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Serving Fresh and Brackish Waters
of MD, VA, D.C. & PA
WEEK
ENDING May 4, 2008
4708 Sellman Road, Beltsville, MD 20705
Office: 301-937-0010. Fax: 301-931-2040.
Cell: 240-447-2206
E-mail: ken kenpenrod@comcast.net
Websites: www.penrodsguides.com
www.fishdeepcreek.
NOTES:
Teddy Carr tells me that a massive fish kill occurred in Quantico Creek
last week. Does anyone have any more information?
Weather
patterns this week caused difficult conditions and the fishery should not
be judged by recent results.
TIP
OF THE WEEK: Try turning your sonar off when you are fishing shallow
cover. You would not believe the noise the transducer emits.
UPPER
POTOMAC RIVER
:
I base everything I do on the water level at Point of Rocks which measured
6.8 feet Saturday, 03. I prefer depths of less than 4-feet. Monitor this
water this week because it is falling like a scud. Call 703-260-0305 and
follow the prompts.
TIDAL
POTOMAC RIVER
:
The dirty water from up-river flooding is passing through D.C. now
(Saturday 3) and we see the first signs at the mouth of Mattawoman. Water
temperature is near 60-degrees—the cold front having pulled about 4
degrees from last week’s high. In the
Woodrow
Wilson
Bridge
vicinity we saw improvement. Fishing has been tough due to post spawn and
weather related negatives. Luhr Jensen
Speed Traps (firetiger), Big Mouth
Spinnerbaits (Penrod Special) and Case
Magic Sticks (green pumpkin/gold) served us well at Penrod Cove, Belle
Haven Cove and Piscataway Creek.
In the Mattawoman Creek vicinity, we use Case Magic Sticks,
Luhr Jensen Speed Traps or Sugar Shads and Mizmo
tubes. We did much better outside the 6-MPH zone, especially grass
beds between the State Park and river. The milfoil is just about as tall
as high tide. Rocky banks upriver on the main stem will give-up a few
quality bass and even a striper. The Navy Base is stabilizing miles of
shoreline and it looks like future habitat to me.
Grass beds in Chickamuxen, Chopawamsic,
Wades
Bay
and the mouth of Aquia are good stops and this weeks result’s are not
indicative of the potential.
A very large and disturbing fish kill in Quantico Creek
last week. Anyone have more facts?
SUSQUEHANNA
RIVER
,
PA
:
The Juniata River is finally getting back to normal and we are fishing
Sherman Creek again. The main river is beautiful and the spinnerbait bite
is on. LOU guide Mike Breeding is having
his customers cast Penrod Special and Golden Minnows to pockets below
submersed islands where often a dozen bass are available. The level at
Harrisburg
as of the 3rd was 5.3 feet and slowly falling. This is perfect
for our grass bed (submersed Islands) pattern between Riverfront
Campground and
Purdy
Islands
. Some of the best areas are just below Buffalo Ledges. The
Juniata
flow had dominated the Susquehanna Flow for more than a week, pushing
nearly half way across. So the eddy has been very small near the wall.
Still, the mud line has drawn fish there best caught on Sugar Shads.
Sherman Creek is giving-up some giant smallmouth bass and seems to have
more musky this year. The Mizmo tube is our go-to lure but that
spinnerbait potential is exciting.
CONNOWINGO RESERVOIR:
LOU guide Mike Breeding reports excellent
bass fishing between the dam and Peach Bottom where jerk baits,
spinnerbaits and crankbaits catch good numbers of bass to five pounds.
POCOMOKE
RIVER
:
I like this river over the other
Eastern Shore
tidal rivers because of the abundant habitat, non existing fishing
pressure and potential for lots of mid size largemouth. Spatterdock
dropoffs along the main stem and Nassawango Creek is a fairly reliable
pattern where we cast white or pink Magic Sticks, Penrod Special spinner
baits and firetiger Hot Lips crankbaits. Look for spawning activity around
the new and full moons but for now, attach the outside edges.
