Humps or sudden drop offs both hold fish.

This summer has found fishing in the mid to upriver locations of the Potomac to be a bit on the tough side. The Potomac River normally sees good croaker and spot fishing as I type this. However, this season the hardhead and spot fishing has been kept to the rating of fair by most anglers. Downriver near the mouth of the river things are better. But, what are anglers residing in the middle stretch of the river to do when the fishing is slow for croaker and spot and other saltwater fish?

Key in on structure to find those fish. When the fish are present in great numbers one can fish in just about any location to pick up fish. When the going gets rough a quality fish finder is a necessity to finding those subtle humps and holes where fish can be found. For the middle Potomac River structure can include bars, shoals, oyster beds, humps, submerged pilings, and ledges. I use a Lowrance LC-X 19 and can pick up the subtle holes and structure that I need to on my trips. However, it takes practice and every owner of a boat and fish finder should study the capabilities of their unit and then pay attention even when just going for a ride and not fishing. It amazes me how many spots I find on the way back in to the dock. I constantly watch the screen.

I also found that charts and river maps are a huge help in pointing me to the right direction. If you take time to consult a map or chart before heading out you can minimize your riding around time. It is better to get within a hundred yards of a location and then move around from there staring at the screen of your fish finder.

One note of wisdom that I would offer to anglers just getting their hands on a new boat or just beginning their fishing career is to keep in mind that time changes everything. On big structures like the Cell, things may not change much but a hurricane can come up the bay and rip loose a thousand docks and pilings and then shove them to the bottom. These twisted piles of debris make excellent fish habitat. Charts and maps get outdated and many will not have the small stuff on them. If you see something that looked like a pile of rubble take a moment to cruise back over it.

When the fishing gets tough such small structures are very good places to pick up a few fish. If you can mark the spots on your fish finder and then go back after you have a growing collection of them you will pick up a few fish at each spot and have a good day when other anglers may not be doing as well.

Sometimes anglers do not feel that the smaller structures are worth stopping and fishing. I tend to disagree. Some of the criteria I use to determine if the location is worth my time include the following:
• Is the structure located near the channel where traveling fish have easy access to the location?
• Is the structure large enough to hold a half dozen fish?
• If the structure is located far from the main channel is it large enough to make it a worthwhile spot for fish to go to?

If the answer is yes to those questions I try and go to fish the location. Keep in mind that with any structure fishing hang-ups occur and if you are not getting hung up then you are not fishing in the structure. A common mistake boaters make when trying to anchor above structure is not factoring in tide movement, wind, and length of anchor rope. All of these factors MUST be considered to get the boat over the structure or at least within casting difference. If anything I rather be a little short and therefore a little uptide of the structure where I can let my bait drift naturally over it than attempting to cast uptide enough and hope my bait sinks fast enough to get attention.

When motoring over structure try and make a pass to see it on the fish finder but do so quietly as possible. It is important with smaller structure to not thump or cause a big ruckus topside to scare everything away bottom side!

When the fishing gets slow think back to where you saw a little bump or hump or hole and go check it out. You may be surprised what you catch.
Good fishing.