| Author | Message | ||
| mudfork |
Here's a place everyone should check out. The Virginia Power Back Creek Pump Storage Station in Bath County. I was there the first week of May a few years ago and it was awesome. It includes; two fishing lakes, a delayed harvest trout stream that has been engineered for trout habitat, primitive camping, sports rec facilities, and is surrounded by more National Forest than we all could hunt at the same time. We were on turkeys every morning, caught and released tons of trout at mid-day, and caught HUGE crappie from the upper lake every evening. There was great largemouth fishing as well. Virginia Power was a great host as the camping fee was modest and they cleaned the bathhouse everyday, even though we were the only ones there, Thats right, the only ones! We didn't see another hunter and there was just a few day fishermen. It was like we were billionares who had the sole reservation at a resort or something. I don't mind telling you all about this as it would have been nice to have had a few more hunters to share the campfire with. Let's all meet up there the first week of May every year. It could be the VA Turkey convention! Hmmm? | ||
| HODY |
Now that would make a great cookout. That would be a great idea mudfork. Anyone else interested? Trout fishing in the afternoon after hunting, it does not get much better than that!!!! | ||
| Big Bird |
I agree, great idea - beautiful area. That's about as close to paradise as it gets. | ||
| pirate |
Where is this location in relation to Richmond, VA? | ||
| mudfork |
Pirate: I-64 west to Staunton,HW 250 west to Monterey (Highland County), HW 220 south to Vanderpool, Rt 84 west then south to insersection with Route 600. Stay south on 600 down Back Creek, cross county line into Bath county, will see Lower Pump Storage Reservior shortly, and recreation area is below reservior's outlet into Back Creek. No fishing in Pump Storage reserviors. | ||
| TScottW99
|
hmmmmmmmmmmm I put in for two weeks vacation from May 5th through the end of the season....... might have to break the ol' tent and camping gear out.... | ||
| mudfork |
TScott: Where would you be coming from? I'll put those directions in if you want. | ||
| TScottW99
|
Salem...... hey mudfork... you said you were a tazewell county boy??? ever hunt over on round mountain or on brushy into bland? i grew up in bland and still try to hunt those areas often | ||
| mudfork |
Before I confuse anyone, let me clarify something. You can't fish in the Pump Storage reserviors. The two fishing lakes set right behind the campground and the trout stream runs behind them. | ||
| mudfork |
TScott: One of my main hunting areas is where Round and Garden come together. We hunt in the back country where the Appalachian Trail comes down into Hunting Camp Creek from Brushy and climbs up Garden. We rarely hunt the Brushy side, mainly the Garden side. We killed two sixes and an eight the opening day of muzzleloader this year. Killed them all before noon but didn't get them out till 5:30 PM if that tells you anything. As far as directions, head up 220 to Warm Springs, take RT 39 west to Mountain Grove, take RT 600 north for about 6 miles and you are there. | ||
| mudfork |
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| mudfork |
There's a picture of the camping area. The trout stream runs in the sycamores behind the lake. Everything you see in the picture is public land. Expect the trees in the campground to be bigger, this is several years old. Man, I look like a travel agent instead of a train dispatcher. Believe me, I don't get a kick back on this, just wanted to let my fellow sportsmen know about this. Your tax and utility dollars at work! | ||
| GN |
I camped in that field in 1968 when it was just a beautiful place on the Jackson River..no lake then. | ||
| Mr. Longbeard |
Looks good | ||
| Piedmont gobbler |
Wow! That looks great MudFork. I am taking several days off during the season. Not sure I can make it to camp, but that is possible. do you take any days off. I would love to spend the night and get on the birds early with you during the season. Mike Haymarket, VA. | ||
| Tburt |
GN, that is an area along Back Creek. Maybe you camped in the field over at Hidden Valley, along the Jackson River there. Call something paradise, kiss it good bye. Unfortunate, but true. Won't be long now fellas, good luck this season. | ||
| Big Bird |
Mudfork, have you left yet? | ||
| mudfork |
Work has been keeping me a little off schedule this year so I haven't done much hunting. What free time I can get I have tried to spend in pursuit of 20 pounders though. They just don't have feathers and are covered with little black horizontal stripes! You know what I'm talking about. Fishing fever has been worse this year than ever before. I don't guess I'll see Bath county this year since I'll be hitting the OBX on my spring vacation. You guessed it, chartering a trip to fish for stripers! | ||
| Strutstopper |
Good luck with the stripers mudfork. In fact, I'm heading out tomorrow on a striper charter on the Chesapeake Bay. We're leaving out of Chesapeake Beach, MD, near Breeze Point Marina. Nows the time when they're catching those citation bass... | ||
| mudfork |
Good luck SS. Let me know how you do and what you catch them on. We caught a pretty good one a couple of weeks ago in TN. 30 lbs 3 oz on topwater at 3 AM. Just wish I was on the other end of the rod and not the net. Made up for it 2 nights later with a 32 lb 6 oz catch. (Divided by 4 hybrids) | ||
| Strutstopper |
Mudfork, we tore 'em up yesterday. 7 stripers weighing a total of 140 lbs. Avg. size was around 20 lbs. Not big, but we all managed to catch one. We used umbrella rigs with chartreuse and white shad runners hooked w/ 1 or 2 hooks and schools of smaller shad on the 'umbrella.' Caught these guys at all depths and on almost every different rig we were using! Weather was horrible early on: pouring rain, thunder, & lightning, with swells of about 5 to 6 feet high! They consistently hit them hard all morning though. | ||
| mudfork |
I'm glad you had a good time. Maybe we'll find a few down NC on the 29th. |