HENRICO, Va. – The Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine will visit the legendary James River on back-to-back weekends with the Piedmont Division slated for July 12 and the Shenandoah Division following it up a week later on July 19. While the weather has been very hot in the region, the fishing is expected to be excellent for both events.
This year, BFL anglers benefit from an expanded slate of Regionals, which minimizes travel costs and provides more opportunities to qualify for the $120,000 BFL All-American while fishing familiar, closer-to-home waters.
What to expect
Gum Spring, Virginia’s Ryan Lachniet has a win and several top finishes on the James River, and he guesses that the Chickahominy River will be the place that gets the bulk of the attention, like usual.
“I think a lot of guys will be running down to ‘the Chick’ in these, probably 80 or 90 percent of the field,” he said. “It seems like the hotter it gets as you get into summer, it does better than the main river. But, there’s always a chance for guys to get on them in the James because there are so many release fish around Osborne Landing.”
Lachniet believes these events will likely be won by anglers catching a big fish.
“The big ones will be the deciding factor because it’s hard to get to that winning weight you’ll probably need with a 4-pound average this time of year,” he said. “I think whoever wins will have a big one, at least a high 5 or 6-pounder in their bag.”
A final consideration, as always, on a tidal fishery is playing the tides, and Lachniet thinks this will play into how many bites an angler gets in the day.
“If you run the tides and stay in the low tide, you are probably going to catch a lot of fish, but if you don’t get a lot of low tide in your main area, you won’t catch a bunch,” he said. “But, that’s not always a bad thing, and you can still bring in a big bag here without getting a lot of bites if you’re in the right areas.”
Baits to bring
Lachniet says the James in the summer is pretty straightforward, and a frog and buzzbait are a must for covering ground, plus a Senko-style bait when you need to slow down.
What will it take?
Last year, Bass Pro Tour angler Martin Villa won a late-July BFL on the James with one ounce shy of 20 pounds. Lachinet expects that to be the top range, with anywhere over 18 pounds having a shot at the win. To cash a check, a 12- or 13-pound limit could do the trick in both events.
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Every Phoenix Bass Fishing League angler fishing the fourth event in each division will receive an Abu Garcia gift pack valued at $230 for boaters and $180 for co-anglers – a value that exceeds the entry fee. It’s like Fishing 4 FREE! Plus, participants will receive a code for 25% off an order at AbuGarcia.com. Sign up today at MajorLeagueFishing.com or call (270) 252-1000 to take advantage of this incredible offer. Anglers will receive their gift box at the event.