Ken Penrod's Mid-Atlantic Fishing Report

Week Ending May 23. 2022

Fishing Report For Week Ending May 22, 2022
NEW Mailing Address: 1860 Robin Court, Lusby, MD 20657
Kenpenrod@comcast.net<>240-447-2206<>www.penrodsguides.com
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LOU Fish of the Week
Largemouth: Mike Stoker
Largemouth, Youth: Jayden
Toothy Critter: Mike Stoker, Snakehead

Ken Penrod 20-Inch Smallmouth Club
Sponsored by Ardent Outdoors and Lowrance Electronics
Current Leader: John Ennis (201¾’’)

LOU Potomac River Largemouth Club, aka LoPo
Sponsored by Lowrance Electronics and Ardent Outdoors
Current Leader: DR. Dave, 21 ¾”
KP; 4
Mike Stoker, 2
Dr. Dave
Jayden
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Each year I look forward to the full moon of May. If the water temperature is about 60-70ish, tidal largemouth bass will spawn—be in shallow cover—be in groups and be protective or hungry as the dickens. That’s a fact.
2022 was/is no exception and we were “on-bass” the past two weeks—almost like the good ol’ days, with very few interferences from other anglers. It seems like no-one is fishing these days—except for the weekend warriors and tournament guys. Why—maybe “price of gasoline Brandon,” but I like the solitude.
“While on the cost of boat fishing,” let me offer some sage advice. Get that bass fishing tournament mentality out of your head. Launch where you intend to fish rather than “run” for miles. Vehicle miles cost 10-times less than boat miles. That run and gun stuff is for TV, not you, the ordinary, want-to-catch-fish guy with a family to raise and nothing to prove.

TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER: ***; 70s; clearing; stain in places and debris lingering; goofy tides; no traffic is sectors.
I covered a lot of areas this week although I should have stayed put. One of my very good go-to areas in DC for full moon Bass is Pentagon Lagoon—and it was trashed. So was the main stem with lingering flotsam.
I checked my favored spots in Mattawoman and found muddy water in the creek (gone by now) and decent fishing near the mouth.
We kicked-butt in the WW Bridge vicinity for two weeks straight, but I cannot be “specific” unless you are a client or “friend” on our Facebook page “Life Outdoors Unlimited.”
Recent rains have muddied the water near Penrod Cove and I suspect it’s from Oxen Run and Anacostia.
Most of the bass we are catching now are post spawn, with flat bellies and hungry appetites. The top Two baits continue to be the Johnny Cunningham, Campground Tubes” in Penrod Purple, KP Rose, KP Candy and KP Badass—and the Case Magic Stik in “Ken’s Stik” and green pumpkin/gold. Backups are the Big Mouth Penrod spinnerbait and the big Shaky vibrating jig. I’ll have a Case Magic Swim on a RAB swim-jighead tied to an Ardent rod all year.

In the early 1980’s I supervised and designed a use for 8-million pounds of concete slab cut from the WW Bridge and installed under my supervision in a cove known as “The Spoils,” later named “Penrod Cove” by a newspaper writer. To do this we had to receive permission from Maryland, US Coast Guard, DC Government and the “OWNER” of the gravel pit. The purpose of this habitat installation was to provide long-lasting cover for aquatic inhabitants—and protect the cove from main river debris and muddy water.
Now, some obviously “WOKE” individual has planted yellow arm & suitcase symbolisms all over the jetty at the entrance and that pisses me off. Get that intrusive crap the hell off of our intended work-piece and go find your own stage.

DC is disappointing, especially Pentagon Lagoon but the Washington Channel holds nice bass and rockfish along the drop-off at Fort McNair and the causeway at the end.
To the south, Piscataway Creek, Pomonkey Creek, Pohick Bay and Belmont Bay are good bets—when clean. Mattawoman and Chickamuxen are fishing “OK” when they aren’t muddy.

UPPER POTOMAC RIVER: **1/2; good color; near 70 degrees; 3.5 at Point of Rocks and steady
From Brunswick to Seneca, the bite has been good—and quite improved from past years. Most of the bass have spawned and move to or near current so avoid the large eddies and work the current breaks. Nothing beats a tube but moving baits such as Big Mouth spinnrbaits, Case Magic Swim and crankbaits have a purpose. There is even some topwater activity so do that at first light.
MD Dept of Agriculture will be spraying the river near Harpers Ferry for “black fly” on the 28th. They claim it will not affect aquatic in habitants of individuals but I take issue with that based on past experiences on the Susquehanna River where it seemed as if the pilots looked for boaters to dump their yellowish liquid on. More than one of our clients were forced to go home when sprayed. They became quite sick with irritated eyes and running noses.

SUSQUEHANNA & JUNIATA RIVERS, PA: *** but lesser in areas of the main stem; good color; near 70 degrees; 5 feet at Harrisburg gauge and steady; 5 feet an Newport on the Juniata and steady
No often in late May will you have such good water conditions and depth but here we are near the end and the jet-boaters ae grinning—well, most are but for the guys that parked on a rock near the statue.
I’m amused that most of the weekend guides that remarked that “Ken only knows Sherman Creek” are parked in there most days out.
It’s use “just-about-anything” time but Big Mouth Spinnerbaits on 12-pound test on Ardent rods and reels is the recommended setup. Riverfront Campground has the baits guys.
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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.