Friday fishing report

Charlie Taylor For the News & Messenger
Published: February 22, 2008

Potomac River Tide Information           Twilight

High Point, Occoquan River               Hour

Day     Date   High   Low   High   Low     A.M.  P.M.

—————————————————————————————————-

Wednesday   2/20   0609   1250   1828   0042   0627   1818

Thursday   2/21   0655   1338   1914   0125   0625   1819

Friday     2/22   0738   1423   1958   0204   0624   1820

Saturday   2/23   0818   1504   2041   0239   0623   1821

Sunday     2/24   0857   1544   2124   0311   0621   1822

Monday     2/25   0935   1623   2208   0341   0620   1823

Tuesday   2/26   1013   1703   2256   0412   0619   1824

Wednesday   2/27   1054   1747   2350   0447   0617   1825

Thursday   2/28   1142   1837   - - -  0528   0616   1826

Friday     2/29   1239   1936   0050   0616   0615   1827

Saturday   3/01   1345   2039   0153   0711   0613   1828

Sunday     3/02   1450   2139   0251   0814   0612   1829

OVERVIEW - Most bodies of water throughout the state have high water and some

have a little ice. This is due to the snow and the recent rains. Please use

the utmost caution when boating on our state's waters this week. A special

note: WEAR your life jacket. It can save your life. It won't do anyone any

good in a compartment. At the very worst, it will at least allow law

enforcement to find your body more quickly.

POTOMAC RIVER - D.C. - This past weekend saw a few anglers on the river,

although reported catches were not heavy. White perch are starting to move u

the river. Largemouth bass are moving into the prespawn stage. This means that

they are holding in 15-20 feet of water and moving up on shallow banks or

flats to feed. Jig 'n pig, small plastic grubs and Silver Buddies are the more

successful baits. Some of the more productive areas are Blue Plains, The

Spoils, main river bridge pilings, Washington Sailing Marina docks and

Columbia Island Lagoon. Crappie are schooled and moving into shallow water.

Live minnows and tiny jigs are the preferred baits. Yellow perch are being

caught on live minnows and plastic grubs on the flat behind Roosevelt Island.

Outflows from the Alexandria power plant and Blue Plains are attracting

schools of gizzard shad, followed by channel catfish and largemouth bass. The

river above Key Bridge is high and muddy - MINIMUM SIZE LIMIT FOR BASS IS 15

INCHES ON THE POTOMAC RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES, FROM LITTLE FALLS TO THE ROUTE

301 BRIDGE, FROM MARCH 1 THROUGH JUNE 15.

POTOMAC RIVER - BELOW WOODROW WILSON BRIDGE - Bass are being caught on mai

river points on jig 'n pig baits, cast into the shallows and worked down the

dropoffs. Plastic grubs, retrieved in a swimming motion, are taking smaller

fish. Larger creeks are not producing as well as the main river, however jig

'n pig baits, retrieved down dropoffs on outgoing tides, are accounting for

some bass. Crappie are schooled tight and holding in 8-12 feet of water,

adjacent to shallow gravel banks, with good cover. Live minnows and plastic

grubs are the ticket.

OCCOQUAN RIVER - Large schools of yellow perch are available on the deep flat

below the Route One Bridge, and in the rocks at the back end of the river.

Medium minnows, Silver Buddies, yellow grubs and horsehead jigs are the best

baits. The boat docks and rock wall on the north shore of the river are

holding largemouth bass. Fishing the dropoffs here will produce some bass. The

key is patience. A jig 'n pig, plastic grub or live minnow cast into the

shallow water and moved very slowly into the deeper water, will entice the

bass into striking. Use an exposed hook where possible, as the strikes will be

very light and hooking the fish will be difficult.

OCCOQUAN RESERVOIR - Most bass anglers will be concentrating on main lake

points and humps, while crappie anglers will be looking for brushpiles i

creek channels.

BURKE LAKE - Although the marina does not open until May, ramps are open to

anglers with boats. This weekend should see a few anglers and a couple of good

fish. Water temperatures in the mid forties, combined with predicted low

pressure coming in Friday evening, should start the fish feeding. A few warm

days are all that is needed to turn the fish on. Perhaps the beginning of the

week will produce them. Muskie are on the prowl, with live jumbo minnows and

large, trolled baits being the key. Panfish are taking small minnows and

nightcrawlers. Walleye are staged at the base of the dam, and on main lake

points, taking small minnows and tube baits.

