MKFS: Fishing Conditions Archive

July 20

Fishing cooled somewhat over the weekend, with dam releases making for fidgety water levels. We're happy to have the water flow, though. Paw Paw gauge revealed releases of up to 500 cfs over the past three days coming down the pipe, which translate to shifts of 20% to 40% of flow down at Point of Rocks.

MPT film crew ran yesterday to make raw tape of MKFS in action, especially old man MK himself, who is actually rather spry at his exalted age and position. Guide did well, anglers not so well as river was very grudging. Thick haze, high temps, contrary breezes and a fickle barometer might have been the cause, though it might also have been simple angler error. By Knoxville two or three good fish had come in as well as a walleye, with much good banter and camaraderie. Many dinks and sunnies filled out the trip. Magic of editing will make it look better?--we can only hope.

John Hayes surpassed himself with a lunch of marinated sirloin and roasted corn. Ours truly got a taste of how the other half lives.

Walleyes wanted small grubs hopped over deep structure; larger fish required stimulation from erratic poppers or zoom flukes fished very slowly, though there were too few serious strikes to make up a reliable statistical sample. John Hayes boated a 17 incher, perhaps a gift from the gods in recompense for his gustatorial contribution. The fish took a Rapala chugger, which has a brand name I forget at this time.

Even the venerable Jedi Guide Master himself got in on the action, boating a flyrod-best 13 inch smallie at dusk on a white Dahlberg fished along the heavy grass line near Brunswick. That doesn't count the heavy two-pounder Mark Frondorf lost when it launched itself five or six feet out of the water, almost achieving escape velocity and leaving barbless hook, line, and angler behind.

Speaking of barbless, a hapless shore angler learned his lesson in that regard. When we got there he had 50% of the barbed points on a Rapala 7 buried in his hand and fingers, with the fish still attached. Barbless hooks are much gentler on fish, true, but they are infinitely easier to remove from human skin and tissue. That man had a rocky evening in the emergency room waiting for an intern to experiment with the dynamics of hook removal. In the long run a barbless hook will not cost you many fish and will save you much grief.

Another close encounter of the muskie variety: One angler threw the buzzbait: chomp, bye-bye. Second angler threw the fluke: same result. Muskie 2, guides 0. All very entertaining on a slow day fishing.

Totals: fifty or sixty dinks and sunnies up to ten inches, and about ten grownup fish from ten inches up to about 17.

Water temps again are very high, almost uncomfortable--approaching 90 at midday. Levels are supported but fluky. Free-floating algae is gone from Brunswick, and the heavy weedline along the Virginia shore holds some fish that would be easily accessible for wading anglers. Fish were plentiful and active around the big rapids, but even at very low flows those areas are tough to fish safely. Large baits again moved the best fish, though the buzzbait was not effective except as a muskie locator.

Incidentally, the best buzzbait is a white or chartreuse 1/8 ounce bait with the longer shaft. We like the metal blades both for durability and for the squeaky annoying sound--seems to be most effective for larger fish and also casts best for distance. Keep your skirts sparse. The best version of this lure is made by Mark Frondorf's brother and is sold at meetings of the Potomac River Smallmouth Club which meets on the last wednesday of each month at 7:30 at Kilmer Intermediate on Cedar Lane in Vienna.

Very light sign of White Millers, though we didn't stay out late enough to really check. They should light up in the next week or so. The hatch peaks at dark and is well worth the effort to observe and fish. With heavy grass in Brunswick there should be active fish on the hatch. We did see a lot of rises at dusk, which is an indication that fish are working the emerging bugs.

Dave Motes

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