Topic: Potomac, Harper's Ferry (Read 1081 times)

BenFishing · « **on:** May 15, 2012, 11:02:02 AM »

Over the last month I've been fishing the Potomac up by Harper's Ferry. So far, the water seems a bit high, but the fishing has been good. Tons of smaller smallmouth...1/2 pound to 2 pounders. Tons of great panfish....almost every sunfish/bluegill I've caught has been bigger than my hand. I'm looking forward to some lower water, so I can have more access soon.

BenFishing · « **Reply #1 on:** May 29, 2012, 09:11:42 AM »

Water was high, but that didn't stop fish from biting.

Upstream from the Appalachian Trail Crossing was tough. Fished there from 6am till almost 1pm, and only caught on fish. Watching the guys out in boats though, the center of the river, around all the islands looked to be great! Saw lots of them landing fish, and talked with a few of them....they were throwing the same stuff I was....any lure that looked like a minnow. One guy pulled up to shore and held up his 6 to 8 pound walleye! I fished all the way from the Trail bridge up to the dam, and just one fish.
Once I got down around the Appalachian Trail bridge, the fish really started hitting. I was standing in waist deep water between the two bridges, and hooking fish every other cast. Nothing great, just a lot of 1/2 pounders to 1 pounders. Spent about an hour there and probably caught around 30 smallies.

Moved further down, to a favorite spot of mine....a group of big boulders, right against the shore, with water 4 to 8 foot deep on the downstream side. Spent around 2 hours there, and pulled in another 20 or so fish. A cotton candy grub with a spinner blade, and a Lucky Craft jerk bait, in a pearl white color. Lots of smaller fish there, too, but did manage to find a few 2 pounders, and had fish snap my line....never saw her, but the bit of fight we had was fun.
Hiked down to the 340 bridge, and waded out. Caught nothing, but had a good 5 minute fight with a big fish....even when she was swimming upstream, she was still stripping line off. Finally snapped the line when she got hung up.

Capt.Nick · « **Reply #2 on:** June 10, 2012, 07:33:50 AM »

There's Muskies in that area & some big Walleyes too.

BenFishing · « **Reply #3 on:** June 10, 2012, 08:14:42 AM »

Quote from: Capt.Nick on June 10, 2012, 07:33:50 AM

There's Muskies in that area & some big Walleyes too.

Haven't seen any of the muskies yet. Did see a 6 to 8 pound walleye. Some dude came and stood right 5ft from me, looked at what lure I was using, tied on pretty much the same thing, and gave a cast right next to me....two twitches later, he was fighting the walleye. Got it in, and said he was just fishing for dinner and had it, so he left...

Hahaha.

BenFishing · « **Reply #4 on:** June 17, 2012, 10:40:29 AM »

Fished from around 4pm till 10pm, from downstream of 340, all the way up to dam 3 ruin.

Trip started with a rescue mission. about 400-500 yards upstream from the train bridge, a couple guys were standing in the middle of the river, in chest deep water, in chest waters. They started working their way towards the shore, when one guy slipped and his waders filled with water. His younger friend went to grab him, and he slipped too. I was about 100 yards downstream, about halfway out, on the rocks They weren't dropping their gear. I told them to drop it, and the older guy just waved me off. I jumped in and grabbed the closer guy, while the old man continued to drift downstream. The old man was now closer to the WV shore, and I yelled to get the attention of some fishermen over there. One of them waded out and grabbed the old man, helping him to shore. Both guys were fine, but they both DEFINITELY panicked. They refused to drop their gear....they never thought about trying to unbuckle the waders and peel them off, even though they were going under frequently. The younger guy told me this was his first time ever using waders and the older dude had told him it would be ok if they worked as a team...that only works if at least one of the team knows what to do in an emergency. They definitely got lucky! I saw 6 workers die in Japan because their waders filled with water in a river...waders and fast moving, deeper water don't mix.

The fishing: Lots of bass, but nothing of great size. A lot of 1 pound smallies...and a dinky 12 inch walleye. Water was cool, but comfortable, and WAY down from what it was a couple weeks ago. Many areas where you can cross the river. The bites stopped soon as it got dark, though.

Oh yeah, I was throwing a pearl Lucky Craft jerk bait and a 5 inch curly tail grub with a spinner clipped to the jig head. Used Cotton Candy and a clear one with black flecks in it. Also, drifted a cotton candy senko (actually just a curly tail with the tail cut off), and hit a few on that...had a tiny split shot on, just to sink it in the light current.

