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The Fox FX Stalker Chilla Bag

The Fox FX Stalker Chilla bag is a great bag for any fisherman who wants to put all their gear into a one bag and a quiver. If you are stalking or at least trying to stay mobile, this is a fabulous set up.

I have owned my Fox FX Stalker Chilla bag for about a year now and it has been my primary tackle bag for most of that time. Between my quiver and my stalker bag I have everything I need on my shoulders. I can get set up and take down much quicker.

Here are some of the features of the Fox FX stalker Chilla Bag.

The first thing about the stalker bag that you notice is that is it big. Stuffed full the bag can bulge a whole out a whole bunch. The dimensions unstuffed are:

  • Length 14.5 in /37 cm
  • Width 10.6 in /27 cm
  • Height 10.2 in / 26 cm

When this bag is full of gear it gets pretty heavy so the extra plush shoulder strap is greatly appreciated. In my bag I carry a days worth of bait, glugs, goo, ground baits, my scale, weighing sling, bite alarms, bobbins, bite alarm receiver, stiff rig box, pva bags, spare spools, lead box, swivel and terminal boxes, and whateverelse is rolling around in the bottom of my bag.

Another thing that stands out about the stalker chilla bag is the durability and weight of the materials and components. The nylon materials, webbing, clips, zippers and other components are all chunky and built to last. I have nothing break on my bag in the nearly 12 months I have been using it.

Fox FX Stalker Chilla Bag Zippers

One of the key features of the FX stalker chilla bag is the waterproof pocket with the removable washable lining. This pocket is great because it is absolutely water tight. This is great for protecting your car and gear. IF one of your glug pots leaks in your trunk, you will wish you had it stored in a water proof pocket. If your pocket gets too nasty your can pull it free from its velcro and hose it down.

Fox FX Stalker Chilla Bag Waterproof Lining

My wife confiscated one of my bags to use as baby bag. She loves the waterproof pocket to keep the dirty diapers. The water tight lining keeps the odor in (which is good for keeping bait odor in).

The flap that cover the top of two of the pockets acts as a nice waterproofing, which will help protect your PVAs. The underside of the flap has a clear pockets where you can store pliers, baiting needles, and other little bits of tackle.

The bottom of the bag has four tough high traction feet that protect the bottom of the bag from wear-and-tear and keep it out of the mud a little bit.

All in all, the bag is tough, durable and carries everything you need for a day session. For a video review of the Fox FX Stalker Chilla Bag click here.

Carp fishing in Virginia is a real treat. Virginia has some excellent fishing but you often have to compete with other fisherman for spots. However, few people in Virginia have tried carp fishing. Carp fishing in Virginia is a chance to target a massive game fish without the competition. I fish some of northern Virginia’s most pressured lakes. And while those lakes are crawling with bass fisherman and cat fisherman, I am the only person fishing for carp.

A great example of a what you can expect carp fishing in Virginia

Locations for Carp Fishing in Virginia

My favorite carp fishing spots in Virginia include Occoquan reservoir and  the tidal Potomac river. However, Claytor lake, Lake Prince, Smith Mountain Lake and Kerr reservoir also good carp fishing lakes.

If you want to do some river carp fishing, the James river, Rappahanock river, Shenandoah river, Appomattox river and New River are excellent.

Carp Fishing in Virginia: Baits

Because so few people go carp fishing in Virginia, just about any bait will work. Corn, particle baits and oatmeal are very effective baits. The key is to find a bait the catfish and blue gill will leave alone so that you can catch carp.

Carp Species in Virginia

The most common carp in Virginia the common carp. But there are decent populations of mirror carp and linear carp here too. The mirror carp in Virginia have a thicker body and longer tail than mirror carp in some other places.

A mirror carp I caught carp fishing in Virginia.

Grass carp have been stocked in some smaller lakes and ponds in order to control the aquatic vegetation. Lake Royal in Fairfax County has a few grass carp.

Virginia Record Carp

The Virginia state records for carp is 49lb’s 4 oz. from lake Prince. The For more information on carp and carp fishing in Virginia check out the DGIF’s website.

