Mattawoman on Saturday 03/23/13

[Turtle135]

Quick report from the tidal Potomac River.

Water temperatures ranged from a low of 43 degrees to a high of 48 degrees. Some of the extreme shallow backwaters actually read 50 degrees late in the afternoon. Water clarity, a white spinnerbait completely disappeared 16 inches down.

I could not get any bass to chase anything yet. Nothing on lipless or lipped crankbaits or spinnerbaits. What was working was a football jig scuttled along the bottom making contact with rocks and wood. That seemed to get them hunting.







Early in the day they were just on the lip of the creek channels in 5-6 feet of water. By mid-afternoon they were over the lip in 3-4 feet of water. Still the bite pretty much died off after 4:00 P.M. but it was a nice day to be out on the water. Spring is getting here slowly but surely.

[CB kayak 02]

A solid 3 fish aggregate for yesterday... Shane and I couldn't buy any bass in the lake, but we crushed the crappie

[TalonAngler]

Thanks for the report on the Mattawoman. The big bass tournaments just started up at Smallwood State Park, so I've been considering checking in on those fish they release from the docks.

[ictalurus]

Nice work, Dave. I wish I had read your report before we headed out today. I couldn't buy a bite, but a jig was one of the only lures I didn't try today.

[Turtle135]

Nice work, Dave. I wish I had read your report before we headed out today. I couldn't buy a bite, but a jig was one of the only lures I didn't try today.

Sorry about that, I think I posted my report after you guys hit the water today. I think the sun bumping the temp up 3-4 degrees helped the situation alot yesterday. It was the first time since last year that I felt like I was on a "real bite" rather than scratching out a bass here or there in winter fishing.

I hit the Upper Potomac today looking for a couple of smallmouths, so of course I catch a bigger largemouth than I was able to find on the Tidal Potomac yesterday.
Go figure!

[ictalurus]

Sorry about that, I think I posted my report after you guys hit the water today. I think the sun bumping the temp up 3-4 degrees helped the situation alot yesterday. It was the first time since last year that I felt like I was on a "real bite" rather than scratching out a bass here or there in winter fishing.

I hit the Upper Potomac today looking for a couple of smallmouths, so of course I catch a bigger largemouth than I was able to find on the Tidal Potomac yesterday.
Go figure!

No worries. Any info is always appreciated. I never think to use a jig and pig in tidal water, but I saw some crayfish crawling around the spatterdock stems last year.

That bass is a football of a fish. I'm definitely jealous.

[chex]

Nice Matawoman bass there. You going to the MAKBF tournament in Matawoman next month?

[Turtle135]

Nice Matawoman bass there. You going to the MAKBF tournament in Matawoman next month?

Absolutely! I was down there getting a lay of the land so to speak. The one time I fished Slavins before was last year, late summer and it was completely weed choked.