Fletchers 5/4

[sega]

Decided to go out to fletchers to catch my first blue yesterday. Well the trip started and ended horribley...

Woke up and tried to catch some fish for cut bait on the potomac near my house. Nope not happening. Fished an hour and couldn't even manage a blue gill. I started to realize it was going to be one of those days.

But I tried to be optimistic and carry on. Bought some chicken livers on the way home and figured I might have some better luck picking up cut bait at fletchers anyways. Got home, packed up the kayak and was on my way.

I forgot how much I hate driving through the DC area. Especially with a 12 foot kayak hanging out of my 5' truck bed. Needless to say finally got to fletchers. Go down the hill and get ready to go into the tunnel. Made me nervous going through. But as I inched forward I realize I had about a foot of clearance from the top of my truck to the rock ceiling. "Cool I don't have to drag my kayak down" - I thought to myself until I hear a screeching from the bed of my truck...

I totally forgot to take my new baitcasting rod down from the rod holder in the kayak. I'm an idiot. Snapped in half. Awesome. At this point I'm really thinking I should have just stayed home and got stuff done around the house. But I have my backup rod, my big boy rod, and my bait rod left. I can still manage today.

I get down there, buy my DC license, and noticed all the shad darts they had behind the counter. I said what the heck why not and bought a couple packs not knowing if I'd really use them or not.

Went down to the "kayak launch" (wow) and started unloading. Got the kayak all ready to launch, when I noticed one of my flush mounted rod holder was bulging up. It had gotten ripped off the kayak when the rod got caught in the tunnel.....

ERG! Why me?! Now I'm pissed. I shove it down, push the screws in, and call it a job. Whatever, I'm here and I'm going to make the best of it.

I get on the river finally and notice how packed it was. Guys everywhere shad fishing and a few guys throwing cut baits for cats/stripers I'm assuming. I put a shad dart on my ultralight bait rod and toss her out, not expecting anything but complete and utter failure after noticing the pattern of today's events.

The gods finally showed mercy on me. First time at fletchers, first time shad fishing, first cast I hook up with the biggest American shad I and the guys next to me fishing, saw all day. Super fun on 4lb test.


I managed 4 more ones just a little smaller than this one and one white perch (also my first). I have a video I'll put up tonight. I had a few guys come up to me and ask what I was throwing and what techniques I was using. They must have thought I was some serious shad guy. I just told them beginners luck and that I had no idea what I was doing. Saw a few other guys catch a shad here and there but nothing crazy like what I've heard of.

After awhile I packed it up and decided to head out. Got everything loaded up and was waking up to my truck when I felt a shooting pain going through my foot. Look down and I have a 3" piece of glass going about a half inch into my foot. Bled like crazy. They really need to clean the area up. There was trash everywhere. Guys at the shop were nice enough to get me some bandages.

Got cleaned up, and it only took me 3 hours to get home in the 270 traffic...

Overall I probably won't be going back anytime soon. The launch was pretty cruddy, and driving through that area is a nightmare. But I crossed two species off my list yesterday, so the broken rod, broken rod holder, sunburnt legs, 3 hour ride home in horrible traffic, and huge gash in my foot, were well worth it to me.





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[DanMarino]

Epic! That about wraps up kayak fishing in one post there. Incredible lows and wonderful highs.

[YakCapn]

Yes, launching a kayak from Fletchers is a pain. I'm back to renting their boats now when I go. I remember when I got my kayak, how great I thought it would be at Fletchers. I can't even get through the tunnel down to Fletchers with my kayak on top of the SUV. You could look at launching from Thompson's Boathouse in Georgetown area. They charge a nominal fee of $3. The parking lot says 3 hour parking, but I was told that the Park Service does not monitor the lot as many of the meters are broken. You can reach Fletchers from there but its a little bit of a haul. What I would do is stop at an area called "Three Sisters" just north of the Key Bridge and fish there. That can be a very productive area. Also, depending on the conditions, a kayak in the Fletcher's area can be dangerous.

