The fall brings cooler water tempertures to the tidal Potomac River and that means one thing - schooling striped bass in shallow water. The tidal Potomac has surprisingly good striped bass fishing that runs from October to December. The fish school on points on the river and tributaries as they feed on Alewives and small baitfish. Birds often snitch on tbe bass school locations. Low light and moving tides are the best times to target these fish with light tackle and swimbaits. The cool crisp air, an empty river is a great exoerience and a memory to carry through the winter

The good fisherman and the bad fisherman have completely different skill sets but the exact same expectations. Hiring a sports fishing guide that uses strictly lures for game fish on the Potomac River doesn’t provide a guarantee of catching fish. The skill of the client will be a big factor in success. I can provide instruction and assist anyone evolve on their fishing but if the person who has never cast a rod ir tied a knot is hiring me to strictly catch a fish - i msy not be the best choice. I woukd recommend a blue catfish guide or somone of that ilk where live bait and minimal casting is the paradigm. That being said- august certainly provides challenges with high water tempertures and heavy aquatic grasses. The early morning hours and late afternoon with low outgoing tides will privide your best opportunity to catch fish with top water baits or plastics thrown to weed edges. The bass will be on deeper edges with current. The snakeheads will be on outside or inside edges when biting. The challenge is that thick hydrilla provides inaccessible cover for snakeheads and if they arent on the edges then they wont be caught. I believe fishing should be fun but that can only be accomplished with realistic expectations. If yoi go golfing with an rcpert golfer - do you expect to shoot 68 ? No .. your ability will not increase but you will learn to be a better golfer. Life isnt a u-tube video or a facebook post- there is still realty. I always do my best but its important to ask yourself what u want in a guided trip - what is the ecperience you want from fishing. Its important to read the giudes profile. I dont guarantee anything in fishing and if you of lirtle experience that has no interest in learning sports fishing then you should look for guides that provide trips for abundant species with live bait. Fishing is a total experience so find the experience thst neets your fishing abilities and expectations.

My boat has literally caught hundreds of northern snakeheads on artificial lures. Ive spent hundred and hundreds of hours on the potomac river specifically targeting northern snakeheads. Ive been on dnr committees and have direct contact with biologists that i can ask specific questions and get specific answers as far as snakehead surveys and behaviors. Here are some myth destroying facts : 1. Snakeheads can walk on land - no they cant. They can wiggle and can live out of water for a period of time because they can get oxygen through water and air but they cant “walk” on land. 2. Snakeheads spawn multiple times a year - there is absolutely no evidence that a female northern snakehead living in the potomac is capable of spawning mire than 1 time a year. There are many fish that spaen multiple tines a year - mostly prey fish like bluegill. However, ive talked to federal, state and snskehesd “experts” and biologists that have absolutely no evidence that a femake snakehead can develop a egg sack, spawn and have fry more than once a year. 3. Go to asia to catch the biggest northern snakeheads - false false. The biggest snajeheads in the world have for the most part come from the Potomac River. The past four world records were caught from the potomac until recently when a new record came from the blackwater eastern shore of maryland area. 4. Snakeheads make circular nests on bottom to spawn - no they dont. They maje a floating nest of vegetation for eggs. A circular spot on the bottom is not ftom a snakehead. 5. It is illegal to let a snakeheaf go - no its not. Its only illegal to transport a live snakehesd. You must either kill or immediately release a snakehead brought to the boat. Although the dnr will encourage you to kill sll snskeheads / you should understsnd thst these same dnr shock and then relesse snakeheads during surveys. These same dnrs release false info on snakeheads- such ss they spawn multiple times a year. 6. Snakeheads are aggresive and easy to catch - false. Snakeheads are extremely pressured on the potomac by fishermen and bow hunting. The snakehead fry ate easy to spot and tgen kill their protective parents. They have adapted over the years to this pressure by living in extremely heavy cover and aware of boats, anglers and even certain lures. They may be “easy” in tbe itrigation ditches of the eastern shore but they are a chalkengr on the potomac. There is few tbings as exciting as watching a snakehead chasing an artificial lure. Quit watching u tube and telling me how much you know from tv. Get on the water and show me how much you know. You might learn thst you know very little.

The potomac bass and snakehead fishing had been very good and i expect it to continue into mid july. Here are some common questions that i receive from new customers. 1. Where do i launch boat - i primarily launch from leesylvania state park in Woodbridge, va. 2. What do i need to bring - nothing. No licenses are needed. You are free to bring ur own rods and lures but i can provide that also. A snack and some water is a good idea. 3. Do you guarantee a fish catch - no i dont. It fishing and every day is different and so is every anglers ability to catch fish. 4. Do you use live bait - no. Im a sports fishing guide that only guides with lures. 5. Can i kerp the fish - i practice catch and release structly except for snakeheads which u are free to keep or release. I do not clean the fish. 6. How many people can i bring - my charter insurance only allows max guests of two. 7. If i have a remaining balance - how fo i pay ? Fishing booker only charges you their deposit of 10 percent when you book a trip. If you have a bakance when you book a trip - that balance is paid directly to me on date of trip. I accept cash and venmo. 8. Are snakeheads easy to catch - no. They require multiple and accurate casting as well as recognition of ambush points. You will learn to not only entice but to effectively set the hook and fight a snakehead. 9. What are the best months for snakeheads - june and july. 10. What are the best months for bass - march thru mid july. 11. Why you. Why pick you - im a professional, knowledgeable and polite fishing guide. I am patient but realistic person thst can help your fishing without setting unrealistic expectations or placing people in a position to fail. I have an advanced education, a processional occupation background, and in a monetary position thst i dont need to rip off a customer. Ive been around the best fishing guides in my region all my life and have been taught a great deal. I did what god wanted me to do in my first occupation and kniw im doing what i have wanted to do since i was a kid. I love fishing and the potomac feels like a family member to me.

