Downtown DC Late March

March 31, 2012

The hickory shad fishing which average around 17 inches is absolutely insane right now in Washington DC.  You could rack up double, even triple digits if you stuck it out long enough. Great fun on ultra light tackle or 5 and 6 wt fly rods with full sinking line.  On Thursday I fished with my son Ryan who's 5 in our John boat and did well.  He stripped in the fly rod when I hooked them.  Many fish were coming in two at a time with two flies as a dropper rig.  They are hitting shad darts and spoons too.  Chartreuse and pink seem to be hot, and orange.

Then we set up for some catfish on Thursday with Ryan and Friday night with another friend.  On Thursday I caught countless blue catfish that averaged around 20 pounds.  Went to take a picture of John Chucoski's fish, it was enormous, 50 pound category, maybe more.  I have a picture of it on my camera that's in the boat I think.  I was using my new muskie mojo rod with my son Ryan. The clicker went off and he dove for the rod.  He grabs it, the butt section gets stuck under the bench seat, snap.  Darn it!  I wanted the 8.5 footer anyway.  Just out of a good heavy rod for a while. 

Friday night, more of the same.  First we got there around 6pm, doubles common, hickory shad left and right, some close to 20 inches even.  Then got some gizzard shad and went for catfish.  NONSTOP giant blue cats.  It used to be nonstop giant striped bass but their numbers have dropped off big time.  There's only a few huge fish around this time of year where 5 or 6 years ago we'd land a half a dozen in a single tide that averaged 30 pounds.  Oh well, catfish it is for now.  Another fish near 50 pounds and countless 20 something pound kitties.  Turd rollers is another term to describe the big, invasive blue catfish that usually spin on the line in the strong current but when you get one over 40 pounds you have a tug of war on your hands for sure. 

Get out there! 

Here's my friend Diego with a giant. 

Here's me with more of an average fish. They literally must blanket the bottom too.  No stopping them now. 

All three pictures above are of John C. with a very impressive catfish.  It's all the same fish in that 50 inch category.  From a 50 year old wooden row boat that's probably caught more fish than Hedron and Eagle Claw.

Ryan getting it done with some hickory shad.  It was fast and furious and it isn't even April yet?

Potential state record DC crappie.  Except DC isn't a state and this fish won't qualilfy for the mustad million dollar state record promotion.