[Donsail68]

Sega

I thoroughly enjoyed your post. Brutally honest and great pics. So sorry of the blunders and mishaps. I've had plenty days of those when Murphy's Law at its best. As they say, experience is the best teacher. Just lick your wounds and go fishing asap. Yes driving to the cove is a nightmare and even worst when taking the kayak trailer. I just pray i don't have to back up when going thru the tunnel. Was out there last Sunday from 12 - 7 pm. I paddled all the way up to the Chain Bridge and floated back down to the 3 sister island and finally paddled back to the cove. If you don't have one, I suggest either make or buy a kayak cart. It makes transporting to the water much easier.

Did you try anchoring? Look forward to your video.

[YakCapn]

Yeah, its always reassuring to hear I'm not the only one that has days when everything seems to go wrong...I feel like an obtuse idiot sometimes, but in the end I always get enjoyment out of some part of the trip. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

[sega]

Hey fellers. Yea I definitely need to buy a cart. I launched and basically just went left. Stayed along those rocks and out of the current. I didn't have to anchor all day. Had no problem sitting still as long as I stayed behind that point that some guys fish off of. No current back there. I went out in the current once and it wasn't too bad, I definitely wouldn't try anchoring in it though. You could anchor in that slack water and heave baits out into the channel. That's what I'd do next time if I go. Saw a big blue laying on the shoreline probably pushing 35", that's next on my list.


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[Runnin]

Good report. Sorry about the mishaps. Clean that foot up really well. Who knows what bacteria live in the P-mac. Nice shad.

[HJS]

Man-o-man... Fletchers really put you thru the wringer. On rare occassions I too will see the bottoms of broken off beer bottles sitting upright with jagged tops pointing upward... Reminds me of punji pits the VC used in the jungles of Vietnam... just quietly waiting for the next GI to step in them. But what I see more of at Fletchers is old decking boards caught up in the log jams with nails pointed upward... quietly waiting for the next fishermen.

Zack - My bro-in-law and I rented a boat at Fletchers on Monday too. We saw you and your kayak down river a bit near the 3 guys on a rock. You were hugging the shoreline tightly. We were the next boat anchored about 100' upriver from the two flyguys also in a Fletchers boat directly out from you. We had a very poor day of fishing... we caught only about 5 Americans and 1 hickory, and that was it for 5 hours. We left around 1:30pm, we had had enough. We saw you catch a couple, but yeah, it was a very slow day of fishing.

[sega]

Fletchers 5/4

HJS-
Yea it didn't seem like anyone was really doing too well. I didn't see anyone catch more than 10 or so lot of guys were anchoring way out in the middle. I caught all mine no more than 20 yards from the shore. They're a lot of fun on light tackle though. Saw one guy catch a decent blue cat too.


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[Laxdawg14]

I fish the fletchers/ chain bridge frequently. If you go up to chain bridge ive seen guys pull 3 or 4 30+ lb catfish its nuts!
I have never taken my yak there though, that part of the Potomac makes me nervous so I just rent a row boat from fletchers boathouse.
sorry about your foot, sadly it seems about par for the course in the dc area. Each time if fish fletchers or chainbridge I bring a grocery bag with me and fill it up with trash on the way out. its not much, but every little bit helps.

[sega]

Yea as much as this trip beat me up, the more I think about it the more I'd like to get out there and try for some of the bigger species they have swimming around. I was thinking of maybe going down there in the early afternoon, and waiting to leave until the later evening to wait out the rush hour traffic. It's such a cool stretch of river compared to what I'm used to fishing.

And I guess I don't see it as too bad in a kayak as I'm used to fishing the upper potomac and shenandoah. The water is way shallower up my way, and the current is a lot faster. I will say I almost turtled below dam 4 the other day however. Was getting a little too squierrely when I shouldn't have even been out in the first place.


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[sega]

Here's a cut from the video. This was my second shad of the day.

[YakCapn]

Nice American shad! They don't give up easy and keep fighting til the end. They're usually shaking like a leaf too once they get in your hands. Lots of fun to catch. I heard the shad were few and far between yesterday at Fletchers.