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With all the ice yesterday I figured the only place to drop my kayak into fresh water would be the Dickerson Warm Water discharge area on the Potomac River. First time I fished this spot during the cold water period.
Lots of these floating islands of ice coming down the cold side of the Potomac. However, the warm water discharge from the Dickerson Plant cut a nice wide swath of warm ice free water to fish. The other side of the river (away from the discharge) was unfishable with the log jams of ice.
a look across the river yesterday from the Maryland bank (this photo is deceptive, the warm water was a narrow band, most of the width of the river was ice choked)
lots of channel cats patrolling the warmest water, they would attack the jerkbait when I would let it deadstick - swing through their territory
first bass of 2014 for me, this one hit the jig with a Tiny Paca Craw trailer, he was parked in a little current protected spot where the water temperature was 48 degrees
lures used, the Lucky Craft Pointer 78 that the cats really liked and the jig (it's a 1/4 ounce football jig that I tie sparsely with living rubber)
To fish this area you park at the Dickerson State Conservation Park. Then you drag the kayak about 100 yards to the Potomac River. The source of the warm water discharge is a little less than a mile up river so that distance is something to consider if the Potomac River is running high. The Point of Rocks gauge was around 2.6 feet yesterday so the paddle up was not a problem for me in the Ride 115.
Considering that the warm water swath was only about one long cast wide this area is probably best fished with just a pair of waders. I did not feel I had any advantage fishing from the kayak. As soon as I got to the river I was getting hits from channel cats on the jerkbait (water there was around 48 degrees) so the warm water influence is apparent even a mile down river from the source. As I paddled all the way up to the discharge area the water temp was up to a toasty 57 degrees.
The one complaint I have heard from others is that they are not always generating at that plant. I figured as cold as it has been they would probably be in operation (plus with everything else iced up I really had no other options yesterday).
There appear to be lots of channel catfish available in that area. I had a lot of hits where I did not get a hookup on the jerkbait (I suspect those were little cats who could not get the lure into their mouths). There is probably a better presentation for targeting the cats if you are after them. The biggest cat I landed was a 3 pounder. I finally abandoned the jerkbait as it was only producing cats. What I really wanted to catch was a bass to keep my "at least one bass every month" streak going (I am into year 3 now) so I started tossing the jig hoping for a smallmouth or largemouth.
If your vehicle is not good in the snow and ice take caution on the access road inside the park. I was not sure I was getting out of there at sunset yesterday with my rear wheel drive pickup truck. Took me four trys to get up the little hill on the frozen surface. Had to maximize speed on the flat to get to the top (just barely made it).
It's a fun place to fish for a change of pace in the dead of winter. Like I mentioned, not sure you even need the kayak to fish that area as the warmest water hugs the Maryland shoreline. It looks like you can move freely on a path through the woods all the way up to the discharge.
that wind was blowing up river, brrrrrrr!
Lots of these floating islands of ice coming down the cold side of the Potomac. However, the warm water discharge from the Dickerson Plant cut a nice wide swath of warm ice free water to fish. The other side of the river (away from the discharge) was unfishable with the log jams of ice.
a look across the river yesterday from the Maryland bank (this photo is deceptive, the warm water was a narrow band, most of the width of the river was ice choked)
lots of channel cats patrolling the warmest water, they would attack the jerkbait when I would let it deadstick - swing through their territory
first bass of 2014 for me, this one hit the jig with a Tiny Paca Craw trailer, he was parked in a little current protected spot where the water temperature was 48 degrees
lures used, the Lucky Craft Pointer 78 that the cats really liked and the jig (it's a 1/4 ounce football jig that I tie sparsely with living rubber)
To fish this area you park at the Dickerson State Conservation Park. Then you drag the kayak about 100 yards to the Potomac River. The source of the warm water discharge is a little less than a mile up river so that distance is something to consider if the Potomac River is running high. The Point of Rocks gauge was around 2.6 feet yesterday so the paddle up was not a problem for me in the Ride 115.
Considering that the warm water swath was only about one long cast wide this area is probably best fished with just a pair of waders. I did not feel I had any advantage fishing from the kayak. As soon as I got to the river I was getting hits from channel cats on the jerkbait (water there was around 48 degrees) so the warm water influence is apparent even a mile down river from the source. As I paddled all the way up to the discharge area the water temp was up to a toasty 57 degrees.
The one complaint I have heard from others is that they are not always generating at that plant. I figured as cold as it has been they would probably be in operation (plus with everything else iced up I really had no other options yesterday).
There appear to be lots of channel catfish available in that area. I had a lot of hits where I did not get a hookup on the jerkbait (I suspect those were little cats who could not get the lure into their mouths). There is probably a better presentation for targeting the cats if you are after them. The biggest cat I landed was a 3 pounder. I finally abandoned the jerkbait as it was only producing cats. What I really wanted to catch was a bass to keep my "at least one bass every month" streak going (I am into year 3 now) so I started tossing the jig hoping for a smallmouth or largemouth.
If your vehicle is not good in the snow and ice take caution on the access road inside the park. I was not sure I was getting out of there at sunset yesterday with my rear wheel drive pickup truck. Took me four trys to get up the little hill on the frozen surface. Had to maximize speed on the flat to get to the top (just barely made it).
It's a fun place to fish for a change of pace in the dead of winter. Like I mentioned, not sure you even need the kayak to fish that area as the warmest water hugs the Maryland shoreline. It looks like you can move freely on a path through the woods all the way up to the discharge.
that wind was blowing up river, brrrrrrr!
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