Potomac offers winter bass
The upper Potomac River from the merger of the North and South branches near Paw Paw, W.Va., to the start of the tidal river at Little Falls Dam in Maryland provides some of the finest river bass fishing in the northeast.
While our rivers soon will be freezing, the Potomac will often run ice-free for much of the winter.
The 2007 year class of bass was exceptionally strong, which means anglers should expect to catch a lot of smaller bass in the coming years as those fish enter the fishery.
Though smallmouth bass are the mainstay of the upper Potomac, John Mullican, Maryland Fisheries Service fisheries manager, said largemouths can be found in areas where the habitat is suitable.
"Your best bet for largemouths is going to be in the impounded areas, places like Dargen, Big Slackwater and Four Locks," he said. "Those are the areas located above the old C&O Canal water control dams, Dams 3, 4 and 5.
"The other good area to find largemouths, and they seem to be increasing in numbers, is in the lower portion of the upper Potomac, from White's Ferry to Seneca. We've collected some nice largemouths along there, fish in the 4- to 5-pound range," he added.
Mullican said this is a great time to target the river's bass, especially smallmouth.
"Late fall through early spring is a great time to not only catch smallmouth, but large smallmouth," he said. "Water temperatures are in the 30s and 40s, which is an optimum temperature to catch bigger smallmouth. Fish location will depend on river flow.
"If the river's low and clear, fishermen would do well to concentrate in the deeper, slower pools, out away from the banks.
"But if the water level is higher, it can actually be more productive because in cold, high water the bass will seek calmer areas," he added.
Mullican said he's seen little variation, smallmouth bass structure-wise, within the upper Potomac. He said the entire section between Paw Paw and Harpers Ferry contains a similar bass population.
The free-flowing sections are appropriate for smaller boats. Jet drives allow the navigation of longer river sections, especially when river levels are lower. Some anglers use prop drives with rock guards.
Mullican said access areas such as Williamsport and McCoy's Ferry are popular.
"McCoy's Landing offers access to both free-flowing and impounded water, as it's located at the upper end of the impounded stretch," he said. "Putting in there gives you the best of both."
Visit the Maryland Department of Natural Resources' website at hmddnr.chesapeakebay.net/fish/state2.html to see a county-by-county listing of public boat ramps on the river. The sections described here are in Garrett, Alleghany, Washington counties.
Jeff Knapp is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle.
