Please feel free to share your pics. You can drown. One positive note from the surveys was the good number of juvenile fish produced in the 2019 year-class (Figure 2). With the planned spring bass tournament canceled due to Covid-19, in late April Freshwater Fisheries staff were able to collect 40 adult fish by boat electrofishing from the upper Potomac River for use as broodfish in the state’s warmwater hatchery. Staff were able to transport the fish back to Maryland and stock them at points along the river from Brunswick upstream to Dam 4. the link above contains some decent info about smallmouth fishing the upper potomac. Enjoy a great day of fishing and fun aboard a custom built jet boat by Rock Proof boats on two of the finest smallmouth bass fisheries in the Mid-Atlantic; the upper Potomac and Susquehanna rivers. Jeff is a widely recognized expert in the fishing and water conservation community. The fish were collected in January to allow them sufficient time to acclimate to pond conditions prior to spring spawning. inch smallmouth bass collected in 2019 fall electrofishing survey from The October 2006 electrofishing catch rate for smallmouth bass 11 inches and larger was consistently 20 bass per hour throughout the river. Smallmouth – Upper Potomac. The resulting fingerlings and adult brood fish will be stocked back into the river in sections that have experienced recent low levels of recruitment and juvenile survival. The upper Potomac remains stained in some areas, but is generally running and fishing well. The tags will enable biologists to identify the hatchery fish during future electrofishing surveys and determine their contribution to the fishery (photos provided by Manning Hatchery).​. Smallmouth bass were transported to the hatchery and stocked into two ponds prepared with gravel spawning boxes. What a treat to read. In addition to discussing the possibilities on the Upper Potomac, I queried them on their experience moving upriver on the Monocacy. If you do not agree with this, you should not read anything posted on this site. Waters We Fish: Upper Potomac River Not to be confused with the tidal Potomac, the upper Potomac River is smallmouth bass country—a shallow, free flowing river of some 250 miles. The fry will be kept in these ponds for several more weeks before they are drained to get a better estimate of their numbers. Trips around Tall Timbers and Leonardtown, MD are ideal for combining river and bay fishing. For 2019, smallmouth bass were able to successfully spawn in some sections of the river, but overall recruitment was below average. This vegetation will return, but it will take some time. The smallmouth bass fishing seems slow in some areas. None were collected in the nets. Seneca is borderline, people do it with props but not me....But the ramps and areas on the Upper Potomac that are actually worth fishing (IMO) are all in jet boat territory. Potential smallmouth bass supplemental stocking locations and mileage. When examining the trend in smallmouth bass seine scores over the past 20 years, the upper Potomac River has not had a strong hatch of juvenile fish since 2007. A stocking plan has been developed to collect a small number of adult smallmouth bass this spring and move them to a state hatchery for spawning. 17 talking about this. (February 2008). Regulations and property ownership may have changed since publication. I hoped to only take a short amount of John’s time but our mutual love of the river and fishing took over so it became a lengthy conversation, and I could have kept on going! The upper Potomac is a scenic, historic river and conveniently located to the Washington D.C area. That includes all waters from as far north as Cumberland, MD all the way to Little Falls, Washington DC. able to successfully spawn in some sections of the river, but overall recruitment was below average. My goal was to catch a smallmouth bass. illustrates the difference in population distribution, 22.5 Join the conversation. These fish will grow to a catchable size over the next 2-3 years. Now, the fish and all that it represents are threatened by the climate crisis. Length-frequency Fishing guide on the Upper Potomac and Susquehanna Rivers, two of the top Mid-Atlantic Smallmouth fisheries. Recreational fishing for smallmouths in the upper Potomac River is a $23 million a year industry. Unfortunately, even with the appropriate water temperature and substrate, spawning did not occur. We knew this was one of the possible outcomes with this project. But they've suffered from poor reproduction every year since 2007. Upper Potomac River Smallmouth. 933 likes. The plot Image 1. Roughly 26% of the fish collected were 3-5 inches in size. