Ken Penrod’s LOU Fishing Reports for 2022
Our 41sth Year!
Ken is enshrined in to: The National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame as a Legendary Guide.
Angler Alerts, Fishing Advice & Conservation Concerns.
Week Ending September 18, 2022
Mailing Address @ 1860- Robin Court, Lusby, MD 20657
Ken’s Cell @ 240-447-2206 (best way) Kenpenrod@comcast.net
www.penrodsguides.com. Facebook. Twitter: @ken_penrod. Instagram. LinkedIn
Professional Guide Since 1982—USCG Licensed
We 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
Visit our other Facebook Pages below:
Notes: Our fishing report will be posted to Ken’s Facebook Page, “Life Outdoors Unlimited” where Clients may see their photos.
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“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/
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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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It’s “chillin’ a little but not enough to abandon summer patters so keep your eye on your temperature gauge and look for a one degree temp loss per day over a week. THEN, begin your fall patterns meaning: (1) fish the drops near the vegetation in the mornings. (2) look for baitfish in tributary heads and (3) breakout those crankbaits.
Can’t get out every day to check water temps? You don’t have too. Take the last three days high and low air temps and add them together. Divide by 6.
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A GREAT time of year. Consider your options:
Dove and resident geese
Elk archery—PA
Deer-archery_MD, VA, PA
Bluefish, rockfish, mackerel, reds; cobia__Bay
IN Memory:
We lost a longtime friend and an icon from the boating business as Dave Reed, former owner of Mare Inc. passed last week. You may recall that Dave and Peggy purchased the original Mare Inc business in Frederick, then move it to a newly constructed facility near Cozy Inn. He was my first boat sponsor. Dave lost Peggy a few years ago and was never the same since. He is where he wants to be now, alongside his beloved wife.
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RIVER LEVELS
Susquehanna @ Harrisburg: 3.6 v slowly; clear
Juniata @ Newport: 3.7 >; clear
Point of Rocks on Potomac: 1.5 >; clear
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UPPER POTOMAC RIVER, Brunswick to Seneca: **; 75ish. Clear and low
Water temperature is declining slowly but not enough to call it a trend. It’s tough “running” in many areas but some offer safe passage for short distances. It’s a great time to float your boat so pick an upstream launch not to many miles from a downriver landing and team up with a buddy. It’s still resident goose season so take the shotgun. Lighter monofilament of mono is in order now so make it 6-pound test on light or medium action spinning rods such as the Ardent options and a 2000-2500 reel like the Wire or C-Force is prudent. Plan your float so as to NOT drift through the good holes but rather along the edges. An anchor now is a good idea to eliminate unnecessary noise. DO is very low so do not “over-play” your fish and make phots in less than 60 seconds.
I’m casting Whopper Ploppers; Obie Hardhook buzzbaits; Case Magic Stiks; Case Magic Swims; Big Mouth “Penrod” spinnerbait; 4” Mizmo grubs; 4” Zipper grubs; Minus 1 and 1.5 square bills; neds and I NEVER fish a river without casting Campground tubes on 1/8th ounce RAB jig heads..
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TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER: *-*** for bass; ** for rockfish; *** for snakeheads; **** for catfish
A couple of cool mornings have helped but it’s still mostly 80s during the day—but grass is dying slowly and daylight hours are declining and while Thursday is the first day of Fall-don’t go full-time fall mode until the AM temps are about 60 degrees in the morning.
The DC water will cool quicker as mountain water mixes with tide at Little Falls, I like this area in any weather but September and October has traditionally been extraordinary because of deeper water near ideal cover and structure—and because of a pretty good smallmouth population. Rip Rap; sea walls, marinas, channel drops. Wood pilings and bridge foundations.
Crankbaits (Bomber Firetiger & Hot Mustard), tubes (KP Rose, KP Special and KP V8), swim baits (Case Magic Swim on an RAB swim jig,) Big Shakys (white, perch and Penrod) and drop shot rigs.
I-95 to Pohick Bay is primo because of the variety of retreats, habitat and migration habits of baitfish and rockfish. Look to the gulls and watch the fog pattern as it pushed downriver a little more each day.
Those deep submersed barges and old wharfs (Fox Ferry Point, Bridge barges; Hog Island; Broad Creek barges and Swan Creek) marker are major attractors. It’s expensive but I really like the crankbait action followed by tubes and the ever reliable jig & pig.
Some of the ugliest grass matts have some of the prettiest bass and snakes in Mattawoman and Chickamuxen but fish the spatterdock as long as it’s green. Baitfish will migrate up these creeks as main river water cools and there is about a 4 week window that you can capitalize on.
Schools of small rockfish will form in the mouth areas of the creeks and main stem too so let the gulls invite you. Just don’t go crashing-in. I like anything white but Case Magic Swims, rattling lures and white Big Shaky vibrating jigs are proven.
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Susquehanna & Juniata Rivers: **1/2; clear; low (see chart above)
Susquehanna River smallmouth bass are tough. They live in rivers polluted by mankind, mining, road treatment and farming practices. Their “water” is moving in one direction every second bringing and sending our waste continually. The river’s level can see 20-30 foot differences nearly every year and it can freeze over shore to shore.
Algonkian Indians called them Ochigon meaning “fearless.” It’s no wonder that American anglers have a fascination for them. While largemouth rule the media, smallmouth rule the people that know. Considering what occurs along the many miles of Susquehanna and tributaries, it’s a no-brainer for me to say “she is my favorite.” My lodge is in the headwaters, my home town too and my home away from home—Riverfront Campground in Duncannon in smack-dab on the Juniata-Susquehanna confluence.
It’s summer-low, but not really that bad considering history. Summer floods insult og 2018 nearly wiped it out—but she is back.
Our areas of interest along the main stem lies between Montgomery Ferry and the Rockville Bridge and the lower 5-6 miles of the Juniata. We do substantial prodding in the West Brach and tribs, especially when conducting our summer Youth camp.
Low. Clear water is prime wet wading and float fish time but savvy, experienced boaters can still run and gun to some extent, Johnny Cunningham of Riverfront Campground (717-877-2704) will rent you a boat and even shuttle you upriver for floats of a duration you choose. It’s soon going to be too cold to wet wade.
The low light hours are best unless blessed with clouds, even light rain. Bass want current now because the oxygen level is better than stagnate water. Competition for food is pretty intense in low, clear water, thus the no-bullshit strikes can disarm a casual caster. Big Mouth Lure Company has a great line of blade baits including vibrating jigs so get some. Campground tubes, Case Magic Swims, topwater Whopper Plopper and Zara Spooks are mood changers and the ever reliable 4-inch Mizmo grub is just plain money.
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LOU Guides for 2022
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.