Pacemaker Fishing Forum

The next meeting of the Potomac River Smallmouth Club (PRSC) is on Wednesday, January 27 at 7:15 PM at the Vienna Fire Station on Center Street in Vienna VA.

Pete Pfotenhauer to speak!

As a middle school teacher in Spotsylvania County, Pete Pfotenhauer has nothing to do all summer but chase smallmouth, which are always easy to find, fool, and land in the clear waters of the Rappahannock. If you believe that, Pete’s got a few other fish stories to share. He has chased smallies throughout Virginia for 12 years, and is always learning something new about these magnificent fish. Last year he finally started guiding others out to pursue smallies last summer from a 3 man raft, suitable for spin or fly fishing. He’ll be working for Virginia Fishing Adventures again this summer, both as a guide and a camp counselor for kids who want to learn to fish. So if you have a kid who loves fishing, consider talking to Pete about Virginia Fishing Adventures’ summer camp program, where kids learn how much fun responsible fishing can be. Or, if you want to drive down to fish the Rappahannock yourself for shad this spring, or smallmouth later this year, consider giving Pete a call. He knows where the fish are likely to be.

The Rappahannock is his home river, and a special water to chase big bronzebacks. At our meeting, he’ll discuss how the biology of the Rappahannock and Rapidan rivers differs from the Potomac, Susquehanna, and Shenandoah, and how to change your fishing to take advantage of the difference in habitat. Pete will explain how he targets trophy smallmouth on these rivers and which lures and flies work for him. Being smaller flows, they are ideal for kayak and canoe fishing, and because of somewhat limited access, are excellent choices for an overnight camping/fishing trip. Just so you can be sure he’s not telling fish stories, he’ll bring along a slide show of photos of the tiniest and largest fish in the river.

In addition to talking smallies, Pete will also explain other opportunities the Rapp offers in the spring for shad and striped bass. The shad run peaks in April, and the river will be full of exciting hickory shad waiting to willingly take a fly or shad dart. Shad are a great fish to chase while learning to fly cast, and Pete will literally draw you a map to several spots that you can wade to chase these sporty fighters and leapers. They aren’t called the poor man’s tarpon for nothing. If you prefer to give the spawning smallmouth a break, if 50 plus fish afternoons excite you, or if you’d like to have a day where your arm wears out before the fish stop biting, then you should consider a trip to the Rapp in April to target shad.

The striper run up the river following the shad in early May. While the James and Potomac striper fisheries offer chances at a cow, the Rappahannock is one of the few places in Virginia where stripers up to 35 inches are accessible to wade fishermen. While they are not as sure a thing as the Rapp’s famous hickory shad run, they are catchable on fly rod and light spinning gear until the river water warms to over 75 degrees in late May.

Pete’s always been willing to share ideas and techniques as an active member of Potomac river Smallmouth Club. AS our previous Buzz Editor, he learned a great deal from the other members of PRSC, and he’ll share some tips for new members on how to make the most of membership in this outstanding fishing organization. So be sure to come listen to one of our own as we kick off 2010 with Pete Pfotenhauer speaking at our January meeting.

Spring is closer than you think!