Sometimes I get a wild idea and just run up the rivers checking things out. Last 7 days or so I did the Dan all the way from the Steam Plant to Staunton and I thought I'd share some info.
Above Anglers park the water is warm and very, shallow. 74 pretty much solid day or nite. Rock tips everywhere with stretches around 1 ft deep all way across. Thick moss on most underwater rocks which will clog jet intakes with one strike (won't say how I know that). Above the sewer plant dam is tough and IMHO dangerous due to low water level + that you're upstream of the sewerplant dam.
Between Anglers & Milton much the same. Lots of gar activity here bugging you and eating baits. I think its gar just because of the way the bite is and that I visually saw a right-many gars moving around in the period just before dark. Bank fishermen at Anglers and downstream complaining about gar
Between Milton and Paces somehow the water seems better. Still lots and lots of stuff to hit. Temps still 74ish. Medium catfish action. Nothing abnormal for this time of year in this stretch.
Between Paces and SOBO there are two (at least rocky spots) both of which have paths thru for the adventure bound. By SOBO at the old bridge bear to right side across the rock riffle and at the island upstream from there the old dam looks scary but there's a slot with 2+ ft thru on the left side. Again medium catfish action in this stretch.
Between SOBO and mouth of Bannister I have discovered a new friend. Around 1.75 miles downstream from the SOBO ramp and upstream from grassy creek there is a rock riffle. Ok, so what's new? Well the water is clear and I went up and down this riffle a few times just looking and wowee-koz-ow-wee right in the center of the channel there's a twin rock each about the size of a riding mower. The top of one of them is creating a nice break in the surface waterflow but this visual indicator does not match the rock below. With the paces flow at 1670, the most of these two rocks are around 4-6 inches under. I've been over this rock, right in the smack middle of the channel a squillion times but I never had the clear water to get a good eyeball on it. This is a boat-buster if you nail it head-on; It would be very close to clear this guy even with a jet and I am telling you...that rock is not gonna give...its gonna break you.
Sandbar just below rock cliffs that are just above mouth of banniser is setting up as normal...from MO bannister to hyco/peters area things very normal but temps are down 2-3 degrees from further upstream.
Hey everybody be careful, please be courteous to anchored anglers, and please have fun. Last night I saw at LEAST 20 boats above gravel ridge....jfo
UPstream was tough thru the falls and there were places where it was skinny but its exactly like it usually is, at least I did not find anything noteable. I did a 2 sets upstream around 5 miles and one downstream. I got skunked between milton and anglers and I got a mid twenty between Milton & paces. It was slow but maybe just me...jfo
