TOOBIGTOYAK  06/15/2008 - 08:50    OK here is what we used to do when I was your age. Fortunately I grew up within walking distance to the Monocacy. Me and a couple buds would get our old sneaks on some shorts and stuff tackle any where we could and hit the river. We would wade up stream throwing spinners and grubs later on once we discovered they were "magic small mouth lures". So don't get frustrated and get in the water and if you get hung walk over and get it unhung. Go to any of the bridges that have public access and get after it you will have a blast and probably catch a mess of fish. Lures to use: 4" grubs I like water melon Kalins on a 1/16 oz lead head w2 ought hooks if you can find, small rapalas or rebel crays. Have fun and give it a shot remember when you get home take your shoes off outside so your mom lets you go again. See Ya Too Big

jackson  06/15/2008 - 05:02    Steve, Don't get frustrated. Getting hung-up on occasion is the nature of the beast when bank fishing or boat fishing for that matter. I grew up fishing banks and soon learned That proper lure selection depending on where I was, I could keep hang-up's to a minimum. I also learned that in most instances that rocky areas are the best areas to fish. They harbor insect larvae, crayfish,and places for minnows to hind. "FOOD" But most important they provide current breaks and ambush spots for all fish. However, not all rocky locations are created equal! Day-in and day-out you will find that those areas that dump into a deeper holes below well oxygenated riffles strewn with larger rocks will be your best bet. Especially now that were coming into the warmer summer months. If your throwing soft plastic, grubs, tubes, worms, etc. use a lighter sinker, and/or tube grub head. 1/16 or 1/8 oz. The heavier heads will just sink like a rock and get you hung up. Make your cast quartering upstream and keeping contact with your lure
by holding your rod tip up high and wind in slack line keeping pace with the speed of your lure as it drifts back to you. You can also fish some plastics with great success without any weight at all! I would recommend a hellgremite imitation. If you need a little weight try pinching on a small split shot approx. 18" above the hook. . The only problem with this is line twist, since your plastic tends to spin when retrieving. The way I prevent this is to tie on a barrel swivel, which is usually heavy enough as the weight also, then a 18-24" leader, then the hook. However, one of my all time favorites has been the small Rebel crawfish floater/diver crankbaits or small 2" or smaller crankbaits in a firetiger pattern. Both of these lures will dive but also will float back to the surface when you stop. Try casting them out and let them float with short twitches on the surface. Once again you want to make most of your presentations by casting upstream. Generally, fish face this way in current, thereby giving the fish a chance to ambush your lure as it comes by. If I had to take just one lure while bank stream fishing, and wanted to keep hang-ups to the minimum it would have to be the smaller Rebel crawfish floater diver's. No matter what you use or what you do you will still loose lures. To keep cost to minimum go with the splitshot or barrel swivel, 18" leader, hook, and a pocket full of hellgies! As the water warms there is no more fun way to fish than throwing on an old pair of sneakers and wet wade. Just be cautious with slippery rocks, wade into the current and go slow and be careful. Steve I hope this helps you and your dad out. Don't get discouraged, small stream/river fishing is a blast!! Good Luck, Jackson!!

Steve826  06/14/2008 - 15:31    I dont think its the water level: it was not all that high today. Its the rocks covering the bottom of the river in the one spot that make it unfishable because we got hung up so much. Everywhere else, the muddy banks keep it difficult to fish. I suppose this summer we may get a dry period that will help make the banks less muddy. I dont know though: catching fish from the banks in the local rivers is no easy task. Ponds are a good bet year round. Do lakes such as Cunningham Falls Lake or Clopper Lake, for example, get really tough to fish from the bank in the fall? I'm guessing they will be productive because they feed heavy before the winter but I dont know, any help anyone? Huffnhustle, thanks for letting me know its not just me having trouble catching fish from the riverbanks this year. Its nice to know its not just me...

Steve

Huffnhustle  06/14/2008 - 14:56    I feel your pain as well; can't say that bank fishing this year has been good anywhere given the mud, high water and debris. These extended periods of rain have bothered the boaters too I'm sure as river debris and channel changes have created real challenges. I read several forums in three different State salt/fresh and there are few reports of much success in many places. Oh, sure once in a while the bite is there and one or two decent fish to the fortunate angler is enough to send us into nirvana. Last year it was fun enough to get out and to wade the Monocacy and the Potomac and the small ones were the added bonus. The way it goes with rain I'll not likely wade this year and if the mud and debris continue there will be few good fishing days for me. I suspect.

I'll suggest that once in a while Mother Nature gives us reason to rest and let Her grow things for us. Kinda like a field in fallow Consider all the new cover and hiding places this fall along the river bank and know that the swift water has allowed only the strong ones to remain. In time our dry spell will return and the water will fall and the bite will be on for us bank fisherman.

Until then I'll do ponds and lakes and salt fishing. It's all good...