KERR
LAKE
,
VA
:
LOU Associate Tim
Wilson
(kickassbassin@aol.com) reports
a lake level of nearly 304 feet above sea level and the water temperature
ranges between 63 and 68 degrees. The upper lake is downright muddy but
clear water is found from Ivey Hill to the dam.
Fluctuating water levels has made fishing tough this week as rains
cause rises and ACOE counters with releases. Tim’s guessing that the
major spawn is still to come so he’s working shoreline cover and
secondary points in Grassy and Butchers Creeks. Nutbush Creek is clear
enough to sight fish. Tim is liking watermelon lizards and creature
plastics. Crappie moved to deeper water brush piles now and search for
stripers at the mouth of creeks downlake.
DEEP
CREEK
LAKE
:
LOU guides Brent Nelson and Bret
Winegardner reports that bass fishing is heating up as the fish begin
to search for shallow water cover. It’s a different climate here than it
is in the
Piedmont
. Reach Brent at bbnelson@comcast.net
for reservations.
WEEK
ENDING April 27, 2008
4708 Sellman Road, Beltsville, MD 20705
Office: 301-937-0010. Fax: 301-931-2040.
Cell: 240-447-2206
E-mail: ken kenpenrod@comcast.net
Websites: www.penrodsguides.com
www.fishdeepcreek.
NOTES:
I left my camera in Duncannon when I came home to pick up my new Ranger
from Mare, Inc. in Thurmont. I’ll post my client photos next week.
SUSQUEHANNA
RIVER
,
PA
:
We had some tough days and some great days this week as the full moon
spawn changed our tactics and patterns. The water was clear enough to
watch the spawning procedures in some areas but we don’t fish for
bedding bass. We have witnessed four spawns this season and there are
millions of baby bass swimming the eddies. Post spawn fish have moved to
submersed islands and grass beds where Mizmo
tubes (Penrod Special, Roadkill, Brown Pumpkin and Juniata Treats)
work well. The
Juniata
River
had been running very hard and muddy most of the week but the mud line at
the confluence has been very productive and LOU
guide Mike Breeding has been casting lipless crankbaits to willing
bass. LOU guide Danny Grulke had a few
tough days but found a new group of bass in Sherman Creek. LOU
guide John Drever was “hot” early in the week and his clients
fished mid river brush for giant bass. I’m casting tubes, Speed
Traps, Cast Sticks, Big
Mouth spinnerbaits and Sugar
Shads. You can’t believe how these bass will mutilate a spinnerbait.
The river level was about 5-feet at
Harrisburg
but monitor this at 1-888-881-7555. We fish from Riverfront Campground
where the
Juniata
meets the Susquehanna.
UPPER POTOMAC RIVER
:
It’s been quite high and muddy but I look for good conditions early in
the week. Before the “flood,” bass fishing was very good between
Edwards Ferry and
Brunswick
where Mizmo tubes, Luhr Jensen Speed Traps and Case Magic Sticks worked
quite well.
TIDAL
POTOMAC RIVER
:
The river is running muddy and littered with flotsam from recent rains but
look for vast improvement this week. Mattawoman, Aquia and Potomac Creeks
have been very productive, especially in new grass cover and rocky points.
Luhr Jensen Speed Traps for the
rocks—and Case Magic Sticks for the
grass with Big Mouth spinnerbaits
for a change-up. Piscataway Creek grass beds and Gravel pit drop offs have
been productive in the upper tidal river and the same baits do the deed
with the additions of Mizmo tubes and Luhr Jensen Hot Lips crankbaits. LOU
guide Keith Barker is casting Big Mouth spinnerbaits and Case plastics
in the Belle Haven vicinity with vastly improved results. I will resume my
tidal schedule this week as I end my six week tour of the Susquehanna.
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John Lillard & Al
Donald with some nice bass they caught while fishing with LOU
Captain Keith Barker in Wash. DC.
