Recently, Potomac River blue catfish have been in the spotlight. A little bigger than average size blue catfish from Washington DC, Spring 2019. The Shenandoah is running a little low in the upper reaches, but the river is producing some nice smallmouth bass and catfish. Channel Catfish 11-18-08 Sports & Recreation. The North Branch Potomac River runs through the wild and undeveloped portions of West Virginia, from the Fairfax Stone State Park to when it converges with the South Branch. Local Business. Channel Catfish Upper Potomac River . Blues are so abundant. The smallmouth bass fishing seems slow in some areas. The Potomac River between Lovettsville, Virginia and Brunswick, Maryland. Fish consumption advisories help Virginia anglers make educated choices about eating the fish they catch. Slowly working tubes, grubs, and soft baits close to the bottom in the deep pools and current breaks is a proven tactic. Blue and channel catfish offer fishing opportunities in the tidal rivers this week. blue catfish should be managed on a larger scale (Pugh and Schramm 1999). Upper Potomac River fishing increases the chances of catching smallmouth bass, which heavily prey on crayfish. I have caught quite a few flatties on the james casting next to trees but also caught them in 30-50' on live bass, live gills and shad heads suspended 5' or so off the bottom. The 405-mile-long Potomac River turns into big water before dumping into the Chesapeake Bay, but its upper tidal limits are calm, serene, and easily manageable in my 14-foot aluminum V-hull. The upper Potomac, specifically the North Branch of the Potomac River, inhabits some of the largest trout found anywhere on the east coast. Snakeheads have rapidly expanded in Maryland’s tidal waters and the main stem of the Potomac River, and have been recently confirmed upstream of Great Falls, a natural fish barrier. North of the Potomac, the Upper Bay has been even fresher (Annapolis, 2-4 vs. 6-7.5). Flathead catfish are now found in the Potomac River, the upper Chesapeake Bay, and the Susquehanna, Elk and Sassafras Rivers. A big musky from the upper Potomac trolling the “Prop wash” while jerking the bait behind the boat. Snakehead Previous Grade: n/a. Abu Garcia 6500C3 Reel; Chad Ferguson Signature Series Catfish … Flathead catfish can reach sizes in excess of 100 pounds but much smaller specimens have been encountered in the Chesapeake Bay region. Fishamajig Light Tackle Charters. Upper Potomac catfish club. 3 talking about this. Ken Stely, left, and Allen Crocker, right hold the two largest catfish landed during last month's catfish tournament at Fort Washington Marina on the lower Potomac River. The high abundance of these invasive fishes may also impact local fisheries; for example, in the Potomac River, blue catfish are bycatch in gillnet fisheries and have the potential to reduce gear efficiencies. Fishing For Blue Cats On Potomac River. As readers no doubt know, the Potomac Watershed has endured a number of fish kills since 2002, beginning with a kill on the South Branch that year. No water in the big river up north... so I decided to catfish again. That includes all waters from as far north as Cumberland, MD all the way to Little Falls, Washington DC. First day back on the water for some blue catfish stared out the day at 5 am driving an hour south to Washington DC. The upper Potomac River is offering fair to good fishing for walleye and smallmouth bass and this action should continue through the winter months. The upper Potomac is best in the mornings and evenings, and anglers are taking smallmouth bass off … Sports & Recreation. We set the 100 ft fillet out and had to reset a … Yikes—it’s low and bumpy. There are growing populations in the upper Potomac River… In this two-part story, I will cover the latest on the health of the river, as well as give information on how to explore the upper Potomac from Berkeley Springs/Hancock to Shepherdstown. Blue catfish are spread throughout the upper bay and the tidal rivers. The Shenandoah mainstem and North Fork are running well and fairly clear, and are giving up some nice smallmouth bass, catfish, and sunfish. Flathead are an introduced species and are currently found in only a few places in the Chesapeake Bay; the Potomac River, Upper Bay, Elk and Sassafras Rivers. Limited catfish surveys in the upper (non-tidal) Potomac suggest the population is increasing. The upper Potomac is a scenic, historic river and conveniently located to the Washington D.C area. Fishing for blue catfish in the tidal Potomac River is in high gear this month and offers a great opportunity to catch a mess of good-eating fish with no creel limit or minimum size restrictions. Flatheads will be really hard to target specifically on the potomac. An angler has hooked a record blue catfish in the Potomac River, but for wildlife specialists, this is