JAMES RIVER CATS

Catfishing for the Blues on the James River in Virginia.

The Lower James River in Virginia

So where do you start?? I would suggest at least your first trip to the James to get a guide. If you are going to the James for the first time it never hurts to hire a guide to get somewhat a feel for the river. I had studied the maps & charts quite a bit and still was surprised to to be somewhat disorientated my first trip.

The thing with the James you can get in shallow water real quick...infact I noticed the guide carried a 1.5 dia x 20' long push pole on his boat just in case he gets hung up and he has been fishing the James for a number of years. I went to Lowes and bought a closet dowel that is 1.5 dia and 12 foot long I now carry on my boat.

Click on each guide service below to get to their website.

**Note** The below list of guides has no particular order or meaning. To the best of my knowledge each on the list of James River Guides is US Coast Guard Licensed.