Weekend Fishing Report

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In the Potomac River's upper D.C. waters at the Boathouse at Fletcher's Cove -- a new name for what used to be simply known as Fletcher's Boathouse -- the shad fishing has declined somewhat, but the crew at the Boathouse says some of the American shad that have been hanging around are magnificent, weighing up to five pounds.

A patient, skilled angler could hook 10 or 15 in an outing -- enough to make for sore arm muscles. Fletcher's carries shad darts, District fishing licenses, bloodworms, nightcrawler and herring, plus it offers boat rentals. In addition to the shad, some legal-sized striped bass are possible, as are catfish.

The tidal bass waters of the Potomac is home to yet another large tournament this weekend. You'll see 200 competition boats running up and down the river, hunting for 15-inch-and-up keeper largemouths. This week, we did well over submersed vegetation, rigging scented plastic worms in the "wacky" style, which means inserting a hook with a weedguard into the center of the worm and slowly dragging it through the green coonweeds and milfoil up in the river's various feeder creeks.

In the Chesapeake Bay, the big stripers are slowly departing. The lack of large rockfish is being noticed up in the northern sectors around the Susquehanna Flats and other areas, but as you head down the bay, toward Southern Maryland and Virginia's Northern Neck, the trollers continue to strike it rich with trophy rockfish. Croakers are now inside the Patuxent River mouth, also at the Point Lookout State Park pier (especially at night) and inside the Potomac up to the Wicomico.

Fishermen who've been looking for black drum around Cape Charles, Va., and the famous Cabbage Patch waters in the lowest parts of the Chesapeake have been disappointed with the spotty action. However, the flounder fishing is going great guns, with Buoy 36A and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel showing plenty of action.

(Ratings key: ****]=excellent fishing; ***=Good; **=Fair; *=Poor.)

AREA 1: D.C. AND VICINITY