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Muddy water? It happens. Of course, the best thing to do is to find water that isn't so muddy! I look in backs or middles of creeks and along the main river. Lately, not much clarity on the main river! After that you must fish hard cover! Docks, seawalls and riprap, especially at higher tides, laydowns, etc! Fish slowly! And, then slow down a bit more. I like creature baits…my favorite is the Mizmo Swamp Monster! This bait has flapping claws and appendages and is not so soft, so it can come through heavy cover better than others! I also use a black/blue combo. But, the best thing about this bait is that it has pod pockets! You can put the Mizmo Thunder Rattles in them!!!!! OR put some flotation in them to keep them moving while sitting still! I use a _ ounce weight and keep it in contact with cover!
After that, I like Mann's Baby 1-Minus! Firetiger seems to be the best in muddy water! I paint the belly orange with vinyl paint from Jann's Netcraft! I'm not an artist, I just take a pipe cleaner and dip into the paint and wipe a streak across the belly!
Next is the spinnerbait. If the water is shallow, I use a _ otherwise; I go to the 3/8 with tandem Colorado/Indiana gold blades with a white skirt. I fish these very slow as well! Bump cover and fade slowly back to the boat.
I like the Road Runner, Rock N Runner with gold blades and dark skirt. I have also been replacing the silver willow beneath the bait with a gold one! A larger craw-colored craw trailer works! Swim Mann's Stone jig with a HardNose Craw over the grass, just like the lipless cranks! I am also swimming 5.5 inch Mizmo tubes with new Mustad swimbait hook with adjustable sliding weight! Here I like white and some craw patterns! Be patient with these! They will produce bigger fish!
Other soft plastics will be dark as well…green pumpkin copper is a good choice for Mizmo tubes, shaky head, drop shot and split shot rigs!
Texas rigged Mizmo tubes cast or pitched to holes in the grass and on the inside grass edges are the best bet. You can also toss stickworms like the Mann's HardNose Freefall worm. I like to use 3/16-ounce weights for the Mizmo in green pumpkin with copper flake on a 3/0 Mustad Ultra Point tube hook. For line, I like the lightest I can get away with…now it is 12-14 pound test…Berkley Trilene Maxx. I like casting gear, so I am using a 6'8" Quantum rod with a Tour Edition reel. This is a 7:1 fast reel to take up the slack! For all soft plastics, soak them in Garlic Jack's Juice!
Slow all of them down. As the water clears this week, it's back to topwaters. My favorite is the Lucky Craft Gunfish 115 in Aurora Black! A slow walk-the-dog without stopping, even after a blow up will get them!
For the For a great day of fun for the entire family join the Family Fishing Day & FLW Casting Skills Contest Saturday, June 13, 2009 at the well stocked fishing pond in Franklin Park, Loudoun County, VA. Food, fun, memories and fishing! Learn and improve your skills: Registration 08:00-09:00. For further info, please call Michael Hall at 571-236-1918.
If I have clients who prefer a spinning reel, I am using Berkley Fireline in 14-pound test with a leader of Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon. For the drop shot, split shot, the shaky head and the Mizmo.
Want to learn how to teach someone to fish? Or looking for a few tips…? Check out my free videos (http://www.monkeysee.com/channel/show/89)
It's no secret Maui Jims are the best polarized sunglasses…now improved for anglers over 40…Maui Readers are equipped with a small magnifier on the bottom of the lens so you can see to tie knots!!! The added magnifier doesn't interfere with regular vision! I love them! See what you've been missing! Mauijims.com. I suggest Maui Jim HCL (high contrast lens) polarized sunglasses for picking up cover in the water and seeing fish. Check around, most serious anglers are wearing them. Eye protection is important!!! Get a quality pair of polarized sunglasses. Sunglass Huts carry these. If you see me on the water, I'll let you check mine out. Polycarbonate Maui Sports are light as a feather and the optics are great.
Confused over license requirements to guide on the Tidal Potomac River? I worked closely with the PRFC to come up with a grid of requirements to comply with DC, MD, VA and the PRFC on the Tidal Potomac. For a copy, http://nationalbass.com/reports/prfclicense.htm. And ALL guides will have to carry a TWIC card too! I support efforts to see to it these rules are enforced!
There are some great tackle specials this month at Jann's Netcraft! If you want to be on the email list for these specials, contact me! Contact Jann's Netcraft for your free catalog! They have a great assortment of do-it-yourself supplies, and a great line of soft plastics too! By this time of the year, my rod tips are just about worn out on my cranking rods. The guides take a constant beating too! Toss out the rod that is really still in great shape? No way! I've learned how to replace guides on my favorite rods and they're ready to go! Check out their rod building and repair supplies. Get a tip kit, with many sizes for a variety of rods. If you want to learn how to make repairs or even build your own custom rods, they have a great rod-building instructional book and all tools and parts! They also have everything you need to make crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and buzzbaits. You can start from scratch or assemble the parts to build the baits you like to your exact specs…and save money too! Jann's Netcraft lure making, fly-tying, rod building, and soft baits! They've been around for a long time and have a great selection of lure making materials too! Check them out at www.jannsnetcraft.com or call 1-800-NETCRAFT!
Hawg Pockets fishing lure guard won the ICAST new product showcase award. They really work! They don't tangle when I move them I can see my bait thru them! I now use them on my boat! Check them out! http://www.hawgpockets.com
2009 Potomac Tides under “REPORTS AND TIDES”. Print a copy.
New to the river? Get a pro-quality map for fishing the Potomac and for other Virginia waters map from GMCO: www.gmcomaps.com. They list popular locations and hidden dangers of navigating the Potomac.
Have fun! Questions, comments or booking a trip: info@nationalbass.com. I have a lot of articles on various strategies and techniques on my site. If you have a suggestion for an article, let me know. Check out my website: www.nationalbass.com. I can't fish the entire river all the time; so if you have some information to share, let me know.
"Take me fishing!" .·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸> >
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