Potomac Grass Question

[VABasser]

I hope everyone's surviving cabin fever, we're on the last stretch.  But I've been wondering what month the vegetation (hydrilla, spatterdock, etc) in the Potomac really starts growing good.  In the 4 1/2 or so years I've lived in VA I've fished the Potomac off and on (more so last year) but its almost always been mid to late summer when the grass was well established.  I've got a cousin coming to visit/fish in mid May after we both get done with finals so I was wondering what I can expect from the Potomac around then.

[quanjig]

Diffrent grasses start growing at diffrent times of the year. Certain areas on the river show signs

Of growth before others.  May should be

the start of the hydrilla but some of the other grasses may well be established.

[JShrock07]

I fish mainly Aquia Creek. The grass usually starts growing good about mid April. The grass is at the surface by mid may. During the summer months the grass is at it's peak.

If you fish Aquia like I do, one of the best ways to call up the big ones when the grass is starting to grow good is by throwing a jerkbait. Rip it through the grass and pause it then rip it again. These bass cannot stand this.

Once the grass has gotten to the surface you can flip/pitch into the holes where the bass are at. It is so easy to find the bass through the grass.

One thing to add, If you have a good boat ith a good trolling motor you should be fine to get up into the grass, But if not you are going to want to get the hydrilla hacker if you have a motor guide TM.

The grass out on the Potomac is extremely propductive. Right now the best area to search for bass out there is around the bridges and any good structure. Structure is key in almost any body of water but out on the Potomac find the structure right near a good drop. If you can also find structure with a drop and grass near by... you just cant beat that senerio.

Once the grass is up on the surface start throwing a frog.... Im sure you have heard about this before but this is an awesome way to get them.

Hope some of this helps.

[VABasser]

Ok, sounds about like what I expected. Yeah, once the grass is there catching them is no problem. It almost seems too easy. You got to love the topwater bite

[rickster]

Grasses should be in this year around the WW bridge, since the bridge construction is complete. No more working boats turning up the bottom in that area.

[-Drums-]

Hey Nitro,

Thanks for the great tips!  I also mostly fish Aquia Creek (as well as Potomac Creek at times).  I keep my boat in the outside lot at Aquia Boat Storage, there at the end of Willow Landing Rd.  I've got a few questions, inline below...

Thanks,

~Rich

I fish mainly Aquia Creek. The grass usually starts growing good about mid April. The grass is at the surface by mid may. During the summer months the grass is at it's peak.

If you fish Aquia like I do, one of the best ways to call up the big ones when the grass is starting to grow good is by throwing a jerkbait. Rip it through the grass and pause it then rip it again. These bass cannot stand this.

Are you talking about a hard jerkbait here, or soft plastic (e.g., fluke)?

Once the grass has gotten to the surface you can flip/pitch into the holes where the bass are at. It is so easy to find the bass through the grass.

One thing to add, If you have a good boat ith a good trolling motor you should be fine to get up into the grass, But if not you are going to want to get the hydrilla hacker if you have a motor guide TM.

I've got a (somewhat weak) 45lb. Motorguide TM on my Stratos.  What is the "hydrilla hacker" you're talking about?

The grass out on the Potomac is extremely propductive. Right now the best area to search for bass out there is around the bridges and any good structure. Structure is key in almost any body of water but out on the Potomac find the structure right near a good drop. If you can also find structure with a drop and grass near by... you just cant beat that senerio.

Once the grass is up on the surface start throwing a frog.... Im sure you have heard about this before but this is an awesome way to get them.

Hope some of this helps.

[JShrock07]

Hey Nitro,

Thanks for the great tips! I also mostly fish Aquia Creek (as well as Potomac Creek at times). I keep my boat in the outside lot at Aquia Boat Storage, there at the end of Willow Landing Rd. I've got a few questions, inline below...

Thanks,

~Rich

I fish mainly Aquia Creek. The grass usually starts growing good about mid April. The grass is at the surface by mid may. During the summer months the grass is at it's peak.

