Smallmouth Bass at Point of Rocks
This is the time of year when most fishermen wrap up their tackle for next spring. But, the bass don’t know that! And, they are still biting and will be for another couple of weeks. So, today I took a drive out to Point of Rocks, Maryland to explore late fall fishing on the Potomac River.
I found a national park that is directly underneath a large bridge that crosses the Potomac. There were several other fishermen who were fishing with live minnows and worms. I went upstream from them with my ultralite and trusty silver-sided floating rapala, and within minutes I hooked and landed a nice smallmouth bass. The fish hit hard and he took out some of my line, which felt good.
I was on the Maryland side looking out to the Virginia side of the Potomac. The water was low and clear, which is rare for this time of year. The bass I caught was cold to the touch, which means that it won’t be long before the fish go dormant.
Fishermen at Point of Rocks
Bridge at Point of Rocks
Directions to Fishing at Point of Rocks
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Good to know that the fish are still biting. How much longer do we have until they are dormant?
theyll go dormant most likely a couple of weeks into november, when the night-time temperature is steady in the mid to low 30-s for about a week or so
ive been fishing there from the shore on the md side since the summer a few times a week, and since the water went up from Ida, it wasn’t so great, but once the level drops the Senko’s will be taking them easily for a little longer i’m pretty sure. i’ve been taking 20+ a day since early october fishing int he same spots, and every time i catch one, they look like they’ve never been hooked before, which is odd. must have been a good spawn a year or so ago
I’m not sure about the dormant part. Fish are cold blooded, they slow down but they don’t hibernate, and as any ice fisherman will tell you, they’ll bite any time during the winter.
I’ve caught smallmouth all winter as long as I could stand being out there. And I’ve found that the colder the weather, the better the chance of catching a larger fish, especially close to the shoreline as they seem to use the bank for shelter in order not to have to waste energy fighting current out in the main stream.
My recommendation for winter fishing is to scale up you gear a little (heavier line, bigger bait), fish anything that gets to the bottom and stays there, fish slow and allow plenty of time for the bite, and dress your bait with something food like, either a minnow or pork rind. Move up and down the bank looking for current breaks and fish behind them. Dark, hair jigs, around half an ounce, dressed with a minnow or pork are ideal.
If you feel a bite, let the fish take it before you set the hook (which is why dressing the bait is important). And be ready for a surprisingly large fish.