New to the Forum, but not a newbie by any means.  Live in wild and wonderful White Hall up by the PA line and mostly fish for smallmouth in the SusyQ and its Western Tribs.

 

Nice walleyes!

Fished the Lower Potomac for years started fishing it BG, before grass. My goal was always to find fish that no one was fishing, caught them as far south as Allen's Fresh. Caught a pile way south and never saw a bass boat, got to look where no one else will go.

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Anyone seen any spring rock in the tributaries yet?  I know of one guy who is killing them on the Severn.  I keep trying from the beach/dock on the Magothy and nothing yet.  Maybe just toooo flat where I am (5' probably 75 yards out).  Most parts of the Severn seem to have a deeper center trough, not that far from the beach.  Would take out my yak to the deeper area between gibson and dobbins but have a torn tendon and think that would be pushin' it right now - lol.

23 minutes ago, JeepFisher said:

Anyone seen any spring rock in the tributaries yet?  I know of one guy who is killing them on the Severn.  I keep trying from the beach/dock on the Magothy and nothing yet.  Maybe just toooo flat where I am (5' probably 75 yards out).  Most parts of the Severn seem to have a deeper center trough, not that far from the beach.  Would take out my yak to the deeper area between gibson and dobbins but have a torn tendon and think that would be pushin' it right now - lol.

They have been catching some in the Potomac around Fletchers, Severn, and a couple of the Eastern rivers that I know of. Its only going to get better by the day. Remember to release (any you catch accidentally) immediately. For some reason MD guys seem not to know the definition of that word... 

 

Oh, and strong JB and squarebill LMB bite right now in SoMd. Tried the spinnerbait (cause I really like throwing one) but they didn't want it.

4 hours ago, JeepFisher said:

Anyone seen any spring rock in the tributaries yet?  I know of one guy who is killing them on the Severn.  I keep trying from the beach/dock on the Magothy and nothing yet.  Maybe just toooo flat where I am (5' probably 75 yards out).  Most parts of the Severn seem to have a deeper center trough, not that far from the beach.  Would take out my yak to the deeper area between gibson and dobbins but have a torn tendon and think that would be pushin' it right now - lol.

Jeep, if you are in the back of the Magothy you don't have to go to Gibson. PM me

Waiting until the sun gets up and warms a little then off to Black Hills, I wonder what is going on there. With the holiday weekend its a solo trip so should be interesting to say the least

 

Got a few on the Potomac today. Yo zuri ratl vibe and black n blue craw was all I could get bit on. Good test for my arm and I am going to pay for it tomorrow. Water temp 50 start 55 finish. 

Hey Guys - 

 

How or what URL can I use to find out the water temps ? 

I will be fishing in DC/Belle Haven/National Harbor area. 

 

It would be helpful since I amt seem to find any online or it looks weird. 

photos to upload

 

Things were heating up Friday. 5-9 in the right hand, I'll need 5 for this BFL. Wind made it impossible to fish a lot of good stuff.

11 hours ago, Burke said:

Hey Guys - 

 

How or what URL can I use to find out the water temps ? 

I will be fishing in DC/Belle Haven/National Harbor area. 

 

It would be helpful since I amt seem to find any online or it looks weird. 

There's no gauge that does temp until the summer time. Anyways water temp can vary a lot on the water so you're best just using your graph.

14 hours ago, ptomacbass said:

photos to upload

 

Things were heating up Friday. 5-9 in the right hand, I'll need 5 for this BFL. Wind made it impossible to fish a lot of good stuff.

Water must still be cold if there's still icebergs in the river....

That's about what the main river looked like. There were some kids who took their Jon boat out early in the morning. Wind was no joke I hope they made it back ok.

1st topwater (popper) bass today. They ate a spinnerbait pretty good too. Nothing big, mostly 2-3 lb fish.

Philly bro here, was thinking of trying out the upper elk river in MD or around that area on a kayak. Is the wind a factor most of the time while in that area? I was also looking around the lower end part of the Susquehanna and was wondering how fast the current is at times for a kayak.

 

 

Had an hour to kill last evening before meeting the wife, so I headed to a local spot, caught one bass, two pickerel and 6 crappie, including a giant, but the really crazy thing is after I hooked the second pickerel which was about 20" give or take, it got grabbed by what I can only guess is the next world record pickerel, I didn't get a great look at it, but I saw it as it swirled, and again for a second as it swam sideways, had it on for about 10-15 seconds before it let go. I was questioning whether it actually happened, but the pickerel had the bite mark right in the middle. There are no pike or anything else that big in there that I know of, so I'm taking some striper plugs with me next time. Crazy.

