Lord Castlereagh

Tales of the Fish Volume I A Surprise Ending Loudoun County, VA, Goose Creek and the Potomac River I arrived at the Kephart Bridge landing at 1122am and walked the 50 yards from my truck down to Goose Creek. The plan was to follow Goose Creek downstream for the 20 minute walk to where it meets the Potomac River. I would stop and throw a few casts along the way, and also take the water temperature, which turned out to be the same as at the Izaak Walton League pond in Loudoun: 49 degrees. I've spent the entire winter fishing that pond for largemouth, and have been very disappointed. I'm a new fisherman, and realize that winter fishing is a pain, but, still, I believe I should have been more successful after 30 or so trips. There was one day in January, however, when I nabbed three largemouth in 90 minutes. It was a fabulous day for fishing--55 degrees and mostly cloudy, and the waterfowl were very active. I'm going to make a point of identifying those birds in the near future, as I know only a few by name. I reached the Potomac with no bites, sigh, but my hopes were still high, as I'd heard both on this website and from others that smallmouth begin spawning earlier and at lower temperatures than their larger-mouthed brethren. Heading downriver, I was on the lookout for a rock ledge that supposedly spanned the river and that held ungodly numbers of fish year round. I'd read of this ledge on another website last July. In my previous visit to the river, I was very surprised that I could not find it. If I again could not find it, I would keep heading downriver to a jumble of rocks that I had fished on my one previous trip. Sure enough, I walked the 100 yards indicated by the other website post and found no rocks. I continued on to the rocks that I had earlier fished. After a 13 minute walk, I got there, and realized with a start that this rock pile was indeed the rock pile referenced on the other website. I hadn't realized it before for two reasons: the man had said it was 100 yards from Goose Creek. Well, it was not 100 yards, it was a 13 minute walk. Also, he said the ledge went clean across the river. That may be true in a severe drought, but as it was, the ledge extended only about 100 feet into the river. Other than that, it was exactly as described: a massive ledge made up of house and car-sized boulders that extends from the shore, and points at a 35 degree angle back downriver. A blind man could see the possibilities for tons of fish: drop-offs, slack pools, current breaks, and everything else that massive rock ledges give you. This is where the day began to go downhill. First the water was higher than last time, so I had to remove my boots and wade to get to the rocks. Then the rocks were slippery and treacherous, making me move VERY slowly. Then I began snagging and losing lures at an alarming rate. And the ledge acted as a massive trap for trash moving downriver, this, combined with the increasing cloud cover made for a very gray and very ugly day; I just don't like fishing while surrounded by trash. After a good hour on the rocks, I had perhaps fished for a maximum of 15 minutes. Zero bites. I left in disgust, not even bothering to take the water temperature, presuming, but not caring at this point, that the temperature was the same as the Goose Creek temperature. I made my way back toward Goose Creek, a very beautiful body of water, by the way. After a few minutes, the clouds broke, and sun came out, and my mood improved greatly. I reached the confluence of the two waters and fished for about half an hour. Zero bites. I then began the 20 minute walk back to the truck, stopping about 10 times to give exactly one cast at accessible spots. Zero bites. I got all the way back to the last spot, the spot where the trail from the truck meets Goose Creek. It was my last cast. Now I know what you're thinking: last cast? Sure! I myself do it all the time: I tell myself this is the last cast, and then 20 casts later, I finally quit. But this time I'm pretty sure I meant it. After all, I had just done single casts all the way back down the Goose, right? Just to the left of where the parking lot trail hits the water, there is another rock pile, perhaps 10 feet tall, and jutting out into the water maybe another ten feet, but this ledge, small as it is, creates at least two small slack areas. I climbed the rocks and, at 328pm, cast my 5 inch, Texas-rigged, white fluke to the slack pool to my right, and bang! She hit it and I brought her in. Well, that certainly wasn't the last cast now, was it? I hit the pool maybe ten more times before I snagged and lost my lure. Its head had been bitten off by something last summer anyway, so that was fine with me. The fish, destined for tonight's skillet is 13 inches long and 17.5 ounces in weight. That all happened yesterday and I'm really still on cloud nine. One dinky little fish after four hours of futility… Funny how fishing will do that to you. Until next time, Lord Castlereagh

