11-6-12 Trip

Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn and that includes letter carriers looking for stripers aboard the Catfish Cadillac

Above I must confess - Bob Holmes my #1 first mate had earned the title of being a Master of Baits..............don't get near the cuttin board when he's doing his thing. I keep telling him we are not eating the shad bait but catching fish with it.........He's hard headed but good at what he does. His larget cat lately is 62 lbs. and lots of 40's and 50's.

And then every now and then a flathead comes along. What a big fight for an average size flattie ! He thinks they look bigger holding then upright but they gotta be about 25-30lbs for that statement to be true.

Not only can Varina High School football team hire good coaches, they also know a thing or two about fishing in the winter on the Mighty James River. Remember - it's always 72 degrees on the Catfish Cadillac. I should say and it's true all 3 pics look like different fish but this fish weighed in at 48lbs. Not a fifty or 60 but give em about 12 months and he'll pull even harder.

Deonta Gail is the MAN holding the fish and he also had a 32lb and a few dinks. His personal best to say the least !

  
 - - - - - -did I mention it was a 24 ft Sweetwater Pontoon from Southeastern Marine that is made to fish in.......full curtains covering amost 90 sq ft of nothing but pure HEAT in the winter time - - -

Call me today -

Captain Joe Cannon 1-804-690-8469 or 1-877-222-0466 and LET'S DO IT or Capt. Scott on a 21 ft Carolina Skiff that flys - 1-804-690-3875 !

Big Cat Guide Service Sweatshirts

Someone from one of our recent trips wants me to order them a couple sweatshirts for Christmas presents. I will be placing the order next week. If there is anyone else who would like one please let me know. They are cheaper the more I order. The cost will be between $40-$50 depending on how many I order.

These are nice sweatshirts. They are thick and very warm. If you got one from the last order you probably need another one by now so let me know!

Wounded Warriors October 2012

Mikey(Marines), Kyle(Army) and Britt (Marines ) were my guest aboard the Catfish Cadillac for the Wounded
Warrior MasterCatters2 Fishing Tourney out of Hopewell.
Britt on the right stepped on an IED(and is doin ok as long as you feed him Corona's) (without the lime) and is next to Kyle who was injured in an auto accident and doin ok and then of course Mikey - the one that looks like he is sitting down (really on a step stool and also a marine(his story later).
Mikey did pull in this 33 lber against the current and he was lookin bigger than any 33 but
I am not one to fudge(how can I - I am a fisherman).

Time to back up on Britt. He has had 7 surgeries. He has a titanium plate in his head with a 12 open stitched up to show for it.
He has had his voice box rebuilt(still talked almost aas much as me) and little use of his right arm. He was a happy go lucky 23 yr old who went to war so we could enjoy what we do so taking these guys out just made me feel warm and fuzzy all over and helping me out and his first cat trip was Steve Hudson who's dad had served in Korea. We all were glad to show these guys a good time and we did.

This fish was a nice 21 lber that got our day started. There were more pics but will try to post later.
We had 2nd biggest fish out of the 21 boats entered in the tourney. These young guys had a blast and I was assisted by my first mate - Joey Fincher aka Gilligan ! Plenty of food and drink and prizes given out after the ceremonies.

Call me today Joe on the 24ft Sweetwater pontoon aka The Catfish Cadillac - heat - cushion seats, music and you name it. Phone is 804-690-8469. We seem to be getting several hogs each trip.

Tonight I am going out striper fishing with rattletraps at an "unknown location" ! ! ! ! !

Lots of fish - call Scott and visit the Pamunkey River - you are gonna catch fish with Capt. Scott ! 804-690-3875. I hope to hear from some of our fans. Winter fishing is almost here - it's always 72 degrees on the catfish cadillac and for the young at heart Scott's 21ft Carolina Skiff does it all with speed ! Cya Capt Joe

PS - God Bless his soul - Mikey, the marine, was in Okinawa and fell off a long board(skateboard) going 40 mph ! Joey told him he'd have to come up with a better story than that but Mikey is sticking with it. Still don't know what his injuries were but somehow he was a "Wounded Warrior" and thanks to everyone one of them for their sacrifice. You might say we picked on Mikey a little bit but even at 5' 4" he took it like a Marine ! ! !