If you fish Aquia like I do, one of the best ways to call up the big ones when the grass is starting to grow good is by throwing a jerkbait. Rip it through the grass and pause it then rip it again. These bass cannot stand this.

Are you talking about a hard jerkbait here, or soft plastic (e.g., fluke)?

Once the grass has gotten to the surface you can flip/pitch into the holes where the bass are at. It is so easy to find the bass through the grass.

One thing to add, If you have a good boat ith a good trolling motor you should be fine to get up into the grass, But if not you are going to want to get the hydrilla hacker if you have a motor guide TM.

I've got a (somewhat weak) 45lb. Motorguide TM on my Stratos. What is the "hydrilla hacker" you're talking about?

The grass out on the Potomac is extremely propductive. Right now the best area to search for bass out there is around the bridges and any good structure. Structure is key in almost any body of water but out on the Potomac find the structure right near a good drop. If you can also find structure with a drop and grass near by... you just cant beat that senerio.

Once the grass is up on the surface start throwing a frog.... Im sure you have heard about this before but this is an awesome way to get them.

Hope some of this helps.

The best thing I have found for catching big bass over the grass is a hard jerkbait. I like the firetiger color or even the light blue/silver belly jerkbaits. I've attached a good article on jerkbaits...

http://www.kicknbass.com/jerkbaits.htm

As for the "Hydrilla Hacker" I have also attached the web page from Motor Guide. As far as your type of TM I have a Motorguide 35 which is a 41lb thrust. I actually had to cut some of the inside of the "Hydrilla Hacker" out so it would fit onto my TM.

http://sites.mercurymarine.com/portal/page?_pageid=125,56287&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL

Rich,

If you ever want to go out on the Potomac and teach me a few things just let me know when.

-Joe

[VABasser]

Hey Nitro,

Thanks for the great tips! I also mostly fish Aquia Creek (as well as Potomac Creek at times).

How do you do in Potomac Creek?  I've heard some good things and promised myself I'm going to fish it this summer.  Also anyone fish Quantico Creek much?  Thats another one I want to put a little time into

[OnthePotomac]

Drums, I bought a telescoping push pole from Cabela's last year with a paddle attachment.  It really worked great last summer in the beds.  I have a 43 lb TM and it just will not handle the grass.  The pole was $29.99 and the paddle attachment was $15.99.  It is 50" long and extends to 10'.  It made grass bed fishing enjoyable.

[JShrock07]

Hey Nitro,

Thanks for the great tips! I also mostly fish Aquia Creek (as well as Potomac Creek at times).

How do you do in Potomac Creek? I've heard some good things and promised myself I'm going to fish it this summer. Also anyone fish Quantico Creek much? Thats another one I want to put a little time into

Potomac Creek is okay.... not nearly as good as Aquia but when the bite is hard in Aquia it is usually on in Potomac.

Fish the grass mats on the right side of the creek around the docks and the wall. If you fish Potomac creek you will know what I am talking about.

As for the "push pole" I bought a 2" diameter 10' rod and I took some old scarp metal and made my own. Total price was about $10.00

[-Drums-]

The best thing I have found for catching big bass over the grass is a hard jerkbait. I like the firetiger color or even the light blue/silver belly jerkbaits. I've attached a good article on jerkbaits...

http://www.kicknbass.com/jerkbaits.htm

As for the "Hydrilla Hacker" I have also attached the web page from Motor Guide. As far as your type of TM I have a Motorguide 35 which is a 41lb thrust. I actually had to cut some of the inside of the "Hydrilla Hacker" out so it would fit onto my TM.

http://sites.mercurymarine.com/portal/page?_pageid=125,56287&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL

Rich,

If you ever want to go out on the Potomac and teach me a few things just let me know when.

-Joe

Hey Joe,

Thanks for the clarity on the jerkbaits, it's something I'll have to toy around with this year.  Also, thanks a bunch for the links, I'll be sure to check them out.