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KERR LAKE
,
VA
:
LOU guide
Brent Nelson
fished the lake three days. The water level was at 303 feet and
falling. Brent used Case Magic Sticks
in submersed brush and found larger bass on the outside edges. Best area
have been secondary points and coves in creek ends. Grassy, Bluestone and
Butchers are reliable areas.
POCOMOKE RIVER
,
MD
:
If you plan your day around a falling tide you can rely on fairly steady
action between Shad Landing and Dividing Creek—and Nasawango Creek
between the mouth and the bridge. Bass will be along the outside edge of
the spatterdock during low water but they will be between the inside edge
and the shore during high water. Big
Mouth spinnerbaits and white Case Magic Sticks are my go-to lures.
WEEK
ENDING April 20, 2008
4708 Sellman Road, Beltsville, MD 20705
Office: 301-937-0010. Fax: 301-931-2040.
Cell: 240-447-2206
E-mail: ken kenpenrod@comcast.net
Websites: www.penrodsguides.com
www.fishdeepcreek.
NOTES:
Regional rivers are getting pretty low but this full moon will spawn a
major spawn and Mother Nature wins again.
I
heard from a representative of Maryland Department of Environment about my
complaints of abuse and incompetence at the
Salisbury
City
sewage treatment plant which is simply killing the
Wicomico
River
. The “promise” is for improvement in 2008. I understand it’s a
court order, but we will monitor this every day. I never heard from the
Mayor of Salisbury. Will any of you vote for him?
HUNTERS
BEWARE: The Dyke Marsh tree huggers are petitioning NPS to stop water fowl
hunting in and around Belle Haven Marina. The last time they back-doored
us they had “no motor” regs in Belle Haven cove and Charly’s Cove. I
applaud everyone’s outdoor preference but this crew is simply against
anything we do.
I’m
a little sorry about the brevity of my reports but I’m in
Duncannon
,
PA
, with my BB as modem.
SUSQUEHANNA RIVER
,
PA
:
Wow! Don’t know how else to explain this.
Maybe “world class.” We are fishing between
Harrisburg
and Montgomery Ferry, operating from Riverfront
Campground in Duncannon, where the
Juniata
River
meets the mighty Susquehanna. LOU guide Danny
Grulke had back-to-back 100-fish days for his clients and he never
left the
Juniata
River
. He’s using Mizmo “teasers” and
Penrod Specials on 1/8th ounce Riverfront Campground jig
heads.
John Cooper
and Brian Graves fished with me for four days and we easily caught 250
quality bass on the main river with Mizmo “teasers” in Camo; Roadkill;
Black and Penrod Special. Lou guide
Dave Kerrigan
is fishing the main river, near
Halifax
and he has discovered an awesome Mizmo tube called Irish Coffee. LOU
guide
Mike Breeding
is “kickin’ butt with jerk baits near Sherman Creek. LOU
guide Jon Drever is still wor
king
eddys behind islands and his clients complain of “tennis elbow.”
I’ve
caught a ton of bass on LJ Speed Traps,
BAD
NEWS:
The river is dropping like an in-love 10th grader.
It’s about 4.9 as of Friday (18th) and we sweat the problem
at, well, 4,5. I realize a lot of our report readers have been coming to
RFCG because of our report, but please call 1-800-881-7555 for river
conditions. Johnny Cunningham
of Riverfront Campground has the lures we recommend—and get that Gator
rod. Hate to say this—but we
need rain.
UPPER POTOMAC RIVER
:
Now, remember, I’m only reporting on my favored areas, between Edwards
Ferry and Lander but let-there-be-no-doubt, the bass fishing is great. Use
tubes on shore wood and mid river ledges.
KERR
LAKE
:
“If you are not flipping bushes—you are not catching bass.,
TIDAL
POTOMAC RIVER:
LOU guide Keith Barker is happy again as he
and his clients are catching hefty bass in Penrod Cove and big stripers in
Smoot
Bay
.
Grass
and rock beds in Mattawoman and Chickamuxen are alive with bass best
caught on Luhr Jensen Speed Traps.
