Pacemaker Fishing Forum

My friend Kris and I put our kayaks in on Goose Creek on Saturday April 29.  I figured since the Potomac water levels were high, one of its tributaries would be fishable.  Putting in at Kepheart and unwittingly did the mirror version of Ernie and Curly’s trip the day before.

The water was up a bit since the previous Sunday when I had walked the bank.  We started at the rapids right upstream of the launch.  I moved on after a bit, working the creek below the high rocks on the northwest bank and then the big trees in the water.  Eventually Kris and I met up, he had picked up a 10” smallmouth over by the high rock “spring” flow on a swimbait.  The thunder came, so we ducked into the golf course water trap stream on the southeast bank to wait things out.  Once the storm passed we headed back out and worked both banks to the end of the creek and then worked back to the landing.

Kris lost another fish on the swimbait, but that was it for us.  I think he stuck with that for most of the day.  I got a few pickups on tubes and while dropshotting a Gulp minnow in a sunken tree, but no solid hits.  I also threw a crankbait, Senko-style stickbaits, and a spinnerbait without noticeable interest.   Not that action was fast in the morning, but the day really got dull after the rain.  The water was only a bit cold, but maybe just enough compared to the preceding day.  I didn’t factor in that the Potomac being high would result in the water at the mouth area of Goose Creek stalling.  I was really expecting things to pick up there, but the lack of current wasn’t conducive, even for largemouth.  I haven't done well on this stretch of the Goose Creek but the potential is there.  I just keep going on bad days.