Addicted to Smallies

KWM - there isn't any stock answer to "how far to wade" in either the Potomac or in Goose Creek. Pick a spot that has good looking water and wade to it. This time of year, with water cold and high, you won't be more than 10 yards from shore at best most places on the Potomac -- but that's enough to be away from the brush on shore. Let the water tell you where to go and how far you need to be. (Not trying to be Zen or anything, but you need to be where you need to be and no place else... you'll learn exactly what I mean once you've spent some time in the River.) As for Goose Creek, it's a decent body of water and this time of year is sometimes OK, but it's HIGHLY dependent on the water level. The current can be tough. For Goose Creek I have always found that hiking north on the path from Kepheart Landing and then wading the east bank side of where Goose Creek dumps into the Potomac is the best spot for big smallies. Anything further up the creek is going to be small. Big Barge -- glad you found my post valuable. I hope you catch the smallmouth bug like I did. I spent 30 years fishing for largemouth as a Southern Boy, but now I'm totally addicted to the smallies. I would suggest you go with a medium-light or medium spinning rod for your first few efforts, but once you get used to fighting these bad boys, switch down to light gear for an incredible adrenaline rush!

Oh, I almost forgot... the Baby Brush Hog is also deadly. Probably tied with the Senko in my book for producing when everything else in my tackle box seems to be falling flat.

I hate to be "that guy" but I have to say it... Senko's have been my best producer. Probably worth mentioning that I fish rivers, not lakes. I suppose it may be a confidence thing for me now, but I found the 4" and 5" Senko's (usually the BPS brand, actually) in watermelon or pumpkin to be good producers for me when other things aren't working. They seem to be perfectly weighted to get down and bounce along in the riffles, but work equally well in the deeper pools. Texas rigged, sometimes with a TINY hook weight on the front of the hook. Also fish them wacky sometimes, but they get hung up a bit more, and I haven't found the hook-up ratio to be any better for me.

I live in Reston (moved here about 5 years ago), and the local lakes are a pretty decent place to scratch your fishing itch when you can't make out out to a larger body of water. No one really helped me much, so I had to figure out the area by trial-and-error over the last few years... here's what I've learned: Lake Audubon probably has the best variety, IMHO, if you have a canoe or small plastic boat. The boat docks usually produce some decent largemouth, and there are some good sized catfish and carp in there as well. Bank fishing is tough, except for the area near the dam (which can be pretty decent in the pre-spawn when the sun warms up the shallows.) Lake Anne also has some decent fish, but they're pretty wary given the pressure they've seen... again, shore options are limited. Your best bet is to spend $200 on a cheap eBay canoe if you want to fish either of those (or most of the places I'm about to mention below, as well.) My little boy and I love going to either one, and when it slows down he can pull out palm-sized bluegill all day on pieces of nightcrawlers in either lake. Best fishing -- bar none -- within 5 miles of Reston is the Upper Potomac for Smallies, though. For shore fishing, the area about 1-1.5 miles up-river from Riverbend Park (hike along the trail until you get to the good riffles about 1.5 miles from the main park parking.) I've pulled out 3 and 4 lb smallies from the pools there from spring until fall -- but you DO have to wade. The shore doesn't really work. The other side (the pools near the islands, not all the way to the Maryland bank) is actually a lot more productive, and if you have a canoe, in addition to smallies, you can get some good largemouth action in a couple of the backwater areas and along bank cutbacks as well. Burke and Occoquan are a bit of a haul, and neither can really be fished without a boat -- but again, a canoe is all you need. Both are tough, but probably have the largest largemouth around NOVA, other than in the lower Potomac. Bank fishing is also decent at the ponds at Claude Moore park in Sterling. Both have decent numbers, but small size, as both are stocked with largemouth, bluegill and catfish every year. Just don't go on a weekend, since it's a zoo of kids with their SpongeBob rods learning to fish. I've caught as many as 15 largemouth in 2 hours there one spring afternoon during the week, but none were over 2 lbs. I've also been skunked if it's right after a heavy weekend. For ALL of these spots, I've found the best baits are 5" Senkos in green or pumpkin, and floating Rapala's. I've tried everything in my box over the last couple of years, but these 2 lures are constant producers for me. You can also use twist tail grubs when in the Upper Potomac for Smallies, but I actually prefer the Senko's there, too, since they tend to catch fewer, but larger, fish. If you've never hooked into a 4 lb river smallmouth, you just haven't fished! NOTHING fights like good sized river smallie -- they are pure muscle from fighting the current all day. Even the dinks are a good time, especially on a medium-light spinning rig. Beaverdam is TOUGH to fish... and bank fishing is tick-central. Do NOT even try to bank fish there unless you are covered in DEET and wearing permethrin-treated pants. The place is crawling with ticks. If you have the above-mentioned canoe, then you can get to some good spots on Beaverdam, but I've never been able to figure out a pattern there... it's hit or miss. I guess traditional spinnerbaits (white or chartreause) are probably what I've caught the most fish with on Beaverdam, and that's usually trolling behind the canoe when moving from spot-to-spot, or on long casts off of the points. There... that's the last 3 years of Reston-area fishing summed up in one post.

