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The early bite on top is pretty good, but you need to keep one tied on all day. Poppers and walkers work best at higher tides, while hollow frogs and toads work at lower tides. For walkers I like Lucky Craft Gunfish in shad patterns. Mann's HardNose Frogs with a 5/0 Mustad Ultra Point tube hook in white, when the sun is out, black on very cloudy days or in off color water. In between, green pumpkin! The hollow frog bite continues and it doesn't matter what time of day as long as you have LOW water! If there is sun and a low tide, they work all day! Braid is the only way to go! I like the Spiderwire 65 pound Stealth Ultra cast. Also a good stiff rod with a slightly softer tip for better casting like the 2iG Ultra Strike 7'2” frog rod and a solid reel and hold on!!!!! I am adding rabbit fur to all of my Mann's Super Frogs! It's easy…a drop of Pro's Soft Bait Glue…JannsNetcraft.com has rabbit fur strips in many colors! I am also using a Furbit popper found at Warbirds in Woodbridge and sfttackle.com. Capt. Karl Bunch turned me on to these about 2 years ago after the Furbit won Best of Show at ICAST…annual Vegas industry tackle show! BTW, Warbirds sponsors Thursday evening tournaments from 5:00pm to 9:00pm at Leesylvania state park. Call store for details 703-878-3111
Topwaters are also a good way to expose mat fish for punching! Best on flat calm, hot sunny days. Tru-Tungsten weights with Tru-Tungsten Smart Pegs are the best way to go! Find high water mats on incoming tides…these have more space underneath! Article coming soon to Sportsman's Magazine! Interviews with Kelly Jordon, Greg Hackney, and Pete Gluszek!!!!!
For the rest of the day, I am using a mix of Lucky Craft BDS 4, a big-bodied shallow crank with a wide bobbling action. White is a good color here. Mann's Baby 1-minus in Splatterback Holographic is my favorite. In spinnerbaits, the _ ounce Mann's Classic…gold blades, white skirt over shallow grass and wood when the skies are cloudy or the water is a bit stained. Vary the speed of the retrieve and rip from grass. Also, “waking” baits like the Mann's Waker or even the Mann's Mid-Minus in citrus colors or shad patterns are working over grass and around docks and wood!
Vary your speed...in the clearest water, burn baits! In stained water, slow down. I try to fish stained water, near clear water, unless there is a chop on the surface or low light conditions, then I fish the clearer water.
The 13th annual St Jude Potomac Teams Tournament was a huge success! Lots of prizes…BoatUS, Abu reels, Berkley line, SealSkinz socks and gloves, Mann's Baits, and Frogg Toggs! If you want to be on the email list, forward yours to me. You will be contacted for next year! Thanks to all who participated and Regions 1 and 9 for their help! Russ Shetley does a great job running this event! For standings: nationalbass.com
My follow-up bait is the new chatterbait style bait, the Rock N Runner…a Road Runner on steroids complete with small silver willow blade on the underside which gives it a unique action and more flash! This thumper combined with the Mann's HardNose Craw is killer! I am using green pumpkin and watermelon skirts with contrasting or matching craws! Various retrieves in the grass are working. I look for clear water close to deeper water and to stained water for the best bites.
After that…Stick worms and weightless plastics…split shot, drop shot, and slow down! Incoming tides produce cooler water. This activates the fish a bit. Otherwise it's a slow patient presentation.
I'm also fishing a lot of Mizmo tubes now! Pitching to marsh clumps in creeks to grass clumps and to hard cover. Mann's HardNose 9 inch worms offer a bigger target to fish with a huge food supply all around. The Spoils area is also a good place for Mizmos! I'm pitching them Texas rigged and with the Gerkin insert heads. I have been using the Gerkin head for 6 years! Made with a Mustad Ultra Point hook...it has a wire weed guard and an elongated lead head…this makes the bait glide. The Gerkin tube head, now owned by R&R Custom Baits can be found at Dance's Sporting Goods in Colonial Heights, VA or by calling…804-541-4162. Also, hair jigs like the Punisher work too. Jack's Juice really soaks into the plastics or into the hair on a Punisher jig!
Hooray! The Clean Water Act exemption was passed! This means there will be NO fine or fee for "normal operational" discharges from recreational boats, such as deck run-off from rain or engine cooling water. The proposed Clean Boating Act of 2008 does not weaken any existing environmental laws that restrict the overboard discharge of oil, fuel, garbage, or sewage.
There's confusion over what licenses are required to guide on the Tidal Potomac River. I worked very closely with the PRFC this summer to come up with a grid of requirements to comply with DC, MD, VA and the PRFC on the Tidal Potomac. If you would like a copy, http://nationalbass.com/reports/prfclicense.htm. I support efforts to see to it these rules are enforced!
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.
Captain Steve Chaconas/National Bass Guide Service/SEOPA
"Take me fishing!"
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