| January 19th, 2024
It has been a wet start to 2024, with multiple doses of rain coming through our region. The rainfall has increased water levels and flow rates in the Potomac, which has made fishing difficult at times. This past week brought some seriously cold weather, which required anglers to bundle up on their fishing trips. Conditions may be tough this time of year, but regardless of the weather, fish still need to feed.
 Left: Angler Jared S. Gross holds up a 32-pound blue catfish. Right: Angler Dwight Palmer shows off a big blue catfish.
Blue catfish will always be a reliable winter target in the District, as they are abundant throughout our waterways. Angler Michael Whiffen let us know that the blue catfish bite has picked up from the Wilson Bridge to Chain Bridge. He says that the larger fish are still sticking to 20 to 35 feet of water since water temperatures at the surface are hovering in the upper 30’s. Another angler let us know that on his recent catfish trips, he has been catching fish in creek mouths and cove points adjacent to deeper water. Since water temperatures are very cold, the local warm water discharges are holding a lot of fish. Michael also let us know that the Blue Plains Advanced Water Treatment Plant is full of largemouth bass, crappie, and bluegill. Fishing around the concrete dock and rocky shorelines with deep diving crankbaits is a good strategy. Make sure to use a slow approach on your retrieves, as the fish will still be lethargic in the colder water. Bites will often feel like subtle thuds, so using braided line will really help you feel when a fish hits. Angler Devon Addison reported in to let us know that the crappie have been biting, but he has had to work to find them given the recent weather conditions. He says that ringer jigs have been working well to get the crappie to bite and that most fish are holding in 10 to 15 feet of water. The Washington Channel is a popular water body for crappie fishermen in the winter. The fish tend to school up around the marina docks and near the 395 Bridge.
 Left: Angler Kenny Fahnestock shows off a common carp. Right: Angler Gregory Solomon holds up a common carp.
Recently, I checked in with Kenny Fahnestock, an avid carp angler, to get the scoop on carp fishing in the District. What many anglers may not know is that carp are one of the hardest fighting freshwater fish in the United States. These fish can be found all throughout District waters on the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers. Kenny says that local hotspots include Hains Point, the Tidal Basin, Diamon Teague Park, and Anacostia Park. Carp can be caught year-round, and though it is a slower bite in the winter, they are still a reliable target for cold weather fishing. Kenny recommends using a 10-to-12-foot medium heavy spinning rod with 20-pound braided line. Leaders consisting of 20-pound fluorocarbon and a three-way rig connected to a medium sized circle hook is usually sufficient. The best bait is usually two to three pieces of sweet corn. Advanced carp anglers will use method feeder weights with a hair rig. Another popular bait option is “pack bait”, which can consist of old fashion oats, panko breading, cream corn, sweet corn, and strawberry Jello, all bought from any local grocery store. Mix all the ingredients together with small amounts of water until it will pack together. Boilies and Tiger Nuts are good options to use in place of corn and tend to stay on the hook longer than corn does. Boilies tend to produce bigger fish as they are larger in size and weed out the small ones. Carp can be found hanging in the shallows or near channel edges on the main river. Trying different spots is key to finding the fish, so you will want to throw your baits out to shallow, medium, and/or deep depths to see where they are feeding. For more tips and information on carp fishing, check out the American Carp Society.
If you would like to submit information for the report, please email dillon.waters@dc.gov. If you would like to submit a photo to be included in the report, please send an email with photo attachments to fishandwildlife.photos@dc.gov. Tight lines everyone! 🎣
|
