Potomac River Poll

[hockeyref]

Also soft plastic do you use 

[2007nitro901]

1/2 to 1 3/4 ounce tongsten depending on grass thickness.  With a craw imitation.

[hockeyref]

I guess i should put what i use any type of creator bait

[greg hall]

Dont pitch grass mats would fish the edge with a senko,hate mats.probly find some where else to fish besides grass mats.

[NitroBoy8]

I always use the lightest weight i can get away with.

[Trainer52]

I think you'll tend to throw a bigger weight down the Potomac opposed to the upper bay grass!! Why punch grass when you can pick up that frog rod 

[greg hall]

Ditto! Bill

[caddobass]

This old Marylander almost went into shock here, being that I moved to Louisiana back in "81" I guess you could call me Cajun now. But don't punch mats surely you're kidding. In the summer time I punch from 4 to 20 foot and like someone else said with as light a weight as I can get away with from 1/4 to 1+ oz. Craws,  Beavers, Creature, Tubes and jigs for me. Greg you will have to take a little time out and pitch a bait into a few of them dark holes in the grass now and then.

[Creel Limit Zero]

As little weight as possible to get it to fall.  I've used from 3/16 ounce to 1-3/8 ounce.  At or near high tide in May, you can get a 3/16 ounce to fall in some of the grass and get the best bites with that slow fall.  Come July, you are not getting through it with 3/4 ounce at high tide, and near low you'll need more weight...   

[NitroBoy8]

Search with that frog, and like i said before, once you find them with that frog... pick up that flipping rod and pick it apart with as light of weight as you can get away with. You will catch more fish flipping it then you will on that frog.

[HammytheFisherman]

I'm kind of glad to see a thread like this. I am not very smart when it comes to pitching/flipping grass and I was hoping to work on that technique this year! We'll see how that turns out though.

[Trainer52]

That's up for debate! I catch a majority of my on a frog in the grass opposed to flipping mats !

[hockeyref]

I will use a frog but i learn last year how to punch mats. I watched guys do it and they were getting some beast out of the grass only problem they were using braid and i just can not get used to braid i will keep this post going til next week then close it out and try another. 

[NitroBoy8]

Well im not saying a frog isn't good. I throw them 80% of the time in the summer on the Potomac but the hookups can be horrible if the fish aren't eating it. Most cases you miss the fish when your in the thickest of the slop. The best thing to do when your getting a lot of blow ups in an area is go around and flip it at low tide when the stuff is real thick on the surface. It's different every year because the grass doesn't always get as thick but you will catch some brute's tossing into the grass. The type of grass your fishing also matters 

[Sam I am]

You will catch more fish flipping it then you will on that frog.

It all depends on the conditions... Moving tide with a steady barometer, I'd be willing to bet against that...

High Pressure with slack water, I am going in...

Once July hits, I am way on the outside edge doing what no one else is in 7-8' of water and I stick straight pigs.

[NitroBoy8]

I won't disagree with you on that. You are 100% right, it all depends on conditions.

[hockeyref]

good points guys that is very true i will move out depending on condition

[fishen4bass]

I agree with the lightest weight possible. I seen it 2 years ago when it took a 1 1/2 oz. to punch thru. Dont like that much weight. So I would fish the edge.
Greg

[greg hall]

Just aint that confident with that, confidence is everything with me,the potomac is the only place you get mats that thick around here the upper bay grass is not like that.If I fished the Potomac more I sure would try it!

[egolfer]

My weights increase at the year goes on.  I start with 1oz early in the year, late May to early June.  Then I jump up to 1-1/4 and usually by August I am throwing a 1-1/2oz.  I recently got my hands on some 2oz punch weights.  I can't wait to try them. 

[Sam I am]

The Upper Bay certainly has grass thick enough to punch. Last year the flats had grass way nastier then the Potomac. It was full of some sort of slimey crap...

I also want to site a day that Jstrozier and I fished the Potomac last year. It had dropped like 20* and the water dropped 10* all over night. We stuck with the frogs while a few of my buddies that were out fishing same areas were flipping. We caught some good fish, I wouldn't say we smashed them, but we were catching them and not watching to many others catch them like us. We fished that frog super super slow..... And when the fish hit, it was like slow motion. It seemed like it literally took the fish 2 whole seconds to eat the frog. We would watch it come up and roll on it's side, all very very slow, and then open their mouths and slowly inhale it...

The other theory about fishing grass matts that I live by... If the grass is so thick that you are having problems getting the bait under it.. Then the actual bait themselves are probably not there. If there is no food, the bass will not be thick in there. Once the grass gets super thick I really sit way out past the outside edge. I like to fish the sloppinig edges where it goes out to 7-8' deep. My theory is this is where the fish who are in transit will be, and when fish are active they are hungry. I also think there will be a ton more bait out there, and again where there is food, there will be prey. You will also have more oxygenated water on the outside edges since it moves a lot more.

[jstrozier]

I remember that day Sam.......

Very good lesson we were taught..........

[greg hall]

Yes the grass gets thick but the issue is the water is shallower than the potomac,no space under the mat. so I avoid grass unless I got a good frog bite.But thats just my opinion.

[hockeyref]

I will lock poll tonight so get in and vote if you want.

[CharlieD]

need a 1.5 oz option. When it's thick that's what you need.