Potomac River Smallies

[jffoley]

... are alive and well! Decided to stay close to home this morning and hit Riverbend Park in Fairfax County. I've only been there once this summer so it was about time. Landed 8 total SM bass and 2 bluegills. The best one went 13". Most were 11-12". Great fun on light tackle. Missed about 4 others when they jumped.

Half on a tube jig and half on a gold spinner. The water is murky. About a foot and a half visibility. Of course, the best one of the morning got off after a good couple of runs. This one didn't jump and stayed down. Got a good couple of looks at him, too. Maybe a couple pounds.

And what's the old adage... leash it or lose it?! Took a bunch of pics and on the last fish he went nuts and... kerplunk, there goes my camera! Less than 3' of water and I spent 20-30 minutes trying to find it. Lots of crevices and holes. Kinda like hillbilly catfishing reaching under rocks. Weird but, to no avail. But I know the area so if the water clears I'll have another shot at it.

[tufnik]

Sounds like you had a good day. I'm going to have to join you with light tackle one day. Maybe get surprised with a snakehead

Is it waterproof? Ought to do recovery real quick before it becomes un-waterproof. I was thinking about getting a waterproof camera, maybe that small light Canon one (vs the GoPro). Tie it around my neck ready for quick pics.

[DanMarino]

Excellent...

Nice job Jffoley. We need more Potomac smallie anglers on this website

Bummer about your camera

I'm planning to head up river next weekend in search of clear water with less of an algae bloom.

[moc]

Sorry about the camera John. I never lost a camera to the water gods, but I did loose my memory card once at the marina at Chesapeake Beach several years ago. My camera got bumped and the door flew open and my memory card and battery ejected out. No hope of retrieval.

[jffoley]

Nice job Jffoley. We need more Potomac smallie anglers on this website

Thanks 13. And I agree we need more smallie activity and reports!

Bummer about your camera

I agree!!

I'm planning to head up river next weekend in search of clear water with less of an algae bloom.

Post details. If you're interested in some company may be interested to explore more areas. I'm hoping the cooler temps will make the algae subside. Last year was incredible. Never saw the upper Potomac so clear.

Tufnik, Yeah, it's waterproof. We'll see for how long if I recover it! I'm not sure snakehead, aka Potomac Pike, have made it above Great Falls. I've heard a story or twn but haven't seen any in my 2 trips to Riverbend this summer. Actually, I hope not. They're cool, but I hope they stay in the tidal Potomac...

Thanks Martin. Do you ever wander above the fall line?

[DOGFISH]

I know, I miss going to the Potomac just above Harpers Ferry. I have been meaning to go, but something always comes up. Lately, with all the rain, the water conditions are above normal. That is why the river is stained. I still check out the USGS water watch for the right conditions.

[jffoley]

Don, The park I've been going to is about a mile or so above Great Falls. The river at Little Falls has been running around 3'. Point of Rocks is running about 2'. This is the link I check:

http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydro...ew=1,1,1,1,1,1

I've been told the murky water is due to algae which, might be a result of the hot weather earlier this summer. I wonder if it is more clear further upriver.

[DanMarino]

Sorry Dogfish, you're off....

I know, I miss going to the Potomac just above Harpers Ferry. I have been meaning to go, but something always comes up. Lately, with all the rain, the water conditions are above normal. That is why the river is stained. I still check out the USGS water watch for the right conditions.

In my assessment you're incorrect. Something is off with the Potomac this year compared to the previous 4 years I've fished the Potomac. Normally at this time of year the river is crystal clear with lots of aquatic vegetation growing.

This year it's been in a continual state of algae bloom, with not nearly as much plant life. Water levels were flooded in the spring and then dropped and the water temps sky rocketed. I've found plenty of fish, but the conditions are such that you've got to put your bait right on their nose because the visibility and clarity is so poor. I've experienced this condition from Swain's Lock, all the way up to Brunswick.

I have first hand reports that the river up at Williamsport is crystal clear, so something is off between Great Falls and Brunswick. Maybe a high nitrogen load getting dumped into the Potomac from wastewater treatment plans, the 'doah, and the Monocacy. Whatever it is is causing a perpetual state of algae bloom and the lack of sunlight penetration is slowing down the weed bed growth.

[toadfinger]

The Potomac was gin-clear 10 days ago at old Dam #4 just above Harper's Ferry. Fly fishing was fair on subsurface flies. I caught maybe 20 smallies in about 4 hours, the best 2 going 17 and 14". Catfish were also hitting the flies & I caught upwards of 10 channel cats 16-20". I was surprised at the lack of interest in topwater presentations given the vast numbers of damsel flies and grasshoppers. I expect that will change soon & I plan to go back up in a week or two.

[DanMarino]

Montgomery County Section Not Clear

So above Harpers Ferry was clear....I know that the Montgomery County section has been stained with algae all summer with maybe 12 inches visibility at best.

Topwater bite was also non-existent for me so far, but I hear the topwater bite has been awesome out West at sunset.

I'd love to catch a 17 inch smallie on a flyrod! That would be awesome!!!!

[ictalurus]

The jumping smallies sound like a blast. Sorry to hear about your camera, though. I found the nose cone to my father's reel in the Rapp a week after he dropped it, so you might get lucky. One of those oval key floats does a good job of floating my Pentax if I take the PVC self portrait mount off.

[DOGFISH]

This is the link that I use. http://waterwatch.usgs.gov/new/index...eal&r=md&w=map Each time that I have thought about going, the rain storms have had the levels rising. Over the years, whenever that occurs, the water tends to be stained. I don't know about the lower river, or algae blooms, but that has been my experience above Harpers Ferry. Now the water will clear up quick, if the rise is only due to periodic storms. Don't mean to rock anyone's boat, but I have caught fish in that area in muddy water and in clear.