basser89

Hit dam 4 again today for a few hours. I did manage to get a temp with my cheapo thermometer. It read somewhere between 46-47. No luck, was throwing jerkbaits, tubes, 4" worm and stick baits.

That's the new Michigan state record that was caught a few months back. Field and Stream had a write up about it. There's several pics on their site with that beast!

Thanks wv. No, I didn't make it that far down from dam 4 so it definitely wasn't me. Mike, I should have known you were going to ask me the temps! LOL! Forgot my thermometer yesterday. Might pop out for a little today and I'll be sure to let you know. Not sure why the link didn't work? :-? Try it this way, Google waterdata.usgs. Then select Maryland, a MD map will pop up. I'm using the Hancock gauge which is a turquoise dot right at the thinest part of the state. Shoot me a PM on when you're going to come up this way and I'll make sure I don't have any conflicts. I've caught smallies on tubes when the water temps were down around 35, so I'd say you're safe to throw tubes.

Hey Dwight, I was just curious. What pound test FC leaders are you using? I'm using 65# test for these Potomac beasts.

Hey Mike, If you Google map Potomac River Dam 4, you'll go straight to it. I've made it up to the horseshoe section of the river up above the boat ramp in my 16' jon boat with an 18hp outboard with no problems. This time of year, you won't have to worry about the big cruisers and jet skiers (I won't even think about going there in warmer weather with my boat). For most of that stretch, you're looking at running in about 15-18' (if memory serves me right). Once you start getting up closer to the horseshoe, it does get shallower but not to the point that you'll bust up a prop, from what I remember. The next boat ramp up river from Dam 4 is at Williamsport. For all my fishing on the river up here, I track the levels on this guage: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?01613000 If the levels are above 3.5', I don't have a problem running my outboard up from Williamsport. Once the levels get lower than that 3.5', I've had to either idle up through or switch over to the trolling motor to keep going. The next ramp up that I know of is Four Locks which is above Dam 5. I haven't had a chance to fish up there on the boat yet so can say much about it. Hope this helps! Any idea on when you're looking to fish up this way?

Like the others have said, great read Chris! Thanks for posting!

Nothing but the palomar here too!

Nice fish Mike! Good to see you back on here! One of my friends and I were just talking about the walleye at dam 4 this morning. I've caught a few below the dam but they're usually few and far between. I did catch one about a month or so ago on a jerkbait right up at the dam but that was the only one. My friend is a lot more knowledgeable with walleyes than I am and he's never had any success there at all. Not saying they're not in there, it could be just timing on our part. I do have another area down from dam 4 that I get into some decent ones from time to time.

Thanks everyone! Come on down SPEED! Funny one hutch! But I will admit, I have an easier time with the smallies on the Potomac than I do on the Juniata! But then, I also get to fish water deeper than 3' when I fish down here! 8-)

Thanks Brian! evanj, Dam 4 is down stream of Williamsport. It takes me about 15 minutes or so to get there from where I live. I've caught a few walleye. I've managed to catch them between Williamsport down to the warm water discharge area at Dickerson. Personally, I don't think they fight really hard overall. My PB is a 24 incher but I can't comment on that fight since I was fishing for musky at the time. I pretty much brought her straight in to the boat. LOL! zero, That's a great PB you have there! I'd love to see a pic sometime!

I posted this in the outings section too but figured I'd share it here with you guys too! Only had a little time to get out today so I hit the Potomac at dam 4. I fished my usual spots below the dam without any luck. So I decided to head up above the dam before it was time to go. Found a decent little spot and started working a Berkley hand pour worm but no takers. So I picked up my jerkbait rod and started fan casting the area. I wasn't having much luck so I figured only a few more casts and I was going to take off. On the next cast, BANG! She hit only a few yards from shore! The fight was short but she managed to take some drag before I pulled her in! Measured 18" and weighed 3lbs 5oz on my Berkley scale which is a new PB for smallies for me! Here's a pic.

Only had a little time to get out today so I hit the Potomac at dam 4. I fished my usual spots below the dam without any luck. So I decided to head up above the dam before it was time to go. Found a decent little spot and started working a Berkley hand pour worm but no takers. So I picked up my jerkbait rod and started fan casting the area. I wasn't having much luck so I figured only a few more casts and I was going to take off. On the next cast, BANG! She hit only a few yards from shore! The fight was short but she managed to take some drag before I pulled her in! Measured 18" and weighed 3lbs 5oz on my Berkley scale which is a new PB for smallies for me! Here's a pic.

