Steveo-1969

WV Resident annual fishing license is $24 ($19 fishing license + $5 Conservation Stamp). Trout fisherman also need to purchase a $10 Trout Fishing Stamp.

All great suggestions so far! Don’t overlook a 4” Berkley Powerbait Power Worm. I’ll Texas rig on a 2/0 worm hook or fish it on a jig head.

This^^^^^

Wading is my favorite way to fish in summer and fall. Shorts and Crocs when the water is warm. Chest waders when it gets colder.

Upper Potomac River (Dam #4)

^^^^^ THIS

Welcome to Bass Resource. ?⬇️

None of the above. Wade fishing for me!

I can’t recommend a specific spinning rod at that price point but I would look for a Medium power Fast action rod for small swimbaits with 1/8 or 3/16 heads. For length make it as long as you are comfortable casting/handling.

I use 10# hi-vis braid and a leader. Leader is for abrasion resistance and ease of breaking off. NOT for reduced visibility.

Congratulations!!

If it’s crazy to enjoy catching little smallmouth then I don’t want to be sane! Summer finds me wading shallow rocky portions of my local river where my average smallmouth is about 10”. And just like their bigger brothers and sisters (or Mike Iaconelli) they never give up. Even after I finally grab them. And standing in the water makes it even more enjoyable, especially when I’m trying to keep the fish from swimming between my legs. Bite hookset drag slip pull pull pull pull jump pull pull pull jump getinthecurrent pull pull pull pull drag slip pull pull… It never gets old!

Fish On Bass Anglers is based in MD I believe. @Logan S posts about the club regularly on Bass Resource.

Pretty sure this was a joke in a Bill Engvall stand up routine. Maybe it really happened to him too… (shudder)

I’m assuming you are not targeting walleyes suspended over deep water. In which case your jig should be heavy enough to quickly reach and stay near the bottom. I occasionally fish hair jigs for walleye but more often a ball head jig with some kind of plastic. Don’t be afraid to tip your jig with a leech, minnow or half a nightcrawler either. A couple summers ago I was walleye fishing in Wisconsin and decided I was going to show my uncle how to catch them on HIS lake. He said “sure, plastics will work”. After his third fish I asked him to pass the nightcrawlers…

Welcome to BR! Never say never, but I’m going to say it anyway. I will NEVER spool my spinning rods with anything EXCEPT braid. It’s extremely manageable because line twist doesn’t affect it. I can’t tell you if casting distance is better or worse than with Invizx but when I used 10# Sufix 832 I could cast far enough. If you want more distance switch to a thinner braid. With that said lots of people spool their spinning rods with 8# Invizx and say it’s very manageable.

When the Ned Rig became popular I was one of the people who couldn’t catch a cold with the darn thing! Now for the past two seasons I rarely throw anything else for river smallmouth. I haven’t noticed an increase in the size of the fish but for sheer numbers it’s hard to beat!

That’s what I use the fishing for…..

I prefer the larger spool of a 3000 size reel as I feel it casts more smoothly and provides better line management. I fill it up most of the way with a junk mono and top it off with 100 yards of braid.

@TOXIC Do you know what the price/quantity will be? Earlier in the thread we had some conflicting information. Thanks.

Tackle Warehouse shows the Ned Senko with 10 baits for $6. Still the most expensive at $0.60 each.

On my spinning rods it’s hi-vis braid with some type of clear leader (mono, fluoro or co-poly). The hi-vis braid is so I can see my line, it drives me crazy when I can’t see it. The clear leader is not for invisibility but for abrasion resistance and so I can break off snags more easily. But if I was worried about my hi-vis braid being a negative trigger for the fish then adding a leader eases my worry.

As others have said I don’t need a certain mental state to enjoy fishing. The fishing experience PUTS me in that desired mental state. “I fish so I don’t choke people.”

I’ve never been there that late in the year so I’m not sure where the bass will be located then (and I’ve never fished for catfish). Follow fishing reports and ask at local tackle shops for advice. If the bass are on the ledges there’s lots and lots of them to fish in that area. If you are still looking for a place to stay try Shawnee Bay Resort. I can’t speak highly enough about the owner John Rezek.