DC Report 03/09/2013

[Redfish12]

I met ComeOnFish at Jones Point Park at 8am Saturday morning for a quick trip. I had afternoon plans so I was unable to make it to the m&g. We fished the bridge looking for stripers but they were all catfish stacked up. I caught a few small ones on a Hopkins spoon and then decided to cut some bait to see if there were any larger ones. There were a few but it was pretty slow for catfish fishing so we decided to troll up the river to blue plains to see if anything was happening up there. There were a lot of mud shad (gizzard shad) in the warmer clear water but no stripers or bass. I cut some fresh shad to see if there were any catfish around. There were a few and the action was pretty unsteady until the current and breezed died. We paddled back to the bridge and found a few more catfish before heading out of there. It was a nice day on the water!

i hope they do something about that dock, it is way too high!

[Shield]

What, no pics?

[chex]

Do you usually find stripers that far up river this time of year?

How big we're the cats you got? Blues?

[FRED driver]

i hope they do something about that dock, it is way too high!

Haha so true that dock is miserable

[Redfish12]

Not sure if stripers are usually around, but I know they come through here to head up to the little falls area to spawn so you never know. Most were blue cats, one or two channel cats. I think the biggest was about 30"?

Here's some pictures, most fish were smaller than kw size so they were just released boat-side:

[yakkinfish18]

Nice cats! Especially the 30 inch cat. I need to get me a bright measurement like that. Very easy to see.

[kevinfry]

20-30 inch Blue cats are the best and safest eating.......did you pack the freezer

[Redfish12]

No, all released! Catfish aren't my thing!

[Gregtokoolman]

No, all released! Catfish aren't my thing!

YOU ARE MISSING ON SOME SERIOUS NUGGETS! question how did you catch the fresh shad? artificials?

[Redfish12]

I purchased shad at the local grand mart near my house (Asian/international grocery store) but I was able to catch some of the mud shad inadvertently near blue plains. Gizzard shad have small mouths and do not eat lures or bait as far as I know. The hickory shad will be here by the end of the month with the stripers!

[mytmouse]

Sucks no Stripers, but that's still some good pullage! Does DC require a separate fishing license?

[Moschedmi]

Nice catch. The striper run should be late march early April. Fletcher's boat house gets reel busy this time of year.

[Redfish12]

Yeah, I'm hoping to find them this year! MyT, DC does, but it is only $13 for out of staters and covers my shad fishing and occasional other DC fishing. Last year I had MA, DE, VA, DC, NC, and WV (probably forgetting another one). It definitely adds up!

[HJS]

For us old pharts, one good thing about a DC fishing license is that fishermen 65 years of age or older do not need a fishing license. You don't even have to register or obtain a free license. If ask by an enforcement office all you need to show is your drivers license. So be sure you have your drivers license on you when fishing anywhere in DC.

Several years ago, the area from Chain Bridge up to Little Falls rapids use to be outrageously good for quality stripers. But over the past few years striper action there has fallen off dramatically. Hardly worth fishing for them anymore. Now, several of my good striper pools have been overtaken by giant blue cats. They readily hit 5" Bass Assassins, bigtime! But the current is so strong there that I can't stop these big cats, even with my heavy outfit rigged with 30" Fireline.

[mytmouse]

WOW Redfish12... I can only imagine the costs! LOL And to think I was complaining about MD FW/Tidal/Trout Stamp/Crab licenses!! LOL