I have a BASS knife that I got for renewing my subscription several years ago.

Welcome aboard! I'm originally from central PA, Juniata county. I still make it up and fish the Juniata and Walker and Sayers and a few other places in PA from time to time. I haven't fished Colyer years!

I hit the discharge sunday but struck out there. The entire time I was there they never ran the warm water. > I did double check and the path to go down to the discharge is straight across where the fence on the opposite side of the canal starts. There's plenty of cover in the canal! I managed one small keeper out of there on a 1/4oz jig with a baby paca craw trailer. I'll admit, most of my big girls I've caught at Black Hills have come in the spring during the prespawn but if you look back through and read hellbenderman's posts on this thread, he gives some great insight on where and how to catch the big ones!

Sorry! After reading your post a little closer.... I do know there are muskies around Dickerson. Not a large population but they are in there. I'd still guess what you were seeing were either walleye or carp though. 2 ways to find the discharge area at Dickerson are either go straight down the path you took and head up stream. You'll probably walk about 15, maybe 20 minutes up through. Its an easier walk if you take the toe path up there! Its about a 10 minute walk up the toe path before you hook a left into the woods and come out at the lower end of the discharge channel. There's a small sign nailed to a tree. The easiest way to tell you is walk up through until you start seeing a fence on the opposite side of the canal (by the way, there are largemouths in the canal). Once you see the fence, start looking for the sign. Warning though, it can be wet and muddy just after you get down off the toe path! Be careful walking through there right now. They do allow hunting in there and I've heard several shots that were real far away! I wouldn't wear much brown this time of year around there!!!

Hey evan, I was fishing at PEPCO in Dickerson the other weekend and was catching smallies (nothing big) on stick baits. Not sure if you've fished there before but there was a decent amount of current that day. I added a small bullet weight to get the bait down. Think I was using a 1/16oz or 1/8oz weight. That was enough to do the trick! I'm not aware of many if any muskies that far down on the Potomac but it is possible. I know there's a small population that's started working their way south. The largest population of muskies (documented by DNR) is in Washington county. MskSlyr and I go out after them from time to time with some success. If I had to take a guess on what was boiling, I'd guess either walleye or maybe even carp. The bass in my avatar is my PB. I caught it back in the spring at Black Hills. She went 6lbs 9oz. The 2 bookends in my signature also came from Black Hills in years past. The middle pic was my previous PB that I caught in a small pond here in Washington county.

Welcome aboard evanj! I have to get down and fish the stretch you're talking about sometime! I keep hearing good things about that stretch but never seem to make it there. Hey Brian, caught one and lost one at Black Hills today at lunch. Jerkbaits!

Well shoot wv, you were there! All you needed to do was follow that path down around the plant and you were there! I usually park right there in the parking lot outside the plant and walk down around. The discharge is right there below the dam. The hole there isn't that big but if you have it to yourself and they're pumping, you can have a fair amount of action there.

Hey 714, Sadly, it hasn't been a great year for me fishing the Potomac for smallies. I've only had the boat out (between Dam 3 and Dam 4) twice due to truck problems. So the majority of my smallie fishing has been done from shore. My best smallie so far this year is a 16" smallie. My "unofficial" best is one about 20". Can't truely count it because while I had her in my hand, she got away from me before I was able to get a tape on her and weigh her. :'( Good luck if you make it out Brian! Unfortunately, I'll be working. :-/

Congrats on the new PB Basser714! Stick baits caught the majority of my smallies yesterday. purple/white swirl being my top color. Rapala Fat Rap and BPS XPS Static Shad had the crankbait duties and a 4" tube completed the arsenal on sunday. They really turn on right after they started discharging! Yeah Brian, I'd say within 10-15 yards of that spot is where my 2 biggest for that area came from. The water was a little off color and there's still some duckweed on top.

Congrats! That's a good musky for the Potomac! The best I've managed is a 45" 25 pounder I caught 2 years ago. It's been a bad year for me with the muskies, but I haven't been out much for them this year. What did you catch her on? Nice looking boat you have there too!

Is there a reason you're looking for a different hook? The other question would be, what kind of tubes are you using?

Nice looking "ski" you have there in your avatar Ed! Speaking of the WWD, I hit PEPCO this morning. Made it to the discharge about 7am and had the entire stretch to myself until 12! Managed 16 smallies and a largemouth. Missed a decent one at your spot on the canal Brian.

Picasso Rattlehead Strike King Premier Pro Model Plus XCiter (no longer in production)