FARM PONDS - These ponds should warm up quickly now that the high pressure

systems have started moving through the area. Once the ice is out, live

minnows, fished on the edge, between shallow and deep water will take bass i

the ponds. Nightcrawlers or plastic grubs or worms will succeed when fished o

the bottom. Crappie and bluegill are very hungry and will take small minnow

or nightcrawlers. Bring twice as many nightcrawlers as you think you need and

a large cooler if you plan to fish for either of these tasty panfish. The more

panfish you can take out of a farm pond, the more food that will be left for

the bass and the remaining panfish. This will greatly increase the size of the

fish in the pond. Remember that catch and release of panfish does not work to

the benefit of a farm pond.

POTOMAC RIVER - UPPER - NOTE - THIS BODY OF WATER, FROM THE SENECA BREAKS TO

THE MOUTH OF THE MONOCACY, IS DESIGNATED CATCH AND RELEASE BY THE MARYLAND

DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES. NO BASS MAY BE CREELED AT ANY TIME. Most of

the action is centered below the warm water discharge canal from the

Dickerson Power Plant. Lots of nice smallmouth, walleye, tiger muskie and

large channel catfish are in this area and downstream from the discharge

point. Some of the deeper holes between Edwards Ferry and Dickerson are also

giving up some nice fish. The Seneca Flats area is quiet, with few fish being

caught. Smallmouth bass and channel catfish are beginning to move, in the area

from Algonkian Park to the mouth of the Monocacy. Live minnows, small hair

jigs and plastic grubs are the more successful baits. Crappie schools are

located around the mouth of Broad Run and Goose Creek. Small minnows are

working best for these tasty fish. Reports of white suckers are beginning to

filter in from the White's Ferry area.

RAPPAHANNOCK RIVER - White perch fishing is picking up in the lower stretches,

with bloodworms being the bait of choice. Yellow perch are still biting well

on minnows and nightcrawlers. Crappie fishing is good in the tidal sections.

Some blue catfish, to 30 pounds, are being caught on cut bait, fished in the

main river channel bends, from Massaponax Creek to Hicks Landing. Above the

city, shallow running Cordell Big O's and small hair jigs tipped with pork

rind, are responsible for a few three pound smallmouth bass.

SHENANDOAH RIVER - Some smallmouth bass action is reported, mainly on live

minnows and Rapalas. A few largemouth bass have also been caught. Most of the

action, however, centers around catfish and white suckers. These fish were

feeding heavily on cut bait, live minnows and nightcrawlers.

MATTAPONI/PAMUNKEY RIVERS - The yellow perch run is in full swing, with

lots of fish being caught. Many citation perch are being caught. White perch,

to one pound, are being caught at West Point, with smaller fish being take

all the way up the rivers. A little warm weather will bring larger schools u

the rivers. Catches also included catfish, pickerel, crappie and walleye.

LAKE ANNA - Big fish are on the move and are beginning to feed. Live bait i

at it's best now for trophy bass. Lots of fish are being graphed in 3-20 feet

of water. They are making their way into the shallows. The water temperature

throughout the lake is in the low to mid 40's. Shad-imitating crankbaits, jig

and grubs are taking good numbers of bass, but live jumbo shiners are

producing best. Walleye action is good throughout the lake. Gitzit grubs and

live shiners are the best baits for the walleye. Crappie are schooled up and

taking small shiners and jigs. Best action is found under the bridges and

suspended over creek channels. Yellow and white perch are found on dropoff

adjacent to deep points. These fish are taking small minnows, jigs, and

Hopkins spoons. Striper action is fair for those chasing the shad school

around the 208 bridge and Dike Three.

JAMES RIVER - Lots of reports of catfish, to 40+ pounds, around the Dutch Ga

power plant and a few large smallmouth bass in the upper stretches of the

river. Yellow perch and crappie are being caught with consistency around Dutch

Gap. In the lower tidal sections, Upper Chippokes Creek is giving up some good

largemouth bass.

LAKE CHESDIN - Some large bass, to six pounds, and lots of crappie are

dominating the catches. A few walleye are also being creeled. Rat-L-Traps and

Rapalas are the top bass baits.

CHICKAHOMINY RIVER - The mouths of the feeder creeks are producing well for

anglers drifting live minnows. Speed Shads, Rat-L-Traps and spinnerbaits are

also taking good numbers of large bass. Lots of jumbo yellow perch are being

caught on medium minnows, while blue catfish to 30 pounds are taking jumbo

minnows. Crappie fishing is picking up, with some good stringers being seen.

