Maryland's Who's who!

[Junger]

On 4/22/2020 at 11:49 AM, Harold Flowers said:

It was a bass. The post I was shown was your post.

 

The place rarely has more than a person or two fishing it at a time. Attribute the crowding to whatever you want... The one person I spoke to showed me your post and cited it as his reason for going there. 

 

Was the guy who kept the big bass there because of you? Maybe... Was it his legal right to keep the fish? Yes...

 

Neither of these points change the fact that it's pretty crappy to blow stuff like this up online. I can imagine something like this could easily ruin a small pond or lake. Doing it for online glory or because you want crowding doesn't click with me. Maybe I'm too young to understand. 

Did you try and tell the person that large mouth season is closed until June 15th? I've been fishing at Widewater for 4 years now, and I've never seen anyone take any fish from there, or Canal, ever. From the main river is another story and it's usually blue cats. Also, I bump into a lot of people when fishing on both sides, even pre-COVID lockdown days. I actually posted it to help educate people on fishing spots, I started about 4 years ago as a bank fisherman and had no idea where to go. Luckily I found some nice people on this forum, and clued into other spots to get general ideas of where I could fish. If you look at what I post on here, I post all my dinks too, I'm not in it for "glory", it just so happened that I got my PB from Widewater. I'm just paying it forward to help other anglers look for opportunities. And it's a public place, it's tough to catch fish there in general so if you're worried about people ruining the spot, they won't. They'll give it a shot, realize it's not easy, and probably won't return. Blowing it up is quite the exaggeration friend, it's not a private 2 acre pond with limited resources. Maybe you're worried about fighting for spots, but that seems like a personal problem, especially since it seems like you have access to a private pond and maybe you're used to having a whole place to yourself. Hopefully that will help you understand.

[Logan S]

Some of you guys would flip if you saw the normal fishing pressure at the community holes on the Potomac and/or Upper Bay....It's not a new thing.  20 to 30 boats in a single area is fairly normal and anytime one leaves another pulls in.

 

You want to talk about blowing up a spot?  Wait til BASS or FLW comes to a body of water you fish....Any place featured on the live shows (not just the winning spots) end up crammed with boats the rest of the year, with everyone claiming 'they've fished it for years'.

 

It is what it is.  

[Harold Flowers]

17 hours ago, Logan S said:

Some of you guys would flip if you saw the normal fishing pressure at the community holes on the Potomac and/or Upper Bay....It's not a new thing.  20 to 30 boats in a single area is fairly normal and anytime one leaves another pulls in.

 

You want to talk about blowing up a spot?  Wait til BASS or FLW comes to a body of water you fish....Any place featured on the live shows (not just the winning spots) end up crammed with boats the rest of the year, with everyone claiming 'they've fished it for years'.

 

It is what it is.  

I've fished both the Potomac and Upper Bay a few times in the spring. Yes, they're crowded. This means that the bay and river get crowded. Mostly irrelevant in this case and doesn't mean it should become standard practice to spot burn small lakes.

 

 

Edited April 23, 2020 by Harold Flowers

[Logan S]

1 hour ago, Harold Flowers said:

I've fished both the Potomac and Upper Bay a few times in the spring. Yes, they're crowded. This means that the bay and river get crowded. Mostly irrelevant in this case and doesn't mean it should become standard practice to spot burn small lakes.

 

 

You're never going to get people to not post fishing reports or fish pictures online.  Even just fish pictures will out a spot if the background is identifiable.  If you let it upset you, you'll never be happy. 

 

My point was more that fishing pressure is universal and it doesn't mean you can't be successful.  It's more in your head than anything else.  

[RichF]

3 hours ago, Harold Flowers said:

I've fished both the Potomac and Upper Bay a few times in the spring. Yes, they're crowded. This means that the bay and river get crowded. Mostly irrelevant in this case and doesn't mean it should become standard practice to spot burn small lakes.

 

 

I might agree with you if you were talking about some desolate area in northern MN or some of the small lakes back where I'm from in NY but we're kinda in an urban area...If you thought it was a secret, it probably wasn't a secret.  I hate overcrowded lakes as much as the next guy but I love fishing more.  You can either deal with it around here or move to Manitoba.

