Now What?

It's the middle of May and I'm a little heart broken summer is rolling on in.  I can just feel the sweltering, hot, humid, lifeless days of summer creeping closer and closer.  And to top it off, what I'm really depressed about is that most of the migrants have left our region.  The big cow stripers, which I did not connect with this year too well but made up for it in numbers, have hit the ocean hard and using their tales like fish so often do.  Almost two weeks ago I got a report from my Indian River Inlet, DE friend Neptune Pete that the fish have arrived in decent numbers. It's nothing like last year's blitz after the sustained NE winds but it's sure pretty darn good. Anglers are wall to wall, shoulder to shoulder in the inlet and are catching rather well.  Last week Assateague Island in Va and Maryland had an incredible showing of fish.  Just my luck too because I'm in charge of a Boy Scout trip to AI this coming weekend on May 18-20th.  Most of the fish have moved on but with a little luck I might be able to put some boy scouts on some fish.  I'm planning on putting out a 10 plus rod spread on the beach this weekend and see who's home.  I received some good Intel that quite a few Black Drum are feeding in the surf on sand fleas mixed together with a crab fishbite combo.  I'll have the scouts catch my bait and who knows.  I know last year I caught a good fish from the surf in OC as late as Memorial Day. 

The last week of April did not disappoint.  My favorite week usually.  The Potomac had a showing of schoolie size fish since mid April which usually signifies the end but Diego struck gold on April 26th putting numerous big fish in the fletchers boat.  He had one at 42 inches confirmed that hadn't even looked like it spawned yet and another considerably larger that he lost boat side.  Plus countless 29 inchers.  I took the kids on the John Boat a little further down river on the same day and played with more than a few 20 something inch stripers, jigged up a 35 inch fish, missed a few others on the jig, played with 30 pound blue catfish too.  It started raining and the fish loved it.  Except the kids didn't too much. 

I made another quick trip down that deathly walk from GW Parkway to fish the big pool at night on Sunday, April 27th around midnight. First or second cast gave up a 28 inch, followed by a 30 something inch stripa and a 22 inch walleye, all on 10 inch BKD's.  Capt Steve liked the picture of the walleye so much he gave me an incredible deal on a fine package of baits too. 

But that was then.  The fishing came to an abrupt end around the fist week of May, right about the time that AI island was infiltrated with good fish from the shore.  We went out one last time searching for stripers on row boat and came up empty. Well, except Ryan and Diego. We did however find the mother lode of giant blue catfish.  But we had to go way up river to find current with 3.5 feet at little falls.  The striper came on a shad fly.  The shad fishing still wasn't too bad but they were all small males, spawned out too. Check out the size of this kitty. 

The Casselmen trout fishing is about as good as it gets.  One report from PPTU described it as almost too easy with 150 fish coming to hand in a couple days effort.  The DNR only just stocked brown trout into the system too and they did not cooperate for this one report. Recent rains have the river flowing at optimal flow of 150+ cfs.  Reportedly the grannon caddis hatch was still going strong, sulphurs and a plethora of other insects were out on the prowl and those clueless stockers didn't stand a chance. 

I messed around in Little Seneca Creek a few hours last week and came up empty.  No fish in the usual good pools up from the bridge for some reason.  I did get a swing and a miss from a small fish so it wasn't a complete loss. Then this weekend I took Ryan, Matty, Jake and their dad down to Black Rock for an hour or so to give the mothers a rest on Moms day.  We set up in a popular spot and I almost immediately saw one of the largest trout I've ever seen in that stream or any stocked water for that matter.  This fish was up there close to double digits.  Sure enough I went back after him or her early Monday morning in the rain but struck out. Diego and Par did the same Sunday evening but no sightings. A couple inches of rain fell last night so that fish probably washed out of there with a little luck, or else went home in someones freezer. 

Musky fishing is not taking off into the expected post spawn blitz type pattern like it did last year.  The difference with this year compared to last is that around this time of year last year the Potomac was finally coming down after a long prolonged high water event. The fish basically hadn't fed well the whole month of April and then it was game time.  This year conditions have been perfectly clear, maybe too clear and low fishable water all spring long.  Many regulars and good fishermen are getting the old skunk.  Like John and I did on the full moon in early May near Shepherdstown.  I'm 90% sure I had a follow and a swirl near a bridge abutment covered up with a log jam on a 8 inch soft tail.  John managed a 17 inch smallmouth on a creeper top water bait which is more like a kids toy than any lure I've ever seen. So at least the smallmouth are on top water. 

Tides are about perfect for some Kent Narrows top water and the area opened up to fishing today.  Heck it was even Washington, DC's opening day Rock Fish season today.  I'm sure there are a few big fish sitting behind center rock and my 8' heavy action Musky Mojo rod is just the tool for the job too.  I just can't be bothered though.  No time either with the new job, even if it's only part time. Another very import interview tomorrow too and I'm here now writing a run on fishing report.  Too bad this doesn't pay the bills.  I bounced two checks this week, well, they paid it but I've got to forget about fishing for a while.  One check was from November! 

Okay, one more quick report. I hit up Needwood lake in rockville, MD today coming home from my site inspections. There is so much life back towards Rock Creek mouth it isn't even funny. The forebay is complete and filled with water.  YOY and yearling fish litter the banks by the thousands.  Schools of bass can be seen chasing bait fish too.  The place has really come back alive.  But I only managed one bass in an hours effort working pretty far up the creek too.  I had a hunch that some good bass, trout, heck maybe even a musky would push up the creek with the high water but the creek barely rose at all, just discolored.  OH well.  It's definitely worth a look if you have the time in the evening hours.