21 replies to this topic

[Josh Blaylock]

I am trying to get a group together for a few hours on Thursday. Nothing is planned for this day until the late afternoon. I believe check-in for the hotel is 3pm. I plan to arrive around 11am or so. I would like to get a few people together and head out for a couple hours. We have plenty of options on where to go (New, James, Roanoke)and I'm open to suggestions. I will be driving my pickup and can haul 3-4 people with room in the bed for plenty of equipment. We could meet at the hotel and leave from there.

I compiled a list of fish by drainage that I would like to see on this trip. Any help on locations would be great. Keep in my I got this information from the VA tech Virtual Aquarium. I'm not 100% on the drainages and I don't think any of these fish are T/E. Perhaps it would be a good idea to get a document together of all the protected fish NANFA's could encounter on this trip so that we are aware in advance. If there are fish on this list that you would like to see, please add that to your post, along with it's location and that will help to make a decision on which area to go to.

[keepnatives]

I'll be getting there by Thursday am most likely and know some nice spots for many of those you've listed. I'll let you know more as my plans become more concrete.

Edited by keepnatives, 22 March 2011 - 08:05 PM.

[Kanus]

I'd be thrilled to go on an extra collecting trip if I can make it there a little early. Have no idea at this juncture if I will be able to though.

Also, from http://www.dgif.virg...tescspecies.pdf, here is a list of no-take species in Virginia.
FRESHWATER FISHES
Blackbanded sunfish Enneacanthus chaetodon SE
Blackside dace Phoxinus cumberlandensis FT ST
Carolina darter Etheostoma collis ST
Duskytail darter Etheostoma percnurum FE SE
Emerald shiner Notropis atherinoides ST
Golden darter Etheostoma denoncourti SOC ST
Greenfin darter Etheostoma chlorobranchium ST
Longhead darter Percina macrocephala ST
Orangefin madtom Noturus gilberti SOC ST
Paddlefish Polyodon spathula ST
Roanoke logperch Percina rex FE SE
Sharphead darter Etheostoma acuticeps SE
Shortnose sturgeon Acipenser brevirostrum FE SE
Slender chub Erimystax cahni FT ST
Spotfin chub Erimonax monachus FT ST
Steelcolor shiner Cyprinella whipplei ST
Tennessee dace Phoxinus tennesseensis SE
Variegate darter Etheostoma variatum SE
Western sand darter Ammocrypta clara ST
Whitemouth shiner Notropis alborus ST
Yellowfin madtom Noturus flavipinnis FT ST

[Josh Blaylock]

Bump for interest.

[Mike]

The fish I want to catch the most is a Roanoke bass.

These are the other fish I am most interested in.

American shad
Blueback herring
Hickory shad
Chain pickerel
Redfin pickerel
Bluehead chub
Bull chub
Fallfish
Bigeye jumprock
Black jumprock
Lake chubsucker
Northern hogsucker
Quillback
Roanoke hogsucker
Rustyside sucker
Torrent sucker
V-lip redhorse
Flat bullhead
Snail bullhead
White catfish
Yellow bass
Banded sunfish
Bluespotted sunfish
Flier sunfish
Mud sunfish

If possible would like to see/photograph

Atlantic Sturgeon
Shortnose Sturgeon

Mike

Edited by Mike, 30 April 2011 - 02:55 AM.

[keepnatives]

Bump for interest.

I'm coming early Thursday possibly late Wed. Interested in Crescent shiners, Rosefin shiner, Warpaint shiner, Saffron shiner, Redlip shiner, Tennessee shiner, Long fin darter, Roanoke Darter, Tn snubnose darter, Kanawha darter among others.

[James]

count me in. Let me know where and what time you guys plan on hooking up.
Thanks, James

[travishaas]

Count me in too. I'll be arriving early in the day.

Travis

[Drew]

Our permit doesn't cover any collecting on Thursday so be sure to have a VA fishing license if you are going to do so. I wish I could join you guys!

[Josh Blaylock]

Drew, will you be able to give us some location information for thursday?

[FirstChAoS]

If possible would like to see/photograph

Atlantic Sturgeon
Shortnose Sturgeon

Mike

You're going to need a really big net.

I always wanted to see and photograph a sturgeon too, i heard their are some in holyoke pool on the Connecticut River in Mass but I never sought them out.

[Mike]

You're going to need a really big net.

I always wanted to see and photograph a sturgeon too, i heard their are some in holyoke pool on the Connecticut River in Mass but I never sought them out.

I was planing on photographing them while snorkoling, no net, a rod and reel would be fun but I don't think you are aloud to target them. I just through them in incase someone knew where to find them.

What I want the most is Roanoak Bass, Snail Bullhead, & Flat Bullhead.

After those three, Mud Sunfish, Flier Sunfish, White Catfish, Bigeye Jumprock, Black Jumprock, Roanoke Hogsucker, Rustyside Sucker, Torrent Sucker, V-lip Redhorse

Then Banded Sunfish, Bluespotted Sunfish.

Does anyone know of any good places for the above species?

Did you guys decide what you are going after on Thursday? I saw the Roanoak River was on the list of posibilities.

I am mostly interested in photographing the fish.

Thanks,

Mike

Edited by Mike, 05 May 2011 - 11:56 PM.

[Michael Wolfe]

You're going to need a really big net.

I always wanted to see and photograph a sturgeon too, i heard their are some in holyoke pool on the Connecticut River in Mass but I never sought them out.