[Junger]

Well, Harold was right. Widewater is ruined. I got there at 4PM with very good fishing conditions and arrived to see that it was crowded. Just as I crossed over the first walking bridge, the water was swarmed with kayak fisherman. Then when I got to the north lock walking bridge area, it was so crowded that I didn't have any room to cast. I managed to get one 1.4lb LMB, probably because everyone there was keeping the 5-7lbers, so the dinks are all that are left.

 

 

[MountainMan83]

First time out with the SS SV. Pocket Frog for the win! 

[Nai]

1 hour ago, MountainMan83 said:

First time out with the SS SV. Pocket Frog for the win! 

What reel is that?

[MountainMan83]

14 minutes ago, Nai said:

What reel is that?

Hard to see because it's whitewashed in that photo, but it's a SS SV 105 that I've painted the nose piece and engine plate cover and modified a TDZ line guide to fit.

[Junger]

3 hours ago, MountainMan83 said:

First time out with the SS SV. Pocket Frog for the win! 

OK you've inspired me to go throw some frogs today on the canal.

[Nai]

4 hours ago, MountainMan83 said:

Hard to see because it's whitewashed in that photo, but it's a SS SV 105 that I've painted the nose piece and engine plate cover and modified a TDZ line guide to fit.

Oh, thats pretty nice. Those knobs look nice

[Falkus]

With the covid's restriction in maryland, Does it mean that I can't go out and fish at the lake? For catch & release? I'm just getting major itch to go fishing.

 

 

 

 

 

[Logan S]

2 hours ago, Burke said:

With the covid's restriction in maryland, Does it mean that I can't go out and fish at the lake? For catch & release? I'm just getting major itch to go fishing.

Sorry to say...Fishing is currently illegal in MD unless you are specifically fishing for food.  

 

https://news.maryland.gov/dnr/2020/03/31/frequently-asked-questions-about-governor-hogans-stay-at-home-order/

Quote

During the stay at home order, recreational fishing, hunting, and crabbing, including intentional catch-and-release, in Maryland is prohibited. Engaging in these activities is permitted only if seeking sustenance for you or your family.

 

Obviously lots of people are fishing for food right now.  Don't know what enforcement is like....But I know several guys that have been out and none have been stopped or questioned about their intentions.   

 

Rumor is that sometime in early May when MD 'opens back up' the first phase will remove this completely asinine restriction.  I know we have an easy loophole, but it shouldn't come down to that.

[Junger]

Starting tomorrow, recreational fishing and boating will be allowed in MD!

[fishwizzard]

1 minute ago, Junger said:

Starting tomorrow, recreational fishing and boating will be allowed in MD!

Amazing!

 

Just in time for cold and rain!

[Logan S]

Good news!  Now we just need to get into Stage 2 so that tournaments can start back up!

 

I hope some of the other parks, lakes, ramps open up...Poor little Black Hill has been getting annihilated by 'sustenance' fishing - Can only imagine what it will look like now that DNR's little ro*** on recreational fishing is gone.   

[Falkus]

4 hours ago, Junger said:

Starting tomorrow, recreational fishing and boating will be allowed in MD!

 

Awesome - Looks like I'm gotta make plans to sneak out of the house to fish for couple of hours to "relax" before daddy duty. 

[fishwizzard]

The jig is in the water, 3' from the bank.  The bass shoots out, grabs the jig.  The bass and I lock eyes.  Time passes, in the distance, a bird sings.  The bass spits the jig, we lock eyes again.  The bass swims away.  Time passes.  I set the hook.

 

The ring-rust is real folks, like I swear I just stood there for 2-3 seconds like a slack-jawed yokel. 

[Nai]

22 hours ago, fishwizzard said:

The jig is in the water, 3' from the bank.  The bass shoots out, grabs the jig.  The bass and I lock eyes.  Time passes, in the distance, a bird sings.  The bass spits the jig, we lock eyes again.  The bass swims away.  Time passes.  I set the hook.

 

The ring-rust is real folks, like I swear I just stood there for 2-3 seconds like a slack-jawed yokel. 

I feel you man, I lost my first decent smallie of the year in a freakin bush last weekend

[Snookthekolvin]

Hey Guys, I’m new here and new to fishing in general, I generally fish local ponds but want to start fishing the C&O at Riley’s lock. I noticed just West of the Bridge and Aqueducts, there is a pond in between the river and trail. Has anybody tried fishing these yet and if so is it worth any time?

