Hey there, if you love fishing I thought I’d bring you up to date on Charlie Taylor’s Fishing Report in the News & Messenger Serving Prince William, Manassas & Manassas Park, Virginia. Get out there and catch the big ones!
Potomac River – DC – Small mouth bass action is excellent around Fletcher’s Boat House on live crayfish, tube baits and Yamamoto Senkos. From Chain Bridge to 14th Street Bridge, along the Virginia shoreline, crank baits are taking most of the fish. Bridge pilings, wood cover and drop-offs are holding most of the large mouth throughout the city. Crank-baits, slow-rolled spinner baits, jig n’pig and plastic worms are the better choice of baits. Catfish action has slowed, with little reported, and stripers are available around Fletcher’s Boathouse, National Airport, 14th Street Bridge and the National War College Wall.
Potomac River – Below Woodrow Wilson Bridge – Since the water temperatures in the waters are dropping, fish are on the feed. Large shad schools are invading the mouths of the creeks and the bass are there waiting for them. The bass are thick in the grass beds at the mouths of the creeks. Frogs and poppers, fished over the grass, are taking numbers of fish, while the better fish are being caught on jigs and Senkos. Spinner-bait, small crank baits and top water baits are tantalizing yellow and white perch, sunfish, catfish and snakeheads.
Potomac River – Below Route 301 – Stripers are marauding baitfish on the shoals below Monroe Bay and around the grassy islands and points throughout the lower Potomac River. Sassy Shads, Rat-L-Traps and top water baits are producing well with Lefty’s Deceivers and Clouser Minnows in red and white. Fish bridge pilings, points and drop-offs with Rebel Fastrak Minnows, Rat-L-Traps, buck-tails, Storm swim baits and Sassy Shads.
Occoquan River – The grass beds at the mouth of the river are producing lots of bass for anglers using Zoom Horny Toads, buzz-baits and Pop Rs. Spinner-baits on the outside edges will take stripers. Some bass are available around the wood pilings below the Route One Bridge. Crank-baiting or flippin’ small plastic worms will take these fish. Bass are also being taken on main river points, adjacent to drop-offs, along the rock wall and around wood blow-downs. Jigging small Silver Buddies in gold colors will take these fish.
Occoquan Reservoir – Fish is good. Largemouth bass to five pounds are being caught by anglers using jig’n pig and slow-rolled spinner baits in the upper reaches of the lake, particularly in the Bull Run arm. The fish are concentrated around blow-downs in 2-10 feet of water. Down-lake, the fish are located on secondary points in 15-20 feet of water. Most successful anglers are using jig’n pig and plastic worms. With the water temperatures ranging around 68 degrees. Crappie fishing is fair with lots of small fish being taken from the fishing pier.
Burke Lake – Fewer reports of anglers on the lake. Those who are on the lake. Those who are out reporting of catching bass, crappie and yellow perch. Most of these fish are being caught on live minnows. Some bass are taking jig ‘n pig baits and plastic baits, fished on drop-offs in 8-12 feet of water.
References:
News & Messenger Serving Prince William, Manassas & Manassas Park, Virginia, by Charlie Taylor Fish Report