Three times in one year i’ve been skunked in an area that can be extremely productive at time. It seems to go from non-stop action to absolute barren landscape with very little signs of life in the gin clear waters of the lower Susquehanna River on the Upper Chesapeake Bay. This past weekend, I was once again skunked and left wondering how such productive little stretch can change so much. On the ride home, the light bulb went off as a came to realize that all the days I was skunked on the this particular river had one thing in common. It was the change in tide and lack of water release from the Conowingo Dam.
More than i’ve seen on the tidal Potomac River, the outgoing tide really pushes the baitfish out and down the Susquehanna more than I would have ever expected. On an outgoing tide the clear water is almost void of life with the exception of some extremely large shad, handful of catfish and a few stray smallies, there are no fish to be found. The change in tide and the flood of water back into the river or a water release from the dam cause an explosion in baitfish and bass activity
The goal now is find out where all the fish and bait push to on an outgoing tide and capitalzie on the new information that I have gained and become more productive
Now that Bassmaster Tournament Trail has changed the rules about rod lengths, does my idea below become more relevant. How many new techniques can come out of this rule change. Comment below if you have any thoughts!
Fishing the Tidal Potomac and Susquehanna in Maryland on the weekends can be daunting. Dealing with weather and tides also comes major pressure from countless; fisherman, commercial fisherman, and pleasure boats. Starting early in the year, the influx of tournaments that are almost every weekend. All those factors combined, can put strain on the fishing conditions and not to mention the abundance of heavy weeds. Following behind fisherman has helped me learn a few things and I figured if I could catch what they missed I must be doing something right.
Finesse fishing in heavy cover seemed to be the trick for me. However, throwing light finesse style lures on big heavy flipping and pitching gear just wasn’t working for me. The light bulb went off and I decided I needed a heavy duty spinning rod to match my heavy duty casting gear.
What I settled for was a 7’6″ Heavy Action surf rod, one with a thin profile. This rod affords me the same rod qualities as a great flipping a pitching rod. I chose a high-speed spinning reel to match it with braided line and occasionally a mono or flouro leader.
What did this setup get me? Now I have the ability to throw extremely light lures in places I would normally heavier lures. I will say, I’m not trying to punch through the weed mates. I’m just finesse fishing around heavy cover with smaller lightweight lures. The rod provides plenty of power for hauling fish from the structure and the high-speed spinning reel quickly picks up the line. The spinning rod allows me to throw light lures without worry about potential back lash. I can pitch a small finesse worm a huge distance, which couldn’t be done by “most” fisherman.
What do you think, want to give the short surf rod a try? Tell me your thoughts below or on social media.
Social media has taken over this world and opened communications that good and bad and also extended communication to those you wouldn’t normally talk with. Most would associate social media with a younger generation. However, all generation are jumping on social media to share and brag about fishing adventures. Instantaneously a person can reach out to hundred, even thousands of people to share information about their latest catch. Today with social media you don’t have to wait a week, month or seasons just to get a report about the latest fishing. In the past, a person would go fishing with a plan in mind and ultimately get to the fishing location and have no luck. Now, that same person can reach back out to those same hundred or thousand people and get instant advice on how to fish that exact location or how to change things up. Social media has definitely made an impact on the fishing world, whether perceived by some as good or bad. Social media is forever part of the fishing world.
In the coming weeks, I’ll continue my posts about finding fishing information. Check back in to gain the amazing insight to becoming more productive at locating fishing locations.
This article series is dedicated to a fishing friend that helped inspire finding people and fishing information on the internet, Burton “Burt” W. Phelps (June 15, 1942 ~ February 8, 2010). I met Burt in a strange way. Most would think I ran into him through some fishing event, while fishing, bait shop or fishing group. I found Burt on craigslist, YES Craigslist! He had posted an ad in the boating section looking for a fishing partner
. He said he had everything including the fishing information. He just needed someone to drive him that had a boat. I took a chance and emailed Burt and invited him to go with me on the Chesapeake Bay. Little did I know, Burt and I would have quit the adventures that summer. Once out on the water, I quickly realized (me being new to the area) we had no clue how to fish the Chesapeake Bay with light tackle. Through the summer we developed a relationship that will never be forgotten. If I had the information back then that I can find on social media and on the internet today we would have saved so much time and probably been more successful. I was fortunate to have my first summer in Mar
yland to fish with Burt. Sadly that following winter, Burt passed away.
