Indiana coach Kevin Wilson knows stats can be misleading.
What a difference a few 80-degree days can make. Dale Knupp, who lives in La Plata, Md., and who fishes the upper tidal Potomac River as often as possible, launched his boat at the Smallwood State Park boat ramps in Mattawoman Creek this week and, thanks to his electronic depth sounder, discovered that the surface water temperature had reached almost 60 degrees.
OK, so we're not having Arctic weather, but it will be cold again soon enough. When the mercury drops and the wind turns a 40-degree day into one that feels like it's 25, more than one of the Potomac's fishing insiders begins to take a hard look at the Occoquan River in Prince William and Fairfax counties.
The time has come when many of our area's warm-weather fishermen begin to stash away their boats and tackle. However, hard-nosed anglers who prefer to seek their quarry in the Chesapeake Bay, the tidal rivers of Maryland and Virginia, as well as the not-too-distant Atlantic Ocean, are not giving up - not by a long shot.
Outstanding catches of striped bass and occasional hookups with spotted sea trout are possible over many areas of the Chesapeake Bay.
The Big Ten is becoming a league of haves and have-nots: Those with established quarterbacks generally win. Those without usually struggle.
Indiana coach Kevin Wilson is on cleanup duty.
Here's a surprise for all who suppose that this week's fishing will have to be postponed because of the aftereffects of Hurricane Irene. From nearly every corner of our region comes word that the water is fine, certainly good enough for fishing and, if anything, the catches might be better than usual. It happens frequently after strong storms blow through our area.
The bigger Big Ten is ready to go.
