By Capt. Steve Chaconas
Want a couple tried and true methods of catching cold-water bass? Capt. Steve Chaconas notes that the Silver Buddy blade baits and Lucky Craft suspending jerkbaits will cover the two Potomac River water temperature regions.
Says Chaconas: The water is still around 34 for most of the river with discharge areas near 50. Weather will be cooling into the mid 40s and morning freezing going into the weekend.
For colder areas, the 1/2 ounce Silver Buddy is a must. Use 10-pound test GAMMA Edge fluorocarbon line. Fish are on sharp drops and likely 8-10 feet deep or deeper. Cast to the shallower top of the drop and make short, slow hops and semi tight line down and allow it to sit on the bottom a few seconds. Do not use big movements. This will enable coverage of all depths. Fish usually eat it on the drop. Watch line for movement or be ready for added weight of a fish. Key on areas where you find fish on depth finders. I prefer smaller Quantum EXO casting reels.
For warm, clear water areas, Lucky Craft Pointer 78 suspending jerkbaits are very effective. While I prefer the same line up, 10-pound Edge on EXO casting reels, I also use EXO spinning reels to make longer casts, especially on windy days. More active fish are going to be shallow, less than 5 feet. Make a long cast and wind the bait down a few cranks. Allow it to sit. Use a series of soft taps and pauses to develop a cadence. Start slow with longer pauses, up to 15 seconds or more and allow the bait to suspend. Baby bass and natural patterns are best.
Capt. Steve Chaconas is a guide on the Potomac River. info@nationalbass.com