BenFishing · « **Reply #5 on:** July 07, 2012, 12:42:38 PM »

Got there around 7am and fished till around 1030am. All fishing done downstream of the 340 bridge. Caught 10-12 smallmouth...most half pound to one pound. Lost about 20 or so...short striking on my 5 inch curly tail grub with a spinner clipped on. Had a decent 3 or 4 pounder that I fought all the way in, got her in the shallows, one her side, and she just opened her mouth and let the tail go. Also got a few off some jerkbaits

Talked with a bunch of other guys who said they only got 3 or 4. They were trowing things like crayfish crankbaits, small beetle spins, tubes, and random crankbaits

Water is very low. I was walking across the river, sometimes swimming from boulder to boulder.

Reservoir Runner · « **Reply #6 on:** July 07, 2012, 02:30:04 PM »

Sounds like a great way to spend a day right now with the heatwave you guys are having in Maryland. Some othe places where you can wade fish the Potomac during low water are Pennyfield Lock, down near Seneca, Lander just to name a few. I always enjoyed taking a light action spinning outfit with white spinners, small black/silver Rapala's and smoke colored curly tailed grubs fished on a 3/16th oz. jighead. You can also have a decent topwater bite early in the day. Just be careful wading out there, you can take one step and drop into an 8' hole and be under water.

BenFishing · « **Reply #7 on:** July 07, 2012, 02:47:00 PM »

Quote from: Reservoir Runner on July 07, 2012, 02:30:04 PM

Sounds like a great way to spend a day right now with the heatwave you guys are having in Maryland. Some othe places where you can wade fish the Potomac during low water are Pennyfield Lock, down near Seneca, Lander just to name a few. I always enjoyed taking a light action spinning outfit with white spinners, small black/silver Rapala's and smoke colored curly tailed grubs fished on a 3/16th oz. jighead. You can also have a decent topwater bite early in the day. Just be careful wading out there, you can take one step and drop into an 8' hole and be under water.

I'm odd and like the heat...100 degrees is better to me than 65 degrees.

Yep, I love the light spinning set-up and fighting smallies in moving water!

As far as falling in the 8ft holes, I enjoy those. My feet are my depth finder, and sometimes it's a full body dunk...good way to keep cool.

Reservoir Runner · « **Reply #8 on:** July 07, 2012, 06:42:23 PM »

The heat doesn't bother me as much as the humidity. I know that sounds funny from someone who lives in Florida, but I have learned to adjust to the weather here. Right now, it is cooler down here than it is in Maryland...go figure. If you want a good book to read on the Upper Potomac, see if you can still get a hold of Fishing the Upper Potomac River by Ken Penrod. The book lists all the places on both the Maryland and Virginia side of the river that you can put a boat in and spots that are good for wade fishing. There was a companion video he did with Lefty Kreh which was as good as the book and he shares a lot of info about fishing the river. While the smallmouth may not be wallhangers on every cast, the scenery and history along the river makes it all worthwhile.

jab9411 · « **Reply #9 on:** July 07, 2012, 11:27:07 PM »

About a month and a half ago I went on a cycling trip from Pittsburgh to D.C. From Cumberland, Maryland on I was right next to the Potomac nearly every yard of the ride. Stopping for lunch, I saw a couple of kids just slaying it from some rocks out in front of some dam(might have been 5? It had nice rocks that went from shore to at least halfway into the river with good standing room) I'm still pretty angry that I didn't bring any fishing gear.....paint me stupid.

BenFishing · « **Reply #10 on:** July 08, 2012, 06:23:46 PM »

Quote from: Reservoir Runner on July 07, 2012, 06:42:23 PM

The heat doesn't bother me as much as the humidity. I know that sounds funny from someone who lives in Florida, but I have learned to adjust to the weather here. Right now, it is cooler down here than it is in Maryland...go figure. If you want a good book to read on the Upper Potomac, see if you can still get a hold of Fishing the Upper Potomac River by Ken Penrod. The book lists all the places on both the Maryland and Virginia side of the river that you can put a boat in and spots that are good for wade fishing. There was a companion video he did with Lefty Kreh which was as good as the book and he shares a lot of info about fishing the river. While the smallmouth may not be wallhangers on every cast, the scenery and history along the river makes it all worthwhile.

Thanks for the tip on the book. Soon as I can find it, I'll be buying it. I'm loving the scenery and the fishing so far.

I'm happy in dry heat or humid heat, but put me in sub-60 degree temps, and I turn into a crying baby.

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Author Topic: Potomac, Harper's Ferry (Read 1081 times)