BACKGROUND
As an Active Duty military member, I’ve had the opportunity to travel throughout the Western Hemisphere and live on both coasts of the United States . I would consider myself a multi-species angler who just likes to be outside fishing. Along with growing up in rural Iowa, I’ve experienced some great fishing. One of the hardest things about moving around after leaving home was finding new fishing spots. At home, you know people and can rely on word of mouth to when and where the fish are hitting. In the world of fishing “local” knowledge is KING, and if you don’t have it, well I’m hoping that my Internet and Social Media article series will help you build it.
I’m not saying you will catch more fishing, but you will spend less time searching for where to fish. The time saved in the search will mean more time fishing and eventually becoming a seasoned angler with the “local” knowledge.
After leaving home and starting training in Northern California, I began trying to learn to fish on the West Coast. I quickly learned that the techniques from back home would not work in California, nor the ocean. Before the social media and smart-phones, I used bait shop to gather info on fishing hot spots. This first bit of info from the bait shop helped me land my first ever saltwater fish from an ocean. I 13in greenling caught on basically a bottom rig with anchovies and a bass rod.
Back then, I didn’t have a phone that did much but call and text. I didn’t even own a computer and internet wasn’t really a concern like it is today. I did, however, have this handy gadget called a Garmin GPS, that I stuck to my windshield. Because California wasn’t flat and open like Iowa, I used the GPS to find potential locations to fishing locations. I would routinely sit in my car and scan for areas of water that had roads leading up to or near water. I was always on the lookout for small waters like ponds and streams.
Pick a spot on the GPS and drive to it, and potentially fish if it seemed worth a shot. Back then, I can’t even begin to tell you the amount of time that went into checking out all the spots I would find on the GPS. Some would lead to dead ends, others to private property. Eventually, I would always find my way to a new spot. Once you found the spot, it could take some time to figure out if fishing was worthwhile or not. Today I don’t use the Garmin GPS, but I do use Google and Bing maps from my phone or laptop. Doing the research at home saves a tremendous amount of time. Now I can pick the spots I want to drive too.
I would also pick up local fishing guides, which you could find at local tackle shops or retail stores. These guides, usually developed by a local fisherman with local knowledge were great starting points for finding popular spots. In the description, it usually talked about species and techniques used throughout the year. Another form of information were state or region specific fishing magazines and the ones specifically were great sources of info. I couldn’t always remember the information and sometimes the info was just a little too late. So instead of recycling the books and magazines, I would stash them away and make reference to them the following year.
My favorite technique of “dropping in”. “Dropping in” basically means I drive around looking for water access for fishing and I stop and say “HI” and talk to every person I see fishing. People would always share how the fishing was and what they were using and how. After some small talk, I would gather more info and new spots and venture on. I still use this technique today and especially in today’s digital world, just stopping by and saying “HI” goes a long way.
Back in 2005, I met Pete and his son while driving up the American River in California. Dropped in to fish next to him to talk, and the conversation led to an exchange of phone numbers and an invite for Salmon fishing in the next few weeks. Two weeks later Pete called and gave me a location near Sacramento and what fishing tackle to bring. I showed up that Saturday morning to catch my first Salmon, along with a limit and personal best!
Taking all the old techniques to develop the knowledge needed to save time and money, so more time is spent fishing is now replaced with technology and mobility offered through today;s applications on computers and smart-phones. All of these new advances can lead to more time on the water. Everything that took time out driving endlessly can now be accomplished in a matter of hours from home. Downtime at home, during the night or even the off-season, can now be spent researching and preparing for the next year, season, day or trip. Having your homework done beforehand means you can get to the business of catching fish vice searching just for a spot to fish and trying to figure out how to fish the spot.
Now, the internet and social media offer so much information you can develop a plan for the spots you find on the various maps. Just like I discussed, once you find a spot, then you had to figure out if the spot was productive or not and how to fish it. Today you can find the spot and use social media to discover if the spot is worthwhile. Information from the internet and social media will also help with the time of year, day, weather, tides, and techniques to help you catch more fish and have more time available to fish.
THE GOAL: a dot on the map with picture, season, species, bait and presentation.
