Occoquan Shad Report

[Misha Gill]

I've gotten out twice now to Occoquan for some shad fishing. The first trip I totaled up 14 fish and my largest ever measured hickory shad at 19.25". I believe I may have caught bigger in years past when I did not have the benefit of my check-it stick, but since it wasn't measured it doesn't count. Over 19" is pretty darn good for a hickory shad though!

I got out on Monday figuring that the cloud cover and the light wind would be conducive to catching shad. As so often happens, expectations were not quite accurate. I started fishing at 1:30 and by 4 pm I only had 7 or 8 shad, with a couple nice female hickories over 17" inches coming to hand and the rest being some sporty but smaller males. I hooked two large fish above the pedestrian bridge that got away. One that I could tell was big when it burrowed down deep but twisted free after a few seconds. The second I had seen roll near the bank in a non-shad seeming spot. This fish took off on a run after being hooked that took me into my backing. Could have been anything! Odds are it was a catfish, but my gut says striper. 

Anyhow, I moseyed back down to my spot below the pedestrian bridge around 3:30/3:45. Then the clouds went away and the bite came on. I proceeded to rack up about a dozen and a half fish over the next hour, including the two pictured fish. The silvery one was 17 and 7/8, the yellowish one was 17 and 3/4.  Fly color preference flipped too. Before the sun came out, red and white did the trick. After the sun came out, chartreuse and white was the ticket. I was scheduled to stop fishing at 4:30, but my rule is if I cant go three casts without catching a shad, then I don't have to leave, period. Finally packed it in around 5 pm though after catching that last big one. Good to go out on a high note.

Water was a little stained but not too high. Tide was low when I started and coming near top when I left (probably also a contributing factor to the bite turning on). Tons of other fishermen were on the banks and no one was being good about social distancing. I had to politely decline help from several folks in setting up the foldcat. It is so funny to me how many people are on the banks casting crankbaits down at Occoquan. Here I am having a ball catching shad and there you are trying to catch bass from shore in an extremely heavily pressured spot. I just hope some folks see this and think to switch to shad fishing, rather than proceeding to lose $6 crankbaits in the trees. One dude had a sweeweet carp fishing setup though. He was in the parking lot under rt 123. Had the bite alarms, slingshot, and everything. It was a bit inconvenient that he was draping three lines over the kayak drag, but then again there were also two other dudes set up in the same spot bait fishing, so I had to go further down the shore into the power line easement to launch anyways. As I was coming back in there were several plups from him slingshotting his bait out to where I was rowing. 

[Misha Gill]

Also, thanks to Gregg DiSalvo for the idea to go to Occoquan in the first place. I was legit mourning the loss of access to Fletcher's and Gregg reminded me about Occoquan. I tend to think of it as the other side of the moon because of all the traffic on the 95 corridor, but without traffic it's a short 20 minutes from my house to the spot! Thanks again Gregg.

[Brett Kitchen]

I’ve hiked down to the bank from the parking lot next to Chain Bridge, if you can get over the drop netting and folks looking to snag fish you can still get where the shad are hanging out. 

On Wed, Apr 22, 2020 at 2:49 PM Misha Gill <mish...@gmail.com> wrote:

Also, thanks to Gregg DiSalvo for the idea to go to Occoquan in the first place. I was legit mourning the loss of access to Fletcher's and Gregg reminded me about Occoquan. I tend to think of it as the other side of the moon because of all the traffic on the 95 corridor, but without traffic it's a short 20 minutes from my house to the spot! Thanks again Gregg.

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Very Respectfully,

Brett Kitchen

[Kevin KB]

I went down to Occoquan looking for where Misha went into the river.  Walking the boardwalk, I came across Penguin Paddling where they rent kayaks and paddleboards.  I also found out that they are currently letting kayakers with their own boats for free.  Right now they are open from noon til 6pm.  Slightly longer hours on weekends.   Check out their website.

Thanks Misha for the idea.  

Kevin

On Wed, Apr 22, 2020, 2:49 PM Misha Gill <mish...@gmail.com> wrote:

Also, thanks to Gregg DiSalvo for the idea to go to Occoquan in the first place. I was legit mourning the loss of access to Fletcher's and Gregg reminded me about Occoquan. I tend to think of it as the other side of the moon because of all the traffic on the 95 corridor, but without traffic it's a short 20 minutes from my house to the spot! Thanks again Gregg.

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[Jamie Carracher]

Wow this sounds promising. Possible to keep a safe distance from folks? I'm dying to get out and fish, but crowds and COVID does have me nervous. 

On Wednesday, April 22, 2020 at 3:05:15 PM UTC-4, Kevin KB wrote:

I went down to Occoquan looking for where Misha went into the river.  Walking the boardwalk, I came across Penguin Paddling where they rent kayaks and paddleboards.  I also found out that they are currently letting kayakers with their own boats for free.  Right now they are open from noon til 6pm.  Slightly longer hours on weekends.   Check out their website.

Thanks Misha for the idea.  

Kevin

On Wed, Apr 22, 2020, 2:49 PM Misha Gill <mish...@gmail.com> wrote:

Also, thanks to Gregg DiSalvo for the idea to go to Occoquan in the first place. I was legit mourning the loss of access to Fletcher's and Gregg reminded me about Occoquan. I tend to think of it as the other side of the moon because of all the traffic on the 95 corridor, but without traffic it's a short 20 minutes from my house to the spot! Thanks again Gregg.

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[Misha Gill]

I'd say it's about equally as easy to keep a safe distance from folks when launching at Occoquan as it is to keep a safe distance from people in the grocery store. My foldcat takes a minute to set up too, and people are always curious, so it's probably harder for me than it would be for a kayak fisherman.

[Gregg Rockett]

This entire string was very helpful and encouraging.   Thanks Misha for getting it started and to all that contributed.  I thought I was land locked, but a number of contributors on various different posts have helped me understand that I can still get on the water - now about all this rain!  Gregg

[Gregg DiSalvo]

I got out for two hours last night.  Note, it's a lot less crowded at launch points weekdays, but a lot of catfish guys move in at dark.  There are a number of places you can put in and take out to avoid the shore guys though.  Harder on weekends.  

Anyway, I got out seemingly right when it shut off.  apparently it was hot from noon till 4 ish.  I caught one in 30-40 minutes, so...was kinda annoyed. I saw catfish rolling everywhere so put on a herring pattern and sure enough, caught two.  Two was enough, but i threw them on the stringer.  

Then at 5, I started with the shad again.  From 5-6 it kind of turned on with 15 to hand.  Tons of short strikes.  

It was a nice outing.  when I packed it in, I tossed the catfish to some guys on shore.  They were very confused as to why I didn't want to carry them over and put them in their cooler, but saying covid 19 seemed to get the point across.  

Then 

On Wednesday, April 22, 2020 at 10:00:12 AM UTC-4, Misha Gill wrote:

[Gregg Rockett]

I was out today from 3.30 - 5.30.  Would appreciate knowing where Gregg DS puts in.  Misha clued me into a spot on the fringe of the Old Town.  Average bite for the first hour, not so good for the second hour.  Bottom line is they are still there and this afternoon was gorgeous.

On Wednesday, April 22, 2020 at 10:00:12 AM UTC-4, Misha Gill wrote: