OK, here is the post we need to keep all the info stored for the Potomac.
Included is a poll to let us know who will be a boater and a non boater, it is important that you please let us know so that we can keep a valid record of how many open seats we will have for non boaters, thank you boaters for offering and we can not wait to get this thing going !!
We look forward to meeting each and every one of you, this year is going to be a big turn out it seems, but we need all who are making plans to attend this event to please make sure they put the vote in for either a boater or a non boater, it's very important that we have this info so that we can make plans for everything, without knowing the maximum number of people who wish to attend it's hard to make the right arrangements, so if you are even thinking about it, even if there is only an outside chance, place your boating status so that we can be as prepared as we can possibly be.
Lets get this information out there so we can be prepaired for fishing the Potomac, we need safety regulations, the safest places to fish, what we can expect from fishing tidal waters, ie... don't get caught here while the tide is out, those sort of things.
We look forward to meeting everyone this fall or late summer and having as much fun as we can, last year was a blast, this year we have already generated a lot of interest and it looks to be a possibility of a great turn out.
Below is some of the info already previously disscussed as far as places to stay that week or weekend, also some needed fishing info for licence and what we need to know about the fish there.
http://www.nvrpa.org/park/pohick_bay/
https://www.countmyfish.noaa.gov/register/ Make sure you click on the " do I need to register " button if you have any questions about saltwater registration for your craft !!
Licence: All you will need will be your Va. licence, unless you make the run way North or south of where we will be, then there will be extra fee's involved, there will be plenty of room in between to fish with lots of good locations to try your luck.
Any Licence questions can be found here.
http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/licenses/
mudkart and charlie was kind enough to share some insite as to what baits to use and added some info as to what we can expect at the time of the meet and greet, thanx mudkart and charlie !!!
Contrary to previously published messages, Northern Snakeheads do NOT have to be killed in Virginia waters. Since all of Pohick Bay is located in Virginia, you may keep, kill or release snakeheads caught there. However, anyone releasing them when they could be eating them is suspect.
Our local VDGIF fisheries biologist is the regional coordinator of the snakehead team and offers the following information:
1. Northern Snakeheads live in very shallow water.
2. They live in shallow water as they are air breathers. They do not have gills and therefore, must come to the surface every 3-4 minutes to gulp air.
3. Their primary food source is the killifish, a very small minnow that lives in less than six inches of water.
4. Bass normally do not target killifish. Therefore, the two fish do not share the same water nor the same food source.
5. In all their studies, they have not found any bass in the stomachs of snakeheads.
6. However, the reverse is not true. Bass eat snakeheads.
7. VDGIF does not require the killing of snakeheads because there is no way to get them out of the resource. Since they do not compete with nor affect bass or the other gamefish in the Potomac River, they are just another
gamefish to the Department.
8. Pohick Bay is a hot spot for snakeheads. White spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, chatterbaits and topwater frogs are all subject to being taken by snakeheads on any cast. As someone else mentioned, they hit like a ton of bricks and accelerate from there. Braided line in the 20-65# class is a necessity for the thick grass and lily pads that these fish love.
9. On two different occasions last year, I caught five or more snakeheads from the grass and lily pads on frogs and spinnerbaits. Personal best snakehead in Pohick Bay was 14.3 pounds. Unfortunately, the Tournament Director would not weigh them in for credit.
As for the fishing:
1. As you leave the ramp, turning left will put you in the thick grass and lily pads in less than two feet of water. Turning right will put you in the middle of Pohick Bay with is about 4-5 feet deep throughout.
2. The right (South) bank has numerous downed trees and a couple of submerged barges, along with a couple of good points and some docks. The closer to the river you get, the more numerous the docks. The grass is normally thick the full length of this bank with the grassbed becoming much wider near the river.
3. Heading directly across the bay from the ramp, you will see two separate entrances to a small creek. Anyone wishing to fish that creek will need to go in on the trolling motor or with the O/B kicked all the way up. Once inside the creek, the channel drops to 3-4 feet and there is no problem with navigation. I like to go in on the incoming tide and fish until the tide turns, fishing back on the outgoing tide.
4. To the right of the creek mouths, the bank is part of Fort Belvoir and may be fished down to a large dock. This dock, known as the Coast Guard dock, is offlimits to anglers. All boats MUST stay outside the bollards on either side of the dock and outside those in front of the dock. They have plenty of Rent-A-Cops to harrass you and keep you away from the boats that are tied up there.
5. Beyond the dock, there is a nice shallow, rocky bank that normally has a narrow grassbed and then drops off into 10 feet, then 17 feet and then 20 feet plus. This is a good crankbait bank and lots of good fish are taken from the 17 foot dropoff on jigs and plastic grubs. The drop runs from the front dock pilings to a line intersecting a white house on the hill on the Maryland Shoreline. Always fish this drop parallel to the bank.
6. Last year, the mouth of Pohick Bay had a reef of eelgrass (Valisneria) about 30-40 feet wide running all the way across the bay. This grassbed should have lots of fish in it and since it is located on the dropoff into the river, the fish should be of good size.
