I wanted to post this topic in a new thread because we were getting Jeff's site improvement thread off topic....

Jeffrey, would you be able to email me the pit map? I never saved that one that was on thefishinmusician.com. Don't worry I'm posting here that I won't hold you liable lol....Trust me, I ain't taking my boat through there without having first gone through it with someone else and even then I ain't going through it unless I'm following someone.

My email address is mnovak@comcast.net

I am not keen on going anywhere that I have to "rely" on the boat being up on plane and hauling butt to get past....that's just way too sketchy.

Also, I'd love to have some info on what areas to avoid in the barge pits. I've only been in there one time and I was idling the whole time because I didn't know what was under the water around there. All I marked was 8 to 20 feet water but I'm sure there are mounds, wrecks, equipment, etc scattered everywhere in there. Also what temp do the barge pits stay in the winter?

Lastly do you guys who fish the barge & spray pits bother to winterize your boats since you're fishing in Dec/Jan/Feb?

Man, there's lots of submerged stuff in the pits, but thats part of what makes it such a good spot. Last time I was out there with Jeff we were idling to a different spot in about 10' of water enjoying our lunch and, crunch, the prop found a hump. The maps that I have seen do not have great detail of the area, mostly the big barges at the back, and the ones through the entrance lane. Usually, I come all the way through the access creek, turn left when I get to the pits, and as I round the 1st barge on the right, back 'er down, and idle the rest of the way around. You can also come into the pits and make a hard left (180* almost) and run that creek safely almost all the way to the back. There is one stump half way through the creek that you can usually see pretty clear unless the water is real high. As far as the temp, it seems to me that last year around January is was around 55-60 deg. Take a look at the Dec'04, Jan'05, and feb'05 fishing reports for the lower James.
Fourtunatley, or unfourtunatley depending on the way you look at it, part of the nature of the beast in fishing the james is that there are LOTS of spots that you have to either be on plane, or on the T/M in order to navigate. Chances are you have already gone over some of them up on plane and never realized it, but I assure you, you'd have found 'em if you were anything in between the two extremes, especially over in the Appomattox. If you get a chance to witness one of the tourney weigh ins, look at the top finishers skeg's, chances are you'll see a super bright shiny prop, and no paint on the lower unit. That would be cause they were blasting through, or across one of the many shallow areas to get to the good fish.

And lastly, WINTERIZE!!! Hush your mouth, thats for yankees. Seriously though, I do not winterize, but I do run sea foam in every tank during the winter to help protect while it may be sitting for more than a couple of weeks, and I keep my motor trimmed all the way down when I get home so that no water is left in the L/U in case it gets real cold. Also, if it has been really cold over the last few days, I drop the motor into the water and leave it for about 10 minutes before I crank it up incase the water pump had frozen water in it.
Thats all for now, my fingers are tired.

Thanks for the info man...That whole area is just really really sketchy lol

You'll learn it, just take it slow. Pay close attention to things like where other boaters zig and zag in there (although don't put your entire faith in what someone you don't know just did, I actually saw someone skiing in there one day).

Ego give me a day or few weeks and I will send it to you. My boat is in the shop and the one I used is int there.

Jeff

Ego,
I think the spray pit and barge pit obstacles are over rated, unless of course, you hit one of them. Dont let it keep you from exploring the area at a safe speed. Thats how you gain the experience to run at higher speeds in an area. The barge pits are great for bass and the spray pits are full of shad for catfish bait. I took a water temp reading in the spray pits the other day and the water was 80* and steaming. I want to clarify my post about running up there at F/T. I ran it at slow speed with my depth finder the first few times until I found a line. It can be tricky depending on river level. A good pair of polarized sun glasses will help you see the shallow shoals. Also please note that I run a Carolina Skiff, it only draws 6" of water at idle and almost nothing on plane. At plane, I only have about 8" of motor in the water. Bigger boats or v-bottoms will be a different story. I learned that the hard way when I recently bought a V-bottom and bent the prop on rocks the first day out catfishing, and I wasnt even up there.
Bill

I dont winterize, but I do fish year round. You can find me on the James in Jan and feb catfishing. I do throw in some Stabil in the winter months. Its a good gas stabilizer. I also use it in my generator in case power goes out to keep the gas fresh.
Bill

Thanks again for the info. I dunno, there's just something about striking the lower unit on something that makes me cringe. I don't have a lot of mechanical knowledge/skills so if my motor goes out on me and it's something other than the spark plugs, I am S.O.L. I would love to go back there one day just to see the spray pits....gotta be a unique place. I will probably fish the barge pits next week on Saturday or Sunday.

As for the stabilizer stuff for the boat, yea I'm gonna use some of that....I too think I'll be fishing year round. I'm more concerned with like someone else said earlier, the water pump freezing or something like seals busting because of expansion and contraction due to ice.