9 hours ago, reason said:

 There are no pike or anything else that big in there that I know of, so I'm taking some striper plugs with me next time. Crazy.

Hah, I have had a crazy year so far for big picks in freshwater, it seems like they are way more active then in pervious years. Oddly enough, the tidal river guys all reported a awful season for brackish picks, with worries of a population crash.  

 

I now now have three BBZ rats, so I am going to start throwing them at some of the better pickerel spots to see if I can find a monster.  The MD record is an 8 pounder from 2015.  

That is a big old pick for sure, but I have have gotten a few that seemed not too removed from that one in legnth, but never on that thick.   

9 hours ago, fishwizzard said:

Hah, I have had a crazy year so far for big picks in freshwater, it seems like they are way more active then in pervious years. Oddly enough, the tidal river guys all reported a awful season for brackish picks, with worries of a population crash.

Same here. Except for the short period where the water froze, it's been consistently good fishing, and the cold spring extended it out for sure. Usually, the spawn sends the big ones into a funk, and then they go deeper. Some of the best advice I got from an old timer (speaking of the salt, but it applies to all fishing) is "every year is different, fish the fish, don't wish the fish"

Hey there, I'm a bank fisher in the Howard County area and I'm fairly new to Squarebills. I need some advice as to colors and sizes to choose. I fish mainly Elkhorn, Wildelake, Cash, Allen and some small ponds. 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

2 hours ago, Buffdaddy54 said:

Hey there, I'm a bank fisher in the Howard County area and I'm fairly new to Squarebills. I need some advice as to colors and sizes to choose. I fish mainly Elkhorn, Wildelake, Cash, Allen and some small ponds. 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

I’ve been using both Chartreuse/Black Back and Ghost Minnow in most of those spots to. pretty good affect.

 

As for Cash Lake specifically, you’ll know you found one of the most productive spots on the lake when you start losing a crank on every other cast.  Someday I will bring a grappling hook there early in the morning and try and drag out whatever has been stealing my lures for the past three years or rip the bumper off my car in the process.  

On 4/6/2018 at 7:49 PM, fishwizzard said:

I’ve been using both Chartreuse/Black Back and Ghost Minnow in most of those spots to. pretty good affect.

 

As for Cash Lake specifically, you’ll know you found one of the most productive spots on the lake when you start losing a crank on every other cast.  Someday I will bring a grappling hook there early in the morning and try and drag out whatever has been stealing my lures for the past three years or rip the bumper off my car in the process.  

I'm in the Navy, but I'm with the Corps on "no man left behind" I fish square bills on 15 lb (sometimes 20) Big Game and a palomar, and after a quick hook bend they go right back to the mission. 

 

Spinnerbait outfished squarebill and JB yesterday for the first time this year (in the snow).

Hah, well, my “crank” rod is literary what ever one I have with me at the time, so I am at times under-gunned on line.  I am going to give braid+leader a go on casting reels this summer, so maybe I can save more cranks by using stright 30lb braid. 

 

 

Finally got my first fish of the year, three smallmouth measuring 16," 12" and roughly 10.  Slowwwwww presentations on a Z-man worm and a shallow-running crankbait (latter got the 16-incher).  Also had some interest in a small spinnerbait -- including a golden trout -- but nothing clamped on.

 

The wife wants to go to go camping on the Upper Potomac this weekend, and I reluctantly agreed to make it seem like her idea.

 

Pat

 

 

Pat, where are you going camping? I am taking my daughter up that way to Yogi Bear in June and don't know anything about that area. I will be fishing though so any info would help. 

8 hours ago, Lendiesel22 said:

Pat, where are you going camping? I am taking my daughter up that way to Yogi Bear in June and don't know anything about that area. I will be fishing though so any info would help. 

We camp at the sites along the C&O Canal.  The sites are all along the river, easy access -- some you can park right at your camp site.  The C&O trail is easy walking and good if you have a mountain bike.  Getting to the river from the C&O trail is either really easy or you have to hike a bit to find good access.

 

The only thing about the C&O drive-in camp sites, you have to reserve a spot online:

 

https://www.recreation.gov/recreationalAreaDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&recAreaId=2632

 

Pat