Big stripers moving up the river. Mattawoman and Chickamuxen doing well.
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| Terry Stone & son
Ryan landed 100 smallmouth bass, with several of ranging between
18"-19", while fishing with LOU Guide Mike Breeding. |
Ryan Stone tricked this
beauty with a 4" Mizmo Big Boy tube while fishing from LOU
Guide Mike Breeding's Xpress Jet boat. |
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| LOU Guide Captain Keith
Barker landed this 19-1/4" smallmouth bass on a Mizmo Tube
while fishing with LOU Guide Mike Breeding |
Long-time LOU client
Henry Churchill lands this Juniata River smallmouth bass on a
Root-Beer Mizmo Teaser Tube while fishing aboard LOU Guide Mike
Breeding's Mercury powered Xpress Jet boat. |
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| Bud Kali caught this
beautiful healthy smallmouth bass on a Mizmo Teaser Tube while
fishing with LOU Guide Mike Breeding. |
Former LOU Guide Captain Dave Covell
still has the knack for catching smallmouth bass, he lands this on a
3-1/2" Ken Penrod Special tube available exclusively at
Riverfront Campground.
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| Long-time client Jeff
Dillon has been fishing with L.O.U for well over 10 years now,
opportunities to catch beautiful 18"+ smallmouth bass keep him
coming back year after year after year... |
Rich Grassi of Schindler Elevator
lands this Juniata River smallmouth bass on a Ken Penrod Special
Teaser Tube while fishing with LOU Guide Mike Breeding.
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| Charles Dougherty holds
a smallmouth in the 4 pound range caught on a Mizmo Tube while
fishing with LOU Guide Mike Breeding. |
Justin Musgrove of Ennis Electric
caught this healthy bronzeback while fishing about LOU Guide Mike
Breeding's Mercury powered Xpress Jet Boat.
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| This smallie was caught
by David Hawke of Ennis Electric on a Mizmo Teaser Tube while
fishing with LOU Guide Mike Breeding. |
Gary Jedlicka fished with the Ennis
Electric multi-boat outing & landed this smallie on a 4"
green-pumpkin Mizmo BigBoy Tube while fishing with LOU Guide Mike
Breeding.
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| Ken Rounds of Ennis
Electric landed this 18" smallie while fishing aboard LOU Guide
Mike Breeding's Xpress Jet boat. |
Mike Evans with a Juniata smallmouth
caught with a jerkbait while fishing with LOU guide Dan Grulke.
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| Geoff with a Juniata
smallmouth caught on a Mizmo green pumpkin teaser tube while fishing
with LOU guide Dan Grulke. |
Eric with a 4.5 lb Susky smallie caught
on a Mizmo 4" green pumpkin tube while fishing with LOU guide Dan
Grulke.
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| Rich Rogers with a nice
Juniata smallie caught while fishing with LOU guide Dan Grulke. |
Nick with his first smallie caught while
fishing with LOU guide Dan Grulke.
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| Tim McDonald with a
nice smallmouthh caught on a Mizmo teaser tube on the Susky while
fishing with LOU guide Dan Grulke. |
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WEEK
ENDING April
13
,
2008
4708 Sellman Road,
Beltsville, MD 20705
Office: 301-937-0010. Fax: 301-931-2040. Cell: 240-447-2206
E-mail: ken kenpenrod@comcast.net
Websites: www.penrodsguides.com
www.fishdeepcreek.
NOTES: If you are
monitoring our weekly report you may know that I sent messages to the
Salisbury
,
Maryland
,
Mayor and a member of Maryland Department of Environment as
king
for reasons “why” the
Salisbury
,
Maryland
,
sewage treatment plant malfunctions so often. Not that I expected any
answer—but this is just arrogance. Remember this when you vote.
