Occaquan - rockfish...

[peter odell]

I hit the Occoquan in my kayak May 1 early morning not knowing the  shad were still around.  I was surprised by catching a 15" rockfish right away, and even more surprised when I caught another 20 of them ranging from 10" to 19".  (I only caught 3 shad, assuming their numbers are thinning).  This was all in the stretch before all the rocks block any further upstream, above where the shore casting guys cluster.

Everything was on the normal shad flies i used.  I added a big clouser hoping that I might find a bigger rockfish, but nothing liked it.

Is this a normal occurrence or a fluke?  I'd love to get back out there, but don't want to waste a morning.  I fished the entire area back to the park takeout, and didn't find any more.

[Gregg Rockett]

Hi Peter.  You were luckier than me.  I showed up at Penguin Paddling at 11am to rent a kayak and fish for a couple of hours.  I headed straight for the pedestrian bridge and fished just upstream of it.  I did not get as high upstream as the rock garden you mention, and it looks like I should have.  I was also fishing a tandem of shad flies and then switched to a clouser trailing a shad fly.  I got '0' takes on either side of that bridge.  It was not until I got down to the Village that I had any action - but it was just a couple of takes.  I picked up one herring, of which there appeared to be an abundance of, and what I presume was a shad or small striper, but lost it before I could get it to the surface.  I had expected more action, but I think the shad were busy spawning.  You must have hit the right morning tide accommodating a run of stripers chasing the herring.

Gregg Rockett