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Lure Types/Colors for Upper/Lower Potomac
| Dear Pro Staff
I've been a fly-fisherman for 30 years and recently decided to expand into spin-fishing and bait-casting. As you can imagine, I'm overwhelmed by all the types, styles and lure colors, and I'm having a hard time putting together a basic tackle box without breaking the bank. I heard Al Pugh give a great talk about your plastic baits recently and was wondering whether he, or someone else from your staff, would recommend a basic selection of types and colors for both the upper and lower Potomac rivers.
Thanks,
Jim Slaight |
Al Pugh says:
First, thanks for the compliment, I had a great time and met some fine folks there at the Potomac River Smallmouth Club. Your question might require a book to answer fully, but I’ll take a stab at it if you’ll promise to email us anytime you have other questions. Deal?
For the upper Potomac, and for any other Mid-Atlantic river above the fall line, I suggest starting with black (020), and adding three basic colors: brown (236), green (194), and white-blue (239). I think you should start with two profiles (bait shapes), curly tail grub (40 series) and straight (9S Senko).
The classic rig for the grubs is a 1/16 or 1/8 ball head jig. You may need to go heavier, but use the lightest head you can get away with. You might also use a #4 Split-shot hook (53-15). Lip-hook it (in the "chin", out the "head") and it will work great, but just reel on a strike, DON'T SET THE HOOK! The Senko can be rigged with the Split-shot hook or Texposed, like the article in the Sept-Oct issue shows. I suggest a #1 or #1/0 hook for Texposing.
Work the grub in places where you would normally use a strip retrieve with a streamer and places you would drift a nymph, like eddies, etc. Also, try "popping" the grub through the current walls. The Senko is drifted, usually more like nymph fishing, but is also effective popped through current walls, and twitched with the backing current in eddies and pockets.
On the tidal portion of the river, stick to the above and add a 97 series
Hula Grub, in any of your basic colors plus white (220). Fish these on jig heads (probably a little heavier), with the split-shot hook, and rigged on a spinner bait for a trailer, skirt first. Charlie Taylor will tell you to never be without a 208-color grub in tidal water.
Later on, you may want to add a few more color choices. Consider 149, 196 and 286 in the browns; 042 and 208 in the greens; and 031 and 187 in the white-blues. You may also want to add a few 18-series grubs (a little larger) or craws and lizards (more special purpose) to your arsenal. From there, the sky's the limit as your confidence and experience progresses.
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