CHICKAHOMINY LAKE - Largemouth bass, 2-7 pounds, are taking jumbo minnows,

Johnson Silver Minnows, small spinnerbaits and topwater baits in the shallow

grass beds. Pickerel, 2-4 pounds, are taking the same baits throughout the

lake. At the dam, yellow perch are not yet being caught in large numbers, but

this should change any day. Lots of crappie are being caught just below the

dam.

LITTLE CREEK RESERVOIR - Fish are turned on, with bass and pickerel filling

the creels. The bass are hitting crankbaits, spinnerbaits and live minnows,

and are running 3-8 pounds. Pickerel catches contain fish to four pounds,

while a few crappie are exceeding the one pound mark.

BACK BAY - Fair catches of white perch, along with a few crappie and bluegill

are being taken from the creeks emptying into the Bay. The Bay has quite a bit

of grass this year. A number of bass and large channel catfish are also

being caught in the creeks.

SUFFOLK LAKES - Western Branch Lake is producing some good bass, a few yellow

perch and crappie. Lake Prince gave up a couple of nice stripers and a number

of bass over five pounds this past week. Lakes Cohoon and Meade report

crappie, yellow perch, pickerel and small bass as the major catches. Crappie

are providing most of the action at Lakes Smith and Whitehurst, with catche

of up to 25 fish weighing up to 1 1/4 pounds.

LAKE GASTON - Bass fishing is picking up, with a number of fish in the 5-9

pound class being taken in the northern coves of the lake. Best lures are

spinnerbaits with large blades, rattling lipless crankbaits and shad colored

crankbaits. The main lake water temperature is in the forties, but some

northern coves are posting temperatures in the low fifties. These are the

areas that are giving up the larger fish. Crappie are aggressive once found,

but finding them is the trick. Check main creek channels and bends for

suspended schools. Stripers are being caught at the lower end of the lake o

live shad and bucktails.

BUGGS ISLAND LAKE - Crappie fishing is excellent, with the tasty fish being

found in 3-8 feet of water. Bass anglers are finding some fish along the bank

with crankbaits. Shallow humps in the lake, adjacent to deep water, are

producing good catches of bass, on Silver Buddies and deep-diving crankbaits.

Carolina rigged baits are also taking some bass.

BRIERY CREEK & SANDY RIVER RESERVOIRS - Jig 'n pig anglers are taking some

bass, but none of any size. Pickerel and smaller bass are being caught with

regularity. Bluegills are taking red wigglers, nightcrawlers and Beetlespins.

SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE - Fishing success is off and on, but some nice stripers are

being caught in the larger coves on live shad and trolled Mann's Stretch 25s.

Musky are taking bucktails, while smallmouth bass are being caught o

spinnerbaits. Crappie fishing is good on small minnows and jigs in 2-10 feet

of water. Largemouth bass are taking jig 'n pig and jigged Hopkins Spoons.

LAKE MOOMAW - Some trout in the 3-4 pound class are being caught, along with a

couple over the five pound mark. The fish are being caught on minnows, fished

at 30-35 feet.

PHILPOTT LAKE - Largemouth and smallmouth bass action is improving daily. The

water temperature is climbing into the high 40's, turning the fish on. Live

minnows, jig 'n pig, Hopkins spoons and plastic grubs are the top baits. Trout

action is excellent in the Smith River.

NEW RIVER - Muskie fishing is good, with a number of fish being caught thi

past week. Smallmouth fishing has also improved with the warmer weather. Some

anglers are catching large carp and catfish at the Celco warm water outlet.

SOUTH HOLSTON RESERVOIR - Catches are fairly consistent for largemouth bass,

smallmouth bass and trout. Crappie fishermen are doing well around the water

intake, on jigs.

CLAYTOR LAKE - A few stripers are being taken by the few anglers out. Anyone

actively striper fishing, can catch 3-4 per day on bucktails. Blue catfish are

biting on nightcrawlers and cut bait. Walleye anglers are catching a few fish,

but success is "iffy".

TROUT STREAMS - Excellent trout fishing is available in the Smith and Jackso

Rivers. Anglers are using size 22 and 24 blue wing olives, weighted nymphs i

sizes 10-14 and size 10 streamers. The streams should be in good condition by

the weekend, but care should be exercised on muddy banks. Wild streams had

very good reproduction last year and fly hatches are already starting. Nymph

will probably be the best lure for fly fishermen, while small spinners in the

1/16th ounce class will work best for spin fishermen.