Upper Potomac - 6/6

[ret103022]

The river finally came down to a decent level, so I decided to get out rain or shine (mostly rain), and drift from Lander to Point of Rocks. Put in at about 5:00 pm and pretty much began hooking up right away. Mostly smallies from down right embarrassing to 12", but did catch a few over 12" and the one pictured was the largest at between 16" and 17". I lost count of the number, but it was probably around two dozen, and the river was in great shape with the level just a tick over 2 feet at PoR. It did pour the entire time, but I had the river to myself and had a great time. The forecast shows more rain and the river is projected to rise to over 5 feet by Sunday, but hopefully will drop back down quickly.

Tight lines....

Rich

[HJS]

The river finally came down to a decent level, so I decided to get out rain or shine (mostly rain), and drift from Lander to Point of Rocks.

Rich

That's pretty much why I went to Chain Bridge yesterday... good flow, good clarity... but with this tropical storm bearing down on us I knew it wouldn't last long.

I've always liked the Landers area during summer low flow. It's fairly easy to launch and take out at this same spot and still get to cover a lot of quality water both upriver and down. Unfortunately it's been 6-8 years or more since I last launched there... so many places to fish, so little time... and this dang striper fishing bug that bit me good several years has definitely changed my priorities and the places I fish.

What were the smallies hitting? Also, whats the situation with the aquatic vegetation? Last time I was there the rooted grass almost covered the river from bank to bank with braided flows channels cutting the grass fields into workable sections.

[DanMarino]

Not much grass growing yet down near Seneca Breaks as of last weekend.

[jet]

you guys talking about the native grasses or the football fields of hydrilla?

[HJS]

you guys talking about the native grasses or the football fields of hydrilla?

Definitely not hydrilla, although some may be mixed in somewhere there. What I'm talking about I believe is a native specie of grass. My memory is very shaky about when heavy grass first started to appear in the Potomac. Many years ago, like maybe back in the 1990s, this grass was sparse and not an issue. Then all the sudden, over the span of a couple years, it became a BIG issue at Landers and elsewhere too. At times it grew so thick that it actually had a damming effect during low flow and would raised the river level by a foot or more. Increased water depth allowed the smallies to fan out to waters that previous to the grass would have been too shallow. At Landers all this grass made it tough to fish too, quality habitat was everywhere and not just limited to the deeper waters.

But I haven't been back there for several years, and that's why I was asking about the current status grasses there.

[ret103022]

What were the smallies hitting? Also, whats the situation with the aquatic vegetation? Last time I was there the rooted grass almost covered the river from bank to bank with braided flows channels cutting the grass fields into workable sections.

They were mostly hitting a Rapala Jointed Shad Rap in craw color, however they also hit on Shallow Shad Raps and tubes... as for the vegetation, there is no hydrilla yet but the grass is starting to come in slowly. Nothing too bad, probably had to clean the lure once every for or five casts.

[Turtle135]

I think the troublesome SAV you are taking about is that "eel grass" that can just about blanket shallow areas. It's hard to work anything but a weightless t-rigged fluke through it (and when it starts to break up and float in the fall it can foul up all presentations).

Heavy flooding during the spring of 2012 really scoured the bottom and the growth of the eel grass was cut back in many areas. It was not too bad at Lander last season but just up river in the section below Brunswick that grass was dominant.