Weekend Fishing Report

In the Potomac River’s upper D.C. waters at the Boathouse at Fletcher’s Cove — a new name for what used to be simply known as Fletcher’s Boathouse — the shad fishing has declined somewhat, but the crew at the Boathouse says some of the American shad that have been hanging around are magnificent, weighing up to five pounds.

A patient, skilled angler could hook 10 or 15 in an outing — enough to make for sore arm muscles. Fletcher’s carries shad darts, District fishing licenses, bloodworms, nightcrawler and herring, plus it offers boat rentals. In addition to the shad, some legal-sized striped bass are possible, as are catfish.

The tidal bass waters of the Potomac is home to yet another large tournament this weekend. You’ll see 200 competition boats running up and down the river, hunting for 15-inch-and-up keeper largemouths. This week, we did well over submersed vegetation, rigging scented plastic worms in the “wacky” style, which means inserting a hook with a weedguard into the center of the worm and slowly dragging it through the green coonweeds and milfoil up in the river’s various feeder creeks.

In the Chesapeake Bay, the big stripers are slowly departing. The lack of large rockfish is being noticed up in the northern sectors around the Susquehanna Flats and other areas, but as you head down the bay, toward Southern Maryland and Virginia’s Northern Neck, the trollers continue to strike it rich with trophy rockfish. Croakers are now inside the Patuxent River mouth, also at the Point Lookout State Park pier (especially at night) and inside the Potomac up to the Wicomico.

Fishermen who’ve been looking for black drum around Cape Charles, Va., and the famous Cabbage Patch waters in the lowest parts of the Chesapeake have been disappointed with the spotty action. However, the flounder fishing is going great guns, with Buoy 36A and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel showing plenty of action.

(Ratings key: ****]=excellent fishing; ***=Good; **=Fair; *=Poor.)

AREA 1: D.C. AND VICINITY

POTOMAC RIVER: 0-35 miles (***) — In the Boathouse at Fletcher’s Cove (Georgetown, off Canal Road; 202/244-0461) Dan tells us the big white shad (also known as American shad) are still available, just not in as great a number. But shad can be caught, along with keeper size rockfish, catfish and a few bass. Local angler Ernie Rojas put his boat into the river at Reagan National Airport last Friday and headed up toward Fletcher’s, where he and his pal John Casale caught more than a dozen small white perch that were converted into bait. The two eventually hooked six rockfish, more than a dozen channel catfish, and two blue catfish. Local bass guides Andy Andrzejewski (301/932-1509) and Dale Knupp (301/934-9062) use small plastic worms, such as the 3-inch Senko, and find bass action galore in grass beds, sunken wood, docks and rock piles. Now and then, the Baby 1-Minus crankbait delivers the goods when high, tidal water barely covers the submersed vegetation. White perch, bluegills and catfish are plentiful and available from the District down to western Charles County. Downstream, past the Route 301 bridge in Charles County, the Wicomico River around Bushwood wasn’t all that good to croaker fishermen last week, but we’re told that plenty of hardheads would be there this weekend. Quade’s Store in Bushwood (301/769-3903) has rental boats. Croakers and rockfish are caught below the Wicomico, from St. George’s Island down to the mouth.

MATTAWOMAN CREEK: 40 miles (***) — If you can find room on the water, what with another big tournament showing up in town, there’ll be bass caught with wacky-rigged plastic worms or very small Senko worms if you work the soft baits across weed pockets. Shallow-running crankbaits also do well. The bass are widely scattered from near the mouth clear up to Hancock’s gravel pit. Some fat crappies are caught.

SOUTHERN MARYLAND LAKES: 40-50 miles (**) — Gilbert Run Park’s Wheatley Lake (Route 6, east of La Plata) bluegills have been taking flies and poppers from flyrodders checking out the shoreline shallows. St. Mary’s Lake (Route 5 south of Leonardtown, on Camp Cosoma Road) is extremely shallow while dam repairs are made, but Ken Lamb reports that crappies can be caught as some jonboaters slip their craft into the lake from a bare shore that currently is hard enough to walk on. Heavy rains can change that quickly, however.

LITTLE SENECA LAKE: 30 miles (***) — Black Hill Regional Park (off Route 117, near Boyds, 301/972-9396) and nearby Seneca Creek Lake (Clopper Road, Gaithersburg, 301/924-2127) sees flyrod poppers catching sunfish and some bass. Catfish like cut baits or clam necks are on bottom rigs.

WSSC RESERVOIRS: 20-30 miles (***) — (Triadelphia, off Route 97, or Route 650, in Montgomery County; Rocky Gorge, off Route 29 in Montgomery County) Catch-and-release bass continue to provide sport around lake point dropoffs and some of the sunken wood in the lakes. Soft scented worms, such as Strike King’s Zero or Berkley’s Power Worm in pumpkinseed, electric blue, or junebug, will do the job. Stick with it; be patient. You’ll enjoy success. Crappies and sunfish are plentiful.

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