- Bow Hunting - Performance Driving / Racing (on the track only, of course) - Collecting antique maps (specifically 200+ years old of North America & Caribbean) - SCUBA diving - Sailing - Travel (25+ countries and have hit every continent except Antarctica so far)

In my never-ending quest to find good smallmouth spots, I was looking at the C.F. Phelps Wildlife Management Area as a spot to get onto the Rappahannock. But now, I'm also seeing that a lot of folks hunt deer and turkey here, too. As a new-to-Northern Virginia fisherman and hunter, I was wondering if any of you gents ever go there for a combined deer / turkey and smallmouth outing? I've scouted the river access, but anyone have any advice for hunting the area? I was thinking that during early bow season this fall, this could be a decent spot to get some hunting and some fishing in at the same time? Any thoughts? Anyone on here planning on hunting there this fall?

I was fishing on the Upper Potomac and the bite had really turned on. On one particular cast I hooked into a feisty little guy that fought pretty well and had some amazing jumps, only to lose him and my last senko on one of those head shakes near my canoe. I drifted down the current for a bit while I retied with a watermelon tube, and then cast into to a new pool below the next set of riffles. Before the tube even hit bottom, I had another fish on and another fun fight. When I got him back to the boat, imagine my surprise to see my Senko hanging out of his mouth. Hooked him twice, and in two different pools probably 500 yards away from each other.

Congratulations! I'm one of those "canoe guys" you see on the Upper Potomac these days. I love my canoe for getting into the hard-to-reach places, but I have to admit I've looked on with some *** at those jet boats, too! You're right about the smallmouth bass turning on around here, too. I had 2 great days late last week, too, including 4 fish over 2.5 lbs and 2 fish over 3 lbs -- HUGE for the River Bend / Senneca Breaks area where I was fishing.

Same thing happened to my son and I yesterday evening. I threw a 6" black/blue flake senko onto a grass bed and before I knew what happened, and snake grabbed it and took off fast as lightning. Didn't get hooked though -- he grabbed the end of a wacky rigged senko, pulled it off the hook and took off with it hanging out of his mouth. My son said it best: "I'm glad we didn't hook it... don't know what we would have done since you can't lip a snake!"

Folks around there swear up and down there aren't any catfish or carp in there, but I thought it felt like a catfish, too. How big of a cat would it take to put that much pulling strain on the swivel, though?

OK, so today I headed over to one of our little local 3 acre ponds here Northern Virginia to kill some time. The bass population is stunted, and 99% of the fish are in the 1 lb range or less, but it's still a fun way to spend a free Saturday evening, and sometimes you can hook into a 3# fish. I was geared up with my usual knock-about bass rig: an Abu Garcia baitcaster on a medium St. Croix rod and 20# braid with 20# fluro leader. I started throwing 6" Senkos and had a couple of light hits from small fish, but then on the next cast, WHAM -- something hit it like a ton of bricks. My rod bent and the line took off towards the center of the pond despite my best efforts to control the fish. He pulled HARD for a good 2-3 minutes, and then suddenly the line went limp -- my line and knots were fine, but this monster had straightened out the 30# swivel I used for connecting my leader! There aren't supposed to be any catfish or carp in this pond, so any ideas what it might have been? I fish a lot, and I've landed a 12# largemouth and a 6.5# river smallie , and neither one pulled ANYTHING like this monster did. This thing wasn't really "fighting" at all, but rather it was just a constant super-strong pulling directly away from me towards deeper water until the swivel straightened. I learned 3 things: my knots are evidently pretty good, I need to make sure and adjust my drag even when I'm not expecting anything big, and SOMETHING besides the 1# dinks live in that pond. Any thoughts? Right now, I'm leaning towards a big old snapping turtle...

Great looking fish, congratulations Mudwalker! I haven't made it out to the Rapp this year, unfortunately. How was the water and the grass/vegetation this time of year? What were you using when you caught that beauty? I've had really good luck the last couple of weeks on the Upper Potomac with 4" pumpkin senkos and baby brush hogs.

