Freshwater Fishing Report, October 3 Update:
Water temperatures are cooling, and our freshwater areas are fishing well across the region. FishTalk contributor Adam Greenberg checked in and reported he was able to get a few hours of smallmouth wading in on the Upper Potomac this week. He said the river is still low and moderately clear. He caught a dozen or so fish, but all were fairly small. A small paddle tail and a whopper plopper got bites. Adam said he probably should have been throwing a heavier football jig and dead sticking it for 10-20 seconds at a time to get bigger bites. He was fishing in a pretty pressured area and saw decent sized fish bust the surface, but I couldn’t get anything big to bite. We had another reader report from an angler who caught a nice smallie on the Potomac with a 7wt and custom Gulp! minnow pattern tied by his dad.
Largemouth bass and crappie are very active in our larger lakes and reservoirs. Bass are feeding along the edges of grass beds in the shallows. On shorelines with steeper ledges, they will be holding near rocky drop-offs. The central Maryland reservoirs are excellent places to fish in the fall. They are often less crowded, and the fish are more active. Crappie can be found suspended on ledges, near rock/brush piles, and over stump fields. Live minnows work extremely well for crappie and bass. Mossy Creek Fly Fishing said that the rain that moved through the region earlier in the week helped improve stream flows slightly, but we need some more rain to really make a difference. Reports from their anglers show that tricos are still hatching, and hoppers, beetles, ants, and crickets are still around. Streamer fishing has been good on overcast and rainy days. Anglers should be prospecting with dry dropper rigs on sunny days. A stealthy approach and long casts will be essential. Anglers should also keep an eye out for state trout stockings, as both Virginia DWR and Maryland DNR should be starting their fall efforts.