Every fishing trip is a unique occurrence.  You will probably not end up fishing in the same spot as before and experience a totally different outcome.  Seneca Breaks is no different.  First, look how big the water is.  This is the Potomac.  Wide, clear, fast in places and rocky here in the breaks.  Success and a lunker can be waiting in the next run over, the next big rock or that deeper looking pool. With that, there is no single post that can completely dissect a spot this big.  On this visit, I walked downstream about a mile and then just cut straight into the river.  I felt that the walk put the required amount of distance between the parking lot and where I would enter the river. The first thing that was different was that the water was high.  It had rained a few days earlier and all that water was plunging down through the Breaks; kicking up a slight brown stain. Odd how a few hundred yards produces a different experience.  Up on the dam line, I had great luck.  Here, I felt like I was in a dead zone.  Not even a bluegill.  I could not get the right lure on to coax anything up to play.  I tried poppers and streamers.  I switched to nymphs for a while.  Nothing.  The character of the river here is the same as it is farther upstream.  It's rocky, but a bit deeper.  I did have some difficulty moving farther out into the flow.  In addition, the current had no clear channel here in the middle of the breaks.  Instead, the water just poured everywhere, spilling over rocks at random.  This made it tough to analyze the water to determine where to cast. I worked my way over to Pond Island.  Nothing.  Bad day?  Never.  You cannot have a bad day fishing, just bad days of catching. The next time I come to this section, I will either try farther south or a bit more to the north where you can see the larger rock formations in the pictures below. Secrets Revealed?  No.  Penrod covers this area in his book and there are throngs of people here every day.	Pressure Trout Size N/A Physical Fitness Bass Size Access Regulations Hard to Find Stocking Scenery Overall Remember to refer to my rating explanations - these are based on what I look for - so RED for Physical Fitness translates to easy physically - you do not need to be in shape to fish this section.  I prefer terrain that is tough to get into and out of. Getting there:  I hate to do this, but I support the site by selling books.  My book on the Upper Potomac - "Wade and Shoreline Fishing the Potomac River for Smallmouth Bass" is available in both ebook format (instant download) or traditional print. This book walks the 57.3 miles upstream from the Chain Bridge in DC to Harpers Ferry, WV using words, annotated maps and over 200 pictures to provide you exact references while removing any doubt about what to expect in each section of the river.  The 230+pages include detailed directions, 42 maps, 45 tables and 208 GPS coordinates - more detail than you will see in any other fishing guidebook. You can purchase the eBook version for $9.95 by clicking on the buttons below:        To purchase the traditional print version:
I need to target those rocks next time	Looking downstream
The breaks here are wide and featureless	The C&O towpath