Make-up Catfishing Trip

Is there anyone who would like to participate in a Make-up Catfishing Trip? I have had people ask me over the years but have never tried it. If you are not familiar with the concept of a make-up trip it is when a group of people come together for a fishing trip that may not know each other. Sometimes there will be 1 or 2 people who want to do a trip but it is less expensive per person to have more people go. So if there is anyone interested in doing a trip like this let me know. I have picked 2 dates for this trip to be November 24 or December 1st. You can sign up for either day just let me know which day you want. The cost will be $100 per person regardless of how many people come. There must be at least 2 people signed up for the day to make is worth going. The max number of people we will take on this trip is 4.

10-13 Pamunkey Trip

Saturday I took out my wife's Grandfather and some of the guys that lived in my old neighborhood. The weather couldn't have been any better with highs in the 60's and very little wind. We started out getting some bait and no trouble at all finding that. We also caught a ton of turtle and a couple small puppy drum while we were getting bait.

Our first good cat of the day was this 20 pound blue.

A little later we had this nice 28 pounder. Right before we caught this one we had a fish slam a pole about as hard as I have ever seen. We had it one for a minute before it broke our like. You never know how big it was but it sure seemed like a monster!

 While we were fishing a spot in a creek this raccoon walked along the marsh and then swam across the creek.

This fish was about 12-15 pounds but he hit the rod so hard he unscrewed my rod holder.

The leaves are starting to change and its a great time to go fishing. As the water cools down the fishing heats up.

Cooler weather....More fish !

Love Fall Time.....Oct 4th Stripers are now gonna be another new target fish AFTER we put a few big cats on board. Capt JOE

Capt Joe's 9-29 Trip

The Bite is On - Captain Joe on the Catfish Cadillac(24ft pontoon) 

Did I mention it was HEATED ? ? ?  

 

We had our first day trip of the fall/winter season Saturday as my first mate (CatfishBOB) and I stayed busy early in the day pullin' in some nice cats. Matt graduated from his High School and his MOM and DAD asked him what he wanted for a present. Long story short - he's holding it - A 40 lb Blue Cat ! ! !  

Awesome family pic of Shelly and Woody  and Matt with his hawg ...........super nice family and we all had a blast .......
Within 15 minutes he pulled in his second big cat - CITATION 30 lbs ! ! !
The rods just kept slammin' down. Woody and Shelly his mom let Matt pull in every fish on our trip.

Flatheads love live bait ! Suprise - a nice but small flathead. Well small to me but bigger than any flathead Matt had caught back home in West Virginia. I was afraid to ask but they do have cars now and indoor plumbing in West Va. How times change !

Finally we moved and anchored and a 21 pounder slams the pole again. His 3rd biggest for the day.
We pulled in about 3-4 more smaller fish but overall an awesome day. Give us a call as Matt is ready to book for the spring season already hoping to get in on the BIG Striper action.

Sturgeon Spawning in the James River

Check out this story from the Times Dispatch about the James River Sturgeon.

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/sports/2012/sep/28/tdsport08-outdoors-catch-glimpse-of-the-past-from-ar-2240362/

Fishing update

Fishing has been pretty good lately. Just about every thrip has been producing tophy fish. Most trips have had multiple fish over 20 pounds and many being in the 30's and 40's. Now is the time to get you fall and winter trip lined up.

FWD:3rd slam finally got this 22. Bite is strong.

3rd slam finally got this 22. Bite is strong

7-31-12 James River Trip

Capt Jow was lucky enough to dodge a majority of the storms last night and was able to have a great trip with some new friends Patrick, Hunter and George.