As for the offer to get out on the Potomac together, sounds great!  Though I'm betting it's the other way around--YOU can likely teach ME some things.  :-)

Let's stay in touch and try to plan something once the weather starts to get nicer.

~Rich

[-Drums-]

Hey Nitro,

Thanks for the great tips!  I also mostly fish Aquia Creek (as well as Potomac Creek at times).  

How do you do in Potomac Creek?  I've heard some good things and promised myself I'm going to fish it this summer.  Also anyone fish Quantico Creek much?  Thats another one I want to put a little time into

VABasser - last year was really my first season fishing on the Potomac, as that's when I got my new (to me) boat.  I mostly stayed in and around Aquia Creek, and had a bunch of pretty good days.  As for Potomac Creek, I had one day in mid-spring of last year that was spectacular.  We had the trolling motor on high, just going down this one stretch of bank, pitching soft plastics (beavers, craws) tight to the bank, pads (well, pad-like vegetation), and wood.  We got a ton of bites--caught quite a few nice keepers, and missed a bunch too.  My buddy hooked and subsequently lost a monster.  As far as I can tell, we were basically "blind" sight-fishing.  The water was stained, so we couldn't really see anything, but the fish were acting like spawners.  I'm convinced we were pitching to beds that we just couldn't see.

Good times :-)

[-Drums-]

Drums, I bought a telescoping push pole from Cabela's last year with a paddle attachment. It really worked great last summer in the beds. I have a 43 lb TM and it just will not handle the grass. The pole was $29.99 and the paddle attachment was $15.99. It is 50" long and extends to 10'. It made grass bed fishing enjoyable.

G3 - thanks for the info!  Like yours, my TM doesn't do too well in any sort of heavy grass beds.  I'll have to look into the push-pole deal.

[VABasser]

Thanks guys for the info.  I'm sure once we can start getting out we'll be swapping reports and what not.  I'm stoked, I wish summer would hurry up already.  Quick question I just thought of, do you all weight your craws/creature baits?  I usually add a small bullet weight but it just dawned on me they'd probably be real productive weightless.  Dont know why I haven't tried that  :-/

[-Drums-]

Thanks guys for the info. I'm sure once we can start getting out we'll be swapping reports and what not. I'm stoked, I wish summer would hurry up already. Quick question I just thought of, do you all weight your craws/creature baits? I usually add a small bullet weight but it just dawned on me they'd probably be real productive weightless. Dont know why I haven't tried that :-/

Yep.  For my typical (95% of the time) pitching/flipping, I use a 3/8oz. tungsten bullet weight--often pegged, but not all the time.  For the serious stuff (punching the mats), I use a 1oz. tungsten bullet weight.

[VABasser]

Haha yeah fishing weightless around heavy hydrilla would be interesting  .  I should've clarified weightless creatures might be good up under docks or the like, never tried it though.  I remember my first time on the Potomac shocked at how vast/dense the hydrilla was.  I was like how the hell am I supposed to fish that  

[JShrock07]

I remember my first time on the Potomac shocked at how vast/dense the hydrilla was. I was like how the hell am I supposed to fish that

HAHA I was the same way until I figured it out. As for y0ur question about creature baits. If I am trying to punch the mats I will use a 1-1 1/4oz weight. If I am fishing the grass edges I will C-rig a lizard or a Yum Craw Papi. I will also just throw a Yum Craw Papi on a jig head and even a shaky head. I like it weightless as well I just let the fish tell me what they want. If I don't do very well on that I like to throw the frog or shad. If the frog and shad are producing blow ups but no hook-up I will take a Rage Tail Craw and throw it the same way I would fish a frog but slower. The craw won't drop down throught the grass if rigged weightless and it produces a good wake like the frog or shad. but hook-ups are much easier.

As for the beds.... If you have very clear water and there is hole in the grass.... That is a good place to start. I don't punch mats when there are holes. These holes are great producers!!!!