Potomac River Fishing Reports
Readers reports (from our FISHLOG.)
Readers reports (from our message board.)
Maryland Reports (linked to Bass Fishing Home Page)
Virginia Reports (linked to Bass Fishing Home Page)
"If its numbers of bass your after, concentrate on grass edges along creek channels in creeks. Use hard twitch baits, wacky rigged stick worms and shaky head worms. Dont overlook any piece of wood or any object that cast a shadow. If its bigger bass you want, work a buzz frog or floating frog or rat across thicker grass beds along the main river and in the bays at the mouths of creeks. Also try a heavy weighted creature bait and plunge it through grass mats in the same areas."
Water Temperature: 86 degrees; Water clarity: 2 feet plus
"Week ending July 11, 2010 Tidal Potomac RiverI could write the same report over and over on the river for the next two months. Its FFP Flippin', Froggin', and Punchin'. We took two more big toads this past week a 7 and a 6.5, both were caught punchin' and flippin' a jig. I'm going into these grass beds a tearing them apart with a YUM Money Frog and Bass Pro's Kermy getting what we can get then settling in and flipping the holes if the grass is loose or punching it if its matted or just punching the thickest clumps. I'm using two lures for punching a YUM Wooly-Bug or the new YUM F2 Wooly-Bully. I really like this new Wooly-Bully bait I've had a couple fish nearly jerk the rod out of my hand, F2 does stand for ferosity-squared. I work the area between Occoquan and Arkendale this past week. Lake Anna No report this week.For more info on Lake Anna check out this site www.va-outdoors.com Rappahannock RiverNo report here this week. Other Places Sponsor of the week: YUMIn the last two weeks we have taken two 7-pound bass and one pushing that mark. Two of those bass as well as numerous other quality bass have fallen prey to the YUM Wooley-Bug. This style bait is without a doubt the best suit lure to punch heavy mats or thick clumps of milfoil. The action is a do nothing gliding action that just jumps into the face of these brutes causing a reaction bite. Because it lacks a bunch of appendages it flows through the thickest of weeds allowing for a more efficient presentation. Another lure of this ilk is the new YUM F2 Wooly-Bully."
Water Temperature: degrees; Water clarity:
"Early mornings and low tides make for good top water action. Bass like poppers or twitch baits worked along well defined grass edges in the creeks. As the sun rises we switch to Zero worms rigged wacky style. Jig worms or shaky heads, continue to produce along creek ledges and wood cover. Blue fleck or June bug colors work well. Grass frogs can be productive over the thicker grass mats in creeks and along the main river. Plunging creature baits with heavy sinkers through thick grass mats can result in some good size bass. We continue to recommend immediate release of bass at the location of catch. Water temperatures are in the upper 80s and bass do not do well after long periods in a live well."
Water Temperature: 88 degrees; Water clarity: 2 feet plus
"Week ending July 4, 2010We have updated our newsletter on our website please check it out. We also have started our Happy Hour Trips and our Early Bird Trips on the Tidal Potomac River a great way to get in on the action without the heat. Tidal Potomac RiverTypical summer fishing on the the Tidal Potomac F&F.(flippin and froggin) The fishing was getting off to a great start then that front rolled through and brought several days of slower fishing and wind out of the north. The wind cut down on some of my areas I had been fishing, but on the other hand it cleaned some of the green slime from the grass. We got some scattered frog bites but most of our fishing was taken by flipping or punching through the grass. The frog bite was mixed between moving frogs and popping frogs. I used the YUM money frog because it produces best under choppy water conditions. But punching a YUM Wooly-Bug into thick clumps produced best this past week accounting for most of the bass, including a 7-pound toad. Best color was Big-O-Craw and straight green-pumpkin. We were using a 1-ounce weight to punch the grass. Best areas were from Leesylvania to Aquia. With the return of the heat look for the frog bite to be highly productive. Lake Anna No report this week.For more info on Lake Anna check out this site www.va-outdoors.com Rappahannock RiverNo report here this week. Other Places Sponsor of the week: Bass Pro ShopsLike I said at the end of the week we were throwing a lot of weightless YUM Dingers to catch our bass. I throw my Dingers on a bait-caster spooled with 12-pound Bass Pro fluorocarbon. Bass Pro introduced its new carbonlite baitcast reel this year. This is the perfect reel for throwing this finesse presentation."
