Springtime
(Tidal Water)
Cranking on the Potomac River – Part III
By Chuck Bailey
Obviously Frank Karl and and his partner Mark Knapp don’t live on Baby 1 Minus’s and Rat-L-Traps alone. And Frank admits, “My 3rd favorite bait is the Cotton Cordell Big-O. Why? Because there some places out in the main channel, where you might be in 6 or 7 feet of water, with a rocky bottom. That’s when I want to get a bait down deeper to bounce it off those rocks.”
“I’ll also fish the Big-O in some of the same places I fish the Rat-L-Trap, especially if I’m in a creek channel, sitting in about 10 feet of water. And when I throw that Cotton Cordell Big-O, I will choose one of two colors; either the Smokey Joe, or anything with a chartreuse-lime pattern.”Color Selection
Any one who studies Frank’s color selection notices his choices are very simple. He admittedly owes dozens of different colors, but on the Potomac he rarely uses them. “Of course, there are those days when I am throwing my confidence lures, and they're not panning out, so then I start going through my spectrums of colors, trying to dissect what’s going on.”
“I do know this; if it is a cloudy day, that chrome and blue Rat-L-Trap doesn’t seem to produce as well. That's when I will put on a red one. The red crayfish pattern works well. On the other hand, if I have the sun beating down, I will put that chrome and blue on and I will throw it all day.”
With the other diving crankbaits (Big-O’s and Baby 1 Minus’s), Frank’s preferred color “…all depends on water color. If it’s clearer water, I will throw the Smokey Joe, (which is pretty much like a shad). And if I have a little stain, I’ll throw the chartreuse-lime.”
Tide, Tide, Tide!
The good news is that when an angler goes to the Potomac for the first time, it’s not like they have to figure everything out from scratch. The river has many similar types of structure and cover found on lakes. One simply has to adapt to the shallowness of the river and learn to throw the crankbaits in tidal circumstances.
“Structure is structure, depth of water is depth of water,” says Frank matter-of-factly, “the only thing you really have to understand is the tide, which changes from day to day. Anglers get frustrated when they return to a particular location and they grumble, ‘I killed them here yesterday at this time, and now can’t catch anything.’ Or they say, “I didn’t catch thing here yesterday”, and I suggest “Well let’s go try it now” because it is a different time, with a change in the depth of water, the clarity of the water, and all due to the changing tide.”
“And the clarity of the water does change - every 6 hours. Yesterday at this time, it could have been cloudy water, and today the tide might be drawing water out - pulling down all that clean water that was sitting in the back. Both clarity and depth change constantly. You can sit there and not catch anything off of one rock pile and a couple of hours later you may take 20 pounds off of it. And that is the ultimate challenge; trying to get integrated with the tide.”
Required: Tide Clarification
That’s why Frank says it is makes no sense to receive Potomac fishing advice from people unless they conclude their pattern or location suggestions with “…and you want to be there at high tide” …or “you want to throw that bait at low tide.”
“For example, I can show you a location on a map, (like Mattawoman Creek, for instance), and encourage you to fish the two islands there. I could tell you to ignore the channel between them, and fish the 3 to 5 foot water all around them with the Baby 1 Minus. But,” insists Frank, “it would be incomplete advice unless I also told you… ‘hit it at high tide’.” Attaching a tide clarification to a location or pattern is something a lake fisherman must adapt to when fishing the Potomac.
The Tide: Second to None!
The tide has dominance over the other environmental factors that impact day-to-day fishing on the river. But there is a positive side to this fact; especially on those hot days with blue-bird skies. Those conditions normally drive lake fish deep, making them harder to catch. River bass, however, are conditioned to eat in conjunction with current flow - so the sun can be beating down in the middle of the day, and an angler can still experience one of the best topwater bites they have ever experienced – all triggered by a change in the current flow.
All the other environments factors take a far distant second to the tide; the tide is the primary attribute that impacts day-time patterns. Frank puts it bluntly, “On the Potomac, tide means everything!”
Weather, Wind, and Shallow Water
Of course, weather will have a dramatic effect on these river bass, just as it does on those in lakes. “At times, I would say river bass are affected more by the weather – especially if there is a heavy rain.” Frank explains, “We have numerous feeder creeks coming into the Potomac and they give the river a huge surge in water volume. So much so, that there are times when the river is at low tide, but the water level is at high tide levels. And that definitely affects the fish negatively.”
“Another big factor is the wind. The wind produces some ungodly waves,” warns Frank. “If your hot spot yesterday consisted of a main channel weedbed, believe me, you are not going to be catching anything in the weedbeds today if it is going to be beaten up by 2 foot waves.”
“Same thing would apply to a productive section of boat docks in really shallow water; if yesterday's average depth of 2-3 feet of water is now experiencing 1 or 2 foot crashing waves, those bass aren’t going to sit there and get beat up on those docks or on the rocks; so they are going to move.”
The Need For Pre-Planning
That means that when an angler participates in a tournament, “…an angler can’t have just one or two good spots; you have to have a contingency plan with spots for every weather condition. (For example; if the wind is coming from a particular direction, my partner and I have protective spots pre-selected on the map that will allow us to keep fishing and not be too affected by the waves’.)”
“Naturally, if you don’t have any wind, then the river is wide open. Otherwise you have to figure it out - ‘Well this side of the river is getting beat up so we have to go fish the other side’…and if both sides are getting beat up with the wind coming up the river, then ‘we need to get into a creek channel’. Of course, once you get out of the wind and into one of the creeks, you are severely limited,” explains Frank, “because everyone and their brother will be there.”
Cold Fronts!
