Hiking and fishing day trip options

[bunnielab]

A friend an I want to go on a little day trip on Memorial Day and I am looking for suggestions on interesting places to go. He is a pretty avid hiker and I am fishing obsessed so the idea spot is somewhere with a trail along a river or stream or a body of water that is wade-able for a few miles. We will leave from Tacoma Park and are willing to drive an hour or two. An other option would be somewhere were we could rent a canoe and paddle around a bit but I would rather have somewhere that isn't going to be crowded.

Thanks.

 

[Pale Ryder]

C&O Canal along the Potomac. Specifically the area between Harpers Ferry and Point of Rocks.

 

[steves1911]

The post above nailed it. That stretch of canal has some decent largemouth fishing and nice scenery. If you plan properly you could also use two vehicles at seperate locations so you dont have to walk back to your origonal starting point.

 

[rauler]

Pale Ryder got it right.


Sent from my iPhone using ravens

 

[-Z/28-]

I also agree with the C&O. Personally my favorite part of the trail is the Paw Paw Tunnel but its pretty far out on the canal.

 

[AntiGun]

I also agree with the C&O. Personally my favorite part of the trail is the Paw Paw Tunnel but its pretty far out on the canal.

+1 on the tunnel but take a flashlight. I busted up my knees in that darkness.

 

[ToBeFree]

Harpers Ferry

Your choice of the Shenandoah or Potomac to fish.
Some trails and you get some history.
http://www.nps.gov/hafe/planyourvisit/upload/TrailsOverview-VChere-2011.pdf
A little more than an hour but not by much.

 

[ride4frnt]

Harpers ferry/MD heights area is seconded. You can even do rafting/kayaking with river riders.

My other suggestion is greenbrier state park. Lake is 100 percent accessible to bank fish or canoe/kayak, and you can park at the top of the mountain and do the annapolis rock/black rock hike or washington monument hike. Both hikes are around 6 miles RT, and very beautiful scenery on the Appalachian trail.

This pic is from annapolis rock a few weeks ago. Probably very hard to see in the pano pic, but you can see the lake at greenbrier from the cliff (left center of pic, to the right of the far left rock outcrop)

 

[precisionfire]

Yes to this!

C&O Canal along the Potomac. Specifically the area between Harpers Ferry and Point of Rocks.

+1 Very good place to hike and fish!

 

[Afrikeber]

Take some DEET and spray your clothes with tick repellent. Ticks got me real bad up there but the fishing as described is premier.

 

[llkoolkeg]

C&O Canal along the Potomac. Specifically the area between Harpers Ferry and Point of Rocks.

Agreed. You can hike the Appalachian Trail and Weverton Cliffs for exercise and fish all along there near Harpers Ferry for bronzebacks, largemouth, trout, muskie, cats, panfish...you name it.

 

[bunnielab]

Well, the masses have spoken, looks like we are headed to the C&O.

Now, for a more contentious question; I want to take the bare minimum of tackle with me, like a tiny 4-compartment Plaino box. My rod is a 5' LW with a spinning rig. What tackle should I bring along to maximize my causal walk-n-fish fun?

 

[steves1911]

shallow diving square bill crank bait (chartreuse and craw colors)
tube baits with 1/16th and 1/8th tube jigs (melon and craw colors)
curlytail grub (white)
heddon torpedo (natural perch or black shiner)
senko ( black and watermelon red flake)
rebel crickhopper (firetiger)
rebel wee craw (brown and orange)

 

[llkoolkeg]

shallow diving square bill crank bait (chartreuse and craw colors)
tube baits with 1/16th and 1/8th tube jigs (melon and craw colors)
curlytail grub (white)
heddon torpedo (natural perch or black shiner)
senko ( black and watermelon red flake)
rebel crickhopper (firetiger)
rebel wee craw (brown and orange)

I can't argue against any of these choices, particularly the last one. I might add, however, a 4" pumpkinseed finesse worm rigged wacky style with a circle hook for skipping undercut banks, under wood and against rocks.