have been taking off on his birthday and doing a long float trip. May the 8th has given us some of the best days of the year in the past with lots of big fish and even a few hundred fish plus days in years past. Today was no disappointment. We floated from 12.8 miles over 8.5 hours today in low clear water conditions from Glynn Lynn to lower Shanklin's.  The day started off could in the low 40's and warmed to mid 70's. Water was just about as low as I have ever seen it for any time of year but especially for spring when normal flows are healthy. The spring drought persists. The day held a lot of big memories....me catching two 19" smallmouth one on the VA side and one on the WV side, Brad catching a 10.6lbs 37' musky and the fight and struggle that it took to land that fish, me hooking a 13" smallmouth and having a big musky come try to eat it in that clear water I I was landing it. There are so many good memories from this section of river over the last 30 years for me. Memories I am so thankful for. The kind of memories I never want to forget. 

Total Fish = 53

Biggest fish = 19.75"

Best 5 Fish = 82"

Minutes Per Fish = 9.6

Miles Floated = 12.8

2026 Annual Fish Catch Total = 403

2026 Miles Floated = 78.9 

Rainy Solo Wednesday - May 6th, 2026

 

I fished solo in the drizzling rain on the Greenbrier. Today was the thrid day in a row that I had fished this same section. The fish ate really well last couple days and today despite the falling barometer, cloud cover, and rising water the fish seemed sluggish. Less likely to chase and less agressive when they did hit. I even tried working a Ned rig at one point, but that wanted that less than they wanted a fluke. I still managed to catch 27, but there were a lot of short fish in that bunch and not as many quality fish. 

Total Fish = 27

Biggest Fish = 15"

Best 5 Fish = 65.25"

Minutes Per Fish = 9.0

2026 Annual Fish Catch Total = 350

2026 Miles Floated = 66.1

Greenbrier Evening - May 5th, 2026

 

I went back out on the Greenbrier after work to fish the last two hours of daylight, trying to recapture the previous afternoons double 20" craziness. The fishing while not as good as the previous day was still pretty great. I landed 18" and two 15" bass pretty quickly. The fish seemed to be deeper and relating more to deep structure than the previous day.  I had more follow and not take it than the previous day. That maybe the result of pressure I had applied in last 24 hours or just maybe the feed was slowing down ahead of incoming rain/cold front. 

Total Fish = 30

Biggest Fish = 18" 

Best 5 Fish = 73"

Minutes per Fish = 5.0

2026 Fish Catch Total = 323

2026 Miles Floated = 61.07 

After Work Double Citation - May 4th, 2026

 

I fished the Greenbrier afterwork for two and half hours before dark. I wasn't expecting much out of this trip to be honest. It had been windy all day and I wondered if the wind would lay enough to allow me to fish effectively, but I went anyway. And I am glad I did. I caught a 19.75" right off the bat and then started piling up numbers. An hour later I caught a 20.5" where the shade line and fall line married up. I then got broke off by a 18" or so and lost a 16". This fishing was really good. The water was as clear as you might find at Smith Mountain or Summersville lakes. It is hard to beat seeing big smallies come up and bust a lure fromt he depths. Any time you can catch not one but two 20' smallies is a great day in my book, especially on a random Monday afternoon. 

Total Fish = 28

Biggest Fish = 20.5"

Best 5 Fish = 78.25" (Could been high 80's had I fished a little more efficently) 

Minutes per Fish = 5.5

2026 Annual Fish Catch Total = 293

2026 Miles Floated = 58.23

May Cold front - May 1st, 2026

 

May brought a cold front in with it. Nights down in the high thirties with highs in the mid fifties to start May off. I fished solo on the New. I found active fish only in shallow pre spawn pockets and bays today. Places out of the current in 1 to 5 feet of water with ledges nearby sometimes grass edges near by. The fish were setting more towards the ledge end of the pockets. When I found one fish there were many others. But they had pulled out of the shallows some compared to week prior. 

 

Total Fish  = 33

Biggest Fish = 17.75"

Best 5 Fish = 74.5"

Minutes Per Fish = 7.27

2026 Fish Catch Total = 265

Miles Floated = 4.61

2026 Miles Floated = 55.51