Cold fronts are another weather factor that can impact fish activity and location. But Frank is convinced that even if the water temperature is lowered several degrees by the cold front, the fish will simply move. Most likely they will relocate to slightly deeper water. And of course, catching them has got to be at the right tide. But fish can be caught, regardless of the weather.
“The Potomac is very big,” adds Frank, “so what is happening north may not be happening south. Three years ago I was back-seating with a pro when we were caught in a tornado that suddenly appeared right over the top of us and sunk his boat, …but anglers who were 5 miles north or south never got touched. Because the river is so vast, even when get a cold front comes in, an angler can simply relocate and find warmer water.”
Always Catching Fish - Somewhere
“As a last resort, there are those hot water discharge sections of the river that provide warmer water temperature – so there is always somewhere on the Potomac where you are going to catch fish. I don’t care what the tide is or what the weather is doing, I don’t care if you have a monsoon, you can catch fish somewhere on that Potomac. And it’s proven every year.”
“That’s the humbling beauty of it; every time the locals or other anglers “in the know” struggle in adverse conditions and come up empty, some novice who has never fished the river before ends up pounding the fish and doing well. Regardless of weather conditions, somewhere on the Potomac an angler is going to catch fish. All the time.”
Master of Adjustments
It seems clear that to be effective on the Potomac River you have to become a master at making adjustments. Franks concurs, “You have to be able to adjust to weather, wind, waves, temperature, water clarity, and to the tide. And if what you are doing is not working for you, you have to be that person that can make the jump. You can’t be the person who is afraid to admit, ‘Hey, this ain’t working here.’”
The Potomac River is an amazing fishery that is forever exercising the brains of the anglers who fish its waters. But for the most part it rewards all who try. Franks knows only too well, “There are days when you fish the Potomac and you’ll hit just one spot and have the best day of your life. Sometimes you can throw the kitchen sink at them and they will still bite it. In fact, you might be tempted to say ‘Wow this is easy.’ But that’s because it is probably one of the best fisheries anywhere – and even on a bad day, we catch fish.”
Running Safely In the Channels
If an angler brings their own boat to fish the Potomac River, Frank suggests sticking to the shipping channel when heading up or down stream. “Remember,” warns Frank, “these are tidal waters, and you may have run up the river at high tide, crossing shallow flats with no trouble. “But at low tide the water may drop a foot or two and the same route home could cause a boater many problems if they don’t stay in the channel.”
This warning only makes sense when you realize that there are many places on the Potomac that are two miles wide. And the widest section is almost seven miles wide near Smallwood State Park, (out of Mattawoman Creek), where most tournaments are held. The river is filled with sunken debris, and it can be a dangerous place to drive a bass boat at 70 miles per hour if you don’t stick to the channel.
Check the Weather and Tides
Frank also warns first-timers that it can be a dangerous body of water to fish when the wind creates huge waves. He suggests strongly that a visiting angler research what is coming up in terms of weather. Even though it is a shallow river, you can see 5 footers with 20 to 30 mile an hour winds.
The most important tip Frank can give out-of-town guests is to “…get on the internet and look up the tide chart for the days and areas you are going to fish. Among the options is the MarylandTideFinder which lists the tides.
“But you also have to know where you are going to launch and fish, because if you are going out of Marshall Hall, which is up north, or launching at Aquia Creek – there is a 20+ mile difference between the two, and you might have an hour’s difference in the tide. So wherever you launch from is where you would get a tide chart so you know when it should be high tide, low tide, and slack tide.”
Maps and Licenses
Frank also suggests “Get a map; one that charts bottom contours. You don’t want to go somewhere at high tide and work your way back into a shallow section and lose track of time as you are fishing, and then discover at low tide you can’t get out. You have to be aware of the tide and where you are.”
If an angler purchases either a Virginia or a Maryland license they can fish the Potomac. But another option is to purchase what is called a ‘Chesapeake Bay Tidal Tributary Sports-fishing License’ in either state which permits the owner to fish the whole Potomac and all of the Chesapeake for 15 bucks.
A Little Piece of Heaven
Frank's love for this body of water and it’s tributaries is evident, “You can even have a lot of fun without ever having to go out on the main river. Just put into anyone of those little creeks, (and when I say small creeks – they really are pretty wide).”
“The Potomac River is one of those truly beautiful and amazing places. You may see more bald eagles in one day than others will see in a lifetime. You have bluegill fishing, largemouth, smallmouth, stripers, catfish, and gar, (though they are protected, it’s really something to see a 5 foot alligator gar go swimming by). To me, the Potomac River is heaven.”
The key to enjoying this little piece of heaven is to get yourself a map, a tide chart, and watch the weather. With a handful of shallow running Baby 1 Minus’s, Rat-L-Traps, and Big-O’s, the springtime on this tidal river could be one of the most memorable bass-cranking experiences ever. And the more an angler understands the effects of the tide on the habits of the local largemouth, the more heavenly the Potomac becomes.
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If you missed Part I - Frank Karl described the Potomac in the springtime as a crankbait gold mine. He explored the unique challenges of the tidal system, and how water movement and feeding stations often lead to “running the tide”. We studied tidal bass behavior, the biology of new weedbeds, and why making constant adjustments to changing river conditions is key.
If you missed Part II – our Potomac River expert explained the pattern and location transitions from winter to springtime, and the role that new grass fields play in finding fish. The proper rods, reels, and lines were explored, and Frank Karl's favorite two crankbaits, colors, and techniques were discussed.
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Frank Karl is one half of Team IIK. His partner Mark Knapps and he have been fishing bass tournaments for 18 years and the Potomac is one of their favorite bodies of water. Make sure to check their "Rod Caddy" that can attach easily to the back of almost any bass boat. For more information, check out their website www.team2kfishing.com.
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