[fishwizzard]

On 5/24/2020 at 1:02 PM, Snookthekolvin said:

Hey Guys, I’m new here and new to fishing in general, I generally fish local ponds but want to start fishing the C&O at Riley’s lock. I noticed just West of the Bridge and Aqueducts, there is a pond in between the river and trail. Has anybody tried fishing these yet and if so is it worth any time?

That pond has bass in it, but the access is awful, thorns and ticks are the in force.  

 

Sadly the canal is a shadow of its former self.  For the last year or two NPS has kept it more or less drained to repair some of the locks and as far as I can tell, it has yet to recover.  The run between Swain's and Riely's was where I cut my teeth bass fishing and once I discovered that bass relate to cover, I could walk the canal and slam 1-2lb bass all day in most any conditions.  I think I have been there maybe half a dozen times in the past 9 months and never caught more than a 1-2 bass total.  

 

If you live close by, then by all means give it a try, focusing on fishing right up on the banks.  Otherwise, if you are willing to wade, Seneca Creek has a lot of sunfish and smaller bass in it all the way from the river up to Clopper Lake. 

 

[MountainMan83]

I rode mi bicicleta into Laurel yesterday to pick up a held package at UPS and stopped by the little patuxent river behind the community pool and wow... there's barely any water in there. Hadn't fished there in a couple years but it used to be a prime spot for catching some good sized snakehead. I guess they haven't been letting any water out of Rocky Gorge. Seems like we've gotten a decent amount of rain this spring though. Going to fish Rocky out of Supplee Lane this weekend, weather permitting, and see how the water levels are. If they're down, it'll at least be easier to walk the bank.

 

Anyone been to Rocky Gorge recently?

[fishwizzard]

1 hour ago, MountainMan83 said:

I rode mi bicicleta into Laurel yesterday to pick up a held package at UPS and stopped by the little patuxent river behind the community pool and wow... there's barely any water in there. Hadn't fished there in a couple years but it used to be a prime spot for catching some good sized snakehead. I guess they haven't been letting any water out of Rocky Gorge. Seems like we've gotten a decent amount of rain this spring though. Going to fish Rocky out of Supplee Lane this weekend, weather permitting, and see how the water levels are. If they're down, it'll at least be easier to walk the bank.

 

Anyone been to Rocky Gorge recently?

No, but I was at Triadelphia on Tuesday and it’s filled to the brim. Spoke with some guys who were fishing there and they said that Rocky Gorge was very low, so I think getting Tridelphia filled up was the priority.  
 

 

[MountainMan83]

5 minutes ago, fishwizzard said:

No, but I was at Triadelphia on Tuesday and it’s filled to the brim. Spoke with some guys who were fishing there and they said that Rocky Gorge was very low, so I think getting Tridelphia filled up was the priority.  
 

 

Ahh, glad to hear the dam renovations are finished. Thanks for the info!

[Junger]

I scouted Triadelphia Lake last week, both the Greenbridge and Triadelphia recreations areas. The water looks great, but the launches looked pretty sketchy. Both have roads that are pretty much "one way" to the soft launch areas. I can see that being a clusterf*ck if not launching really early. There were a crap ton of recreational kayakers there at 11AM on a Friday. I'll probably give it a try on a weekday morning when I get a chance.

 

Also hit up Mattawoman Saturday morning at 6AM with my oldest son. We left by 8AM, because it was high tide so I pushed into the pads to look for a frog/toad bite, except there were millions of bugs jumping on us and the boat. He couldn't take it anymore, and the water was muddy from the storms the night before, so we left before really hitting some of the better spots. It was only my second time out on the boat this year, the first time I went out with my youngest son and the motor wasn't peeing, so that trip was about 10 minutes long.

 

Today, I went to Swain's at 10AM, and hiked down the towpath. I got 7 dinks on a popper, and lost a good one, I saw it and it was foul hooked on the gill plate and head and shook off at the bank. There's a new laydown at the rock pile on the towpath, but I hit it from several angles and didn't get any bites. I did notice several good 3-4lb largies guarding fry or on beds. Water temp must have been 80+, so I woulda thought the spawn was well over by now.