Fried Lemons

I've never used it before but the phenix x10 is rated for lures 1/4-1oz. Tackletour seems to support this though. http://www.tackletour.com/reviewphenixx10.html

Man, I saw those on sale on the Dick's site yesterday, checked out today and they were gone.

Managed a few fish today on a short outing.

I've been eyeing that reel and am somewhat torn between the 2500 and 3000. I'd like to know what you think of that reel once you've fished it a bit.

Sent pm.

Had a fantastic day at the C&O canal. The vegetation has died down so I brought out the ultralight gear. Caught 8 largemouth between 1-2 pounds, nothing big. I did get bit by something that ran in circles for about 3 minutes before spitting the hooks. I could not get it to come up with such light gear. The surprise of the day were the jumbo crappies which until today I didn't know were in that section of the canal. I caught half a dozen around 11-14". All the fish were caught on a gold kastmaster. Also spotted a snakehead sunning in the shallows. It would not take anything I threw at it. I thought they had been fished out from all the recent pressure but it seems they are very hard to eradicate.

After reading reports of crappie schooling near bridges and piers in the tidal potomac, I decided to try and catch them for a change of pace. Being shorebound, I went exploring some marinas in the Fort Washington area and located a school. All caught on a 2" chartreuse berkley power grub. The largest was 12".

My dad got into fishing when I was around 5 years old and would keep absolutely anything we caught. We didn't specifically target bass, we would just bait with some nightcrawlers and take whatever happened to come by. As I grew older and I started learning to target bass, I noticed that some of the productive areas I had been fishing since the beginning were no longer producing fish of any size. We were by no means the only fishermen in those areas with the harvest all mentality. I've seen firsthand the impact that over harvest even within legal limits can have on a local fishery. I now release almost all of the bass I catch. I feel it also sets a good example for people who are interested in getting into the sport.

I enjoy bluegill best whole unless I am lucky enough to find big ones. If fried well the bones crunch up and all you are left with is the head and the spine. The head is actually edible as well in the smaller specimens.

Thanks for the feedback. I just noticed that the new model listed on the website is slated for 2016 so I guess I can scratch that off.

I'm looking for a spinning rod mainly for lightweight lures and plastics. The two I've been looking at are the Fenwick HMG spinning rods and the new St. Croix Mojo spinning rods as these two are in my price range. I've heard that the SCIII blanks in the newer mojos are a significant upgrade over the SCII they used to use but I'd like some opinions on the two. I'm primarily interested in sensitivity but other concerns are durability and use in saltwater. Thoughts?

Well for most brands 20 pound braid has the diameter of 6 pound mono so I see no reason why you could not use it. A good knot for braid is the palomar knot. It's very easy to tie and is very strong. I have never had one slip.

It's been a slow week so far but today was better. I fished Violet's Lock for about 90 minutes after work today. I started off waking a spinnerbait along the grass edges. Didn't get any bass but had a ~20" snakehead come out of the grass and swipe at it but unfortunately it was shallow hooked by the trailer hook and came off. Switched to a punching rig and caught 2 largemouth before calling it a day. All of the fish I caught as well as the snakehead were tight to the grass along the towpath. No more than 5ft from the bank.

I went to Swain's Lock after work today looking for some frog action. Missed about 4 blowups in a 30 minute span which was discouraging. After about an hour I managed to hook the only fish of the day. I think she pulled me through just about every weed possible on the way in. I wasn't even sure the fish was still on near the end since I was pulling close to double her weight in grass. The picture doesn't really show it but this fish was extremely fat. Ended up breaking my old personal best. I actually caught my old pb just 50 yards or so away from this spot so this could actually be the same fish. If it were the same fish it definitely got bigger so I suppose it doesn't really matter although I would like to believe there is more than one fish of this size swimming around Swain's.

Yeah I didn't land that one very well. From where I fish I have to swing the fish I catch since the bank is elevated 5-10 feet above the water and is quite treacherous. I do try my best not to damage the fish I catch.

I keep my equipment in my car most of the time. I get off of work at 4 and go fishing directly after that so the preparation is mostly done the night before. I fish from the bank so for convenience I only ever take one rod out of my trunk. I decide based on the location and which techniques I anticipate using.

Fished the C&O in a variety of conditions this week. Nothing huge, average fish was about 2 pounds with the largest being around 4, caught with a variety of techniques. Frog Weightless Spook Also tried punching some of the isolated mats. I was expecting subtle bites but it turned out to be the opposite. The fish were hitting so hard they would hook themselves through the soft plastic.

I've used booyah frogs with no modifications this entire summer and gone through about 4 of them. I've had them turn inside out and every way imaginable but I have never had one fill up with water. Just my 2 cents.

This particular one I caught about 1/2 mile from Violet's Lock and I have also seen them at Swain's Lock. I have also heard of them being seen in the canal around Georgetown. They have been traveling upstream so it should be pretty safe to assume they exist from Georgetown as far up as Violet's Lock. I have seen them in all sizes from fry up to one that was close to 2 feet long guarding a ball of fry so it looks like they're doing quite well in the canal.

I've been fishing the C&O this week for a mix of largemouth/snakehead. For largemouth I've had luck with weightless plastics and hollow body frogs fished over slop. I've spotted snakeheads all week but they haven't been as cooperative as the bass. Today I caught my first one on a popper.

Hello folks, my name is Jesse and I just joined this forum but I have been browsing and finding helpful information for the past few months. I've been fishing for most of my life but over the past year I started fishing on almost a daily basis whether it be after work or my days off. I have definitely come down with an addiction not just to bass but all kinds of fishing. It just so happens that bass fishing is most accessible to me during weekdays after work. I'm from Maryland and I fish the Potomac/C&O canal in the stretch upstream of Washington D.C. If you happen to bike/walk the canal towpath on weekdays after 4pm chances are you have seen me at one point or another. I'm a poor college student so my fishing is strictly limited to the bank. I've been heavily targetting largemouth along the C&O from the Old Angler's Inn all the way up to the Dickerson plant. I also enjoy wading the nearby potomac for smallmouth and have been pursuing the elusive snakehead. This year I've been committed to learning the area better and I'd love to know if anyone here fishes the river regularly, particularly in the spring runs. I have a lot to learn and I'd be happy to share what I've experienced with other anglers in my area. Thanks for having me and best of luck for the remainder of 2015!