Occoquon May 16

[backtofuturetoyota]

I went to Occoquon early afternoon with a buddy who just got a little jon boat. I don't have anything to get on the water up here, so I figure fishing is fishing! I'm not complaining. I'm sorry I didn't take pictures, but I didn't have any waterproofing and the boat was barely fat guy certified. We fished towards the falls and caught a nice hickory shad on a chartreuse jig. Changed over after fishing hard with it for another hour to a gulp minnow and dragged it on the bottom on a jig head slow casting upstream. Bamn! that was the technique....caught WP, small striper and landed a couple really nice size LMB in the next 20 minutes. Lost a really big bass (threw the hook) in the process. My buddy and I were in a little jon boat and it did the job, but I think I prefer to try a yak next time. We found a big bobber that kept coming up to the surface, so we grabbed it and there was a 2 lbs cat on the end....we free'd it, so it became a cat rescue day. We had Gar all around us in tight groups mating or something, that was a sight to see. We also saw a lot of really big fish (couldn't tell what they were) working their way up the rapids. On the way back I casted close to shore and thought I got snagged on a log, but then it started shooting towards the channel really fast....it was really big whatever it was. The hook came out and was bent when I retrieved it. Probably snagged on a carp or something. All and all a pretty nice day to be out on the water. A few bass boats out there, but lots of shore fisherman....none of them seem to be having any luck.

[Shady]

Thanks for the report, sounds like a fun time.

[Moschedmi]

I am thinking of hitting the occoquan tomorrow. I was wondering what the water conditions were like when you went out.

[backtofuturetoyota]

Sorry for not responding sooner. But, the water conditions were stained due to the rain fall. I'm certain they stayed that way all weekend too. What I found that worked was dragging a jig slowly on the bottom (curly tail/chartreusse or berkley minnow). It seemed to work for all the types of fish caught (WP, Bass, Striper, Cat). All the time spent using a swim baits of all different colors resulted in one American Shad. Just my experience though.

[Moschedmi]

Thanks for the info. I went out this morning. Water was still stained but not as bad as it has been recently. It was more green than the coffee and milk color it had been late winter early spring. I set out at about 8:00 and paddled up to the fall I was slow rolling a chatter bait. It was hit numerous time but no hook up... I mad my way back down toward some docks and skipped under then with weightless senko. Had numerous strikes ad one hookup. LM bass just shy of two pounds.