Fishing Report for Week Ending June 19, 2022
NEW Mailing Address: 1860 Robin Court, Lusby, MD 20657
Kenpenrod@comcast.net<>240-447-2206<>www.penrodsguides.com
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Happy Fathers Day
LOU POTOMAC RIVER LARGEMOUTH CLUB;
Sponsored by Lowrance Electronics & Ardent Outdoors
Current Club Leader: Dr. Dave, 21.75”
Ken Penrod 20-Inch Smallmouth Club
Sponsored by Ardent Outdoors and Riverfront Campground
Current Leader: John Ennis, 21.75”
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I’ve had a cell phone issue the past two weeks that have prevented me from getting many calls so if you called, and I didn’t return it—do it again.
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Tidal Potomac River: **1/2; 80ish; clear with algae.
Whew! Weekend winds and cold fronts kept most of us home. Good fishing most of the week and it’s apparent that Senile Joe’s inflation soaked economy is keeping anglers away as if it was winter. Tip of the week: Drive a little, save a lot. Your outboard motor gets about 2 mile per gallon. Your vehicle gets more or less, 15 miles per gallon. Drive to Belle Haven, Fort Washington, Slavins or Smallwood State Park on Mattawoman and you may never have to start the outboard.
Hydrilla is overtaking much of the better grasses in the south but not a negative. There is no preferred grass in the north so hydrilla is all you get—BUT, the abundance of man-made cover as well as bottom sculptured gravel pits more than make up for that.
In Washington DC (DC license required but on-line is easy) smallmouth bass. Largemouth and rockfish keep you busy on many of the bridge foundations and bundant rip rap. I’m liking the Case Magic Swim paddle bait on 3/16th ounce RAB swim jig as well as the Big Mouth, “Penrod” spinnerbaits and perch-skirted vibrating jig. You simply must have a Case Magic Stik on a rod at all times and I choose to fish it on 8 pound test monofilament on Ardent Edge rods with C-Force or Bolt spinning reels. I recommend Edge bait cast rods and reels for the others with 12-15 pound test mono.
Above Key Bridge, use Big Mouth spinnerbaits and Campground tubes for very chunky smallmouth bass. You should commit the entire day if you come here.
In the Washington Channel, fish the dropoff (Fort McNair) with 7-8 foot DTs and I love the Firetiger in Thug or Bomber.
The coves, barge graveyards and feeder guts in and around the Belle Haven Marina are ripe with bass and you don’t have to start the outboard if you choose. I recommend Case Stiks and Tubes but if you start early enough, top water lures will keep you grinning.
POMONKEY CREEK AND POHICK BAY is producing quality and quantity especially on a falling tide—where wood and spatterdock seems to be the preferred cover. Pretty hard to beat a 6” Case Magic Stik (Green Pumpkin or Ken Stik) on a 3/0 hook—NO weight.
MATTAWOMAN & CHICKAMUXEN are fishing similar—and both offer snakeheads to boot.
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UPPER POTOMAC RIVER (Brunswick to Seneca); **1/2; high 70s; clear with styro-algae; low, 1.6 at Point of Rocks-steady.
Bathtub warm and bottom-bumping boat rides but change-up to six pound test monofilament and make long casts. Rico poppers art the hot-lick in the am and Case Stiks, Mizmo grubs and Big Mouth Sweetheart spinnerbaits are encouraged.
Don’t try “long-runs” because it’s just not worth it. You can launch at Whites Ferry, Seneca, Lander or Brunswick and putz around in good water. Beware the bacteria infested water so keep open wounds dry and covered.
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SUSQUEHANNA & JUNIATA RIVERS: ***; low and warm; algae in areas; 3.9 at the Harrisburg gauge and 4-feet on the Juniata at Newport.
Well, its summer, and that means wet wade, floats and cautious boating. There’s plenty of smallmouth bass though, so early or late in the day is the ticket—and Big Mouth spinnerbaits Johnny Cunningham will shuttle your boat upstream—or rent you one, and that’s just plain fun this time of year. Plan to get wet because you will. There are guides working the area that are expert low-water navigator, and yes, I know, everyone is a guide it seems. I can recommend Jason Shay and one or two of his guides for the main stem and on the Juniata, reach Jason Halfpenny.
I use medium action rods 90% of the time although I will down-size my monofilament for clear water to 6 pound test Excel. Please don’t use those wimpy, ultra-light rods because you are simply killing your fish through exertion. Hot water equals low oxygen and that’s bad news.
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NO SESSIONS THIS YEAR FOR CAMP SYCAMORE
Sorry folks and friends but due to Biden’s submarining of the economy, Camp Sycamore has decided to “pause” this year. Sadly, after nearly 40-years, this wonderful opportunity to be “one-with-nature” and two, with Ken, Alan, Christy and Maggie, on a trout stream aside a five bedroom lodge that Ken owns.
See we train good boys the arts of fishing and shooting, along with responsibility and leadership in a setting you would love to be in.
We will use those weeks to work on camp jobs so any older veterans that want to help can at a fee. Call Ken at 240-447-2206
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LOU Guides for 2021
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,
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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; Drake Waterfowl, Fishing Division; Maggie Penrod.