recommend a 3 hour-ish float trip

pbharvey · Jul 3, 2019

I kayak fish. What I'd like to try is a float trip where we park a vehicle at the end point and one at the launch point. I'm thinking 3 hours or so of a leisurely drift down stream fishing as I go. I'm thinking I'd like to try different sections of the Potomac say from Brunswick down, Williamsport down, or other areas further up if someone says you really want to fish this section. Two things in play here: one is a relaxing hangout day with my wife and the second would be a more focused fishing trip with my boys. I try to be careful about taking my wife kayaking as far as putting her in a situation where the paddling goes from a nice day out to a complete workout session. I
Other rivers are fine too, the Monocacy, or even the upper Patuxent or Patapsco.

Any input is appreciated.

Ranchero50 · Jul 3, 2019

http://www.antietamcreek.com/trip_details.htm

The river can be brutal in the sun and at low flow is surprisingly slow moving.

Occam · Jul 3, 2019

Be careful with those three hour tours. Look what happened to The Minnow!

SRD · Jul 3, 2019

Brunswick to Lander or Lander to Point of Rocks

TrappedinMD · Jul 3, 2019

A good FISHING float trip is on the conococheague from the hagerstown speedway to kemps mill near williamsport. Places to park on both ends, flat water and good fishing!

fscwi · Jul 3, 2019

There are a number of options. Edwards Ferry to the Sycamore Road access point in the McKee Beshers WMA, or from McKee Beshers down to the Seneca Creek landing. Thats all pretty much flat water but there is a current. Also could put in at White's Ferry and go down to Edwards Ferry, but I think there is a launch fee at White Ferry. You can use Google Earth to check them out and measure distances.

pbharvey · Jul 3, 2019

TrappedinMD said:
A good FISHING float trip is on the conococheague from the hagerstown speedway to kemps mill near williamsport. Places to park on both ends, flat water and good fishing!

I’ve seen that area several times when shooting at Issac Walton Clearspring and have always wanted to fish it.

Archeryrob · Jul 3, 2019

The flat water before kemps mill could take you three hours to fish alone. You can paddle up from kemps mill and float back down. There is so many downed trees to jig through there.

We float Washington county a lot and have kayak trailers and trucks with back seats to ferry from ramp to ramp. Hit me up if you come out this way.

Taylors to Synders - Great trip but best at low water, not right now.
Synder to Shepherdstown work in higher water, but longer if you fish slow.
Shepherdstown to Antietam creek camp ground.
Dam 5 to Williamsport - can be semi long also.
Williamsport down is not great, Water kind of sucks below the dam abd you can pull out until Dam4 unless you have special access. Plus lots of fast boats to deal with.
Antietam creek is great when its hot like now and usually recovers quicker than the Potomac. We do Devils Backbone to Keedysville Rd a lot. I don't live far from the take out. Longer trip also.

Alan3413 · Jul 3, 2019

Who are you bringing?

Ginger or MaryAnn?

CrazySanMan · Jul 3, 2019

We used to innertube from the little dam at Loch Raven Reservoir to where the Gunpowder goes under Bel Air Rd. Sometimes we would walk/wade it to Harford Rd or Bel Air Rd from the little dam and fish along the way. Really good large and small mouth bass fishing in that stretch of the Gunpowder. A chartreuse Gitzit would light them up there.

marko · Jul 3, 2019

Brunswick to Lander or Lander to Point of Rocks

The perfect trip would be Brunswick to Point of Rocks. I've done it many times.
The first mile, just paddle, do not waste your time fishing until the river makes that big right turn.
The bottom of the biginning stretch is just too even to support fish - it LOOKS fishy, but don't do it. WAIT.
Once the river makes that right turn, you see the High Tension wires up Left,
it's time to fish those parallel ridges on the bottom. THIS is why the river turns, it's run into a strong rock.
Ridges galore underneath, fish parallel -ish to shore..
Ken Penrod says this is the best stretch of the Potomac for smallies.
you fish down past the Lander boat ramp and 1000 yards or more and THAT'S it. After "Pillow Rock" (my friend calls it) - there are few fish.
So we "slow play" the 1000 yards above and below the Lander ramp - we canoe back up, across the river, we try to hit it all.
THAT is where the action is.
Definitely doable in 3 hours. Not barely a House in sight! A few Rich guys way up the VA side.

