Timing the Tidal Basin

[William Hea]

I'm trying to take advantage of my proximity to the Tidal Basin, but I'm not great at doing bass/warm water fish on the fly. I'm going to be accessing by bike in the mornings (before 9am) or evenings (after 7pm). I use a 9' 6wt.

I've always struggled getting anything going in tidal water, specifically the Tidal Basin, 4MR, or Gravelly Point. I suspect most of it probably has to do with poor timing of tides and weather effects and inexperience fishing streamers and bass flies.

Current strategy for the Tidal Basin is to arrive near FDR memorial, park the bike, hit the wall with poppers and streamers on the way to the Ohio bridge and swing streamers across the current. I've been focusing on going when I'm available and it's cool out (comfortable for me) but ignoring tides, weather, etc. Typically use Clousers (multiple sizes), Snowhite damsels, squirmy wormys, scorpion bugs, poppers, and beadhead nymphs. Vary retrieve speeds from slow to fast.

What indicators are you all watching for the right times to fish tidal water? How does the weather influence your decisions? Is there a good book I can read on how to do this well?

[Carl Z.]

You want to catch the tidal basin on a moving tide.  Just as water starts to come in or starts to go out.  It means that not all mornings or evenings are going to be good.  It requires a bit more planning than the "oh lets go fishing this evening" but it helps a lot.

Carl

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Carl Zmola

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[N Elgas]

I like a high tide going out the best. that give you a good 2 hours of optimal water.   it can be very tough still to get a fly to water deep enough to hold fish when at the start of an incoming tide.     Also don't discount the wall from MLK to the lantern.  I have caught some very big smallmouth on that wall.  If i am fishing the wall with streamers i don't really cast,  but more get some weight to get it down and walk the wall while i jig and troll the streamer.(I like weight game changers with some wiggle the best).    This is much more efficient way to cover water.  The basin is tough and very moody,  but there are some absolute pigs in there that make it worth it.  Plus a 10lb blue cat on a fly rod is fun as hell and that will happen there too.  

On Monday, July 13, 2020 at 7:46:07 PM UTC-4, Carl wrote:

You want to catch the tidal basin on a moving tide.  Just as water starts to come in or starts to go out.  It means that not all mornings or evenings are going to be good.  It requires a bit more planning than the "oh lets go fishing this evening" but it helps a lot.

Carl

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Carl Zmola

On Mon, Jul 13, 2020 at 1:17 PM William Hea <willi...@gmail.com> wrote:

I'm trying to take advantage of my proximity to the Tidal Basin, but I'm not great at doing bass/warm water fish on the fly. I'm going to be accessing by bike in the mornings (before 9am) or evenings (after 7pm). I use a 9' 6wt.

I've always struggled getting anything going in tidal water, specifically the Tidal Basin, 4MR, or Gravelly Point. I suspect most of it probably has to do with poor timing of tides and weather effects and inexperience fishing streamers and bass flies.

Current strategy for the Tidal Basin is to arrive near FDR memorial, park the bike, hit the wall with poppers and streamers on the way to the Ohio bridge and swing streamers across the current. I've been focusing on going when I'm available and it's cool out (comfortable for me) but ignoring tides, weather, etc. Typically use Clousers (multiple sizes), Snowhite damsels, squirmy wormys, scorpion bugs, poppers, and beadhead nymphs. Vary retrieve speeds from slow to fast.

What indicators are you all watching for the right times to fish tidal water? How does the weather influence your decisions? Is there a good book I can read on how to do this well?

--
http://www.tpfr.org
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[Rob Snowhite]

I was out this morning being filmed for a project. Couldn't get a nibble on film or when cameras were off. Nothing was biting. Lots of baby shad schooling around. One other fly angler got skunked too. I fished FDR <--> MLK with no activity. 

This was my first time in DC since March. Maybe 10 people passed us. Completely empty. Took about 20 min to get there from Fairfax. Unbelievable. 

[William Hea]

Did the same route from FDR to Ohio t MLK and back yesterday morning. Also skunked. Saw a couple launch a paddleboard and take their cat, not sure why, the cat clearly didn't want to be on the water.

[Chris James]

Rob, that was I and I did try the other side of the bridge and nothing. The basin is usually an easy bass or two.