The goal of these articles is to complete the following steps in order to start developing local knowledge. This guide will also help you will keeping the information handy and usable for future fishing adventures. The more information you can find to fill out the checklist below the better. Sometimes you make find out information a little too late. Keeping track of it this way will help you get ahead of the fishing curve the next year when the weather and seasons are the same again.
Stayed tuned and I will begin posting all this valuable information on how to take advantage of social media and the internet!
Fishing has helped me at so many pivotal points in my life from a teenager to a father. It’s the drive that keeps me sane and focused. To help me take care of myself so I can take care of my family and others. The vast array of resources available is pretty incredible, so I ask that you take advantage of those opportunities to fish and take someone fishing. The inspiration behind this article is to help veterans find ways to cope and deal with stressors, but in actuality anyone can use this in life to help them stay on track.
Since that point I’ve used fishing a motivation to help me keep things in-line so that I can always do my job and take care of my family, without it, I would be struggling. Even this very website is helping me ensure I continue to fish.
Just a few weeks ago I met Justin, a Marine Corp veteran who served two combat tours in Afghanistan and reached out to me for some fishing information. Over the next several days, I really got to know Justin and his stories, from his time in the Marine Corp to fishing. Let me tell you, this guy is an inspiration and the reason behind how this whole article came to. Being Active Duty myself, I completely understand the struggles of working yourself back into a life you had before. I’ve never personally had to live this, but I’ve helped a few people over the past few years.
As I’ve gotten to know Justin and his amazing story, and it truly is amazing! Struggles while deployed, dealing with physical and mental rebuilding, dealing with the VA…. Justin found himself at a point in his life where he needed a change. Instead of going down the wrong path, he fought back as you would expect any Marine to do. Reeling from the effects of combat, Justin has found “FISHING”. Fishing has brought solace to his world and helped him focus and decompress from daily life and the effects of combat.
Fishing is helping him take care of himself, and in turn helps him be an even better father, husband, and friend. One of the things intrigued me was our discussion of his cheat sheets on fishing. Combat effects may have an effect on his memory. However, the problem solving that was instilled in a young Marine in years past can never be taken. He has learned to adapt to his new world and make things easier. YES, FISHING has helped him use what he already know to develop new tools to adapt.
Many people may not realize this, but through fishing, Justin has developed new skills for his current situation. Something no doctor, therapist, or medication could ever do. Justin has persevered and coped to help himself heal, and he did this with fishing.
Just recently, I had a great talk with Justin and he shared some pictures from his recent weekend camping and fishing. Now, Justin really keeps things simple with camping and fishing and nothing fancy. An amazing Oregon backdrop of snow-capped mountains, stunningly clear lakes, this is truly how an American Veteran takes care of himself. An inflatable pontoon boat, couple rods and the fish he catches, Justin has chosen a new path. Again, it keeps him focused taking care of himself and ultimately his family! His saying when we talk is “the tug [the fish] is the drug.” It is that tug that keeps us going back to the water.
I’m truly thankful for Justin reaching out to me and asking a simple question, which has inspired this. I want to make sure I can reach anyone who may need some help and let them know, they could find what they are looking for in fishing. I’ve put together a resource list of fishing opportunities for veterans to utilize. Maybe this info can reach someone else and inspire them to follow the same path that Justin has and utilize fishing for a new purpose.
In reality, this information goes for everyone, fishing is definitely a way to help with the stressors of life. If you have haven’t served in the military its ok, do you know someone who did; a family member, friend, neighbor, or a co-worker? I hope that maybe this will inspire you to reach out and help someone you know and introduce them to fishing or just get them back involved in the sport.
If you or someone you may know, has a story like Justin’s or another way fishing has helped coped with stressors I would be honored to hear from you! I want to hear your story just like Justin’s! If you would like to share your story below and maybe it will inspire others. Maybe a private conversation is in order, all my contact information can be found below. I challenge you to share this with your friends, family and most importantly a veteran you may know.
I’ve also created a new Facebook group geared towards helping veterans find outdoor resources and link up with others. You don’t have to be a veteran to join, just have the desire to help with fishing information. The Facebook group is called The National Angler to help people connect!
Semper Fish!
Joe – The National Angler
thenationalangler@gmail.com or on Facebook @thenationalangler
Here is a list of resources that you can take advantage of. If you are not a veteran, you can always help out one of these great organizations. If you can’t locate one in your area let me know, or maybe an option to get something going.
