Weekend Fishing Report

This will be the year’s first truly all-around productive fishing weekend. The croakers are biting in the Patuxent River. Rockfish and black drum are in the Chesapeake. In the lower bay, you’ll find spadefish, flounder and redfish. Our area’s tidal rivers deliver largemouth bass, while the mountain rivers promise smallmouth bass. In the Atlantic, yellowfin tunas are in the deep offshore canyons and bluefish are closer to shore.

While there’s still time to make plans, check out the following fishing events tailored for young people:

Northern Virginia angling ace Michael Hall wants kids to learn all about the top recreational sport in the land: fishing. He’ll be involved in the Family Fishing Day & Casting Kids Contest on June 10 at Franklin Park in Loudoun County. There’ll be a fishing tournament for children 10 a.m. till noon, followed by a picnic and cookout, then a “Casting Kids” competition at 1 p.m. geared for ages 7 to 14.

Says Hall: “There’ll be trophies and some great prizes. We’ll be teaching all interested children and adults about the joys of fishing.”

So bring your own tackle, or borrow a “loaner” outfit.

To reach Franklin Park, drive on Route 7 and take the Round Hill exit; go towards Purcellville on East Loudoun Street, then look for the Franklin Park sign on the right. The park address is 17501 Franklin Park Drive in Purcellville. Need more information? Call Hall (571/236-1918) or park manager Mike Horner (540/338-7603).

The Potomac Bassmasters of Virginia will play host to a youth fishing tournament June 11 from 9 a.m. to noon at Burke Lake Park in Fairfax County. The tournament goal is to introduce children 16 and under to the joys of fishing and being outdoors. Rods and reels are provided for those who do not have fishing gear, and club members will be on hand to share their angling knowledge. The event is free; even the bait is provided at no charge. Prizes will be awarded at the end of the tournament, and each child will go home with at least some kind of gift. Burke Lake Park is located at 7315 Ox Road in Fairfax Station. For more information, call Arnold Aspelin (301/567-3030).

E-mail Gene Mueller at gmueller@washingtontimes.com.

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

AREA 1: D.C. AND VICINITY

POTOMAC RIVER: 0-35 miles (…) — At Fletcher’s Cove (Georgetown, off Canal Road; 202/244-0461) Ray Fletcher says ever-increasing numbers of blue catfish are showing up and they, along with good-sized stripers that remain, love cut herring baits on the bottom. That’s pretty much it, although some bass are hooked, as well. In the tidal waters below town, river bass guides Andy Andrzejewski (301/932-1509) and Dale Knupp (301/934-9062) are hooking willing largemouths on early morning topwater poppers and buzzbaits. Most of all of the feeder creeks that show milfoil and hydrilla beds will provide topwater bass action. When the sun clears the trees and begins to bake the water, simply switch to scented Power worms or garlic-flavored Zero worms and you’ll do well. Senko baits dabbed with Smelly Jelly also will be hammered. Catfish are hooked by bottom fishermen in almost every portion of the river where deep channel waters meet the shallows. What is bothersome is that not nearly the numbers of white perch that should be here this time of year are around. In the lower Potomac, around Cornfield Harbor, we got word that one boater who drifted with minnows caught some keeper flounder

WICOMICO RIVER: 55 miles (..) — Quade’s Store in Bushwood (301/769-3903) on the St. Mary’s County side of this Potomac tributary reported that the holiday weekend was disappointing, with only a few croakers caught, but Tuesday the fish came back and bit even under a hot noon sun. “Grandma Quade” said they saw the first Norfolk spot but only a couple. She has no explanation why the croakers are playing so hard to get while over on the Virginia side of the river the hardhead fishing has been fine.

MATTAWOMAN CREEK: 40 miles (…) — Good bass fishing if you use short plastic worms, dipped in fish attractant, and cast along marsh banks or milfoil bed edges. We caught a number of bass near the Slavin’s ramp (which, by the way, is far from being finished). Our bass were caught alongside a marsh edge that quickly dropped from two-foot shallows to seven and eight feet of water during an outgoing tide.

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