"Summer time is shaky head time. We start our mornings off with top water poppers but once the sun gets on the water we switch to shaky head worms. Any color seems to work. We concentrate on grass edges along creek channels and any downed tree or piece of wood that provides shade for the fish. One piece of wood may produce several bass. Marsh run offs, when the out going tide is pulling water out of them, has been good when fished with shaky heads also. If you want larger bass and have the patience, try plunging a creature bait through heavy grass mats in creeks or along the main river."
"FISHING REPORTThe 15th Annual St Jude Childrens Hospital TEAM tournament is next FRIDAY! 7/9! Contact TD Russ Shetley, bassman891@aol.com to sign up!Topwater bite is here&but you need to find clear, calm water, preferably under cloudy skies! Hollow frogs like the Manns Super Frog have been great! White or black! Hasnt seemed to make a difference. High water early in the morning, I like to use poppers over grass and up against the banks or pad edges. At lower tides early, grass edges or in the creek guts. Try a pop and stop before you move to a pop, pop, pop cadence. You can almost walk the dog with Lucky Craft G-Splash baits. Use the bigger G-Splash 80 for choppy water or for water with a bit of stain or at higher tides&provides a bigger target under these tougher conditions.But the hollow frog works whenever you have low tide. Braids are a must for these baits. Try slow presentations at first, until you set the tone and mood of the fish. If the water is clear, try over grass anytime, just work slower! Twitch and stop! Wait, they move again. Pay attention to what gets the fish to bite&then go a bit a faster. After that, a steady does of Manns Baby 1-Minus. The old Standby is the Mann's Baby 1-Minus! I like the splatterback blue on 14 to 17 pound test mono. Touch grass and snap! Hold on! This will get a lot of bass and it is probably the best overall lure from March into December! At higher tides Mann's Baby 1-Minus combs the water to locate fish&like a hound dog! Keep the 1-Minus close to cover I have been changing out my trebles with the NEW KVD Mustad Ultra Point Short Shank Triple Grip hook! This hook is a stout power fishing hook that is angled to keep fish from getting free. But the more important feature is the short shank! You can replace number 4 hooks with number 2!!!! This gives you a bigger bite without a hook that isn't too big for your bait! I am using 14-pound test and a medium action rod. The KVD Quantum rod at 7' is perfect. Who can argue with KVD's Classic success?!!!Another mover is white chatter baits&I like the Rock N Runner with a Manns HardNose Jerkshad trailer.White seems to work best now&but wait for the craw patterns to be a better choice. The Rock N Runner's blade thumps more. The small willow under the horsey-head adds a bit of flash and helps change the course of the bait. I am using two trailers, Mann's HardNose Craws and the HardNose jerkbait. I soak or spray every soft bait with garlic Jack's Juice! My secret lure I am building has been revealed in BASS TIMES! I have detailed all of the components I use found in Jann's Netcraft! Find detailed direction on assembly and pics at http://www.nationalbass.com/articles/chatterwacky.htmMy new bait, the Chatter Wacky is easy to build and awesome to fish. IT HUNTS! By design, it'll kick off to either side or jump to the surface, without warning! It may surprise you, but it will trigger a reaction strike from fish! Hold on! Soft plastics like the Mizmo tubes are the best way to pitch grass. Swim and kill too! Also remember, most bites come on the fall! SO watch your line and be ready when you go to lift it. Feel for the fish and set the hook! I also like to Texas rig Mizmo Tubes win green pumpkin/orange and the new Mizmo Swamp Monster in black/blue. Both of these are rigged on 3/0 Mustad Ultra Point tube hooks. Texas rigs with Berkley 100% fluorocarbon 17-pound test. Docks are holding fish too! I have also been tossing a bulkier Mizmo Swamp Monster. This is a compact bait with flapping claws and waving arms! The arms have a hollow pouch for rattles, but I have been putting Styrofoam in them! The arms stick up and a shake has them moving all around! Its getting near mat season! I am already pitching to mini mats, using a half-ounce Tru Tungsten weight with a Tru Tungsten Smart Peg system. On the few cloudy days and with chop on the water, I have been burning a double willow Manns Classic spinnerbait over grass when fishing clear water, using either a firetiger or all chartreuse skirt.Another bait that seems to have slipped into the bottom of a lot of tackle boxes is the Waker by Manns! This is