fishwizzard

I fish Northwest Branch north of Burnt Mills fairly often and yea, right above the dam is no good. I have managed to catch decent numbers of small LBMs maybe 1/2 north of the dam, the fishing getting better the further up you go. There is so much run off from the surrounding developments that it isn't really worth going if it has rained recently.

I have some of the Keitech non-lead jigs that I am trying out. One of them has a single strand weedguard and one has the tiniest brush weedguard I have ever seen. I have only tried them out once so far, but they seem to work well and hold the lures unglued as well as most other jigs, which is to say not well at all.

Hah, it seems the divided opinion is still going strong. I think I am going to pull the trigger on the Ex-fast. I am getting this rod from a custom builder who made me an ML this spring that I am pretty in love with, and he suggests that a M/ExF will be a good complement to it. I also believe that I want the extra stiffness to help with hooksets. Thanks for the imput guys.

Thanks for this, my dentist is up that way and I can't wait to check it out.

Hi, I did some searches and it seems like opinion here is split on which speed (Fast or ExFast) is best for a Medium fluke rod. While the rod's primary role will be to cast flukes, mostly Zoom Supers and GYCB D-Shads, I also will use it for weightless senkos and other weightless plastics. It will also likely become my tube rod and the occasional small spinnerbaits. I am leaning towards the ExFast as I already have a ML/F rod that will have some overlapping uses with this new one, so having a rod that is both heavier and stiffer might be nice. I would love anyone's thoughts on this.

Flukes are becoming my goto "fast fishing" lure when it is too weedy to use something with an open hook. I usually start with slow pops and then dead sticking it for 4-5 seconds, then gradually speeding the retrieve up with subsequent casts. My last cast or two at a spot I usually rip them back to the bank just under the surface.

Actually, the fashion in men's shorts has been creeping shorter for a while now, the new fashion "standard" is around a 9-10" inseam. So really you are just being very fashion forward and can look down on the less bold crowd.

The pool on the far side of the tunnel sometimes holds bass, so I spent a few moments casting down it, no hits sadly.

Is this the one you are talking about? This is the jighead I currently use and it seems to pull out of the fish's mouth fairly often when I go to set the hook.

The Slider Pro head seems to be only offered in 5/16, which is too heavy for my needs. I already use the Rugby heads for small paddle tails and the Owner Ultra heads for my weedless Neds currents, but they are both built on EWG hooks and I have noticed a definite increase in missed hooksets using them compared to an open hook. I think something like the crappy jigs I pictured would work better as the hook point is at a better angle and will easily pierce the soft zman plastics.

Nice, I might hit the canal tomorrow afternoon. Not sure if I am going to try Wide Water or head further north yet though.

I like fishing them weightless, but you have to center the hook perfectly or the bait will run very poorly. I have found that a pair of 1/32 nail weights makes the hook placement a little less exacting and still lets me run them nice and slowly. I just bought some of the Keitech 1/8oz swimjigs to try with them, I have high hopes for them.

So Slider makes these two jigheads: That I think would be almost perfect for a weed/snagless Ned rig. But, they are both listed as having soft hooks. I would love something like this size, but with a bass hook. The first problem is, I don't know what this style of jig is called (as opposed to most weedless jigheads, which are poured on EWG hooks) so I can't really begin looking very well. Does this style have a specific name?

I will change my wish to this if you promise to sell me some.

Just posted this, spent 4 hours today river fishing, the deepest pool I fished was maybe 4' deep. I brought a few other lures to try but the Ned worked so well I never switched.

I have tried both klein tool scissors and my GF's hair scissors ( ) and I can't get a straight cut with either. It sounds like longer ones will work better, thanks. My Ned-related wish would be for a small jig like this: But with a hook strong enough for bass, and a tiny keeper on the shank. None of the jigs I have tried to use for a weed/snagless Ned are idea, something like this would be perfect if it had a wire keeper and a flat head to glue too.

There are, infact, smallmouth north of Daniels. Hundreds of them, just none very big that I could catch. Hit the dam around 10am and speed walked about 1.75 miles up the trail to my wading spot. Caught a large Redbreast before my feet even got wet and the action was nonstop for the rest of the trip. I immediately began catching small SMB in the 6-9" range mixed in with Sunfish (mostly redbreasts and I think, pumpkinseeds) in the 4-7" range, and single rock bass. There were a ton of bait fish in every shallows and every pool had a few small SMB in it. My largest fish was only a 12" SMB, but I swear a 9" SMB fights harder than a 14" LMB. It took me four hours to fish half a mile and I actually managed to wearout a ned rig. I didn't keep a good count but I had to crimp the barbs on my jigs as it was taking too long to release everything. The fish were everywhere, pools, riffles, even featureless runs would hold fish on the banks. I saw maybe three larger SMB in the 12-15" range in some of the shaded pools, but they would not hit my lure even if it drifted right past them. Infact, the largest I saw was maybe 15-16", sitting in a pool about 15' out from the rock I was standing on. I made a perfect cast upstream of him and was working my lure right past him. Maybe 6' out this little 9"er rockets out from under a log and hits my lure so hard he hooked himself and starts pulling drag running upstream. By the time I got him sorted out the large bass was gone. Next time I am switching back to my L rod, while the little bass would still put a good bend in my heavyish ML, I think they will feel like a tuna on my L action.

You have to hike up about a mile or so, maybe two before it gets wadeable. Last year I caught maybe a hundred large sunfish, a handful of holdover Rainbows, and maybe 2 decent bass, all over the course of three trips in about a month. But, I was fishing super small panfish plastics on an UL rod. Tomorrow I am bringing a ML and going to fish a Ned rig/MWF plastics exclusively and methodically cast at every remotely hopeful looking spot. If there are any fish in there, I hope to find them. I have never had any luck in the pooled part, but there are a lot of sunfish in there at the very least.

Hah, I did the same, but it was a 20" pickerel that pulled like a truck. Speaking of smallmouth, I am going to but up north of baltimore for a bit tomorrow morning and was thinking of hitting the Patapsco on the way home for some wade fishing. I usually go just north of Daniels Dam, but I would be open to another spot if anyone can recommend one.

I have tried cutting them this way, a few different types of scissors, razor blades, and a sharp serrated knife, none of them work well and I feel like I am constantly in danger of cutting myself the way those things squirm.

Hah, I guess I should have gone to the canal, all I got at RG were a handful of dinks and a sunburn.

About a month ago my little pair of cutting pliers went overboard and were lost. I guess this is a good reminder to replace them asap! I have never hooked myself past the barb yet, but I know it is coming.

I am thinking about either taking my yak out to Rocky Gorge or hitting the C&O by Pennyfield on Saturday, anyone been to those spots lately? I am leaning towards RG as I suspect the canal will be packed, but I do love that place when the bite is on.

Eco Pro also now offers a 4" ribbed paddle tail lure. It retails for like $3.50. I picked up a pack during the TW sale frenzy and will report back once I fish them for a bit.

Hah, I read the thread title and thought the same thing, I was like "man, I hope that guy doesn't try to go out on the water after...."