Bill Poch

Yesterday at BH I only managed 1 little guy on a 4" lizard back in the stickup. Drove over to the backwash around 8:00 to finish the night up. No love there. It was a little crowded and 1 guy was burning a buzzbait the entire time I was there, he didn't hit anything either. I saw a few big guys cruising through the tubes but they didn't want anything to do with what I was throwing out. I was considering just jumping in and trying to hand catch them. I tired a frog back in the stick ups, it's just a top water plastic frog that I must have bought awhile ago when I used to fish. No love there. I did just pick up a strike king frog on Ebay for 6 bucks brand new, but I don't think that will be here until Fri. I think I may roll back down to BH's tonight after work. I have the night free to fish and I'm not sure where I want to go. Maybe I'll check out google maps and look for a different place to try at BH's. That place is so hit and miss for me, but it's called fishing, not catching. My buddy I invited worked his way out of my "fishing buddy list" It was not very relaxing at all. He would fish 3' next to me and every time I tried to move away, he'd follow. He's a cool dude, but not fishing buddy cool. He's got a short fuse and would get extremely frustrated over trying to tie his line and really wouldn't let me do it for him. He was able to catch a small guy too, so I felt good about him at least catching something since he's just getting into it.

Let me know how you do. here is another spot up that way that's pretty easy wading https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=202352447626268459552.0004c42d99aa04d7d6cfe Here is the rocky spot I fish by Harpers Ferry. https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=202352447626268459552.0004c595f1e200e435122 PS - I love me some google maps!

I'll piggy back on the wading the Upper Potomac. I'm from Frederick so Harpers Ferry and Point of Rocks are really close to me and those are two spots I like to try and hit. For Point of Rocks I like to park on the VA side at the boat ramp and wade over to the MD side. The VA side is pretty easy wading and the MD side holds all the holes and rock ledges those big boys like to hide in. A few weeks ago the the river gauge was at 1.2 feet and it was cake, very manageable, right now it's 2.15. It's only a foot higher but it could be a little sketchy once you get closer to the MD side. I think I've read somewhere that if you want to safely wade Point of Rocks it should be 1.7 or lower. I've only really worked up river on the other side of the island above the bridge. But it looks like you can wade all over the place. A few weeks ago about 7:00 was when the bite seemed to pick up. As for Harpers Ferry, I park up on Harpers Ferry road on the MD side. There are a few spots you can get out and bounce around on the rocks. It's not a place for clumsy folks, you have to be pretty agile to get around safely. Also, if anybody is going to be out at BH tomorrow night I'm taking a buddy down there after work. Going to hit the stick ups for a bit then move over to the boat ramp area around 7:00ish. He's just got into fishing and I've tried to take him to a creek I fish, but he can't swim and his wife is paranoid about him being in 2' of water. So, I figured I see if I can get him some fish at BH. Oh great, this might be the last time I invite him. He just texted me saying his brother and Dad may come. I was looking for a fishing buddy, not fishing party. Although his Dad is suppose to be pretty Pro, so maybe I'll learn something.

Ken, those are some beauties.

Anybody know a part time Mercury outboard mechanic? We have a late 70's 9.8 that we can't get the thing to shift right. My brothers have been working on it and now they can't get the lower piece back onto the motor. They are pretty much stuck. This is the motor we got with the free boat and had it out once. There is a Mercury Dealer up in Thurmont but they want $90 an hour in labor and I'm sure it's going to be pricey to have them fix it. We are not really in the position to drop 500 - 600 bucks on the thing right now. Just thought I'd throw a line out there. . .

Hit BH with my brother this afternoon. Nothing at the stickups. Caught one little guy over by the backwash. Not much action for us today.

Nice looking boat Fatboy, congrats

Here's a question for you all. Has anybody camped along the potomac river between say Harpers Ferry and Point of Rocks? I'm not talking about going to a camp ground, but gone out, found a spot on the river and setup camp? I'm not sure how much of that stretch of the river would have river levels safe enough to run the prop on the Jon boat, but if we could find a place for that, it would be a huge plus. My brothers and I are interested in doing just that.

It's a prop. We didn't run up too far, about up to where those white balls are in the water. It's the first time we had her out and we were not sure how it would run.

It was smoking hot outside today but my brother's and I finally got our Jon boat ready for the water so we ran up to dam 4 on the Potomac. Put in about 7:00 and stayed out for 4 hours. We didn't catch anything. I've never fished up that way, so we just pretty much worked the shorelines with just about everything in out tackle box. Plus side is, the boat didn't sink. The motor needs a little tweaking but we now have a functional boat.