a great bait as the tide rises just over the grass after the frog bite slows! Wake baits like the Mann's Waker are a good loud bait for water with little to no chop! You can work around docks and wood, but equally well over grass. Use a stiffer rod. HEADS UP! The vastly improved, under new management, Richmond fishing show is growing and moving! Jan. 21 - 23. Denny Brauer will be there ALL for all three days! The Richmond Fishing Expo is moving to the new State Fairgrounds of Virginia by Kings Dominion. The Meadow Event Park is a beautiful 65,000 sq. ft. facility with free marked parking all the way around the building. All one hall and in a great area. Ill be there as will many of your favorite vendors and many new ones. This show will be the biggest one in DECADES!Another crankbait is the Lucky Craft BDS 4. This was created for Takihiro Omori after he won the Classic with a balsa Bagleys bait. Lucky Craft created a had plastic cranker with the buoyancy of balsa, and the durability of plastic! This bait goes about 4 feet deep and will touch grass and snap away easily, triggering strikes. Try this at lover tides near grass edges with scattered grass out front or over grass at higher tides.For the stick worms, a few rigs are productive. The old standby Texas rig on the HardNose Super Finesse Worm or wacky style with a Mustad Weedless wacky hook. Red is good here! Also try the Mustad Ultra Point Octopus hook, 2/0 in red. Rig exposed wacky style or nose hook the bait. This comes surprisingly well through grass and almost always sticks the fish in the corner of the mouth.While the topwaters and moving baits are fun, when conditions dictate! There are times when only bottom probing soft plastics will work! Learn how to use them! If you want to know more about shaky head fishing&check out my article on shaky head fishing! http://nationalbass.com/articles/shaky.htm. For the latest content on my site, visit www.nationalbass.com. WEAR a PFD! Inflatables are good! Keep your throwable on deck! With the showers we get this time of the year, carry the new Frogg Toggs Elite Series, my year-round windbreaker and rain suit. These new Toggs are amazing and are loaded with pockets and features&and a very reasonable price tag! Stop me and check it out! Frogg Toggs (www.froggtoggs.com) Carolina rigs in and around National Harbor and the Spoils are great ways to fish down drops. Shorter leaders, about 18 inches are fine. I suggest using braid main line and fluorocarbon leader for maximum sensitivity. Also, the use of Tru-Tungsten weights will heighten sensitivity. Less is more. Leaving baits sit for a while is a great idea. I am finally giving up my secret soft plastic bait that I've been hand pouring for 20 years! It's pretty simple, but I can't make them fast enough to give to my clients&so, I'm turning over the recipe to R&R Custom baits. They are the hand pour experts! They'll be making them available with a twist&they will be made with a better mix of plastic&and they will float! BTW, fishing with spinning reels requires a good drag system like the smooth drag on the Quantum reels! I like the Quantum Energy reels. The bail wire is titanium&won't bend. There is no bail spring either&they use magnets. But, the way the line fits under the bail arm is really key! Light line requires a great fishing reel! For the rod, I like a 6'6 rod or longer. I like a medium heavy with a softer tip. Hooksets are more of a reel and pull since you are using thinner wire hooks like Mustad Mega Lite hooks!I have found the PERFECT drop shot tool! The FISHING Butler (Fishingbutler.com) secures drop shot weights to your rod when putting away! No VELCRO or rubber bands! This device is adjustable and can also be used to secure rods to each other.If you need a great reel repair guy who will get your gear going fast, an old friend of mine is ready to get your gear in ship shape! Cleaning and repair done locally and fast! He was trained by the best and I recommend him highly! Jim can be reached at http://www.DominionTackle.comServicing Shimano, ABU Garcia, Daiwa, Quantum, Penn and virtually all makes including Baitcasting, Spinning and Saltwater reels.The Silver Buddy lure is available again! Silverbuddy.com! Stock up!More important then where you fish, or what you are fishing with, is what you are doing to promote and grow our sport! If you haven't taken the pledge, please do it now! anglerslegacy.orgAutographed copies of Bassmaster Senior Writer Robert Montgomery's new book, Better Bass Fishing --- Secrets from the Headwaters can be purchased on eBay at http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250446715629 Montgomery has taken compiled decades of writing and fishing experience