Hunter caught an awesome 26 pounder

and George brought in this fat 43 pound monster!

We would have liked to keep them out a little longer but the storms finally caught up to them and it was time to head in.

Thanks again guys for coming out and fishing with us. We hope to see you again very soon!

14' Grumman with a 15hp suzuki outboard and trailer

14' Grumman V-Hull boat with a 15hp suzuki outboard and trailer. Boat does not leak. Comes with carpeted floor, Reciculation baitwell, Bildge pump, 500 GPH aireator pump for livewell, spare prop, spare tire. Motor runs and has always run amazing. I have always bragged about this motor being a 1984 and how easy it starts and how well it runs. Come and take a look at it you will not be dissapointed.

Here is a video of the motor running great!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcKEdpYZ4kU&feature=plcp

NOW Asking $1,800

Update

Now asking only
$1500

Boat For Sale - 1984 14' Grumman Boat with 15hp Suzuki Motor

14' Grumman V-Hull boat with a 15hp suzuki outboard and trailer. Boat does not leak. Comes with carpeted floor, Reciculation baitwell, Bildge pump, 500 GPH aireator pump for livewell, spare prop, spare tire. Motor runs and has always run amazing. I have always bragged about this motor being a 1984 and how easy it starts and how well it runs. Come and take a look at it you will not be dissapointed.

NOW Asking $1,500

Pamunkey and Mattaponi Trips - Places to stay and things to do

I have been thinking lately about putting together a list of places to stay and other things to do for people who come from out of town take one of our trips. So this post will be about the Pamunkey and Mattaponi Trips

Places to stay:

The Washington Burgess Inn ( http://www.washingtonburgessinn.com/index.html ) This is the closest to the river. They have a Restaurant and a Pool. Nothing fancy here... but gets the job done.

The Great Wolf Lodge and Resort ( greatwolf.com ) If you are making a vacation out of you trip to fish with us and you have kids this would be a great place to stay!

Williamsburg, VA - If you are bringing your wife and are interested in doing some shopping you will love staying in or near Williamsburg, Va. There are tons of outlets and shops in this area. Even if it's just the guys this is just a great area with tons of restaurants and attractions. ( https://maps.google.com/maps?q=hotels+near+toano+va&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF-8&ei=AY79T9asMoOm8QSa36zOBg&ved=0CGMQ_AUoAg )

If you are flying in or want to stay closer to the city you can stay near the Richmond International Airport. This is also the area we reccommend you stay in if your trip will be on the James river. This is about a 30 minute drive from the Pamunley and Mattaponi.  I recommend the Red Roof Inn just because it is right next door to Mexico Restaurant!( https://maps.google.com/maps?q=hotels+near+RIC&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF-8&ei=DZL9T6G_EKSi2gWK1aXlBg&ved=0CGUQ_AUoAg )

Bethpage Campground - Located about 25 minutes from the launch point. This is a great place for families. They have rental cabins and well as rental spaces available to bring your own camper or RV. They have a water park with pools and slides as well as a lake. ( http://www.bethpagecamp.com/ )

Rockahock Campground - (http://www.rockahock.com/) Located on the Chickahomany River about 20 minutes from the launch.

Other things to do:


Busch Gardens ( http://seaworldparks.com/en/buschgardens-williamsburg )

Movie Taver Williamsburg- You can eat dinner, have a drink and watch a movie in the same seat! ( https://movietavern.tstickets.com/(S(yrzi1nu2cu44qbfqpdffdh55))/ticketing.aspx?theatreid=4012 )

Water Country USA ( http://www.watercountryusa.com/wc/ )

Urbanna Oyster Festival - First Weekend in November only but this is a GREAT Event. ( http://www.urbannaoysterfestival.com/ )

West Point Crab Carnival - First weekend in September. Small but fun small town gathering ( http://www.crabcarnival.com/ )

