VolFan

Don't go pulling out the benjamins just yet. Since you want to keep it to one rod, I'd say keep the medium. It's going to be a far more versatile and fun rod to fish. I would switch to braid, I use Fireline Crystal, and use a 2 foot flouro leader. The braid has almost no stretch, so you'll get a better hookset with the lighter rod, sometimes its even an advantage to have some give in the rod with braid. That's not a big jig you're using and I'm guessing you're not dragging in a 2 lb fish with 10 lbs of hydrilla. Past that, sometimes I'll set the hook to the side instead of over the top. Finally, and ost importantly: Keep your hooks very, very, very sharp. Keep your hooks very, very, very sharp. Keep your hooks very, very, very sharp. If youset the hook during a cast, check the hook, just in case it was a rock or log.

Not right now. I'd wait until Sunday unless you're going to fish way back in a creek. There's alot of logs and flotsam in it right now around DC and Alexandria. Be careful if you're running at any speed.

Zoom trck worms and/or senko-style baits, fish weightless and twitched through current have always been my goto on the smaller rivers. As someone said, the Ober and Obed near there have some fantastic smallmouth as well, and a few muskies to keep it interesting.

Amen Marty! Amen!

A big tube jig, texas rigged, weightless, preferably one without salt as the salt makes it sink too much. As long as you keep twitching, it'll stay on top. You can then let it flutter down in holes. Works great on mucky lakes as you can hide the hook eye, the shape of the tube sloughs off weeds, and the bass generally haven't seen it before.

If it ain't broke, don't break it. XL is great line, and I used it for years. I still use it for leaders on my Fireline Crystal. I don't recomend the Crystal unless you have some patience to break it in.

What he said. I also like trick worms in any color, as long as it's green. Fished weightless or with a keel weighted hook and twitched back.

Two schools of thought on this that should work: 1. Speed it up or change directions to make the bass think it's getting away. 2. Drop it right in the bass's face/slow it to a crawl. Either will work sometimes, sometimes neither will work. But sometimes they both do.

The wife and I fished it from about 9a-1p today. Two short fish one each on a spinnerbait and buzzbait. Both seemed to be males. Water was pretty murky for Smith. Nada dragging jigs/plastic worms, crankbaits, swimbait, or anything else. Tough morning out there.

Gold Shiner Booyah spinner bait. 3/8 oz with tandem gold willows. Top to bottom, shallow to deep, summer to winter. It'll always shake off the skunk.

That's probably for waters inside Great Smoky Mountains Nat'l Park. i'm not aware of restrictions like that statewide.

I'm going off the reservation here but, in farm ponds and/or with smaller buzzbaits, a bluegill or gold colored skirt works ridiculously well. It's held true on lakes in TN, CO, and on th Potomac and some small ponds in VA. But really, if you just get black and white, you're going to have fun. DON'T OVERTHINK IT!

I don't suppose anyone'd be interested in selling a dozen of those to me? The stripers are gonna be running in the Potomac soon! PM me if interested. I'd be interested in some in a 3/0 to 5/0 size in shad or bluegill colors. Thanks, Greg

Rubber legged olive buggers with a little flash (bead head or flashabou are good). Otherwise you sound like you're doing it right, just wait for a little warmer water or fish a little slower and deeper. The guy that said saltwater flies had it right too. Get sme darker colored streamers and twitch them through deep holes.

I fished the Potomac from the bank in and around DC this past weekend, and had a pretty good spnnerbait bite. You don't need to go as slow as you'd think.

you can soak the spool in warm water for five minutes and then respool. You can also trail it downstream of you to get out any twist. Finally if the other two are out, you can unspool it across a large grassy area, tie the end to something, put it under tension for a minute or two, and then respool, letting it drag across the grass.

That's easily 15 lbs, I'd probably guess more than that. Nice fish

I use fireline crystal for pretty much everything now. It takes several casts to get it broken in, but that's the same with most lines new on the spool. It has very good sensitivity, and I find less reason to use a leader with the crystal. I'm not a big fan of the original black however.

Mostly the Potomac in and around DC; it a fantastic diverse fishery. Also am starting to turn on to the lakes on Quantico. I'm looking for some pike in MD as well.

Awesome, thats only 30 miles away from me. Perfect!

I actually feel like I get less action with them; I think they're more smoke than fire.

Hit the Dream Stream or hit Antero, Eleven Mile, or Spinney Mountain for big trout or pike. Big wooly buggers or crawdad flies in any of the three, or possibly some swimming damselflies around the weeds. There's way too many options...

Yeah I saw that. They're supposed to be in a lake in Fredericksburg as well (we tried it, didn't work out). I just didn't think there were enough to really target.

Awesome, it's getting about that time...

Anyone pike fish in SE Pennsylvania or Maryland? basically anywhere within decent driving distance of Washington DC? I'm looking for someplace to take the wife, she loves the pike.