SRD · Jul 3, 2019

marko said:
The perfect trip would be Brunswick to Point of Rocks. I've done it many times.
The first mile, just paddle, do not waste your time fishing until the river makes that big right turn.
The bottom of the biginning stretch is just too even to support fish - it LOOKS fishy, but don't do it. WAIT.
Once the river makes that right turn, you see the High Tension wires up Left,
it's time to fish those parallel ridges on the bottom. THIS is why the river turns, it's run into a strong rock.
Ridges galore underneath, fish parallel -ish to shore..
Ken Penrod says this is the best stretch of the Potomac for smallies.
you fish down past the Lander boat ramp and 1000 yards or more and THAT'S it. After "Pillow Rock" (my friend calls it) - there are few fish.
So we "slow play" the 1000 yards above and below the Lander ramp - we canoe back up, across the river, we try to hit it all.
THAT is where the action is.
Definitely doable in 3 hours. Not barely a House in sight! A few Rich guys way up the VA side.

It's been awhile and of course conditions always vary is why I suggested those 2 spots to break it up some for the OP 3 hr. tour.But we would average 5-6 hrs. from Brunswick to Point of Rocks which I always believed was perfect,fishing and relaxing.

rgramjet · Jul 3, 2019

Not necessarily a float trip, more like a paddle trip.

Put in at Columbia Island Marina and paddle upstream to 3 sisters island and beyond. I caught a 30 lb catfish and lots of largemouth just beating the structure. Plenty of stumps along the banks and lily pads around Roosevelt Island.

It's really nice at daybreak and dusk. Don't forget a small LED light to hang off a fishing rod in the holder for visibility at night.

TOWcritter · Jul 4, 2019

Green Ridge State Forest....Bond's Landing to Little Orleans....more like 5 hours but lots of small mouth...etc.

dist1646 · Jul 4, 2019

Alan3413 said:
Who are you bringing?

Ginger or MaryAnn?

Both of course!

marko · Jul 5, 2019

It's been awhile and of course conditions always vary is why I suggested those 2 spots to break it up some for the OP 3 hr. tour.But we would average 5-6 hrs. from Brunswick to Point of Rocks which I always believed was perfect,fishing and relaxing.

You know - you are right - the last bunch of times the water level has been high, and you just whisk along. When it's low, it takes longer. I still maintain the best fishing is 1000 yards up and down from Lander boat ramp.

marko · Jul 5, 2019

A much more strenuous, but excellent and GORGEOUS float in the fall is on the Shenandoah from Millville to the pull out at Brunswick.
A+ scenery, great fishing, but way more technical boating - Bull Falls is class 2 to 4+ depending on flow.
Done this many times. After a one mile flatwater float from the Millville put-in, the river drops, puts you in a 1000 yard class 2, then dumps you over Bull falls, run the 2nd chute from river left, keep super tight right.
There is a canoe killer 80 yards down after you clear the falls, depending on the level it will dump you like your old girlfriend.
THEN you get to run the SHENANDOAH STAIRCASE, more ledges and wandering trails than you would ever imagine, it is not for the faint of paddle, and like Terry Hatcher said =
"They're Real, and they are Spectacular!" Really beautiful area. You can walk the railroad tracks from Harper's Ferry and fish as you see fit.
Good for a family hike as well.
This area should be run only at moderate levels - the river will push you around at higher levels. At low levels the Staircase is a pain, not enough water.

recommend a 3 hour-ish float trip

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