Meet And Greet On The Potomac August 24Th And 25Th

[endless]

That can work and true.

[Zoff]

The Wife has volunteered to be the photographer.  She stated she wants to come and hang out at the campsite with my Daughter and her friend.  She also volunteers to cook snakeheads or whatever.  Might even bring some venison to fry.  She stated she can fry whatever you want.  We plan on being there on Friday but may come up on Thursday.  Got some camping gear together so it'll be a blast.

 

Nitro... can you call me at your convienience? 

[endless]

The Wife has volunteered to be the photographer.  She stated she wants to come and hang out at the campsite with my Daughter and her friend.  She also volunteers to cook snakeheads or whatever.  Might even bring some venison to fry.  She stated she can fry whatever you want.  We plan on being there on Friday but may come up on Thursday.  Got some camping gear together so it'll be a blast.

 

Nitro... can you call me at your convienience? 

Nice!! I talk to my brother he wants to come too just not sure if he coming to camp. I plan on coming down on Friday to hang out that night with everyone. Maybe I can talk the wife into coming too and hanging with the ladies. We got enough time to plan and find a babysitter especially  for the youngin.

[Broke bass fisherman]

Thanks Nitro. I will look that up and see what the Ouija board has to say about the finances. Hoping to make it but it's been tough last few years.

[endless]

Thanks Nitro. I will look that up and see what the Ouija board has to say about the finances. Hoping to make it but it's been tough last few years.

Maybe if trying to come camp maybe hook up with one of the guys here to see if can help spit finances. I know Teal was offering a part of his site and even gear. August is a ways away maybe we can come up with something....

 

I would hate for you to miss it!

[Broke bass fisherman]

Maybe if trying to come camp maybe hook up with one of the guys here to see if can help spit finances. I know Teal was offering a part of his site and even gear. August is a ways away maybe we can come up with something....

I would hate for you to miss it!

Good point I will stay up to date and on top of this thread. I am sure we can figure something out. I do want to say thank you all for being so supportive.

[endless]

No problem Broke Bass.

I'm trying to talk the wife into right now lol

[Nitrofreak]

The Wife has volunteered to be the photographer.  She stated she wants to come and hang out at the campsite with my Daughter and her friend.  She also volunteers to cook snakeheads or whatever.  Might even bring some venison to fry.  She stated she can fry whatever you want.  We plan on being there on Friday but may come up on Thursday.  Got some camping gear together so it'll be a blast.

 

Nitro... can you call me at your convienience? 

 

YES !!!!

[endless]

Maybe if trying to come camp maybe hook up with one of the guys here to see if can help spit finances. I know Teal was offering a part of his site and even gear. August is a ways away maybe we can come up with something....

 

I would hate for you to miss it!

I should have said I would hate for anyone to miss it!

[Teal]

Yeah guys, just ket me know how many tents to bring. No reason to go and spend a bunch of money. Campsites are only 30 bucks per night, so if that is split two or three ways it is a really cheap weekend. I already put in papers to be off work so im committed at this point....lol

[flyfisher]

I am planning on coming up for at least one day maybe more depending on what is going on. We are still trying to figure out vacation plans and stuff

I am hoping to be able to come up and fish on Friday and Saturday.

[Traveler2586]

No No No !! he did not get any pics of himself I think we need to pass it around this time.

X2, don't know why others didn't take pic's, even cell phone pic's would work. 

[spropro]

Is the meet and greet at Pohick ? Is there a meet date, time, location ? Is there an agenda?

Spropro

[NHBA 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......

[soccplayer07]

great write up bud! 

[endless]

Is the meet and greet at Pohick ? Is there a meet date, time, location ? Is there an agenda?

Spropro

 

Is the meet and greet at Pohick ? Is there a meet date, time, location ? Is there an agenda?

Spropro

Yes! August 24th and 25th! Agenda, Meet, greet, fish, eat, hangout, SILLY!! Just playing. Nitro will be posting more. Bunch of the guys will be coming up or down and will be camping so if up for some camping............. I plan on coming up Friday hopefully with the wife so she can hang with the ladies.  Hope to see you there Spropro!!

 

Also if can and may post and vote if our a boater, have a partner, open seat, or looking for an open seat please.

[Broke bass fisherman]

Great write up Charlie. Thanks that will help a lot.

[spropro]

Wow Charlie! I don't believe there is any more to be said about this area of the river. I'm cutting and pasting you dissertation into my phone. By the way I went down to the pohick ramp a few days ago to test out some new gear and caught a fat 3lber on a red eye shad on the third cast. Water temp was around 38.

