LOU Fishing Report for Week Ending 62820
Office & Mailing Address @ 4708 Sellman Road, Beltsville, MD 20705
Cell @ 240-447-2206 (Best Way), Office Device @ 30-937-0010. Kenpenrod@comcast.net
PLEASE—never communicate with me via Messenger. NEVER
WWW.penrodsguides.com; NEWLY constructed with lots of information. See the “About”, then “Galley” section for photos and “Programs” for club and youth camp information.
“See our Facebook Pages for Fishing Reports too.
First-Hand Reporting Since 1982—NOT part-time guess work.
Professional Guides Since 1982
Ken Wrote “The Books” on Regional Fishing.
Licensed, Drug Tested, Commercially Insured, Time Tested.
Expert Fishing Instructors for:
Tidal Potomac River <> Upper Potomac River <> Susquehanna River
Juniata River <> Upper Bay <> Eastern Shore Tidal Rivers
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Notes: Our fishing reports and client photos will be posted to Ken’s Facebook Page, “Life Outdoors Unlimited” and our website, www.penrodsguides.com.
“Ken Penrod’s Life Outdoors Unlimited” (https://www.facebook.com/Ken-Penrods-Life-Outdoors-Unlimited-1436799496550830/)
Ken Penrod’s 20-Inch Smallmouth Club members at: https://www.facebook.com/Ken-Penrod-20-Smallmouth-Club-214057305623741/?notif_t=page_fan.
Sponsored by Ardent & Riverfront Campground.
LOU Lo-Po Club at: https://www.facebook.com/LOU-Lo-Po-Potomac-River-Largemouth-Club-1107431399330003/
Sponsored by Lowrance & Ardent.
LOU Magazine at: https://www.facebook.com/LOU-Magazine-942855415798908/
Camp Sycamore at: https://www.facebook.com/Ken-Penrods-Camp-Sycamore-215146332155566/
NOTES: I will not offer a fishing report for week-ending 7520 as we will be on vacation. This is the first year in 28—that I will not be conducting a summer youth camp—but Mag and I will spend time with s so, daughter in law and two granddaughters—but first, a few days with in-laws on the Chesapeake.
UPPER POTOMAC RIVER: *; 80ish; some color; down from 4.8, currently 2.5 and steady at the Point of Rocks station.
Fishing hasn’t improved much—but it has improved. Smallmouth bass aren’t ranging all over the river floor because they just don’t have to. There aren’t that many so prime habitat is vacant and available and competition for food isn’t so hectic.
What is “hectic” lately is the race for parking at the river launches where hikers take trailer spots and tubers and kayakers dominate the launch and staging areas. NPS needs to provide other parking areas for the non-river users. Trash is left all over the place.
LOU client Bill Giles spent an hour trying to get off the river due to inconsiderate people. He also caught several bass on tubes at ledges between the Fish Pots and The Wall. This is a good time of year to plan drifts between launch sites so consider: Brunswick to Point of Rocks; Mouth of Monocacy to Whites Ferry; Whites Ferry to Edwards Ferry. As the river water heats up—so will bacteria counts–so stay out of the water is you have a wound and use disinfection wipes before you eat anything.
TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER: *1/2 to **1/2; low 80s; some debris from upper river and Anacostia.
Frequent thunderstorms caused minor discoloration and flotsam, and the “heat” is back rising water temps into the 80s again.
I fished three distinctly different sectors this week and bass fishing was slow-real slow.
There is so much food available now that predators are full in just minutes. In Mattawoman, everywhere you look are pods of young fry from shore to shore. This creek is being overrun by blue catfish so catch-‘em and give them to someone. Snakeheads are under a lot of pressure but get away from the kayak brigade and fish thick mats with frogs; braid line; Heavy action rods and stout reels.
In DC, lots of catfish here too but we struggled for bass and rockfish. Get above Key Bridge and work on the smallmouth with Campground tubes, Big Mouth spinnerbaits, Case Magic Stiks and Whopper Ploppers.
The WW Bridge area was stingy also but old barge remnants at Hog Island and Rosalie Island with Bomber Firetiger crankbaits, BML Big Shakeys and Case Magic Swim paddle tails get the nod.
SUSQUEHANNA & JUNIATA RIVERS, PA: **; near 80; some color some places; 3.7 at the Harrisburg station and 4-feet on the Juniata at the Newport gauge
Its bumpy low but ideal for floats. Johnny Cunningham at Riverfront Campground (717-877-2704) has the rental boats, shuttle service, fishing license, lures and snacks—so do it.
The smallmouth population is in recovery mode from the 2018 summer flooding but there are plenty to catch if you “fish” rather than “cast.” Every critter on the face of the earth spends 90% of their time looking for food—and fish are no exception. People are the exception. Wear quality sunglasses (Costa) to locate the ambush positions—the ledges, chunk rock, depressions, weed edges etc. Deliver your offering just beyond, and up current, rather than “splash” down on her head. Avoid high sun hours and be there at dawn. Good topwater choices include Whopper Plopper, buzz baits an Rico poppers.
Case Magic Swims attached to 1 3/16th ounce RAB swim jig head is an awesome search bait—and those Case Magic Stiks, wacky style or Texas rig (no weight just 3/0 hook). Of course—never fish for river bass without those Campground Tubes in the KP Series.
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. LOU Guides for 2020
Captain Ken Penrod: (National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame) Cell: 240-447-2206; kenpenrod@comcast.com; Facebook; LinkedIn; Instagram, Twitter @ken_penrod.
Tidal Potomac; Upper Potomac; Susquehanna River; Juniata River; Maryland Eastern Shore Tidal Rivers; George Stevenson Reservoir and trout streams in Cameron County, PA-near Sinnamahoning..
Captain Dave Kerrigan, VP of Smallmouth Operations @ 301-252-5322;
Captain Brian Barnes @ 302-745-4668,
Notice: Captain Kenny Penrod (KP3) will be operating his own guide service in the future and can be reached at 240-478-9055. He is a super guide and knows the Potomac.
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Meet My/Our Partners.
The following are our sponsors and partners. Some are all encompassing within my group—and some are personal to the guide. All are valued.
RiverPro; Mercury; Lowrance Electronics; Ardent Outdoors; Big Mouth Lure Company; Yeti; Patagonia; Case Plastics; Kuiu; Simms Fishing; Costa; Power Pole; NRA; Zipper Worms; RAB Jig Heads; Campground Tubes; Riverfront Campground; AlumaRyder; (Dave Kerrigan); Guidefitters; NRA; Maggie Penrod.