Bass Fishing in the Potomac River

Tuesday, 17 April 2007

Located between Virginia and Maryland, the Potomac River is one of the premier fishing hotspots along the eastern seaboard. Its 50 miles of fishable waters are home to a wide variety of fish, foremost of which is the largemouth and striped bass. In fact, the Potomac is one of the finest fisheries for bass in eastern America. Contrary to popular though, it is quite possible to follow the Potomac right through Washington, and catch bass on the way to the Pentagon Harbor or the Washington Monument.

One of the best places on the river is just north of the Wilson Bridge, where most most of the professional bass tournaments are held each year. Just a few miles down, anglers can fish for bass in the shadow of Mount Vernon. The Potomac is rather unpredictable though: some areas are productive all year long, year after year, while some areas are not. This can be attributed to the hydrilla covers abundant in Potomac’s shallow areas. The growth of the hydrilla covers are dependent on the water flow, which means that large beds of the vegetation may be present one year and gone the next.

During the 1970s, fishing for striped bass or the rockfish, as they are more commonly known to locals was a huge even, attracting anglers from around the country. When the 1980s rolled in, however, the number and size of the striped bass just plummeted. Some have blamed this on the commercial fishermen, while the commercial fishermen blamed the pollution and the natural water cycles. There were many factors that contributed to the decline in the striped bass industry. Fortunately, the Potomac River rockfish is slowly rebounding, thanks to the state’s protective measures, such as size limits and creel limits. Today, striped bass fishing is back to its original glory.

The months of July to December are usually the best months to catch bass. September however, is the transitional period for the rockfish or the striped bass. This is the time when the hot summer weather is finally being replaced by the cool weather. This phenomenon scatters the fish in different areas and different depths so fishing for them might be difficult. The cooler temperatures that will follow tend to concentrate the fish in the deeper depths, with some forays into shallow areas during fast tides.

Lures that resemble minnows will work well with bass. Typical lures include jerkbaits, spoons and crankbaits. Techniques for effective bass fishing include using a medium to medium-heavy spinning or baitcasting, especially during the warmer months.

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