Potomac Bass?

[BradC]

I was biking yesterday on the C&O Canal trail by Harpers Ferry, WV. The water on the Potomac looks great down there. Does anyone know how it fishes for smallmouth or any other warmwater species. I can't find much in the way of Maryland sites like this one. TIA

 

[Maurice]

Brad,

Last year I canoed down around Paw-paw with the boy scouts. We caught lots of small bass under 12". No shortage of them. UNfortunately the watershed is suffering from some sort of problem causing the bass to be stunted, fish kills and males to carry eggs.

I am sure you could find bass there, in Harpers Ferry. But there are plenty of places closer to the PA line on the potomac.

 

[buggerfly]

I used to fish a few miles down river on a regular basis. Bass fishing used to be great. In the early ninites there was a huge flood that trashed the fishery for a few years. As it was an hour drive from my home and I could get to good areas to the Sussy in an hour and half I have done most of my bass fishing there. From the reports that I have heard the Potomac is having simuliar problems as the Sussy. Reports of slow fishing and small bass. I think the era of great fly fishing for smallmouth in this area is over.

Dan

 

[skeeter]

Brad,

I fish the Potomac quite frequently, and YES I can say there are plenty of fish in there. Just last Thursday I was wet wading below dam 4, which is about 7-8miles above harpers ferry and caught a nice size rainbow inc a dozen or so 10-12 smallies. The potomac in my opinion fishes very well thru the summer and compared to the suskie I think the fish are healthier, no legions or things of that nature. I never have fished down by harpers ferry mainly b/c of all the people who float that section, i.e. tubbers, rafters, etc. I mainly work the williamsport area and it holds many nice bass, I even caught walleye, carp and catfish on the fly up there. Tight lines!

 

[BradC]

True about the people...there had to be hundreds of inner tubers floating down around Harpers ferry.

 

[buggerfly]

Check out report on Tidalfish.com, flyfishing form, Potomac @ HF, 7-12-07 by HJS. Howard is retired MD DNR and knows his stuff.

Dan