Thee The Fishing Detective Guide Agency, LLC Potomac River Fishing Report. May 20 to May 27, 2024. Washington DC to Aquia and beyond. Largemouth, smallmouth, snakeheads with Captain Kenny Penrod III - rates for 7 hour day 425 and 4 hour day 325. After work sunset special 280. I accept cash, check, Venmo and Zelle. $100 deposit required at booking. The Fishing Detective is a US Coast Guard certified captain with over 50 years of fishing experience on the river. He is a nationally published writer and was selected by the governor to be a member of both the Maryland black bass committee and the catch a poacher program. The fishing detective has an advanced education and served 27 years on law enforcement. Fully insured, first aid certified, drug tested, no criminal history, financially independent and the “hardest working guide on the river”. The Fishing Detective fishing report is appreciative of #dobynsrods, #powerpole, #fishdetective729, #seewhatsoutthere, #seaguar, #ardentreels, #kuiu, #simmsfishing. For the second consecutive year, Fishing Booker awarded Capt Kenny with the “Anglers Choice Award” based on his high ratings from customers, responsiveness, and volume of trips. If you enjoyed your trip please give me a review on fishing booker. Thee Report : The much anticipated The Fishing Detective Guide Agency, LLC fish report is the only report where the writer is not pushing product or copying past reports. This report is a product of many, many hours on the water this past week. My intent is to interest you in booking a trip. I don’t provide specific locations. I provide an overview of the patterns and baits that I found productive. THEE POTOMAC RIVER SNAKEHEAD PREVIEW - anyone can catch them from an irrigation ditch but you need to be a fisherman on the Potomac. June begins in earnest the 2024 snakehead guiding season for me where we target snakehead specifically. Most of my days are only 4 hour days unless I’ve fished with you in the past. The day is totally concentrated only on targeting a snakehead with rods, reels and lures. Why 4 hrs ? Because catching a snakehead can be hard fishing that requires many many casts with at times very few hits. It’s a mental game of persistence. Please Review the scientifically accepted Penrod snakehead Theorum. The Theorum published in science magazine states - “Success in catching a mature Potomac snakehead is directly proportional to the amount of time that any lure is in the environmental strike zone of a northern snakehead”. What exactly does this mean - it’s a way of managing expectations. Many many people live a delusional life of internet viewing where they know a lot but don’t do a lot. This too is scientific fact. I’m trying to bring some reality to the u-tube Americans. Being a fisherman means recognizing high potential habitat and repeatably casting accurately to these spots. A snakehead is a shallow water fish that holds close to cover. It’s a cautious fish and can be spooked very easily. I know casting is a sore topic but if you can’t cast accurately then your odds of catching a snakehead revolves not on math but luck. Here is my recommended equipment for improving your odds of catching a snakehead - 1. Polarized sunglasses - mandatory in my opinion. I use copper lenses to clearly see cover and snakeheads in shallow water. Many times a snakehead reveals itself and then there has to be some urgency in presenting the bait because he isn’t waiting for you !! 2. Braided line - 20 lb is minimum and only on spinning rods. I use Seaguar 30 lb on baitcasting because it casts far but strong enough in most situations. I do have 50 lb when I’m in Lilly pads. 3. Double Polamar Knot - I use this knot when I use braid. Braid can slip easily so no improved clinch. 4. A black and a white Booyah Pad Crasher. I don’t care if it’s popping or traditional style. I would definitely have a full size and a mini. The Booyah has sharp hooks, has compact profiles, and is soft yet very durable. I use the Livetarget small frogs but they tear very easily and the hooks are smaller than Booyah. 5. I use a fluke, chattebait, senko - and these choices along with frog will get you through 99 percent of situations. 6. Please, please tie all lures directly to the braid. If you think they are line shy then use a black magic marker on the first 6 ft of your braided line. If you choose to use a leader - then remember it’s your day. 7. I use med heavy, heavy and mag heavy baitcasting rods with high speed 8-1 ratio casting reels. The penrod snakehead theory requires this tackle. The rods have strong backbone but with a tip that allows very accurate casting. The reels are able to handle 50 lb braid and are fast so I can reel the bait in quickly when out of the strike zone. This results in my lure staying in the strike zone for a greater proportion of the day. 8. Spinning reels - you can use but they have disadvantages. First they can’t handle big braid and they also

April is the best tome to be in the water and catch Potomac largemouth bass. Explore the besutiful tributaries of the tidal Potomac that will remind you more of the Louisiana marshes than washington dc. Big largemouth are in pre-spawn or spawn mode and are caught in shallow grass beds with an assortment of lures. Look at our 4 hour after work special - the best guide deal on the river and sn ideal way to wind down after a stressful day.