Hi, All: I'm going Potomac River fishing tomorrow for smallmouth. What is "weightless TR"? Have to know this before heading out tomorrow. Thanks

Thanks, WRB. So much good information. My next rod will be a medium action. Taking it to Bald Head Creek in NC in June. I guess I'll be gunning for red drum, flounder, and trout if I'm not mistaken. Just reread your first sentence... Not sure what you are saying here. The light rod might have something to do with the problem? Thanks

Hi, Sam: Here's what the rod says: "PPG56LS 5'6" ACTION LIGHT (4-8 pound line) H13 Thanks again...

Hi, WRB: largemouth bass

Hi, Sam: Am I missing this? I do not see on the rod a recommended bait weight. Thanks for your help.

Thanks, Hawg: I'm a professional writer, so let me congratulate you on VERY well laid out thoughts. Senile1: maybe I made it sound worse than it is: I WAS getting fish, but really no more fish than I was getting in January. Thanks, all...

Again, thanks for the tips, guys. Think I'll get some braided line. The line I was using (unless I am completely missing it) did NOT indicate exactly what kind it was. Berkley Trilene smooth casting, XL, clear, super strong, etc.... What kind of line is that? Also, if I go: main line, barrel swivel, leader, spinnerbait... Will that solve my problem. Thanks

Thanks much for the tips, guys. Just ordered some more line--4 and 6 pound this time.

Hmmm. Sounds like maybe I should hit the Potomac for some smallmouths. Thanks for the tip, and to everybody else, thanks much for the replies.

Berkley Trilene, clear. I can't see where it says mono or braid... Just clear. Remember, though, I took the spinner off and loaded up the second half from the spool, and it's never had a spinner on it. Thanks

I'm a new fisherman, (since July) but I've been out with the same rod and reel approximately 120 times since July. About 30 trips back I put on 10 pound test for the first time, used to have only 6 pound line. No problems at all. The other day, for the first time ever, I used a heavy bullet sinker with a light spinner bait. No problem. After using this rig for about a week, I suddenly got MASSIVE line tangles SIMULTANEOUSLY out in front of the rod AND on the reel. A fellow fisherman told me the spinner might be torqueing the line and causing the problem. Took the spinner off. Problem persisted. Removed ALL the line and went to the second half of the original spool and loaded that up. Went to the pond 30 minutes ago, and continuously got MASSIVE tangles both in front of the rod and on the spool at the same time. In my thousands upon thousands upon thousands of casts I have NEVER had this happen before. My first guess is it's just bad line, but if that's the case, why did it work like a charm for weeks? It's a light action rod, and I just noticed it's rate for 4 to 8 pound line, but, again, it worked with the 10 pound for weeks. The reel is a Pflueger, and is rated for braid 10 pounds/160 yards. Please help me before I have a fishing related mental illness. Thanks all.

So, I'm a new fisherman (since July) and I've been looking forward to the great Spring fishing for months. I've always been told that 50 degrees was the magic number when the fish go nuts and start biting like mad. Well, my pond hit 50 degrees last week, and I've hit it twice since then with no discernible difference between 50 degree water and mid-January water. Two guys at the pond told me that the REAL magic number is 55 degrees. What say y'all. Thanks

Hi, All: I'm a new fisherman (since July) and new to this forum, and I have 2 questions. 1. Where can I go to find water temperatures for the Potomac River in Virginia? 2. I want to fish Goose Creek and the Potomac. GC flows into the Potomac near Leesburg, VA. I have an idea in my head (that, deep down, I feel must be too simplistic and wrong) that I should ALWAYS fish the Potomac and not GC. Why? Well, GC is obviously much smaller than the Potomac and it feeds the Potomac. Therefore, the Potomac MUST have lots and lots more fish and be all around better fishing, right? Why fish GC when the Potomac is another 300 feet away, and will always have the best fishing? As I say, that seems logical to me, but I bet it is wrong? What say y'all? By the way, Goose Creek IS a substantial creek, being, I believe, 57 miles in length. Thanks much.