AH
Anthony Hicks
“Striperholic”
Addicted to chasing stripers since they were introduced to him more than 30 years ago.
Guides & boats
Meet the man behind the rods.
Jim Hemby has fished for 50 years and chased Lake Anna stripers for most of them. Here's his story, in his own words.
“Jim Hemby is ‘The Man’ on Lake Anna.”Game & Fish Magazine · February 2025
Jim's story
Hooked for fifty years.
- Age 5
Weekends on the Potomac
“My father started me off fishing every weekend since I was 5 years old, fishing for bass on the Potomac.”
- The 1980s
Tournament years
Jim fished BASS tournaments, an average of 20 to 25 a year.
- 1989
Moving to Lake Anna
He moved to the lake to build and run a marina down lake, Pleasants Landing, with his wife.
- The turning point
A 15-pound striper
“One day she hooked a 15 pound striper on a jerkbait, and that's when I got hooked on striper fishing.”
- Finding his crew
Among the addicted
He fished with friends who were just as hooked: Anthony Hicks (“Striperholic”), Danny Ratcliff (“Baitrunner”), and Gene Hord, “a guide who knew every striper by name back then.” He knew guiding stripers would be his destiny.
- From lures to live bait
Gizzards and herring
He fished artificial lures for six or eight years, until he saw what gizzard shad and herring would do to a striper. Now there's always a tank of bait on board, along with his favorite lures.
- Today
Lake Anna Striper Guide Service
After a couple of years as an associate guide for another service on the lake, Jim started his own. His customer base grew enough that he brought on more guides, and they team up on the water to find the schools.
“I am the only guide on the lake who fishes for stripers full time. My clients catch more stripers than all other guides' clients… combined.”
In Jim's words.
How Jim fishes
Covering the water, top to bottom.
Jim spreads live bait across the whole water column. When the fish are shallow he throws topwater plugs and swimbaits, and when they go deep he jigs spoons and flukes.
Shallow fish
Boards & freelines
Planer boards rigged with gizzards or herring, plus a bobber way behind the boat and a freeline.
10–12planer boards
In transition
The full spread
About 10 planer boards, 6 to 8 downlines and a bobber, covering every depth across a spread about 80 yards wide.
18rods at a time
Deep fish
Downlines
Ten downline rods that put the bait right in front of the fish.
10downlines
Jim's boat
Built for live bait.
Jim fishes from a 2007 22' Crest Super Fisherman Center Console Tri Toon. It has couches, fishing chairs, and a 9' Bimini top to keep you cool in summer and dry in the rain. There's plenty of room for 5 anglers, and Jim says it's the best layout there is for fishing live bait.
- MotorYamaha 150 HP four stroke
- Trolling motorMinn Kota Terova i-Pilot
- ElectronicsLowrance HDS with StructureScan & GPS, plus 2 more units
- Livewells3 built in
- Bait tank50 gallon Bluewater
- Rod holders20 Driftmaster
Tackle: Ambassador 6500C reels, Shakespeare striper rods, Berkley Big Game and Vanish fluorocarbon leader with braid, Water Bugz planer boards, Eagle Claw circle hooks.
The crew
Four more guides, 100+ years on the lake.
The other guides have well over 100 years of combined experience fishing for stripers on Lake Anna. They fish from a Crest pontoon rigged just like Jim's, plus two Champion bass boats for smaller groups or high wind.
DS
DP Seay
Second generation
A second-generation lake fisherman (his father is Donny Seay) who has fished the lake his whole life.
BM
Brian Mohr
Former client
Started as a client and got completely obsessed with stripers.
TS
Tony Smith
Always happy to hook you up
Always happy to get his clients on stripers. Two catfish over 30 pounds have recently come off his boat.
Book a morning on the water
Ready to hear your drag scream?
Calendars fill up in the busy months. Call or text Jim to check dates. He'll set the departure time for the season.
Call or text (540) 223-0850Email jim_hemby@hotmail.com