SUSQUEHANNA
RIVER
, PA:
A great week of bass fishing as the weather turned the corner and the
river stabilized. As of Friday evening the water temperature was about
55-degrees and the level was approximately 6.1-feet at
Harrisburg
. We caught hundreds of smallmouth
bass this week on Mizmo tubes (Penrod Special,
Juniata
Treat, Roadkill and Green Pumpkin)
with the smaller versions out-performing the larger sizes. We operate from
Riverfront Campground and fish both up and down the river including the
Juniata
. This week the bass were near
eddies but preferred some current. Of note this week was a 20-inch bass by
Lou Romano
and catches of over 70 by several
teams. LOU guide Jon Drever is happy with stick-bait results at the
Juniata
confluence while LOU guide
Mike Breeding
is fishing shoreline eddies
between
Montgomery
Ferry and
Fort
Hunter
. This is an unbelievable fishery. Call 1-888-881-7555 for river
conditions. Call us at 240-447-2206 for boo
king
—but wse have very few available
now.
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Tommy and Jason Dodd fished with
Ken Penrod on the Susqy and did very well using Mizmo tubes. |
Retired MD NRP John Myska is an
avid smallmouth bass angler and he loved the Susquehanna aboard
Ken's Xpress jet boat. |
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Bobby Mullis was an excellent guide
for LOU and he knows how to catch the Susqy bass. |
Dr. David Giammittorio has fished
with Ken for 19 years--and he knows all about the Susquehanna and
Mizmo tubes. |
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Ken Mallick and his Alaskan guide
Dale did well when guided by Ken on the Susquehanna. |
Captain Ken Penrod with 20-inch
smallmouth #3 for 08. |
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Lenny Romano is an awesome
smallmouth bass angler and he spends a lot of time in Ken's Mercury/Xpress
jet. |
Lou Romano and father Lenny fished
with Ken Friday. They caught & released 87 bass including this
20.25 Sherman Creek beauty. |
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Steve Salter holds a quality
Susquehanna River smallmouth caught on a Mizmo Teaser Tube while
fishing with LOU Guide Mike Breeding. |
Kevin & Steve were neck &
neck with quality & quantity while fishing with LOU Guide Mike
Breeding. |
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Lucian Romano of Nardi Construction
landed this smallie on a Ken Penrod Special Teaser Tube available
exclusively at Riverfront Campground. |
Lenny Romano holds up a Penrod
Special Teaser Tube & a fine smallmouth caught while fishing
aboard LOU Guide Mike Breeding's Xpress jet boat. |
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Bill Reese landed a beautiful
Juniata River smallmouth on a Mizmo Teaser Tube while fishing with
LOU Mike Breeding. |
Steve Clausman holds a beautiful
main stem Susky smallmouth caught on a Rapala jerkbait. |
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This trip the client catches the
lunker, David Reynolds lands this trophy on a Penrod Special tube
while fishing aboard LOU Guide Mike Breeding's Xpress jet boat. |
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TIDAL
POTIOMAC
RIVER
: The striper run is on and some bass
fishermen have been stunned by the size and quantity of the big girls wor
king
into DC. Same can be said about
giant catfish in DC and LOU guide Danny Grulke and friends “boated” a
dozen over 20-pounds ea.
LOU
guide Keith Barker reports much improved activity in the WW Bridge
vicinity with Penrod Cove and Belle Haven Cove being the better locations.
Luhr Jensen Hot Lips and Speed Traps have been best for aggressive fish
but Mizmo tubes and Case Magic Sticks do the deed when the sun warms the
water. Other ideas for fishing include Blue Plains (dock and outfall), NRL
dock and entrance to Four Mile Run. In Mattawoman and Chickamuxen Creeks,
Sugar Shads and Speed Traps take quality bass from grass beds and shallow
rocks.
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Tony
Wood with a 1.1 # Yellow perch and a 3.33 # LM Bass he caught which
fishing with LOU Captain Keith Barker near Belle Haven Marina.
|
Jim
Toth with a trophy Striper he caught in the Tidal Potomac near the
Woodrow
Wilson
Bridge
. |
UPPER
POPTOMAC
RIVER
:
I’ve been telling you for more than a
year that rumors of this river’s demise is premature. Nice smallmouth
bass from eddies and ledges between Edward’s Ferry and
Brunswick
. Bass to 20-inches long and even a few walleye. These bass may be under
attack by poultry operations and poor water quality management but sport
fishing is doing well.
