Largemouth Bass

If you're chasing largemouth in Southwest Virginia, Marion offers some surprisingly good opportunities. While not a trophy bass destination, the local reservoirs and ponds teem with aggressive, mid-sized largemouth. Hungry Mother Lake is a popular spot, known for its scenic beauty and decent bass fishing. Look for submerged structure and weed edges – the bass here love to ambush prey. Peak season is spring (late April-May) when the bass are spawning, and again in the fall (September-October) as they feed up for winter. For bank access, try the trails around Hungry Mother State Park; many offer excellent casting opportunities. A local tip: Carolina-rigged soft plastics or crankbaits worked slowly along the bottom can be deadly, especially in the deeper sections of the lake. Don't overlook the smaller farm ponds in the area either – some hold surprisingly large bass and are often overlooked by other anglers.