with the best in the fishing business.There's a link to see me as The Sunday Fox News Power Player of the Week. http://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html?playerId=011008&streamingFormat=FLASH&referralObject=5991907&referralPlaylistId=playlistPlease support your local tackle stores! Shop at Warbird Outdoors! They carry most of the baits I use! They can get anything you want! Just call! 703-878-3111 Their prices are the same as BPS!I found a GREAT NEW product! TRANSDUCERSHIELDANDSAVER. They even have a system for protecting the VERY expensive and EXPOSED Side Imaging transducers! Check them out: http://nationalbass.com/articles/transsaver.htmI detail features and benefits of specific products in my reports I have used extensively and have confidence. Mentioning product names is easier for you to match up with what I'm using. I answer fishing questions on Boatus.com based on my experience as a guide and with a little help from my friends: other writers, manufacturers, guides and top pros will contribute to my responses. Check it out at: http://my.boatus.com/askexperts/Hand poured plastics are back! Check out my article on the industry including mentions of R&R Custom Baits in this month's Sportsman's Magazine (thesportsmansmag.com)! I don't like the timing of the BASSMASTER Classic! Look for my Tournament Talk column in Woods & Waters. Check www.woodsandwatersmagazine.com. A limited FREE supply at Belle Haven Marina and at Bowes and Arrows. I've switched batteries to the DEKA AGM deep cycle&I've already noticed they don't take long to recharge! Full article on this new battery technology (http://www.nationalbass.com/articles/agm.htm)! I used them for 2 seasons in my 2008 Skeeter and they showed no signs of wearing down and I really use my trolling motor! My new 2010 Skeeter ZX 225 has GPS Humminbird with Side Imaging!!!!Coool! Also a Minn Kota Fortrex 36 volt trolling motor and NEW Yamaha SHO 4-Stroke&.the DEKA batteries will be even more important this year!Pro's Soft Bait Glue is new and improved&how could they? They improved the bottle! No more clogs! Much easier to apply on the water! I am insured by the experts in boat insurance, BoatUS! BoatUS Angler's membership program is part of the nation's largest association of recreational boaters protecting interests of boat-owning freshwater anglers. BoatUS Angler offers insurance policies specifically designed to meet the needs of today's anglers with fishing boats, including coverage for accidents with non-insured boaters, medical coverage for injuries, as well as salvage costs related to the recovery of a sunk or totaled boat. BoatUS offers GUIDE programs!!!! Click on my site link, nationalbass.com, for a free quote. For a special deal, use this code: FH200SCWant to learn how to teach someone to fish? Or looking for a few tips&? Check out my free videos (http://www.monkeysee.com/channel/show/89) It's no secret Maui Jims are the best polarized sunglasses&now improved for anglers over 40&Maui Readers are equipped with a small magnifier on the bottom of the lens so you can see to tie knots!!! The added magnifier doesn't interfere with regular vision! I love them! See what you've been missing! Mauijims.com. I suggest Maui Jim HCL (high contrast lens) polarized sunglasses for picking up cover in the water and seeing fish. Check around, most serious anglers are wearing them. Eye protection is important!!! Get a quality pair of polarized sunglasses. Sunglass Huts carry these. If you see me on the water, I'll let you check mine out. Polycarbonate Maui Sports are light as a feather and the optics are great. Confused over license requirements to guide on the Tidal Potomac River? I worked closely with the PRFC to come up with a grid of requirements to comply with DC, MD, VA and the PRFC on the Tidal Potomac. For a copy, http://nationalbass.com/reports/prfclicense.htm. And ALL guides have to carry a TWIC card too! I support efforts to see to it these rules are enforced!Pour your own swimbaits? Senkos? Lure Craft has a DVD that explains and demonstrates the entire process! Durable and exact aluminum molds enable you to make round baits! Customize swimbaits for a huge savings. Pour finesse worms for shaky head fishing, drop shots, and split shots and other soft plastics with easy-to-use molds from lurecraft.com. They have all of the supplies and plastic mixes for floating and for softness. Go on-line to find out more! (www.lurecraft.com 1-800-925-9088 for a free catalog). They can even make a mold for your design! Take a look at some of the baits I have made on: www.nationalbass.com (articles/lure-craft.htm)&call now to put your orders in! 1-800-925-9088It's Teva Time!!!!..Check out this video. Let's put the controversy to rest!