Getting Pumped Up

[DanMarino]

I'm getting pumped up to do some river smallmouth fishing this year. Fingers crossed that no family emergencies or health issues keep me away from fishing. The last few weeks I've been watching a lot of YouTube smallmouth fishing videos from trips people have taken on the upper Potomac River. I've been able to find a few channels where people are fishing the stretches of river that I like to fish. It's pretty neat seeing people catch fish in places that I recognize on the river. Fingers crossed the smallmouth population rebounds. I've heard some promising reports from last year. I am excited to give a significant effort to fish the Potomac this year and hope I can report back some successful trips.

[dsaavedra]

Good luck! I fished the Upper Potomac for smallmouth for the first time last year and had a blast. I even caught my PB just shy of 19" and 3.5lbs, which I'm told is a very good size fish for that area. It was a really fun fishery, very different from what I'm used to. I think I'd like to make another trip or two out there this year.

[DanMarino]

19 inches is a big one. I think my largest ever is 18".

[Mark]

Tom,

The 2024 Maryland DNR's Annual Black Bass Assessement cited positive news for the Upper Potomac Smallmouth population:

https://dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/D...016_020524.pdf

See page 8 of the above document.

[DanMarino]

Thanks for posting that Mark. I was looking for that survey a few months back and couldn't locate it.

[Mark]

Tom,

You're welcome.

Evidently, MD's smallmouth stocking program is paying off.

[DanMarino]

Tom,

You're welcome.

Evidently, MD's smallmouth stocking program is paying off.

I'm guessing there was less river flooding during the spawning periods too.