Bethpage Campground - Located about 25 minutes from the launch point. This is a great place for families. They have rental cabins and well as rental spaces available to bring your own camper or RV. They have a water park with pools and slides as well as a lake. ( http://www.bethpagecamp.com/ )

Go-Carts  - (http://www.gokartsplus.com/)

West Point Sky Diving - I'm not coming with you but I'm sure you will get a great view of there river!(http://www.skydivewestpoint.com/default.aspx)

07/07/2012 Report

Saturday night Captain Joe and I took Matt and his father and grandfather out for a fishing trip to celebrate Matt's 9th birthday. It was very hot on Saturday with a high of 104 and heat index near 115. After the first spot we decided the best thing to do was to take a swim for a few minutes while the sun got lower and it cooled down a little.




 Luckily we did have a pretty decent breeze for most of the night that made the heat manageable. Sometimes when the temperatures are as high as they have been the fishing can get really slow. The first two spots of the night didn't produce too much but once it got dark and we got into some really good action at our third hole. Matt was first up and within minutes of getting set up he was wrestling with an awesome Blue Cat. This cat weighed in at 25 pounds and gave us a great fight.



Next up and in the same hole was dad who brought it 20 pounder.


After this things slowed down a bit but it was still a great night and ended up coming in a little early so Matt could go get some breakfast.

Fishing report....

Capt Joe has been hitting the water alot lately and has had some great luck before all this super hot weather hit. Most trips have included multiple citations up to 48 pounds and many others in the teens, 20's and 30's have been caught in recent weeks.

I have been a little MIA over the past few weeks and months due to the birth of my daughter on June 1st. As things settle down at home I will be getting more and more reports from myself on here. I have also moved and I am now closer that ever to my favorite fishing grounds. So I look forward to getting into some Big Cats!

Don't forget that we still have T-Shirts for sale and we can mail them to you or you can get them when you come for your next fishing trip.

Prior post about T-Shirts...
http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=80187760735597510#editor/target=post;postID=3125060438028543809

Spawning time is about over

Alright everybody it's about time to get back on the water. The spawning season is just about done and I think it's pretty safe to start doing some more trips. As you know I don't take anyone out while the Big Blue cats are spawning because the fishing is just too unpredictable. Capt Joe went out this weekend and had a 25, 38 and a 43 pounder so things are getting back to normal.

Keep in mind most of the trips will be on the Pamunkey this summer which gives us a great opportunity for some stripers, croakers and crabs to add the the Big Blues. Also we will be doing croaker trips on the pamunkey and York rivers.

03-31-12 Report

Today we had a great day on the James River. The weather looked questionable all week but we decided it looked good enough. At first light it was perfect on the water. After about an hour it began to drizzle and that continued until about lunchtime. We struck early and brought in a 26 at the fist spot. 

After that we headed onto our most productive area for the day. Very soon after getting there we had a 21.

After a couple spots we decided to head to the dock for a bathroom break and had a quick hot meal at the Crabby Restaurant at Jordan Point.This break was a great way to pass the time while we waited for the tide to switch and head back out. By the time we got to our next spot it was rolling out and I knew the fishing would get even better. After just a few minutes of having baits in the water we had a nice double of a 25 and a 34.

By this time the sun was out and we had perfect catfishing weather. Best of all there was NO wind. We headed to another spot looking for a couple eaters and maybe another biggin'. We ended up with 5,5,6,10 and 14 pound cats. We made one more big move and had to catch some more shad since I was now out of fresh bait. After a while of sitting with only small fish biting I thought our day might be fishing since it was about time to head in, but before we had to make that decison a pole slammed down and the fight was on.This 30 pounder really fought hard and gave us a great ending to our day.

i had a great crew today that really made my job easy. They handled the fish like pros.We didn't have any missed fish today and we caught fish in all bit 1 of the spots we fished today.