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9V_nFWSQUE - There's a new style TEVA I just LOVE! OMNIUM, http://www.teva.com/ProductDetails.aspx?g=play&categoryID=436,440,447&productID=6148&model=Omnium Perfect for water sports&they are great for standing all day! New TEVA sandals are sport shoes&especially water sports like bass fishing! If you do not wear sport sandals from TEVA, you should! I have tried other footwear, including expensive basketball shoes. Matched with SealSkinz socks and you are winterized! TEVA's are very comfortable and have boat safe surfaces along with anti-microbial protection. TEVA's are comfortable and keep me on my feet...no butt seat either! Check out www.teva.com. There are some great tackle specials this month at Jann's Netcraft! If you want to be on the email list for these specials, contact me! Contact Jann's Netcraft for your free catalog! They have a great assortment of do-it-yourself supplies, and a great line of soft plastics too! By this time of the year, my rod tips are just about worn out on my cranking rods. The guides take a constant beating too! Toss out the rod that is really still in great shape? No way! I've learned how to replace guides on my favorite rods and they're ready to go! Check out their rod building and repair supplies. Get a tip kit, with many sizes for a variety of rods. If you want to learn how to make repairs or even build your own custom rods, they have a great rod-building instructional book and all tools and parts! They also have everything you need to make crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and buzzbaits. You can start from scratch or assemble the parts to build the baits you like to your exact specs&and save money too! Jann's Netcraft lure making, fly-tying, rod building, and soft baits! They've been around for a long time and have a great selection of lure making materials too! Check them out at www.jannsnetcraft.com or call 1-800-NETCRAFT!I finally replaced my good old 1995 Nissan 4WD truck. The new Nissan Frontier really tows my Skeeter with ease! I bought this truck from PASSPORT Nissan and I've been buying my vehicles from the owner since 1978! If you have any questions about NISSAN trucks, please forward to me! Nissan is running low interest rates or cash back on Titan, Frontier and Xterra. Bob Gasbarri knows NISSANS and he knows trucks! Give him a call at 703-461-5279 with any towing questions! Let me know if you'd like to set up a test drive! CONTACT ME; I'LL GET YOU A BELOW INVOICE NO HASTLE PRICE! MIZMO tubes, Punisher Jigs, and most of the Lucky Craft and Mann's baits are now in Bass Pro Shops latest catalog&look for them!2010 Potomac Tides under REPORTS AND TIDES . Print a copy.New to the river? Get a pro-quality map for fishing the Potomac and for other Virginia waters map from GMCO: www.gmcomaps.com. They list popular locations and hidden dangers of navigating the Potomac. Have fun! Questions, comments or booking a trip: info@nationalbass.com. I have a lot of articles on various strategies and techniques on my site. If you have a suggestion for an article, let me know. Check out my website: www.nationalbass.com. I can't fish the entire river all the time; so if you have some information to share, let me know.Captain Steve Chaconas/National Bass Guide Service/SEOPA "Take me fishing!" .·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸> >"
Water Temperature: 82 degrees; Water clarity: 1-2 feet
"Water temperatures are in the upper 80s and we recommend immediate release of bass in the area where caught. Bass do not do well when kept in live wells for long periods in such extreme heat, as demonstrated by the number of dead bass we are seeing around some launch sites. Regardless of the heat, our top water bite has remained fairly consistent with poppers being our preferred morning bait. As the sun rises higher, we switch to a grass frog which we retrieve over thick grass beds. The bass continue to hit the frogs throughout the day. The spinner bait bite was productive with good bass hitting slow rolled spinner baits around grass clumps and over wood or rock cover. Plastic worms, in purple or June bug color, collected good numbers of bass when worked along defined grass edges or along creek channels with a quick drop into deeper water. Jig and craw combos also worked well. Main river grass beds are still producing some of our larger bass. We work grasses with frogs , Zero worms, spinner baits and jig and craw baits. We swim the jig in areas where the grasses are sparse and pitch it into thicker clumps. All parts of the river and creeks seem productive so you dont have to boat far from where you launch."
