Ken Penrod’s Fishing Reports
43-Years.

1997 National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame-Legendary Guide.
(Mailing Address) 1860 Robin Court, Lusby, MD 20657
kenpenrod@comcast.net <> 240-447-2206 <> penrodsguides.com
Fishing Report for Week Ending July 30 , 2023
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Ken Penrod 20-Inch Smallmouth Club
Sponsored by Ardent Outdoors and Riverfront Campground
Current Leader: Jay George; 6lb, 1 ounce; 21 ¼’
<>for shallows.
LOU Potomac River Largemouth Club
Current Leader: Paul Winner; 19.5”
Sponsored by Lowrance Electronics and Ardent Outdoors
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HOT HOT HOT: Lures of the Week
Campground Tubes by Riverfront Campground has a new color for their KP Series of Teaser tubes: It’s called Basscrack. Get them quickly. KP Rose, KP Candy, Badass, KP Purple and V8 are winners—and so are those 4” tubes on a 3/0 RAB jig head. Visit or call with credit card: 717-877-2704
Big Mouth lure Company products such as their vibrating jig called Big Shaky; spinnerbaits like the Penrod and Gold Shiner are bass catching dependable. Owner Brian Barnes filled in for me on a TV-shoot with Roland Martin this week on the Potomac and his lures were the hit-of-the-show.
Case Plastics and Zipper Worms are under the flag of FISHING COMPLETE INC—and I just can’t do what I do without them. The Magic Stik is a mimic of the Senko but way-less expensive. For water temps over 55 degrees—it cannot be outfished. Rig it Wacky-style or Texas—without weight-on 8# mono. Type A guys can’t do this. It’s “s l o w.” Want to cover water? The Case Magic Swim on an RAB Swim Jig is deadly.
Love those Zipper Worms and grubs. Hey silly—set some.
Use my discount code: KenP20. It’s OK—they said so.
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July has traditionally been my youth-camp month—for 27 ears, but we ended that this year much to my regret and ego. We have been at our cabin in PA much of July however, fixin stuff and doing a facelift. Didn’t catch a rattlesnake but did have a black bear visitor. Much thanks to Mark McQuown and Alan Mullis. Stand by for a new venture there—for families. By the way-it was 90 degrees there a bunch.
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Susquehanna & Juniata Rivers, PA: **1/2; high 70s’ clear; 4.1 at Harrisburg steady; 4 at Newport on Juniata slowly falling.
Zak Reports:
Fishing has been lights out for July! Big fish mixed with a good variety of smaller age class bass tells the tale of what the river has to offer. Bass are feeding in and around grass beds early and late in the day and the bass are keying on the ledges for sure. Can’t go wrong throwing topwater baits with overcast skies and the spinnerbait bite have been off the charts some days. Throw a campground special tube that you can get from John at Riverfront Campground for an all day bite with good results.
Reach Zak at 717-507-5053.

Tidal Potomac River: **1/2; 80ish; algae in areas with color in tribs.
It’s summer-hot and success is spotty. There is plenty of food for the bass and others so often “spots” seem sketchy—but don’t write the good ones off. Circle back is necessary and lok to the neatest dropoff of you don’t see activity. Blue herons eat what bass eat so observe!
DC is hit or miss but smallmouth are not as fickle as largemouth. Work the bridge foundations at Key and Long Bridge. Upriver beyond Three Sisters you can catch nice smallmouth on Campground tubes, KVD square bills and Case Magic Swims.
Penrod Cove, Fox Ferry, Back of Smoot Bay and Hog Island hold better bass where Bomber 7-A Firetigers get it done.
Grass in Occoquan, Mattawoman and Chickamuxen hold plenty of bass (sometimes they even eat) where Magic Stiks, Big Mouth vibrating jigs and spinnerbaits do it nicely. Snakeheads like frogs—but so do bass.

UPPER POTOMAC RIVER: **; high 70s; bumpy low; 1.9 at Point of Rocks steady
Launch sites at Edwards, Whites, Lander and Brunswick have enough water to “putz” about and enough smallmouth to keep you grinning but plan your day wisely. Early hours are best but go home when the sun is overhead. Clear water is a detriment so make longer casts with lighter lines.
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LOU GUIDES FOR 2023
United States Coast Guard Licensed Captains
Captain Ken Penrod (Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame, Legendary Guide)
Susquehanna River, Juniata River, Tidal Potomac River, Eastern Shore Tidal Rivers;
Upper Potomac River; Stevenson Dam; Cameron County trout
Captain Dave Kerrigan, VP (301-252-5322)
Susquehanna River, Juniata River, Upper Potomac River, Tidal Potomac River
Captain Brian Barnes (302-745-4668)
Upper Chesapeake Bay, Tidal Potomac River, Nanticoke River, Choptank River, Wicomico River, Pocomoke River
Zak Marinkov (717-507-5053)
Susquehanna and Juniata Rivers in PA

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2023 LOU Sponsors and Partners:
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