DC Tidal Basin

[R H]

Hi,

First time I've post, although I've been following a long for a while. I have a couple of questions which I hope this group can help with. I've been fly fishing for a little while but only recently decided to learn my local waters and not only fish when I have time to travel.

I was fishing the tidal basin this morning, the area around the bridge/inlet from the Potomac. I started with a sinking line and tried a woolly bugger and a deceiver - nothing biting. Saw plenty of fish.

I noticed lots of rises, looked like bass + two large gar, where taking flies on the surface so I swapped to a may fly pattern and then tried a couple of stimulator patterns. A few looked but nothing took. So any ideas on what I should have been trying? Or other areas I should be exploring from the banks around that area?

Maybe I should wait a few more days and throw Cicada fly under the over hanging trees? 

Robin

PS I noticed lots Shad a long the wall, they looked like they wanted to get out to the Potomac but couldn't (even tried a shad dart as I was leaving but they ignored that too).

[Carl Z.]

The tidal basin is best fished on a changing tide.  Right around High tide has worked well for me (about 10 years ago).  You might also run into schoolie stripers if you fish a clouser.

I think you just have to put in some time to figure it out.   The whole wall from the bridge up past the MLK memorial and to Independence Ave can all be productive.   I've had a 3 pound catfish come up and take a woolie bugger near the surface.  You never know what you are going to get in the Tidal Basin.

Carl

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Carl Zmola

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[caca...@gmail.com]

The Basin has some Big fish,  but can be a tough one to crack.  I personally like to work a game changer along the wall this time of year for big smallmouth,  high tide rising or falling.  Just not slack.   Low tide I will sight cast to the carp.  A few weeks ago that bridge you were fishing was filled with snakeheads,  but they seem to move out when it gets hot.  The gar are chasing needle fish and will hits something long and flashy (if you can get them to bit that is).  The Bass will hit anything that looks like minnow or worm (think post spawn finesse).  Since casting is a bitch the key for me is to cover as much water/wall as possible and walk the wall.  I only throw a cast on the rare occasion i actually see a fish to cast to.  

Also those are mostly herring on the wall.  I have snagged a few.  White perch should have moved out too,  but they were heavy the 1st week of may.  The schoolies were also in there sitting under the perch about the same time.  I havent hit it in a few weeks though so i'm not sure what the pattern is right now with the weather we have had this month.  The cool May prolonged the spring runs it seemed.  

[Collin Tatusko]

This past Saturday morning 0630-0900...totally skunked and I tried the lot....top water poppers to popper/dropper combo...minnow...wholly bugger...worm.  Nothing was interested.  Lots of carp...but they were interested in "other" things.  Falling off the high tide as I was there.  That's been my story at the Basin for a lot of years now. 

Collin

[Rob Snowhite]

Fish the moving tide where water enters and exits. Snakeads (the biggest you will see) will be at the intake where Captain America and Hawk first met. Fish and walk slower than you think. Walk like you are walking a 20 year old dog along the edge. Gar are not chasing needlefish. Gar will gulp air. at the surface. Spawning pairs will rarely chase a fly. Find the lone gar that is not in a pair. Per my podcast with Chris Campo you should try suspending a gar fly under a bobber and waiting for them to pick it up. The biggest gar will also be at the intake and exit. Alway fish a much smaller dropper. Find the structure and focus on that. Find the shade and focus on that. Find slack water where lazy snakeheads will congregate. Be sure to fish a non-slip mono loop on that cicada to maximize the wobble and vibrations it makes while shaking rod tip to make it flutter on surface. 

 

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[R H]

Thank you all for you the advice. Already fished it again and caught a few. We keep working on it.