May 3rd, 2024
Welcome back to the District Fishing Report! It was a beautiful week in D.C. as temperatures climbed into the 80’s which had it feeling more like summer than spring. The big news we have to talk about are multiple new D.C. fishing records that have been set in the past two weeks. All are impressive catches that are a reflection of how good fishing has been lately. If you are interested in trying to catch a D.C. record fish, you can find more information on our Recreational Angling Records Program webpage. A lot of fish species have no entries, and we are encouraging anglers to change that. It is a great time of year to enjoy the abundant and diverse fishing opportunities we have right here in our nation's capitol. Anglers are catching a lot of fish, and we are happy to tell you all about it!
There is a new largemouth bass record for D.C. Only a few weeks after angler Kasper Parfomak set the bass record with a 5.90-pound fish, angler Devon Addison caught a 20.25-inch, 6.55-pound largemouth bass last week that was verified by DOEE biologists last weekend. The fish was caught using a white spinnerbait in the Tidal Basin, the same location where the former record was caught. Large snakeheads are also pushing into the Tidal Basin and fish as big as 10 pounds have been caught over the past two weeks. We talked to one angler who caught two fish in the five-pound range by using a rubber worm and casting along the sea wall. Spinnerbaits and chatterbaits are also producing bites. Devon’s fishing hot streak continued this week as he also checked in a bluegill and a white perch that both qualified as records. The bluegill measured 8.6 inches and weighed 10.5 ounces. The white perch measured 11.5 inches and weighed 13 ounces. Both fish were caught in the vicinity of District Wharf using small plastic jigs on 1/8-ounce jigheads. Kasper couldn’t let Devon get all the attention and set out to catch some more big fish of his own. It didn’t take long as he caught a 21-pound 5-ounce common carp that is now the new record. The fish measured 35 inches, and he caught it using a small twisty tail grub. It looks like these two will be battling to set records for a while. Congratulations to both anglers for their outstanding catches. If you have a fish that you want to check in for a record, it must be brought to the Aquatic Resources Education Center to be officially weighed. Email fishing license coordinator Dillon Waters at dillon.waters@dc.gov to arrange checking in your catch.
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Picture 1 Caption: “Angler Devon Addison shows off his new D.C. record largemouth bass that he caught in the Tidal Basin. The fish measured 20.25 inches and weighed 6.55 pounds.” Picture 2 Caption: “Angler Kasper Parfomak holds up his new D.C. record common carp that he caught at the Tidal Basin. The fish measured 35 inches and weighed 21.35 pounds.”
On the upper Potomac, the shad run is winding down as water temperatures are rising and river flows are low. There are still shad around, but the big schools of hickories are starting to thin out. Big American's can still be found in deeper waters of the rivers. The best strategy for targeting them is to get out on the river in a kayak or boat and work your shad lures through deeper holes where the shad are staging. Rowboats can be rented at Fletchers Boathouse, which will give you a big advantage compared to shore anglers. Tandem rigged shad darts or a shad dart on a dropper loop with a metal spoon below are still working well for the shad that are left. Make sure to sign up for the Friends of Fletchers Cove Shad Report to get detailed reports for the area. If you want to catch more shad before they migrate back to the ocean, don't wait long as they will be all but gone in the coming weeks. Angler Michael Whiffen from District Catfish checked in to let us know that the blue catfish bite has improved significantly with the warmer temperatures. Last week he was out in the area of Three Sisters Island and caught over 200 pounds of catfish in one trip. He says that the fish are starting to stay in the shallower waters throughout the day. Captain Chad Koenig from Dog Days Fishing also let us know that the catfish bite on the upper Potomac has been great lately. A mix of blue catfish and flathead catfish have been eagerly biting the soft plastic baits they have been jigging in the deeper holes of the river. He and his anglers have also caught white perch, walleye, quillback carpsucker, common carp, and striped bass during their recent trips. While jigging for the catfish is a fun and interactive technique, many anglers enjoy tossing out cut bait to fish for catfish. They are biting on a variety of baits like alewife, gizzard shad, perch, and just about anything else edible. Taking your bait of choice and casting it out on a fish finder rig is the best way to start fishing for them. Hotspots other than the upper Potomac to catch catfish in D.C. include Hains Point, the Georgetown waterfront, and Anacostia Park. The crappie bite has also been picking up in the district. The wharf and the floating docks inside the Washington Channel have been very productive recently as the fish are schooling around them. Any of the bridges in D.C. or walkways along the river with structure below them have a good chance of holding crappie. Live minnows work great for them, but if you can't find live bait, small rubber jigs work great too. We heard from an angler who was fishing for crappie at the Anacostia Riverwalk trail near Yards Park who caught fish up to 13 inches by fishing the pilings below the walking trail.
Last Saturday, April 28th, DOEE hosted a fishing event with the Washington Spirit at Diamond Teague Park that was a major success. Spirit players showed up to fish with local members of the community and meet some of the fans that cheer them on when they represent D.C. on the field. There were over one hundred anglers that visited the event to cast out lines in the Anacostia River. Many different species were caught, including blue catfish, channel catfish, striped bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed, green sunfish, and black crappie. The sunfish were caught by using a bobber and hook baited with nightcrawler. The sunfish were hanging out around the dock pilings and near the overhanging brush along the shoreline. All other fish were caught using chunks of cut gizzard shad on fish finder rigs. Diamond Teague Park is a great public fishing location on the Anacostia River and, based on the results from the fishing event, there are plenty of fish to catch there.
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Players from the Washington Spirit joined DOEE staff for a fishing event at Diamond Teague Park to help teach members of the local community how to fish.
You can view the full set of Regulated Fishing Activities for The District on our Regulated Fishing Activities webpage. If you would like to buy a fishing license, please visit the Get a Fishing License webpage. Fishing licenses are sold on a calendar year basis. Anglers under the age of 16, or age 65 and older are not required to buy a fishing license to fish in The District. 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! 🎣
Volunteer Angler Creel Survey
The Department of Energy and Environment’s Fisheries Research Branch is conducting their annual creel survey and encourages local anglers to participate. The goal of the survey is to better understand recreational angling efforts, perceptions, and harvests within Washington D.C. The information obtained from the survey will be used to inform fisheries management decisions and regulations. To make it easier for anglers to participate, a QR code has been developed. To access the survey, just scan the QR code using the built-in camera on your mobile device and tap the banner that appears. Already reading this on your phone? Click here. The survey is voluntary, but we encourage anglers to fill out the form after every fishing trip. Good luck fishing and let us know how you do! |
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