Surprise Sleigh Ride on the Upper Potomac 8-2-14

[DonV]

Did a float trip from Brunswick to Lander. First time trying wacky worms for smallmouth and became a believer fairly quickly. Had no luck with tubes or spinners but the wacky worm rigs did the trick. Caught about 7-10 in the 10" range and missed about the same number of good bites due to my inexperience worm fishing. Worked the areas behind rocks and could seem to get a fish out of most taking my time which was hard as I was trying to keep up with some family members that were tubing while me and the wife were fishing from the kayaks. Also got a few bites just lazily letting the rig drift behind as I floated fairly fast down river.
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Now for the excitement and sleigh ride. Happily fishing my wacky worm expecting another smallmouth and get a solid hit that and start reeling. Not a lot of fight right off, some weight behind it and starts coming to the top fairly easily, I start wondering if I had something else then catch a glimpse of this thing in the water and the fight is on as he heads back down. No net, no fish grip and me yelling to the wife for help and about falling out of the kayak with excitement. Good bit of effort to get him in and he pulled me around the river every which way usually heading for rocks or cover. When he calmed down I little paddled to shore to get him unhooked and got the pictures before releasing him. Didn't measure him but think it is somewhere about 30"
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Couple questions ?
Did I do something special or are these size pike fairly common in the Potomac?(Earlier in the day I saw a very large fish that I cast to and got a strong hit but he threw the hook)
If they are there, is there a better lure to target them?

[Cowpokey]

Heck of a nice surprise! Looks every bit of 30 inches.

[bignose]

Tiger Muskie!
Yeah they have been stocked on the Upper Potomac, and can get quite big.

[Cowpokey]

Tiger Muskie!
Yeah they have been stocked on the Upper Potomac, and can get quite big.

I don't think it's a tiger, no stripes...just a "regular" musky.

[DonV]

Tiger Muskie!
Yeah they have been stocked on the Upper Potomac, and can get quite big.

DUH! Showing my lack of fishing knowledge.

[Brian]

Now that is awesome! Congrats

[Shady]

Catch of a lifetime for sure! They don't call musky, the fish of 1,000 casts for nothing. Very nice!

[DonV]

Catch of a lifetime for sure! They don't call musky, the fish of 1,000 casts for nothing. Very nice!

So you are saying I just can't go back next weekend and catch a few more of these. Damn! I was rigging my wacky worms already.

Thanks to everybody for the clarification. I thought I had a Northern Pike, did think Muskie at one point knowing from a trip to Shepardstown that people fish for them there. I have very little knowledge of pike or muskie myself. He was caught above Lander in the kind of slow current section with the multiple perpendicular to the river rock ledges and lots of protruding rocks. I do believe one of my earlier hits may have been another. I saw a massive tail in the water swimming downstream of me. Cast to it and recieved an immediate strong hit and pull but then the lure was thrown.

[Cowpokey]

Northern have spots that go all the way to the tip of the tail and both rear fins, pickerel spots stop at the tail fin, musky have a mostly green body.

[bignose]

Goggle up "John Mullican and Tiger Muskie".
Click on "Images"
John fishes for these on the Upper Potomac, and some of the fish he catches are absolute beasts.
He works for the Maryland DNR.

[Mike]

That's awesome Don! Really gets the adrenaline going after catching 10" fish.

[Mark]

DonV,

Congratulations on your catch.

I have pulled hundreds of SM bass from Brunswick and Shepherdstown since the early 1990s. Also I have caught rock bass and sunfish in those areas. Never have I caught a musky.

Now here's the scary thing. I waded those areas most of the time. Only twice have I floated into Brunswick. All other times I have gotten my feet wet.

Your toothy catch has given me pause. I'm not sure I want to dip my toes in those waters anymore!

[DonV]

DonV,

Congratulations on your catch.

I have pulled hundreds of SM bass from Brunswick and Shepherdstown since the early 1990s. Also I have caught rock bass and sunfish in those areas. Never have I caught a musky.

Now here's the scary thing. I waded those areas most of the time. Only twice have I floated into Brunswick. All other times I have gotten my feet wet.

Your toothy catch has given me pause. I'm not sure I want to dip my toes in those waters anymore!

Gave me pause unhooking the damn thing, you notice I'm over on shore. You would think he was settled down and then another big spurt of running and thrashing. Have had my bare feet in that water plenty of times myself and it does make you wonder. Something that big and toothy just doesn't seem right in fresh water for some reason. Always been worried when fishing saltwater, how I will handle a large toothy fish and it happens on the Upper Potomac after I had tossed my fish grips out of our crates telling the wife we won't need them up there.

I thought myself it maybe was a once in a lifetime thing, hence my questions. Glad to hear it in a way as the whole family was ribbing me when I told them I may have caught something special. They are cruel like that with all the giggling and everyone trying to ruin my glory. I'll show em, I'll make them look at the pictures for like the tenth time and explain again in great detail the fight with emphasis on my fishing prowess and skill and now as a bonus I have you guys to back me up as to my miraculous catch. I really do think catching it on a wacky worm was a little special and strange.

[DanMarino]

Cool fish. I caught one there 4 years ago. The amazing thing to me is that you got it on a wacky worm!
The Potomac river is a wonderful place to paddle and fish.

[perchy]

The Potomac has both Pike and Muskies. See here:

http://dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/fis...le.asp?ID=4399