Water Temperature: 89 degrees; Water clarity: 2 feet plus
"Week ending June 27, 2010We have updated our newsletter on our website please check it out. We also have started our Happy Hour Trips and our Early Bird Trips on the Tidal Potomac River a great way to get in on the action without the heat. Tidal Potomac RiverAnother great week on the Tidal Potomac. Tuesday and Wednesday were the best frog days yet. Tuesday it was the Popping variety and the very next day they wanted that moving frog like the YUM Buzzin Frog or Money Frog. If the water is slick I'll throw the Buzzin Frog it it's roughed up by the wind a little I'll throw the Money Frog. Fast forward to the end of the week and you had to throw a YUM dinger to get bit. We rigged the 5-inch dingers weightless on a 3/0 Xcalibur EWG Hook and we Texas rigged the 4-inch model with a 1/8-oz weight. Best colors were pumpkin-pepper with green flake or green pumpkin. Good areas were Aquia, Arkendale, Douge, Mt. Vernon, and Mattawoman. Folks the fishing is awesome on the river right now but it is hot make sure you hydrate, and not with just water bring something with some electrolytes, I've been using Vitamin- Water. Fat-boy lost 8-pounds this week, by the end of the week I had to keep hiking my shorts up. Lake Anna No report this week.For more info on Lake Anna check out this site www.va-outdoors.com Rappahannock RiverNo report here this week. Other Places Sponsor of the week: Bass Pro ShopsLike I said at the end of the week we were throwing a lot of weightless YUM Dingers to catch our bass. I throw my Dingers on a bait-caster spooled with 12-pound Bass Pro fluorocarbon. Bass Pro introduced its new carbonlite baitcast reel this year. This is the perfect reel for throwing this finesse presentation."
"There is a good early morning or late evening top water bite. Many top water baits will work but our favorite has been a small popper worked along grass beds or marsh banks. As the sun rises and the top water bite slows we switch to a Zero worm rigged wacky style or weedless and without any weight. Chatter Baits and spinner baits are working around grass and wood cover. Main river grass beds seem to give up larger bass and our go to bait has been a jig and craw combo either worked with a swimming retrieve or pitched into opening in the grass and worked in short hops. The snakeheads have reached such proportions that we now can target them in certain areas. They love shallow water and we are having success with Strike Kings Zero worms and Manns Baby 1-Minus crank baits."
"Week ending June 20, 2010We have updated our newsletter on our website please check it out. We also have started our Happy Hour Trips and our Early Bird Trips on the Tidal Potomac River. Tidal Potomac RiverIt was on like Donkey Kong this past week on the big river. The frog bite was as good as it gets except for Wed. for whatever reason, maybe I was in all the wrong places that day. I concentrated my efforts from Mattawoman north to the WW Bridge fishing main river grass and grass in Dougue and Pohick Bay. The frog I mainly used was the YUM Money Frog in black and El-Jefe. Other productive lures YUM Money Minnow swimbaits, 5-inch YUM Dinger in Pumpkin/green flake and straight green pumpkin. Lake Anna We're getting some early morning action up the North Anna throwing Booyah spinnerbaits and buzzbaits. Then as the sun comes up I'm moving back down the lake and fishing offshore structure. The images coming back to me from my side imaging 1197 Humminbird on some of the structure will blow you away. We used drop-shot and Carolina Rigs as well as Bomber Fat-Free shad cranks when fishing the offshore structure. For more info on Lake Anna check out this site www.va-outdoors.com Rappahannock RiverNo report here this week. Other Places Sponsor of the week: All the dedicated dads out there There is no more important job in the world than being a dedicated dad. Happy Fathers Day!!"
"We are finding good bass in main river grass beds up and down the river. Buzz baits or buzz frogs work well as do chatter baits or spinner baits slow rolled around the grass clumps. Our bigger bass are coming on a jig and craw combo worked around the clump grass or retrieved in a swimming motion through the open areas. Grass with water four to five feet deep has been best for us. There are numbers of bass to be found in the creeks although they seem to run a little smaller. Marsh banks, grass lines in front of spatterdock pads or along creek ledges give up bass to rattle baits as well as plastic worms or the Strike King Zero worm rigged wacky style without a weight. Boat docks and downed trees also hold bass as do rock piles and bridge pilings."