KERR LAKE
,
VA
:
LOU associate Tim Wilson reports a five-foot jump in water level but
“likes” this because, as most look forward to, “the bass are in the
bushes.” Lots of dirty water uplake—even stained at mid-lake, but bass
in Rudds, Butchers and Grassy
are in covers and “cuts” eating shad and according to Tim—Big Mouthg
spinnerbaits and Mizmo tubes.
WEEK
ENDING April 6, 2008
4708 Sellman Road, Beltsville, MD 20705
Office: 301-937-0010. Fax: 301-931-2040.
Cell: 240-447-2206
E-mail: ken kenpenrod@comcast.net
Websites: www.penrodsguides.com
www.fishdeepcreek.
NOTES:
Thanks for all the response to the fish kill in Four Mile Run. It was a
sewage treatment plant malfunction. Whenever you see a potential pollution
problem—try to get some photographs because a picture is worth a
thousand words.
My
report will be short and sweet this week as I’m
using “dial-up” in Duncannon.
SUSQUEHANNA RIVER
,
PA
:
As of Sunday the level at the
Harrisburg
gauge was about 7.1 and just minor rises are expected. Bass fishing has
been phenomenal in spite of nasty weather. We are using Mizmo
tubes and Luhr Jensen Speed Traps
in the
Juniata
, main stem and Sherman Creek for smallmouth to 20-inches long.
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| Jay
Jones one of two retired US Army Colonels who enjoyed his first trip
to the Susky fishing with Capt Dave Kerrigan on his Mercury powered
Express Jet Boat. He fooled this nice bass with a Mizmo
Roadkill tube fished on our favorite Gator rod - a 6’2” jig
special.
|
Retired
Army Helicopter Pilot Colonel Bill Deavers who snatched this nice 3
pounder out of a shoreline eddy using Capt Dave’s “dead stick”
method of bouncing a Mizmo tube down the current seam. During the
day of fishing Bill, a proud member of the First Calvary, told us of
memories of being shot down “more than once” during the Vietnam
War!
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| Tom
Issermoyer with the first of many fat bass he caught this day.
Passing rain and wind was challenging but Mizmo tubes still did the
trick.
|
Gary
Issermoyer with a “standard bass” that fell for a Mizmo teaser
in Road Kill with a Spike It green dip tail.
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UPPER POTOMAC RIVER
:
The river is very “fishable” again and big bass are cooperating at
Lander, Whites Ferry and Edwards Ferry.
Use Speed Traps and Mizmo tubes behind ledges and eddies.
TIDAL
POTOMAC RIVER
:
It’s been tough here due to weather changes but LOU
guide Capt. Keith Barker has been doing much better in Penrod Cove
with Brush Baby crankbaits and
Mizmo tubes. Lots of green grass to the south and Mattawoman and
Chickamuxen have been pretty good. Use Sugar
Shads on rocky points and spinnerbaits over grass.
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| Bill Klepczy holding two bass he
caught while fishing with his friend Larry Di Joseph on LOU Captain Keith Barker’s boat.
|
Bill van der Schalie
with a 4 # 0 oz. Largemouth caught while fishing with LOU Captain
Keith Barker
near
Belle Haven Marina.
|
KERR LAKE
,
VA
:
LOU Associate Tim
Wilson
says the lake’s coming up (302.3) and the bass will be in the bushes
this week. Best creeks for Tim have been Butchers and Grassy but if you
want crappie go to Buffalo Creek.
NANTICOKE RIVER
,
MD
:
LOU guide Capt. Brain Barnes is catching
Nanticoke
bass from steeper dropoff with Big Mouth spinnerbaits and Mizmo tubes.
The
Penrod Special
The spinnerbait designed for
the Tidal Potomac River
Order yours today at:

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have fished here since March 15, 2004
|