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources Freshwater Fisheries Program monitors the status of the fishery through annual juvenile and adult monitoring surveys. This is a first class fishing guide service. Walleye and some musky are taking up the slack around Dam 4. The upper Potomac River supports Maryland’s most popular smallmouth bass fishery. Recent recruitment surveys have shown juvenile smallmouth bass numbers to be below long-term average values. The adult smallmouth bass were transported back to the upper Potomac River and released at the Brunswick Family Campground boat ramp. Fish were seen grouped together in the water but not near any of the prepared spawning beds or boxes on the pond bottom. A total of 15 smallmouth bass, with an average length of 15”, were transported to a 0.5-acre pond at the United States Geologic Survey (USGS) Leetown Science Center. For anyone that enjoys smallmouth bass fishing and the Potomac River. For the angler, this means that quality-sized smallmouth bass are relatively abundant. Oh, and Jeff was PRSC President 2000-2001. Unfortunately, at some of the downstream locations (Brunswick, Seneca), no smallmouth bass juveniles were collected or observed from shore. The upper Potomac remains stained in some areas, but is generally running and fishing well. Previous speakers have included fishing guides, Virginia and Maryland state fisheries biologists, and authors. For anyone that enjoys smallmouth bass fishing and the Potomac River. These sections of the river have experienced low smallmouth bass recruitment due to high spring flows for the past several years. 1 This is slightly higher than the long-term median score of 1.0 fish/seine haul. Lord Castlereagh 12 Posted April 12, 2018. Disclaimer and Warning:  The contents of this site reflect the opinion of the author and you, the reader, must exercise care in the use and interpretation of this information. I've been looking to get after some smallies this summer on the Upper Potomac. Some upstream areas had good numbers of juvenile bass. Monitoring surveys are conducted every summer to check for natural reproduction and judge the relative strength of each years’ juvenile numbers. The river (main stem andNorth Branch) is approximately 405 miles (652 km) long, with a drainage area of … The consistent opinion was that there would be very few smallmouth upriver and those that would be found would be scattered in a few deep holes that would require extensive reconnaissance to uncover. Meetings are open to the public 1 and usually start at 7:30 pm at the Vienna Fire Station (doors open at 7) – check our calendar for specific times and locations.. Articles on this site are out of date since some go back to 2006. Juvenile recruitment also looked good for the Monocacy River with a seine index score of 1.6 fish/seine haul compared to the long-term median of 1.5 fish/seine haul. There has been strong interest from a large group of anglers. Share on facebook. (1) Greetings BR members! You can slip and fall on rocks and sustain severe injury. He includes 45 tables that include the minimum and maximum water flow and temperature conditions; critical information to use prior to planning a trip. You can’t talk about fishing on the Potomac without mentioning Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass. There is no more comprehensive reference. Conococheague Creek had a juvenile seine index score of 2.0 fish/seine haul, slightly below the long-term median of 2.2 fish/seine haul. As pond temperatures increased, spawning activity was observed on the gravel beds in both ponds. To supplement 2019 natural recruitment in sections of the upper Potomac River, Freshwater Fisheries was able to purchase 2,000 juvenile smallmouth bass produced by an out-of-state commercial hatchery. All parts of the pilot project will be documented and posted online for the public and anglers to follow. While we are principally focused on smallmouth bass fishing in the Potomac River watershed, we pay attention to other destinations such as the Shenandoah, James, New, Cacapon and Susquehanna Rivers. LUTZ LURES – Canoe Fishing the Upper Potomac River for Smallmouth Bass by randman011 | Posted on January 22, 2021 This is a video of my little brother, Mikey, holding up his trophy smallie he caught while trolling the Potomac River with 4″ minnow … smallmouth bass fishery for anglers in the upper Potomac River Project Objectives-supplement natural reproduction to improve smallmouth bass yearclass strength and to reduce annual recruitment variability-Maintain a mean electrofishing catch rate ≥ 28 quality-size bass (> 11 inches) per hour (25th percentile of 2008 This is below the long-term median score of 1.0 fish/seine haul. Hello. Buy Wade and Shoreline Fishing the Potomac River for Smallmouth Bass: Chain Bridge to Harpers Ferry by Moore, Steve online on Amazon.ae at best prices. I have been fishing the upper Potomac around Shepherdstown, WV with very minimal luck. These young smallmouth bass measured between 4-5 inches in length had been tested and passed all required fish health screenings. The smallmouth prefer small plastic grubs or tubes in smoke or black, while the catfish are taking nightcrawlers, cut bait or … Beyond the view of the river, Steve also explains the water flow conditions that must be met for the river to be fishable. I achieved that goal -- but just barely. You must make your own judgment in terms of acceptable behavior and risk and not rely on anything posted here. Ive fished some very good looking ledges, riprap, and eddies. Enjoy a great day of fishing and fun aboard a custom built jet boat by Rock Proof boats on two of the finest smallmouth bass fisheries in the Mid-Atlantic; the upper Potomac and Susquehanna rivers. But what often gets overlooked is that this river also offers superb smallmouth bass action for over 100 miles upstream from the