I have caught some weird stuff over the years: Geese, ducks, cormorants, used condoms, a string full of fish, my father’s face, ladies stockings, undies, toys and on one trip I caught a drown deer in the mouth. It put up a bit of a fight but didn’t look any good for eating so I let it go. The one thing I learn from catching a deer carcase is that the theory that catfish are attracted to anything stinky was not completely true. There wasn’t a catfish in that hole and boy did it stink. I am more a fan of the “fresh-is-better” school of thought.

I caught a decaying deer in the mouth while catfishing

Carpsuckers (quillback, highfin and river carpsuckers) can be loads of fun but are tricky to target and catch on purpose.

The suckers, or Catostomidae, are the North American native fish that is closest to the carp in looks and behavior but they are not closely related. In the US we have the bigmouth buffalo, the small mouth buffalo & the black buffalo. These big game fish are a lot like carp in many ways and are an amazing fight.

Sucker (white, blue, long nose & spotted) looks like small American barbels and the comparison is not a bad one.

The redhorse is a blunt faced sucker and is not a bad game fish in it own right on ultra light tackle.

If you are the kind of guy who loves researching, buying and collecting gear (like me), carp fishing can be a great outlet for your materialistic tendencies. Carp fisherman rivals ice fisherman for the sheer amount of gear they buy and lug around the lake.

However, the amount of gear, baits, and nic-nacs that pro carp fisherman have is a bit daunting to the average fisherman who would like to catch a few carp before he decides to mortgage his house for a new hobby.

While I love my $170 Delkim Txi bite alarms and $250 Fox Eclipse rod pod, people who I introduce to carp fishing often get left with the mistaken impression that carp fishing is an expensive form of fishing. Carp fishing can be a very expensive hobby but it doesn’t have to be.

While good gear usually translates into more fish on the bank you don’t need to go full-bore to give carp fishing a try. One of my first carp was a 12 pounder caught on a $25 rod and reel a $1 high-low crappie rig and balls of white bread.

With the average American fisherman knowing nothing about carp fishing there needs to be more resources and media dedicated to showing American fisherman how to catch carp on a budget. American fisherman need to learn to walk before they can run.

The truth of the matter is that anyone who hooks into a 15 pound carp will have a blast. American fisherman are sitting one of the best and most underutilized carp fisheries in the world and the only reason why they aren’t going crazy for carp is that they don’t know how to catch a carp on a rod and reel.

Fisherman aren’t going to spend $1000 just to try carp fishing, so if we are going to introduce Americans to carp fishing we have to teach them how to do it on the cheap, preferably using gear they already have. Once they get carp fishing in their blood, then we can talk to them about $100 bite alarms.

Making some fancy tinfoil dinners in the fireplace is not a bad alternative to fishing in a winter storm.

Its snowing and sleeting outside. The water is high and muddy and its brutally miserable outside. You gotta know when to call it and stay home.

So, what does a fisherman do when a winter storm keeps him at home? I make fancy tin foil dinners for my wife and I. What makes it a fancy tinfoil dinner you ask?

Potatoes, carrots, onions, apple sausage, cilantro, garlic, a little canned jalapenos, some Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.

So I wrap it all up, stoke up the coals put on a movie and put my boy on my lap while we wait to eat. Not a bad alternative.

An Awesome Catfish Po-Boy Sandwich!

Ingredients:

  • 4-6 catfish fillets, about 1-2 pounds (remove skin)
  • 1 cup milk or buttermilk
  • Salt
  • 3/4 cup fine cornmeal (do not use coarsely ground cornmeal)
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • Old bay seasoning
  • Oil for frying (use peanut oil if you can)
  • Lettuce
  • Tomatoes
  • Sub roll

For Tartar Sauce

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 6 tablespoons sweet pickle relish or finely chopped bread-and-butter pickles
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

  • Heat oil to 350
  • Mix all the tartar ingredient in bowl
  • Mix the flour and cornmeal
  • Pour the milk or butter milk in a bowl and soak fillet for a few minutes
  • Pull fillet out of milk and salt it and sprinkle it with salt, pepper and old bay
  • Roll fillet in flour/meal mixture  and shake off excesses
  • Fry catfish until brown on both sides
  • Let catfish sit on towel get rid of excess oil.
  • Serve with tartar sauce on a roll with lettuce and tomatoes
  • Enjoy one awesome catfish po boy sandwich recipe

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