not particularly good news — not because the big fish was caught, but because it was there. The upper Potomac River is offering fair to good fishing for walleye and smallmouth bass and this action should continue through the winter months. Potomac River Catfish 791A2320-76CB-48E0-AE4D-76250B0BE246.jpgAnother sweltering day in Maryland. (Dean Naujoks / Potomac River Keeper) By . Daniel Foley Spoon. Channel Catfish 5-20-08 Mohawk River - Waterford, NY . Expect normal flows to the rivers and streams entering Maryland’s portion of the Bay. The most popular game fish in the Upper Potomac River is the smallmouth bass, but there are also catfish, sunfish, crappie, walleye, tiger muskies and carp. The same holds true for the North Branch Potomac. Tripout Catfishing. Eldon goes fishing for catfish below Dam 5 on the Upper Potomac River, using a homemade cardboard boat. On February 23, 2012, a Pennsylvania angler caught an 80-pound, 12-ounce blue catfish in the Potomac River near Fort Washington. An oily sheen shimmered along the Virginia side of the Potomac River this month. Amateur Sports Team. Catfish are actually more sought after than bass, but they are most often caught for food. Scientists have found that the big fish, introduced into the James and Rappahannock Rivers in the 1970s and the Potomac in the 1980s, can tolerate salinities up to 15 PSUs, and they have found a … LOU Potomac River F&F Club (Must Catch smallmouth; largemouth; Rockfish; catfish & sea gull) KP & Gay George ## UPPER POTOMAC RIVER: *; clear; 60s; 1.6 falling to 1.1 at Point of Rocks on Thursday. Largemouth bass can also be caught in the quieter pools. This is the gear I’m using for winter Blue Catfish right now and have been for many years this is good for the other types of catfish as well. The Chester River holds the greatest concentration of blue catfish at this time and the area from Chestertown up past Crumpton are great places to fish for them. The upper Potomac remains stained in some areas, but is generally running and fishing well. Channel catfish are known for their strong sense of smell, spunky attitude, and delicious flavor. Catfishing with Team Dual Purpose. Channel catfish swim in ponds, rivers, lakes, and creeks making them accessible to anglers across the country. The river is all but abandoned of traffic, even on weekends, so now is the time to work on your skills. Not a breath of wind and mid nineties... at least itwas a … We unloaded the boat to head down river to catch some bait. The enormous blue catfish broke the Maryland State record, surpassing the … Slowly working tubes, grubs, and soft baits close to the bottom in the deep pools and current breaks is a proven tactic. A rainbow trout from Rock Creek in Washington DC! 100% payback Catfish tournament series based on the Susquehanna river Pennsylvania. In fact, the entire river above the Arlington Memorial Bridge is a no-wake zone. Full Day trip with Rich Johnson on upper Potomac David K. fished with Osprey Fishing Charters on September 16, 2020 Use a guide, such as Rich Johnson who is knowledgeable of the local conditions and can get them on the fish much faster than trying to fish on their own . Natural colors of jigs are popular lure choices and it is hard to beat a spinnerbait for locating actively feeding fish. 9 lb. While most Virginia waters do not have dangerous levels of contaminants, some fish in certain waters are found to contain contaminants at levels of concern.. A fish consumption advisory is not a prohibition of eating fish, but a warning about the contaminants present in a fish species. The medium sized ones freeze up well and can provide some nice fish dinners through the winter months. The upper Potomac involves every part of the river that is not tidal. Left the house around 2pm. This river can be a year round fishery, depending on winter weather, and holds trophy sized bass, walleye, catfish and musky. The Channel Catfish is one of America’s most popular gamefish. Walleye and some musky are taking up the slack around Dam 4. Depending on where you are on the river will determine the species and technique for your Potomac fishing adventure. Upper Potomac Posts 1,919. The Potomac River (/ p ə ˈ t oʊ m ə k / ()) is found within the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and flows from the Potomac Highlands into the Chesapeake Bay.The river (main stem and North Branch) is approximately 405 miles (652 km) long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles (38,000 km 2). Expect reduced water clarity in the upper bay from the Aberdeen and Sassafras rivers to Swan Point and on the Potomac River downstream to near the Route 301 Bridge. Commercial harvesting is considered a key management strategy for blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay and tidal Potomac River. 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