7. Keep in mind that we are dealing with four prime predators in this area: Bass, Snakehead, Blue Catfish and striped bass. The blue catfish in the river just love spinnerbaits and firetiger crankbaits. On any cast, an angler may find himself hooked up with a 30-50# blue catfish or a 15# striper.
8. Your primary baits in Pohick Bay should be: Zoom Horny Toad, Manns Baby One Minus, White Buzzbait, 5" Green Pumpkin Senko, Small swimbait (Money Minnow, etc.), green pumpkin creature bait (Brush Hog, Etc.) and White Zoom Super Fluke.
As for Boating:
1. Understand that the Potomac River is unforgiving. Generally the wind is calm in the morning and comes up during the late morning to it's maximum is mid-afternoon. Since the river is so open and the prevailing winds are either from the North or South, the wind has a long time to build up waves. Waves on the river generally whitecap at 11-12 mph and it is not at all unusual to have 15-25 mph winds.
2. Given that information, anyone with a boat smaller than 17 feet should plan on staying inside Pohick Bay. There is plenty of area, cover and fish to last a week or more without venturing into the river.
3. Those is 17'+ glass or aluminum boats might think about heading straight across from the mouth of Pohick Bay to the Maryland shoreline. This is known as Greenway Flat and is an expansive flat containing numerous different grasses out to the drop into the river channel.
4. This flat is home for many bass, yellow perch, snakehead, blue catfish, bluegill and striper. Although there is lots of grass here, it is generally more sparse and a Texas-rigged creature bait, Senko or Chatterbait is more successful.
5. Heading south around the next point, you will find the entrance to Pamunkey Creek. The entrance is a little hard to find, but it is located back in the corner after rounding the point. This creek is a typical tidal creek, choked with grass along both sides of the channel. I like Zoom Horny toads and weightless, Texas-rigged
5" Senkos here.
6. The entire Maryland shoreline south of the creek mouth has a good thick grassbed that consistently yields lots of good bass to those fishing topwater frogs, creature baits and Senkos. Another good spot that gets pounded is the Navy Dive Dock at the end of the shoreline where it comes back to the main river channel. Lots of very heavy pilings and timber dropping off into 25+ feet of water with good tidal movement.
7. Shifting back over to the Virginia shore, you will see a small bay just below the south point of Pohick Bay (Hallowing Point). This bay normally has a huge grassbed in 2-3 feet of water that holds lots of good bass. Once again, frogs, swimbaits, chatterbaits, creature baits and Senkos are the better choice of baits.
8. Heading south along the Virginia Shoreline, you need to stay a good 50 yards off the shore as the water is very shallow there. Swing wide around the next point and you will be heading into the Occoquan River. On the right as you enter the river, you will see a small island. Just beyond the island, look carefully and you will see poles delineating a channel heading up into a creek. Here, you have an option. Either follow the channel into the creek and fish the creek.....or turn right and find yourself in Belmont Bay. Belmont Bay is a large shallow grass choked flat that has thousands of cruising bass chasing the baitfish that are in there during this season of the year. Frogs, swimbaits, chatterbaits, creature baits and senkos all work well.
9. If you stay in the channel into the Occoquan River, you will see a grass bed on the right side. This bed has been a mainstay of tournament anglers for a good number of years. Best success is normally along the dropoff into the river channel just after you enter the no wake zone and up to the first covered marina on the right.
10. Beyond the first Marina, you will see the docks of two marinas on the right. They all hold fish on a moving tide. At all times, fish the downtide side of the pilings. Best fishing is generally on the last two hours of the outgoing tide and the first hour of the incoming tide.
11. Fishing is not that productive beyond the first bridge on the Occoquan during the summer. That is primarily a late fall and winter fishery.
NHBA Charlie......
Senkos, Fat Ikas, hollow-body frog, buzz frog (I like the Zoom H. Toad), chatterbait, Mann's -1, Shad Raps, lipless crank du jour.
I find braided line very useful on the tidal Potomac. Conditions (i.e. water clarity, abundant vegetation) are such that, IMO, the line does not spook bass. Chances are, at the dates of this get-together, you will be fishing heavy vegetation at some point. You will then thank me for the braid suggestion. Some techniques, especially hollow body frogs (IMO), require braid, otherwise you're wasting your time.
Here is a link to what we need to do with Snakehead fish.
http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/fishing/snakehead-faq.asp
This one will be much like the last one, this is an event to get together, have some fun, and do some fishing, it's an opportunity for all of us to spend time with family and meet other families as well, there will be a cookout following the friendly tournament along with some games as well, like Corn Hole, Yes Zoff, there will be Corn Hole, just not what your thinking LOL !!
If you wish to participate in the cookout then bring an extra 5 bucks to toss in the hat.
If you are a non boater be prepaired to split costs with your boater, some of us volunteer our time on the water, some of us do not, we do not expect anyone to follow the ones who are giving the non boaters a free ride, it is totally up to the individual, however there is a " If you break it - You bought it" in place for those who are not expecting anything in return.
Feel free to ask any question at all !!!
