Now I'm trying to plan a trip to the North Branch of the Potomac, below Jenning Randolph Lake. I've read great things about this area but I'm looking for more information. I'd like to plan a 2 day trip in August, prior to the Dam release at JRL, with an overnight on the river. Here's my questions: My thought is Day #1 to put in at Barnum, MD and take out at Luke, MD. I've read this is about 5 miles/ 5 hrs.. Day #2 Luke to ?. I'm looking for info on the river, fishing, campsites or better float trips in this area. All are welcome to come, let's go on an adventure.
Since we had had pretty good luck with the poppers, we decided that we would get up really early and give it a shot. At 0530 I took off up stream, and he headed down stream. Well to make a long story short I got into a mess of smallmouths from 6-12 inches. They were knocking minnows out of the water in shin deep water just above a ledge. The action settled down as the sun started to rise, and I moved to another set of ledges, and once again got action on the popper, but this time just below the ledge. Once the sun was up full, the top-water bite went dead. We did manage to catch a fish once in a while on 1/8 oz jigs in the slack water. I haven't fished this area in a few years, but you can bet it won't be long before I hit it again.
Got out with my brother Steve and The Captain for a "quick" float on the UP on the 4th. We launch at daybreak, but were met with some serious wind gusts that made yak navigation difficult to say the least. The wind varied in direction and but was strong most of the AM, finally taking a break around 11AM. During the windy times we caught some fish but mostly on steady moving baits which we could keep a tight line on (grubs, buzzbaits, hard/soft jerks).
After 11AM the wind seemed to break as the front really rolled in. We took full advantage of the front and the clouds that came with and really tore them up on Buzzbaits, focusing on current seams behind eddies and shoreline dropoffs with swift current. Most of the fish were decent in size (15") with very few small dinks mixed in.
At about 1230 or so the monsoon arrived. Thunder and some serious rain fell on us, but we kept going. The most suprising thing for me was that the quality of fish actually improved as we were still catching good size fish on Buzzbaits in the middle of the downpour. I'm talking about the kind of downpour that you can't even see the gurgling of your buzzbait with all the of monster rain drops falling. I just casted out to what appeared to be a good spot (it was even hard to pinpoint a good location in the driving rain) and just looked for the big splash or smallie launching itself out of the water in pursuit of the buzzbait.
I know that many people don't have experience fishing in that kind of weather in general, but has anyone ever had a similar experience with topwater in a driving rain?
Muskalungeeeeeee!
Captain Walleye picked up this nice UP Smallmouth on day two of the RS.com UP GatheRodeo.
Curt Anthony with a nice smallie fromt he RS. GatheRodeo on Day 2.
The Capt and Curt follow Ben and I upriver in pursuit of some early AM smallie action on Day 2. What a beautiful AM!
Mike picked this nice UP Smallie on day two of the first annual RiverSmallies.com Gatherodeo.
Ben picked this nice UP Smallie on day two of the first annual RiverSmallies.com Gatherodeo. Somehow he was able to keep his composure and pose with the jig hook in his finger past the barb....ouch!
