Another pro angler from the Commonwealth of Virginia and fellow Pro Circuit pro , Martin Villa , echoed Pike ’ s assessment .
“ It ’ s the best fishery in the state , and I don ’ t know a single person who doesn ’ t like fishing the James ,” he said . “ It ’ s good in all seasons and has gotten a lot better in recent years . We ’ ll see a bunch of 7-pounders with the possibility of a double-digit fish coming to the scales .”
How it Sets Up
The James is a tidal fishery covering nearly 350 miles . It starts in the Appalachian Mountains and eventually reaches the Chesapeake Bay . Along the way , several major tributaries connect with the main river and nearly all have potential , but the bulk of the attention is on the Chickahominy River . Most anglers in the field will make the 40- mile run from Osborne Landing to the mouth of “ Chick ,” as it ’ s often called .
ILLUSTRATIONS BY BRANDON ROWAN
“ Ninety percent of the tournaments are won there because it has everything : lily pads , grass and cypress trees ,” Pike said . “ It ’ s full of fish over 3 pounds but also doesn ’ t hold up very well to pressure . You ’ ve seen that at some of the three-day events in the recent past , and guys have a huge bag one day with two smaller weights to win it .”
Villa also believes the majority of the field will focus on the Chickahominy but says there are other options for success .
“ Any of the creeks below the Appomattox have some milfoil , but it gets more prevalent as you go towards the Chick ,” he added . “ There ’ s also plenty of manmade structure to target like barges , concrete and other structures .”
Timing the Bite
As with all tidal fisheries , the key is timing the bite based on the tide chart . The transition between the spring and summer months will also factor into what the fish are doing .
“ It should be a case where you will find some fish up shallow , wrapping up the spawn or guarding fry and also be plenty of fish on the main river ,” Villa said . “ There will be guys who run and gun and chase the tide windows and some who find fish and don ’ t leave ; you can do it either way .”
The bite on tidal fisheries like the James changes daily along with the moon phase , with a full moon taking place during the first day of practice for the event .
“ With a full moon , you get higher highs and lower lows ,” Pike said . “ Heavy winds or a hard rain can also change everything and will be something to watch leading up to the event . Timing is going to be critical in this event and you can ’ t expect to camp in one spot and stay all day long like you can on the grass on the bays of the Potomac ; it ’ s not the same here because the banks or more vertical and hard cover is more of a factor .”
Predictions and Tactics
According to Pike and Villa , the Pro Circuit ’ s arrival in mid-June should allow anglers to find success with a plethora of different lures .
“ It depends on the weather we have in the spring leading up to the event , but the frog bite usually turns on right around then ,” Pike explained . “ You ’ ll also see guys cranking the brush piles and drops on the river if they are all done spawning . I ’ d say a topwater , frog and crankbait will be some of the most common ways to catch fish with some flipping mixed in .”
Villa shares some of the same thinking but added that anglers can fish their strengths on the river that time of year .
“ You can catch them any way you want to ,” he said . “ The frog , spinnerbait and flipping guys should do well . It will likely be a little too early for the punch bite , but that heats up in the summer months .”
As for the fishing quality and winning weights , both anglers believe limits will be standard and will include some quality bags each day .
“ It will take around 15 ( pounds ) a day to make the final day and then you ’ ll have to have over 20 pounds to win it ,” Pike said about the 10 anglers all starting even for the final-day shootout , where the best weight of the final day takes the win . “ The river is stacked with 12-inchers to 2-pounders – they ’ re everywhere – so I think there will be plenty of limits crossing the scales .”
Villa had a similar prediction as Pike on advancing to the final day but thinks the winner will need more on the last day to get the trophy .
“ It should be about 15 pounds a day to make the final round and that will probably be a 20-plus-pound bag with two smaller limits ,” he predicted . “ The final day , someone will catch 22 or 23 pounds to win . That ’ s the coolest thing about the new format ; all 10 guys will have a chance to win it , and someone will catch a big bag that last day and win it all .”
APRIL-MAY 2022 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM 79