Skunked...again

Steve826 02/18/2008 - 16:50 Trip Reports Potomac Roll Your Own Me and Dad took advantage of the holiday to head up to the warm water discharge on the Potomac and do some fishin. Well, in 2 and a half hours, we got nothin'. Skunked. I'm really starting to get tired of getting skunked. Lack of experience, I guess, but it's just frustrating to go again and again and not catch fish. Fished grubs and hair jigs for bass, then tried some doughbait for catfish and corn for carp. Hooked up with something (not sure what) on a grub that spit the hook. We talked to a guy a little downriver from us who had a nice (18-20 inch) catfish on a stringer. Cut bluegill was the ticket for him. The river was really high and muddy, plus the high wind gusts, and it just made for a tough day to fish. I can't wait for spring, I'm getting sick of winter. It's coming, just a few more weeks....

Steve

Hang in there!

Captwalleye 02/19/2008 - 07:57 It won't be long and you'll be able to catch instead of just go through the motions.Consider it practice,and also a chance to visualize what and how your going to approach the water next time you go.You went and you tried,I did too yesterday with nothing to show either for my efforts.I fished a river near you.I've been a bunch of times,with the same old song and dance.Absolutley nothing but casting practice and exercise.I'll let you in on a secret.There are people who've read your story and wish they could have been there too.Your one up on them.You went and you'll go again.Maybe next time....

Thanks Capt

Steve826 02/19/2008 - 20:35 I'm sure you're right. It's nice to know I'm not the only one who's having trouble catchin' em :). I hope you get on em too. We'll get back out eventually, when we get a chance. Honestly, I'm not too keen on the power plant area. The only reason I've been fishing there the last month or so is because it's so tough to catch fish anywhere else where the water isn't so warm. Once mid-March rolls around and it starts to warm up, we're gonna stop fishing there and try tons of other places. Piney Run Reservoir is towards the top of our list, as well as Black Hills. Counting the days til spring...

well said Capt.!!

ogbudha 02/19/2008 - 08:53 Steve...

Hang in there. Its all about timing with the river. Your fishing a VERY popular area that gets POUNDED by the public. As you fish moe and more you start gathering intel. water temps, baro. pressure, rising and falling water conditions, moon phase and so on....many of these items play a tremendous role in your success. Think about sticking with jigs and other plastics that can be put on the bottom of the river and stay there. Look for calm pockets(water that is not moving as fast as that surrounding it) in or near deeper water ( darker water or where surface bubbles seem almost motionless). My preference is natural colors for the plastics your using. greens,browns, black and variations of them are all time tested,proven baits.

Fishing pressure...

Steve826 02/19/2008 - 20:42 This is gonna sound extremely stupid, but since I've only been fishing a little less than a year, I guess the fact I don't know the answer is justified. Could someone explain to me how fishing pressure affects the fishing in an area? I mean, it makes sense that if people keep fish they catch, then the fishing won't be as good, but I know that a good amount of people today release the bass they catch. So how does pressure of an area affect fishing even if people release fish? Sorry if this sounds dumb, I just don't know the answer.

Thanks for the tips also. I'll try darker colors next time we're out, we used light colors this time (white and yellow) I suppose I should have tried different colors.