ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, December 7, 1995 TAG: 9512070036
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: OUTDOORS
SOURCE: BILL COCHRAN
Fishermen who are reeling in citation-size largemouth bass at Lake Anna are wondering if they can credit their success to late-season or early-season action.
Anna, a 10,000-acre lake east of Charlottesville, has a well-earned reputation of being a hot spot for huge bass during cold weather.
The peak of the big-fish catches normally occurs during warming trends from the second week of February into early March. But this time, the bass haven't waited that long to begin bowing the rods of fishermen.
A few days ago, bragging-size catches began showing up at Anna Point Marina: an 8-pound, 15-ounce bass for Billy Spencer of Fredericksburg on a Sassy Shad; an 8-pound, 4-ounce bass for Eric Marson of Staunton on a crankbait; and a 7-pound, 15-ounce bass for Doug Britten of Montvale, N.J., on a spinnerbait. All of these met citation requirements through either weight or length.
When the hefty catches began coming into the marina, owner Steve Mudre, wasn't certain what was happening.
``I don't want to say it is a fluke,'' he said. ``I think we happened to get a couple of good days in a row.''
It was no fluke. Since those initial catches, fishermen have continued coming through the marina door, grinning and bearing trophy largemouths. Ed Shifko of Bealton weighed an 8-pound, 2-ounce catch. Eric Simpkins of Farifax, had a 7-pounder.
At High Point Marina, Anson Carter of Washington weighed a 73/4-pound bass.
Most of the fish are being hooked in water 12-to-16 feet deep. Jigging spoons, spinnerbaits and live jumbo minnows have been productive lures and baits. Much of the action is between the lake's power plants and Dike 3.
BUCKS AND BEAR: One of the biggest bucks of the two-week gun season was an 11-pointer killed in Franklin County by Scott Guilliams of Roanoke. It is expected to score about 217 under Boone and Crockett's measuring system. The rack had a 28-inch spread.
``I heard something and I just looked up through the brush, and all I could see was antlers,'' Guilliams said.
Simon Jones, 15, of Shawsville killed a 20-point buck in Montgomery County.
When William Cadd of Hardy killed a spike buck in Roanoke County, he heard a noise in a nearby thicket. It was a bear - a big one.
``I was so nervous, the first time I shot I missed him,'' Cadd said. ``He stood and looked and I got myself together and shot him again.''
The bear weighed 273 pounds.
BASS IN GEORGIA: Virginians Chris Daves and David Dudley finished in the money at the Bassmaster Georgia Eastern Invitational last week on Lake Lanier. The event was won by O.T. Fears, an Oklahoma angler who had a three-day catch that weighed 35-pounds, 11-ounces.
Daves, from Spring Grove, was 26th, with 20 pounds, 10 ounces; Dudley, from Lynchburg, was 43rd with 18 pounds, 4 ounces.
This week, Dudley, 19, is competing in the Bassmaster Georgia Top 100 on Lake Seminole out of Bainbridge, Ga. He is 30th after Wednesday's first round.
BRAGGING SIZE: Neal Odstler of Martinsville was casting to the Smith River with skimpy 4-pound line when he hooked and landed an 8-pound, 2-ounce brown trout. Ken Patterson of Bedford landed a 2-pound crappie at Smith Mountain Lake. Charles Lee of Christiansburg was fishing for stripers at Claytor Lake when he landed a 7 1/4-pound walleye that measured 27 1/4 inches.
LENGTH: Medium: 68 linesby CNB