April Meeting – Geoffrey Smith

Geoffrey Smith is the featured speaker for our April meeting. He will talk about the middle Susquehanna River and the Juniata River.

When: Wednesday, April 27th at 7:30pm – ‘Doors’ to the meeting will open at 7:00pm for socializing.
Where: On your computer, tablet, or smartphone using Zoom.

Zoom meeting link will be provided in email.

Geoffrey Smith started as the Susquehanna River Biologist for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission in 2008.  He has a unique background working on large river systems across the eastern United States.  Geoff’s work at PFBC includes routine monitoring and management of various riverine gamefish species like Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, and Muskellunge but also includes more research-related topics.  Since 2009, Geoff has helped lead a group of interdisciplinary research from a number of different agency and academic institutions that focused on factors associated Smallmouth Bass population declines and disease. This collaboration has led to some unique findings, numerous publications, and some novel techniques that have been incorporated into everything from assessing immune function in fish to new procedures being added to water quality assessments.  In recent years, his research focus has expanded into better understanding the dynamics of invasive Flathead Catfish in the Susquehanna River and tributaries.  This work has focused on documenting abundance, distribution, growth rates, and more recently diets of this species in collaboration with Penn State University.  Geoff has a Bachelors of Science degree in Biology from Lycoming College and a Masters of Science in Biological Sciences from Marshall University.

March Meeting – Captain Wayne MacMasters

Fly Fishing in Hampton Roads Virginia and the lower Chesapeake Bay – Capt. Wayne MacMasters will present the fishery from a fly fishing perspective, including species, location, time of year, equipment, fly lines, fishing techniques, flies, and keys to success. Wayne will also present his charter service including boats, service focus, areas, and targeted species throughout the year. Anyone who has fly fishing related orthopedic issues can ask Wayne questions to assist with improved casting or fishing performance.

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When: Wednesday, March 30th at 7:30pm – ‘Doors’ to the meeting will open at 7:00pm for socializing.
Where: On your computer, tablet, or smartphone using Zoom.

RSVP on the Meetup link below for the Zoom link to the meeting

https://www.meetup.com/PotomacSmallmouth/events/284810946

Captain Wayne MacMasters is a lifetime angler, having spent the last 30 years fishing the lower Chesapeake Bay and Hampton Roads. He spent his youth on Chester River in the upper Bay, found his way to Virginia to play football for the College of William and Mary, attended Duke University for his master’s degree and received his doctorate from AT Still University.

Wayne is a practicing physical therapist and loves to improve angler skills by analyzing and describing the human movements that lead to effective casts, line/fly control, eats and strip setting.


Wayne is a guide in the classic sense: he will guide you to opportunities to cast to the saltwater fish in the lower Chesapeake Bay with you taking the shot, making the casts and hooking and landing your fish.


Coaching and instruction are a part of every day. He believes in positive reinforcement and controlling what you can control in a fishing day: safety, great food, drink & music, and having fun!

February Meeting – Dr. Vicki Blazer

Dr. Vicki S. Blazer is a research fishery biologist at the USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center – Leetown Research Laboratory in Kearneysville, WV. Her research on fish diseases and impacts of environmental stressors on fish health populations range from regional to international in scope. She is an adjunct faculty member at both Penn State and West Virginia University. This month she will talk to us about findings from long term monitoring of chemical contaminants and smallmouth bass health as well as impacts of mercury and PFAS (per- and poly-flouroalklyls).

When: Wednesday, February 23rd at 7:30pm – ‘Doors’ to the meeting will open at 7:00pm for socializing.
Where: On your computer, tablet, or smartphone using Zoom.

RSVP on the Meetup link below for the Zoom link to the meeting

https://www.meetup.com/PotomacSmallmouth/events/284144571