Big River Chub on my Unc Virgina Tech Trip - Roanoke River

I made the trip to The Roanoke / Blacksburg area for the UNC Va Tech Football game  and even though my team got pounded I had a great time at the game and on Sunday after the Game I fished part of the Roanoke river that I have never fished before.  Not a spectacular day as far as numbers caught but it was a nice day on some good water that holds a lot of potential.

This section is a few miles above Smith Mountain Lake .   I immediately caught a very small smallie on a small Ultralite Rapala Minnow and then I could not get another hit.

  I then switched to a float with a Trout Magnet Jig 2 feet under it.  My presentation was to cast this upstream into current and let it Float back down.   I caught 2 big River chubs using this method and I can tell you that River Chubs are Hard fighters.  This is similar to how I have caught them on the Eno River using a cork with a tube jig under it.

I left this spot and went downstream to another spot and although I caught zilch at the second spot , my hopes and plans to return are high.  When I saw the second spot(first spot too) I immediately thought that the lake Stripers came up here from time to time.  My thoughts were confirmed  when I was getting my rod out and looked over and 3 guys were getting out of their car as well and all had Redfins or big plugs on them.  After speaking with them  it was double confirmed that this section was indeed a Striper hotspot as one of them had caught a 20lber the week before.   Towards dark there were a few big Stripers busting up and down river but I never connected.    Return I will.

Date 10/22/2017
Location - Upper Roanoke River

#roanokeriver

#niagradam