Nation's Capital. Once they reach a suitable size (2 - 3 inches), they will be tagged with a coded wire tag and released into the Potomac River. The most popular and productive […] Elevated spring flows experienced in 2016-2018 have resulted in consecutive years of poor recruitment and low year-class strength. After several fish kills, the upper reaches of the Potomac River seem to be bouncing back to life -- and once more providing great smallmouth action. Smallmouth – Upper Potomac. Armed with some tackle and location tips from Bignose (Stu), I drove west this morning to fish in the upper Potomac River not far from the Antietam battlefield. Walleye and some musky are taking up the slack around Dam 4. UPPER POTOMAC RIVER SMALLMOUTH BASS: The mention of smallmouth bass fishing in conjunction with winter fishing might raise the eyebrows of some. All smallmouth bass collected were in good condition with no lesions or external abnormalities observed. ... excited about fishing this great body of water, and stare at a blown out river as a result of high flow conditions. Efforts will continue to try and improve smallmouth bass juvenile numbers in the river. The Chesapeake Bay's Smallmouth Bass Woes - Potomac, MD - Fisheries biologists, anglers and fishing guides from MD, VA, WV, and PA came together to assess the health of smallmouth bass. The Potomac River Smallmouth Club meets the last Wednesday of every month.. Let’s look up-river to see how we can help save this indispensable local legend… Unfortunately, at some of the downstream locations (Brunswick, Seneca), no smallmouth bass juveniles were collected or observed from shore. They inhabit vast portions of the river and have thrived here for over a century. Late summer on the Potomac is often tough fishing, so the contenders in the Costa FLW Series Northern Division presented by Gajo Baits event had to pull out all the stops. I have been a guide on the Shenandoah and Potomac for more than 30 years and your descriptions from Brunswick to Harpers Ferry are excellent.”, “Wow, what a treasure of information! Fishing regulations up there are delayed harvest, meaning it is put and take from June 1st - September 30th, and catch and release October 1st - May 31st. Fast and free shipping free returns cash on delivery available on eligible purchase. 2017 Annual Potomac River Smallmouth Bass Fishing Outlook by VDGIF Tidal Potomac River tributaries—including Aquia, Occoquan, and Pohick—should produce good catches of Largemouth Bass (LMB) but reduced catches of Northern Snakehead (NSH) in 2017. Experience prime smallmouth bass fishing just an hour from our nation's capital. Smallmouth bass juvenile recruitment varied greatly between locations. LUTZ LURES – Canoe Fishing the Upper Potomac River for Smallmouth Bass by randman011 | Posted on January 22, 2021 This is a video of my little brother, Mikey, holding up his trophy smallie he caught while trolling the Potomac River with 4″ minnow … Please feel free to share your pics. LOU Guides for 2020 Tidal Potomac; Upper Potomac; Susquehanna River; Juniata River; Maryland Eastern Shore Tidal Rivers; George Stevenson Reservoir and trout streams in Cameron County, PA-near Sinnamahoning.. I achieved that goal -- but just barely. Ponds conditions were good, but for whatever reason the adult smallmouth bass did not cooperate. Without intervention, state fishery managers worry the future of the recreational fishery, valued at $23 million a year, could be in jeopardy. Smallmouth bass juvenile recruitment varied greatly between locations. By Lord Castlereagh, April 12, 2018 in Smallmouth Bass Fishing. Located near Harpers Ferry, WV, Mark Kovach Fishing Services has been guiding folks down the Potomac River since 1979. While supplemental stocking cannot replace natural reproduction, the hope is that by increasing the overall number of young fish in the river, we will be able to see an increase in the adult smallmouth bass population in the near future. What section of the river do you fish? Posted on May 10, 1999. Tournament angler and department staff health and safety are our top priority during this public health emergency. Without intervention, state fishery managers worry the future of the recreational fishery, valued at $23 million a year, could be in jeopardy. The overall average seining score for the river was 0.7 juvenile smallmouth bass per seine haul. The book provides exceptionally detailed directions to the parking areas and then extends the discussion onto the river  Steve tells you where to go, shows pictures along the way, and identifies the key locations that you should target. The relative abundance of 2019 juvenile fish in the overall population is higher than what has been observed in the last 4 years. The hope is that this will increase the likelihood of successful reproduction. This is below the long-term median score of 1.0 fish/seine haul. The upper Potomac is a scenic, historic river and conveniently located to … John has worked for Maryland Freshwater Fisheries for over 38 years and is a wealth of knowledge on the Maryland waterways, the fish, and of course the upper Potomac. Smallmouth bass are, by far, the most popular sport fish in the nontidal portion of the Potomac above Great Falls. 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