Pacemaker Fishing Forum

Bev came over at 6:30a and we started our way to Algonkian but we stopped at The Filling Company for a breakfast sammie. My favorite there is the Morning Jersey on a bagel. Good stuff.

We got to the ramp and I hear a familiar voice coming from the woods and it was George and his hiking buddy.

We chatted for a bit as we were telling firefighter stories since Bev is a retired Fairfax Co. firefighter. I had some pretty good firefighting training while in the Navy (Air wing).

We started out and I asked Bev if he had his license. Nope! He's always relied on my tidal license which covers everyone in my boat.

Back to the ramp we go so he can get his wallet. OK, now he's legal.

I decided to try the ledges down form the 1st island. I think we got a couple of bites and Bev took the skunk off the boat with this beast!



No more bites and I told Bev to get ready, we were going up to the tip of Harrison Island.



This would be a non-stop trip.

Bev at the wheel...just like his firefighting ways (he was a swift water rescue instructor at one point).



We were just below White's Ferry when we started and I started to survey the waterscape. I decided to fish the Harrison island side since the MD side was getting cloudy with runoff from yesterday's rain.

BTW, water temps when we started were at 71df. Good green color but a slight bit stained. Temps were 73df when done.
Bev has never fished for smallies on this part of the Potomac. He waded for them when he was young but that's a different story for another day.

I started doing some technique fishing teaching and after a bit, he got the hang of getting close to a target and then feeling his lure as it tumbled down river.

We found a rock with a small eddy behind it so I told Bev where to thew and BAM! He gets bit!



Just a 1/4" of 14"!

We were both elated! We have some fish in the Potomac!

A few minutes later, he connected again!



Now, the student was spotting bubbles and eddies as we continues down river. And he was worried that I had not caught one yet.

My 1st "catch"  was this.



I really thought I had a fish.

But I did catch a few.







We got a few more bites..even one on the jerk bait but we did not hook up.

We stayed up that way and I connected with a smaller smallie but he cafe off at the boat. Shortly after that, I connected a gain and got a jumper. As I was to swing him in, he got off. Aren't we still playing shad rules? If they jump at the boat, it's a clean release! 

We fished up there a bit more...got some bites but no more fish.

I wanted to show Bev some of our spots so we worked down river.

No bites at the big rock.

No bites on the MD side rocks...latte.

I skipped the VA rocks and went down to my island and floated. for 45 minutes without a bite.

It was past 1p and I was getting hungry so we called it.

The target for lunch was the Pit Stop BBQ shack. As we neared it, Bev said, "I am with my Cuban brother, can we have a Cuban sandwich?". Well, after some aggressive car moves, I turned the car in another direction and to Cubasi we went.

Their Cuban sandwich is not quite authentic bit it WILL do! It's massive...and good.



BTW, that's half of the Cuban sammie!

Great day to be out. It did sprinkle on us but we avoided any rain. The wind did kick up and made fishing the light stuff difficult but we managed.