Last week I fished Gravelly Point, the Tidal Basin, and Chain Bridge. The Potomac River continues to provide action to those seeking it. Snakehead, Gar, Carp, Striped Bass, Largemouth, Smallmouth, and pan fish action are all heating up as the Shadams family starts wrapping it up before their migration back towards the Ocean.  Look for LMB and panfish on shallow spawning beds (hard bottom, shallow water) until the end of the June. Also – CICADA action. Tie em up and get em wet.

 Recently, I’ve been night fishing the outgoing tides in areas where bait is concentrated. In these areas, striped bass, walleye, LMB , smallmouth, and crappie have all been the usual suspects with a few random catfish mixed in. Until this weekend, a 6-7 wt rod has been the perfect amount of backbone for most of these fish.

On Sunday night, albeit a full moon and slightly off color water, the conditions were right to find some stripers around Reagan Airport. There were some fish around ( a few pops on top but not a ton), but none fell for the size 6 baitfish imitation I was throwing. However, where the stripers failed me – big gar and catfish did not. Attempting to find some deeper water in the current, I ended up getting dragged into my backing 4 times in one night and crossing two species off my list. Considering this a hiccup – the Potomac’s version of a practical joke – I left the 8wt in the car and ventured out into the darkness the next night with my 7wt again. Big mistake.

 Immediately I was into something big that took me into the backing (5 fish, 5 backing runs). After a ten minute struggle, I brought my first golden of the night to the net. After snapping a few pics, I went back to my spot and gave it a few more casts by the outflow before venturing off to fish the deeper bowls.  It was a good call. Although bites were spread out over 15-20 minute periods, I managed to hook into another large blue cat (27”, 8lbs), my second big ghost of the night (33”, 15lbs), and a mystery fish (which took me 15 yards into my backing). After the second ghost of the night and the clock approaching 3:30am I decided to call it quits. In two nights of hunting for stripers there were a total of 7 bites, 7 runs into the backing, and 0 striped bass caught.  Talk about getting weird.


Stay fly.

What a glorious weekend to get on the water. With air temps in the low 70s to mid-60s, fish were doing exactly what they were supposed to be doing this weekend – spawning or gorging. Not a bad time to be a fish...or a fisherman for that matter.

Shad (Hickory, Gizzard, and Americans) are thick up at Chain Bridge/Fletcher’s Cove. More Americans and Striped Bass have moved into the river offering anglers a shot at larger Instagram trophies. As noted last week, shad have sworn off the pink stuff. Hit them hard with CHARTREUSE darts, torpedoes, or any other small fly with that color incorporated on sinking line and you should be in the game.  For stripers, throw larger herring pattern streamers or big clousers on sinking lines to get down in the water column through all the shad. Vary your retrieve until you start connecting (FYI - you may snag a gizzard shad or two…just roll with it).

For fishermen targeting largemouth bass in the more tidal section (below Three Sisters), continue to look for structure on hard bottom in shallow water that’s close to deeper water.  

Hotspotting:

The night bite at Gravelly Point has been consistently productive thus far in the early season. I’ve been hooking into schoolie stripers, pre-spawn largemouth, smallmouth bass, crappie, white perch, and even a walleye (or three) in the past couple weeks on Sex Panthers and similarly themed clousers. About an hour and a half to two hours after the tide drop have been the most productive times.  Try fishing the Duck Pond flats for largemouth and other typical mixed bag action on the incoming tide.

Rock Creek Park is flush with shad, bass, sunfish, and carp right now. For those wishing to catch shad or bass on lighter gear, this is your opportunity.

The Tidal Basin snakehead population continues to show off. After hooking one fish in the mouth last week, I was skunked this week…but saw plenty of fish.  Shad, white perch, and blue gill are all over the sea wall here as well. I’m not sure if stripers have gotten thick in here just yet. I did see/hear some suspiciously striper-esque pops under the Ohio Drive bridge. Try an incoming tide or the early stages of an outgoing tide (easier to land fish - less space between you, fish, and sea wall).

Tight lines this week and enjoy the spring time – it only happens once a year.


Stay fly.