Veteran Fishing Organization – This is just a list of organization that I have found with the help of my friend GOOGLE. There is no endorsement for these organizations, just wanted to start a list to help others out. If you find one that is missing, please let me know so I can get this list updated.
Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc.™ is dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active military service personnel and disabled veterans through fly fishing and associated activities including education and outings.
The Wounded Veterans Fishing Program – Washington State Only
Our goal is to provide an alternate means of therapy for our wounded returning from combat with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and Physical Disabilities. Give them a stress-free, nonmedical environment to interact with others returning from combat and those with previous combat experiences to increase their moral. Finally to provide them with a tool to reutilize in the future should relapse occur.
The wounded Veterans Fishing Program was created in the beginning of 2009 by VFW Post 318 of Olympia, Washington. Originally the concept was done by
Danny Gabriel with a few of his fishing friends who felt the need to help American wounded.
Fishing is the most relaxing sport and is a very good way to build a person’s confidence and morale.
We assist communities at large, by offering them the ability to show their support for the troops by sponsoring our Take A Soldier Fishing program. This allows service members to see just how much they are appreciated. For those that serve to support our fishing program, it gives the individual the ability to see how their support makes a profound difference in a service member or veteran’s life by providing a safe and positive outdoor experience.
We strive to show that there are people out there that care, and want to help. By providing these events, we have found they give the soldiers something to look forward to. We have also found that soldiers have also changed their outlook on life – the way they feel about wearing their uniform and a new sense of hope.
Veterans of all ages, from young men and women who have recently returned from overseas conflicts to those in our greatest generation, deserve our support, appreciation and help. Sometimes the best help we can give is to offer a moment’s peace or a chance to share a laugh or a memory with others. Let’s Go Fishing offers veterans the opportunity to put aside thoughts of service if they wish and experience being the recipient of service from all of us.
A non-profit organization raising money to enable us to take wounded or disabled American veterans, active duty military personnel and their families on hunts and fishing trips around the country
Lone Star Warriors Outdoors (LSWO) was founded by Retired Army and Combat Veteran Chris Gill. Chris has hunted, fished and worked with non-profit organizations offering these outdoor adventures for Wounded Warriors for years. In 2011 we created a program focused on hunting and fishing trying to say thank you to every Wounded Warrior out there. As of 2012 the combined number of combat wounded warriors from Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and Operation New Dawn (OND) was over 50,000. This means that there are many Wounded Warriors that have hunted or fished in the past or that have always wanted to hunt or fish and this is their opportunity. It is our goal to get those warriors back out doing what they love and allowing them the time with other combat vets to talk and feel a part of something again, which is why we created Lone Star Warriors Outdoors.
Montana Wounded Warriors was formed to provide residents of the State of Montana, who were wounded as a result of combat service in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, with high-quality hunting and fishing opportunities in the state of Montana. These veterans must also have received at least a 30% disability rating from the VA. We are based in Columbia Falls, Montana, near Glacier National Park.
Patriot Hunts is dedicated to providing outdoor experiences for our Wounded Warriors, and Gold Star children of fallen heroes. With all of us sportsman and Patriots working together, we truly can make a difference in the life of a soldier who has chosen to lay his life at the altar of freedom on our behalf. These men and women have not only paid a physical and mental price, some have paid the ultimate price, for their fellow man. The cost of freedom is not measured in dollars, and it is paid for by patriots in our armed forces, by their courage, their commitment, and their willingness to stand in harms way for this country.
The primary mission of Patriots and Heroes Outdoors is providing outdoor activities for Purple Heart recipients and military with service-related injuries to show our appreciation of their sacrifice. Our mission reflects the changing needs of service families and offers a therapeutic break from daily routine for our warriors and their loved ones.
Team River Runner envisions a national network which creates innovative paddling programs designed to assist with the recovery of those injured while serving our country. Through paddle sports, TRR volunteers and partners provide local communities unique opportunities for the active, safe and positive support of healing service members and their families.
Established in 2007, the Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation (WWIA) is a national 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in Apollo Beach Florida. The WWIA is dedicated to serving our nation’s combat wounded, Purple Heart recipients, by providing world-class outdoor sporting activities.