On a last minute decision I went to Point of Rocks tonight. It was the best decision I've made this year. Only caught 2 put 1 was my PB. 20" easy, 3+ lb smallmouth I also learned why not to use a swivel. After I got him in I was working him around to pick him up. He made one last effort for freedom and bent the swivel wide open. I've caught 4lb largemouth on those swivels. This guy was a beast. I've learned my lesson, swivel = bad.

Finally got out to Point of Rocks last night. Went up there with my bro last night for some fishing. I caught 15 smallmouths. The river gauge said it was 1.34 feet a point of rocks, and it was extremely wadable. We got in on the VA side at the boat ramp and were able to wade all the way over to the MD side. The MD side has more deeper holes and rock ledges where the fish are at. I caught ½ of them on a 3” power grub on a 1/8 oz jig head. The other ½ and biggest was caught on 4" lizards. They were crushing the lizards. I wish I was able to get a picture of the biggest, but just as I was reaching down to pick him up out of the water, he shook off. He was a good 16” if not bigger. These fish are so much stronger than the ones in the Monocacy. They also jump more. The 1st one I caught leaped out of the water a good foot and ½. It was awesome. So as long as the river is near 1.5 I’ll be going to point of rocks for now. Oh yea, don’t speed on 15, had a state trooper going the other way turn around to pull me over for doing 73 in a 55. I was just going with traffic and not even paying attention. He was cool though, said my record was clean and I should take it to court, which is a no brain er.

Muskie in the upper Potomac. My brothers and I are getting closer to getting our free Jon boat/trailer in the water and our madian voyage is going to be putting in up by Dam 4 on the Potomac. I've heard/read there are Muskie up there and I'd like to try and catch one. Any advice other than steel leaders, I've never fished for them before.

Thanks for the info. Is that area John boat friendly? My brothers and I have 14' John boat with 9.8HP outboard that we'll have water ready in a week or 2.

What part of the upper Potomac do you fish. I'm planning on trying to wade up there Tuesday after work just off Keep Tryst road, just a little down river from Harpers Ferry

I managed to get out and wade the Potomac up by Harpers Ferry tonight after work, Landed 3 smallies ranging about 13 -14" each. Caught on 4" zoom lizard. I really need to get some real wading boots. I'm just wearing leather sandals and managed to slip in fall in working my way back to shore. Lucky it wasn't deep and I caught myself on the rocks. Only my pride was hurt. I was alone and I'm pretty careful when I'm out there by myself, but these things happen. A friend of a friend said he's been crushing them on tubes lately up there.

I've seen what looks like largemouth in the creek through the center of town but I have to imagine you can't fish it because I've never seen anybody that does. Sounds like we need to make a 2:00am run to fish there. Oh wait, at 2:00am in downtown Frederick we're likely to get robbed.

Ran out to the pond at Baker Park for lunch today. Turns out there are bass in there. Caught using a 4" senko on shakey head jig.

While fishing the creek today, I came across a Large Mouth bass protecting it's bed. I was able to put the underwater video camera right next to the bed and record her. I ran my bait by her a few times to see if I could catch her even though I already caught her before thinking about video taking. At the 3:50 mark you can see my bait go by and a blue gill come and and grab it. Not the most exciting thing you'll ever see, but I think it's pretty cool.

I know how you feel. I've been throwing a 4" zoom lizard in my creek and the bluegills can't stay off the thing. I actually caught 2 blue's that were no more than 5" long with the entire lizard gone but it's head.

I hit up Middletown pond today for about 90 mins. Looks like the bass are spawning, I couldn't find any takers. I'm going to hit up a creek near by. My brother was out Wed and he said it's really starting to pick up. I'm taking a friend that hasn't fished in years, so here's hoping we get into some fish and he thinks I actually know what I'm doing. Might get up early and wade the Monocacy at Pinecliff on Sunday before a Bday party I have at noon.

Made it out Sat on my Uncle's boat in Solomon's Island for some strippers. He said it's been a pretty slow lately but the guy is one of the most knowledgeable fisher man I know. So we ended up 1 short on our limit 5 fish for 6 people on the boat. He out fished a few charter boats in his Marina which he seems to do all the time. There were 2 charter's that came back with combined 1 fish. This is also my 1st time fishing for strippers in the bay and it sure won't be my last. All 5 fish were about 30 - 32" Enjoy. . .