RockvilleMDAngler

4MR = Four Mile Run. A virginia creek off the Potomac River. There is a sewage treatment plant that heats the water in this creek causing it to be a d**n good fishery. It is also easily accessible from shore.

I fished today and struggled until the outgoing tide. No luck at blue plains as the best spot was taken and a few other boats tried to move-in and a fight nearly broke out. Got a nice smallie in the spoils but finally came into some numbers of good fish at 4MR on a shakey head. Unfortunately I broke a cable on the foot pedal of my trolling motor so I can't go out tomorrow and might not get out next weekend :-(

Carolina rig on main lake and secondary points. A 4" senko or trick worm works great on the carolina rig this time of year. That lake is awesome!

I plan on launching between 8-9 AM depending on the temperature. Low tide is at 6:30AM but I don't want to launch when the air temps are 31 degrees if I don't have to. I will finalize the launch time as we get closer to Saturday and the weather report firms up.

Somehow I dont think we're talkin bout fish here I meant his wife who is taking him to BPS then wants to fish on the James River. My wife will not consider going out on the water until it gets into the 70's and even then I consider myself very lucky that she will even fish with me at all!

New Angler - She is a keeper! BankRobber - We are good to go! PM Sent! Steve - Whenever you want to go just let me know! I have a tournament on the 20th and I am booked on the 28th but any other time just let me know! NOVA - I will post a report for Saturday and Sunday, hopefully it is encouraging!

New Angler PM'd me first and if it is OK with his wife he is coming. If he can't then BankRobber can come along. I would like to take both but my 16'2" boat is not suitable for 3 people if I have to use the big motor (which will be required).

I am going to be hitting Blue Plains/Spoils on Saturday and on Sunday I will be fishing in the Belle Haven/Hog Island/Broad Creek/Piscataway Creek area to see if I can find some fish that aren't relating to the warm water discharges. My boat is full Saturday but I have an open back deck on Sunday.

It's cuz your boy Thai has been banned for the past week! I really want to hit up the occoquan river this weekend in the kayak. ANy of you yakers down? Whoa when/why did that happen?!

I might be going out Sunday out of Belle Haven.

Launching with a jonboat and crossing the river is a bad idea. Some days there is barely a ripple and other days it is very very rough. Often the river will look very calm in the morning but will liven up significantly by noon, I would hate to be in a jon boat making that run with bad weather. Smallwood State Park or Slavins Ramp are both great launch facilities and put you right in the middle of Mattawoman which is very safe for jonboats. If you don't want to leave VA then launch at the Occoquan River and fish that area.

That book Big Bass Zone by Bill Siemental is an awesome read. I don't throw swimbaits often but that book does more than just tell you how to fish swimbaits, it explains an entirely different outlook on bass fishing that has helped me put bigger fish in the boat. You can pick up a copy at http://www.bass fishin. com/store/big-bass-zone/

The VA/MD/DE area has more fishing options than anywhere else in the country. You may not catch double digit fish but you will have more variety than anywhere else. The places I have listed are within a 3-4 hour drive from Northern Virginia, places marked with a * would be further than 3-4 hours from Central our Southern VA, places with a # have a hp restriction or are electric only. Lakes: Lake Gaston Kerr Lake (aka Buggs Island) Lake Anna Occoquan Reservoir # Conowingo Reservoir * Deep Creek Lake * Chickahominy Reservoir Triadelphia Reservoir # Rocky Gorge Reservoir # Briery Creek # Little Seneca Lake at Black Hills Regional Park # Tidal Rivers/Bays: Potomac River Rappahanock River Chickahominy River James River Middle River * Elk River * Sassafrass River * North East River * Susquehanna Flats/Upper Chesapeake Bay * Choptank River * Nanticoke River * Wicomico River * Pocomoke River * Non-Tidal Rivers (many of these are too rocky for fiberglass bass boats but work well with aluminum jet boats or canoes, these waterways offer great smallmouth fishing): Upper Potomac River Upper Susquehanna River * Shanendoah River * Upper Rappahanock River Rapidan River Upper James River New River Those are all the waterways I can think of off the top of my head but there are definitely more that aren't coming to mind right now. I primarily fish the Potomac River but I fish many of these waters at least once a year.

In

Tournament angling is a different ballgame than fishing for fun, it is expensive and very competitive. I would recommend joining a bass club so you can learn co-angler etiquette and learn from guys who are experienced but who aren't out to win thousands of dollars. If you just start fishing the big tournament as a co-angler it can be a very frustrating and expensive experience. The boaters in the big money tournaments care about their success and are not concerned with helping a new guy out (there are expections but a big $ tournament is no place for a rookie). Join a club and meet some guys you like to fish with, then team up with them in a Warbird team tournament or the like if you want to step up to go against the top dawgs. In my first two years fishing tournaments as a co-angler with my club (http://www.fishonbassclub.com) I learned a ton! When I got my boat I knew the Potomac River and Lake Anna pretty well and I was able to compete outside the club in some bigger tournaments without getting embarassed.

I go through those things like gummi bears in winter time on the Potomac River.

Early in the season Port Tobacco and Nanjemoy can be dynamite, but as the summer approaches the bass tend to move up the river or bury themselves in the grass, especially if it has been a dry spring or summer. If you are going to trailer your boat I would go up to Smallwood State Park at Mattawoman Creek and fish one of the best spots in America. If you try the VA side be sure to hit up Potomac and Aquia creeks, they hold bass all year and can be phenomenal early in the spring. The tidal Potomac is a world class fishery but it can also be tough, I would recommend taking a guided trip, you will learn some spots but more importantly you will learn how to navigate some of the treacherous waters. Do not launch in the DC area without first studying a map or going out with a guide, lots of stuff there can rip your lower unit off.

How about Sunday the 14th?

Can we do next Saturday?

I guess we are still going then! I am looking forward to it!

So will the decision to go or stay be made tomorrow evening?

Right back at ya buddy!

I am psyched for this but I agree with Steve that the roads will be really tough if there is a lot of snow in that area. Those roads are not as well travelled as the ones further North and would not get as much snow treatment.

My trolling motor will be ready by tomorrow so my boat is good to go for Sunday. Let's just hope that the weather cooperates!

If we have serious snow accumulation (6 inches or more) I might have to bail only because I don't feel comfortable driving that far towing a boat in snow. Plus once you get off of I95 those roads towards Anna are pretty narrow and I would be surprised if they are all plowed and salted at 6:00AM. If the roads are fine I am there! I wouldn't be surprised if the whole storm misses us.