Y'all should have been at the convention in Missouri... we had a DNR trawl boat on the mighty Mississippi and had sturgeon in hand for photos and release... check out Nick Zarlinga's photo gallery below... I think Nick was holding the fish and I took the pic with his camera

http://gallery.nanfa...geon 2.JPG.html

[Mike]

Y'all should have been at the convention in Missouri... we had a DNR trawl boat on the mighty Mississippi and had sturgeon in hand for photos and release... check out Nick Zarlinga's photo gallery below... I think Nick was holding the fish and I took the pic with his camera

http://gallery.nanfa...geon 2.JPG.html

I wanted to go to the Missouri Convention just like all the others I missed, something always got in the way. Just like this year, but I decided to go anyway this year.

I am always up for Sturgeon photos, but I already have Shovelnose Sturgeon & Lake Sturgeon photos. If you guys saw Pallid Sturgeon then I would have to kick myself for not going to Missouri.

Mike

[keepnatives]

Did you guys decide what you are going after on Thursday? I saw the Roanoak River was on the list of posibilities.

I am mostly interested in photographing the fish.

Thanks,

Mike

It would be nice to see what the convention's options will be so we can pick other sites and species or at least have an idea what we'd like to concentrate on. When are you guys planning on arriving and from what route? May want to break into a couple groups and hit sites on trip in. I'm considering driving in leisurely for a change Wednesday.
.

[Drew]

It would be nice to see what the convention's options will be so we can pick other sites and species or at least have an idea what we'd like to concentrate on. When are you guys planning on arriving and from what route? May want to break into a couple groups and hit sites on trip in. I'm considering driving in leisurely for a change Wednesday.

With the amount of raining we've been receiving it is hard to plan on what we'll do exactly. The tentative plan is two snorkel-only trips on Saturday. One will be in the mainstem Roanoke and the other in the New River drainage. The trip leaders are pretty flexible and will go where the group wants to go from there. If you go on these trips, you will probably want to stay relatively close as hopping drainages takes a little bit of time. There is the possibility of hitting the upper TN drainage if you go on the New River trip.

Fritz and Gerald are trip leaders that will be eventually heading either S or SE on Sunday. I will go wherever the groups want to go but will be eventually heading back towards Northern VA on an easterly route.

I will have the options available during check-in so we can gauge what people want to do. Based on that info, we'll announce the trips Friday.

If you guys are meeting in Roanoke on Thursday and then going out, that makes it easier to decide. Here is a trip report from a couple of years ago : http://forum.nanfa.o...north-carolina/. Not far from the Banister River are MRBD as well.

[pylodictis]

You're going to need a really big net.

I always wanted to see and photograph a sturgeon too, i heard their are some in holyoke pool on the Connecticut River in Mass but I never sought them out.

The best population of Atlantic Sturgeon(Acipenser oxyrinchus) is in the James River, but you're a few hundred miles too far upstream, rarely do they come even up to the fall line(in Richmond). You're likely to see them to Dutch Gap, in fact there's a new breeding structure experiment off of Presquile Wildlife Management area. If you're talking about the New River you're talking of the subspecies the Gulf Sturgeon(Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi) but I believe you're too far upstream as well. You're best bet is the main Mississippi River for the subspecies(I'd assume large populations would exist near the confluence of the Missouri River) or the James from Jamestown to Dutch Gap(I've seen many in Hopewell near the confluence of the Appomattox River)for the ordinary fish. I can't help with the shortnose sturgeon.

[Josh Blaylock]

I'm sure I'm not the only one that has been monitoring the Roanoke weather like a hawk. That being said, I'm thinking the Thursday crew may need to collect in more headwater/upper 2nd order creeks/streams. There has been some rain already this week and the threat for more in the next few days. Drew, maybe you can hook us up with locations for upper areas.

On Thursday, I'm planning on getting to the hotel around 11-12ish. I would like to check-in and drop off my bags/stuff. Depending on what time everybody else plans on getting there, we could meet at the hotel/or other area around 12:30-2pm (again depending on everyone else). Let's figure out a time/place to meet on Thursday.

[Drew]

I'm sure I'm not the only one that has been monitoring the Roanoke weather like a hawk. That being said, I'm thinking the Thursday crew may need to collect in more headwater/upper 2nd order creeks/streams. There has been some rain already this week and the threat for more in the next few days. Drew, maybe you can hook us up with locations for upper areas.

I have a spot not far from Roanoke for MRBD, crescent shiners, and few others. I'll have a couple of others for you on Thursday. Just find me and I'll show you on the map. It is the Blue Ridge, so there are plenty of higher stretches available.

[pylodictis]

The best population of Atlantic Sturgeon(Acipenser oxyrinchus) is in the James River, but you're a few hundred miles too far upstream, rarely do they come even up to the fall line(in Richmond). You're likely to see them to Dutch Gap, in fact there's a new breeding structure experiment off of Presquile Wildlife Management area. If you're talking about the New River you're talking of the subspecies the Gulf Sturgeon(Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi) but I believe you're too far upstream as well. You're best bet is the main Mississippi River for the subspecies(I'd assume large populations would exist near the confluence of the Missouri River) or the James from Jamestown to Dutch Gap(I've seen many in Hopewell near the confluence of the Appomattox River)for the ordinary fish. I can't help with the shortnose sturgeon.

I'll be arriving around that time as well, if anybody is doing anything Thursday please shoot me a PM.