Endless, I did respond to the survey.

I have fished pohick a lot and had great days and been skunked. It's a beautiful watershed with lots of wild life. There is a lot of skinny water and best access is a canoe or kayak. There are lots of eagles, ospreys, cranes, egrets, muskrats, beavers, ducks, geese. It's a blast watching the ospreys dive and blast into the water catching fish. In August the fishing there can be very challenging. The whole bay will be choked with grass and the water crystal clear. I usually fish early mornings and evenings. When the sun gets up the fish can bury themselves in the grass and are hard to find. You have to drop the bait onto the top of their heads. I believe the eagles have conditioned the fish somewhat. Any fish that venture out of the grass when the birds are active don't live long enough to breed.

I caught my first snakehead in pohick on a frog and when the fish hit I was sure I had the new state record bass. The fish was about 8lbs and I released it. When I got back at the ramp a dnr officer was doing creel surveys and asked if I caught any snakeheads. I said I did and he asked if I had killed it. I told him that since I was in shorts and sandals in my kayak and there was no way I was dropping that fish on my legs with those teeth.

[Nitrofreak]

Flyfisher,

 

We hope you can make it, we would love to have you there !!

 

 

Travler,

 

I find it a little suspecious that we did not get any pics of you, even the ones I took with my cell did not turn out for some reason, they were all blurry when you were in the photo LOL !!!

 

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.

 

Is the meet and greet at Pohick ? Is there a meet date, time, location ? Is there an agenda?
Spropro

 

We do not know yet where the meet and greet will take place, we have right now with all of the members that are showing interest over 30, but most have not commited as of yet, so the number could be larger or smaller, we are currently looking into places that can handle 30 or more people in one location for the cook out afterwards, some of us will be staying in Pohick, some of us are just coming for the day, there is a lot of variables right now.

 

The meet and greet will be on the 24th as for the time we will most likly start at 7 and end it at 4 or 5, and as Sam said last year, get together afterwards and lie to each other about the days events lol !!

 

Charlie,

 

Thank you for taking the time to provide that valuable info for us, very well done, I will attach that to the first post of this thread.

[Nitrofreak]

Charlie,

 

In refference to some of the posts about killing the snakehead, we know that it is not a nesessity, but what we were reffering to was that if you wish to keep the snakehead fish, they could not be taken from the potomac alive if you were checked at the ramp, they do not want this species spreading, so reading back through the posts, mine especially, there may have been some confusion on my part and I wish to thank you for bringing that to my attention.

 

There is a link that I have provided on the first post concerning any questions that there may be about the Snakehead, please read this as well.

[Nitrofreak]

Traveler,

 

Zoff and I talked on the phone the other day and thought it to be wise to come up for a visit to the potomac and get a first hand look at everything, would you be interested in showing us around?

[Traveler2586]

Flyfisher,

 

Traveler,

 

I find it a little suspicious that we did not get any pics of you, even the ones I took with my cell did not turn out for some reason, they were all blurry when you were in the photo LOL !!!

 

Nitro, That takes years of practice.

 

 

Charlie, Posted Today,02:05 AM???  Looks like you can't sleep either

              do you have a link to the VDGIF fisheries biologist data?

[Nitrofreak]

I think if you go to the link about the Snakeheads on the first post it's all in there or it will link you too it.

[NHBA Charlie]

Nitro, That takes years of practice.

 

 

Charlie, Posted Today,02:05 AM???  Looks like you can't sleep either

              do you have a link to the VDGIF fisheries biologist data?

 

I have worked midnight shift for over 40 years.  I just can't go to bed before 3:00 a.m. on a regular basis.

 

As for a link, I don't think that John has posted any of his findings.  He is a frequent speaker at our club meetings

and attends all our club functions. He is free with his information, findings and beliefs. He will be appearing at the

NHBA Fishing Flea Market on February 23rd at the Sterling Ruritan Club, 183 Ruritan Road, Sterling, Va.

He has no problems answering any questions about any of the bodies of water he manages (All in Northern Virginia) or

the species of fish therein. He headed the Regional team that studied the shortnosed sturgeon, was partially responsible

for the return of the American and Hickory shad to the Potomac River and is the leader of the regional team on snakeheads.

Has also appeared on TV, searching for the Nile Perch in Africa. A truly amazing guy.

 

NHBA Charlie.........

[Nitrofreak]

Charlie,

 

Thanks for voting, we look forward to meeting you and having some fun in August !!