Wounded Warrior Outdoors, Inc. is a non-profit organization exclusively founded to provide wounded servicemen and women with therapeutic outdoor adventures across North America. WWO gives deserving Active Duty Warriors in transition the opportunity of a lifetime in the wilderness location of their choice. We call them “Adventures Enabled.” Their adventure could take them bear hunting in the mountains of British Columbia, Canada, on alligator hunts or fishing excursions in the Gulf Coast region of Florida or deer hunting in Texas. During their experience, they will participate in therapeutic activities such as backpacking, trail expeditions and numerous social interactions.
Today started out at a brisk 28 degrees in Maryland. My friend launched his new boat on the Patapsco River near Baltimore Maryland, to begin the break-in process. After some scouting on the fish finder and seeing some activity, we began throwing rattle traps in the hopes for large Maryland striped bass.
Working areas of with current and eddies did not show any results. We worked around a few bridges in the hope for a crappie bite also, but no success. Marks on the fish finder remained constant and so did our intent on figuring out what lurked below the boat. Finally, something jumped just yards from the boat. “Wait was that a striped bass”, no clue. A few casts later my friend hooked up with something very large and lethargic in the 45-degree water. After a minute of fighting the fish with his medium light rod, buckling over, the hook came free.
Moments later, I hooked into a fish and quickly lost whatever was on the end. A few cast later, I hooked into something large and the drag began to scream. Every time I got the fish near the surface it would bolt away, stripping line from my reel. It made a few attempts under the boat and I was able to fight it back every time. The arc in my medium light rod was insane, as I held onto the main part of the rod with my hand to horse this beast of something from the river. This fish was not coming to the boat, without a fight.
15min went by and my hopes of large Maryland striped bass fell apart. However, I was excited to see my personal best carp on the end of the line. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t have a tape measure or scale to measure or weigh the fish. The fish was returned to the water to fight another day!
I never understood the allure of fishing for carp. Well, until you catch a carp like this one, you wouldn’t have a clue. I think this just opened me up, to finding trophy carp in the future!
On Saturday, April 2nd, I had the opportunity to participate in the 2nd Annual Blue Catfish tournament at Smallwood State Park MD. The tournament was hosted by the Central Maryland Chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association. Prizes included a custom rod, $500 cash, Engel Coolers and custom CCA fishing rods. Participants had the opportunity to fish from the shore, kayak and boat for various prizes.
Up for grabs during the tournament was a $5000 bounty sponsored by Bass Pro Shops for the angler who could potentially break the current state record Blue Catfish at 84.28 that was caught back in 2012.
Unfortunately for anglers, the weather did not cooperate at all. Temps in the mid 40’s and SW winds at 20+ mph with rain slowed the catch rate considerably.
Personally, I had engine problems and my partner and I ended up fishing near the main channel of the Potomac River.
The combination of the weather and engine problems kept me from getting to the prime Blue Catfish areas. We caught plenty of Blue Catfish, however, nothing to brag about or even weigh-in. The highlight of the day was a bit of needed sunshine and this 2ft eel and an extremely small White Perch ; )
The top weight for the boater division for 3 catfish was at 50lbs, 28lbs for the kayak division and no fish for the shore anglers. A great event to raise funds for CCA Maryland and hopefully the weather and my engine cooperate for next year!
New content will be added shortly so please stop back and take a look around! If you are looking for a type of fishing related information, please don’t hesitate to ask!
id I know, Burt and I would have quit the adventures that summer. Once out on the water, I quickly realized (me being new to the area) we had no clue how to fish the Chesapeake Bay with light tackle. Through the summ
er we developed a relationship that will never be forgotten. If I had the information back then that I can find on social media and on the internet today we would have saved so much time and probably been more successful. I was fortunate to have my first summer in Mar
in the next few weeks. Two weeks later Pete called and gave me a location near Sacramento and what fishing tackle to bring. I showed up that Saturday morning to catch my first Salmon, along with a limit and personal best!
you find on the various maps. Just like I discussed, once you find a spot, then you had to figure out if the spot was productive or not and how to fish it. Today you can find the spot and use social media to discover if the spot is worthwhile. Information from the internet and social media will also help with the time of year, day, weather, tides, and techniques to help you catch more fish and have more time available to fish.
opportunities to fish and take someone fishing. The inspiration behind this article is to help veterans find ways to cope and deal with stressors, but in actuality anyone can use this in life to help them stay on track.
Since that point I’ve used fishing a motivation to help me keep things in-line so that I can always do my job and take care of my family, without it, I would be struggling. Even this very website is helping me ensure I continue to fish. 
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