Water Temperature: 82 degrees; Water clarity: 2 feet plus
"Week ending June 6, 2010 Tidal Potomac RiverIn addition to some guide trips, I also spent a lot of time practicing for the FLW American Series tournament that was held on the river this past week. I always have a lot of valuable intel that I like to pass on to you guys after one of these practice deals. The spawn this year has been very erratic thus caused the big bite to be scattered. I looked for a concentration of post-spawn girls that may have spawned at the same time, but I couldn't find them. However Bryan Schmitt did, congratulations to Bryan for an impressive win. I did what I have been doing in my guide trips covering a lot of ground and saturating the areas with chase baits like YUM Money Minnows, Booyah spinnerbaits, and a Booyah Boogie Bait. This pass week Occoquan continued to produce as well as the Pamunkey Creek area, Greenway Flats, Mount Vernon, Piscataway, and Broad Creek. Down south Arkendale did well along with some of the coves inside Aquia. The one common denominator was the quality bass liked the deeper edges and isolated clumps of milfoil in that same deeper water, The frog bite is really beginning to heat up with spawn getting further away. I fully expect to slay them on the frog this week. Lake Anna No report this week.For more info on Lake Anna check out this site www.va-outdoors.com Rappahannock RiverNo report here this week. Other Places Sponsor of the week: Castaway RodsThere is no secret that I use the Booyah Boogie bait a lot and that my clients and I catch a lot of quality bass on them. I use only one rod for that lure and that is the Castaway East Texas Grass Rake. It has the right amount of tip for casting and doesn't adsorb the lures action, but it surely digs the iron in a fish when you set the hook. Gives me goose bumps thinking about it!"
"The morning top water bite is hot with bass preferring poppers worked over grass or along defined shallow grass edges or marsh banks. Grass frogs or rats will draw strikes when fished over the thicker parts of grasses. Snakeheads will intercept grass frogs or Zero worms that are worked far into arrow arum pads or very shallow grass cover. Chatterbaits worked along grass lines or through sparse grass work well as do spinner baits or shallow running crank baits. The thick grass beds along main river areas seem to have larger bass that like a creature bait plunged through the thickest grass. A heavy jig and craw combo also will work. Summer patterns are the standard and many patterns will work such as rocks, docks, bridge pilings wood or wrecks. Many fat blue gill remain in shallow water along creek shorelines. They like small crappie tubes or crickets suspended under a bobber."
Water Temperature: 81 degrees; Water clarity: 2 feet plus
"Week ending May 30, 2010We have updated our photo page with some of our springtime results and happy clients please take a moment to check it out. We worked hard due to the weather and looking back at the results all the hard work paid off! Tidal Potomac RiverThe topwater action was definitely better this past week from mid river (Mattawoman to Aquia) to down south. Booyah buzzbaits are still my preferred method, but we had a good day with the XCalibur Zell-Pop on Arkendale and Aquia. In the mid river area from Quantico to Occoquan we still did good on Booyah Boogie baits and spinnerbaits. These lures worked really well on incoming water as the water built in over the grass. Lake Anna OA Guide Scott Favors and his clients found bass at Lake Anna beginning their summer patterns. He did very well working main-lake points with a shaky-head and drop shot. The grass in the North Anna is still producing but the fish are pulling back around mid morning to deeper areas just outside the grass. Grassy points and grass beds with deeper drops in front of them worked best. The bass on the Pamunkey munching crankbaits on rocky points above the S-turns. For more info on Lake Anna check out this site www.va-outdoors.com Rappahannock RiverNo report here this week. Other Places Sponsor of the week: BooyahReally? Is there a better way to catch bass than on a buzzbait!"
"The top water bite is strong with bass hitting buzz baits, grass frogs or poppers when fished around grass beds and marsh banks as well as over wood cover. Summer patterns are the standard now with grass beds, marsh banks, wood cover or creek ledges producing many bass. We prefer the grass beds on the flats during the higher part of the tides. After the top water bite slows we switch to Chatterbaits or Strike King Zero worms in green pumpkin colors over the grasses and in visible holes in the grass. We move to the outer edges of grass on the lower end of the tides where bass like Chatterbaits, Manns Baby-1 Minus, Zero worms and jig and craw combos. Any wood cover seems to hold bass as does rip rap areas and boat docks that are fairly free of grasses. Ledges in front of spatterdock fields in the creeks have good numbers of various sized bass that really like a jig worm, commonly called a shaky head. Blue colors and pumpkin colors work well. Big blue gill are still being caught along shallow gravel bank areas. They like a white fly rod popper or a small crappie tube suspended about 10 inches beneath a bobber. For kids, try a cricket suspended under a bobber. Snakeheads continue to make their presence know in shallow waters and we are hearing that night time archery fishing for this invasive species is catching on."
Water Temperature: 75 degrees; Water clarity: 2 feet plus