Hey guys, thanks for your advice. I spent the day yesterday on the Potomac (River Bend) and decided to practice my tube fishing with watermelon / red flake and pumpkin seed BPS tender tubes. After a bit, I found the pattern -- SLOW across the bottom with the rare slight rod twitch -- and hooked into 8 decent sized smallies, and one 1.5# largemouth. I think I've probably always put too much action on the tubes in the past. While I'm still a Senko guy when I need a confidence bait, at least now I have a new soft plastic that I'm comfortable with. Thanks to all of you for your advice!

Since there are no decent complete charts of the Occoquan Reservoir out there, I've always found the Reservoir to be a little difficult to fish, except when the fish are shallow or hanging on the obvious points. Has anyone had luck using down imaging or side imaging on the OR? Ever find anything interesting? Any pics you can post? I'm thinking of getting the small Humminbird unit to help on the reservoir and even on Burke... pressure is pretty high at both of those lakes these days and any advantage helps... I saw a screen shot of an old bridge that wasn't on any map that someone found in Smith Mountain Lake on one of the down imaging sites... anyone find anything interesting on the Occoquan? (smithmountainlake.com/news/lakerWeekly/wb/224347)

Nice fish -- especially for a NoVa lake! Personally, I've never fished Huntsman before (probably because it looks so small on Google Maps next to Burke and the O Res) but will have to give it a try. I'm guessing that Huntsman is a shore fishing lake? How's the vegetation around the edges this time of year? Any first time tips if I want to head out there next week and give it a try?

X2 on the Baby Brush Hog comment.. I use them on the Upper Potomac and they produce almost every time... maybe even tied with 4" pumpkin Senko's for my "guaranteed bites" lure. Aut0 - I've fished the New and the Greenbrier, but never Bluestone. Is there an easier way to get to the fishable waters besides than taking the Tram and hiking?

Congrats on your catch! Nice looking fish. What did you catch them on?

Snogle, I've had good luck there in spring / early summer, too. But I was out there a few days ago and with water levels low, the weeds were TERRIBLE. Had to wade out 35-50' from shore and fish the rocks of the main channel just to get out of the salad. Unless you're pitching a heavy Texas rigged lure for largemouth, I think the weeds are too think there this time of the season (or at least too thick for my preferred smallmouth light tackle spinning rig.) What about Goose Creek itself? Ever have any luck there? I've tried it a few times, but have never found anything bigger than a 8-9oz fish in the typical eddies / pools below currents. Are there any decent size fish further up Goose Creek from the Potomac?

Thanks for all the suggestions, guys. Glad to know I'm not the only one that has had luck with one bait, but skunked on another. I'm going to keep trying the tubes as you suggested until I get more confidence in them. I really appreciate all the help!

I have fished out of my 14' canoe many times in the upper Potomac. I like to paddle, but if I'm going out solo for an all-day fishing marathon, I attach a 30# MinnKota motor on a home-made mount, and it is plenty to move me around -- usually never move off of Speed 2. As for safety, if the gauge at Point of Rocks is above 2-3' or so, it's NOT safe for a small boat though. Here is a link to the official "safe water levels" site for the Potomac: dnr.state.md.us/boating/pdfs/upperpotomac.pdf

Thanks, Josh. I guess it makes sense that on some days some baits just work better. I just have never had luck with tubes for some reason... guess I need to practice with them more since everyone says they are the go-to bait for river smallies. Do you crawl them along the bottom slowly or hop them? Are most hits on the crawl, the fall or the pause?

I second that notion! That spot is great, especially when there is some decent flow coming out of Goose Creek. Right now, with the water levels down and the grass growing THICK, it's a tough spot to fish unless you wade WAAAAAY out there, but in the spring it's awesome.

I've heard a lot of my buddies have caught snakeheads here in the lower Potomac (around Mt. Vernon and down river, near creek inlets) while fishing for largemouth bass. 90% of the time it sounds like their line gets snapped, though. Makes me wonder if some of my broken lines / snags / weak knots were actually snakeheads grabbing my senko that I never saw. Do people use steel leaders or super-high-gauge fluro when you fish for these things? I'd imagine you would need something similar to a musky set-up.

Thanks, Kiko! Sounds like a great time... if I can get the work situation squared away that day, then I'll be there.

Any easy way to get to Seneca Breaks from the Virginia side? I've heard there is good smallmouth fishing there but only heard about getting to it from the Maryland side. It seems crazy to drive the 25 miles to Maryland when I only live 5 miles as the crow flies in Virginia. I can see a road that goes part of the way into the park on the VA side using Google Earth, but when I tried to check it out in person, there was a chain across the road.