| NCC-TU Presents The 2018 Shad Report Number 1 The Accidental Shad March 16, 2018 An unusual series of events has resulted in the first shad catch of the year. On Monday afternoon, March 12th, a walleye fisherman working Big Eddy, above Chain Bridge, took a single large roe on a small swim bait. It shall be recorded that John “Last Name Unknown” landed the first 2018 Potomac River hickory shad. Never mind that he could not identify the fish and had never caught a shad before. The very reliable Chris Campo witnessed John’s catch and took the photo below while back in town on spring break. Chris had ventured up to the normally turbulent stretch below Little Falls because the river flow was very low for March and too cold for shad, but perfect for early season walleye. Chris texted the time of the catch, approximately 3:45, and the Little Falls gauge water temperature, 43.5 degrees. He was less precise about John’s last name because, after all, they just met. If you’re out there John, send us your name! Warm weather in February raised water temperatures and attracted some eager herring and shad to the Fletcher’s Cove area. By mid-month cormorants were already spotted on the usual rocks waiting for an easy meal. When water temperatures briefly hit fifty degrees the Potomac was high and muddy, spoiling early angling attempts for many. Conditions improved just in time for the present cold snap and water temps have now dropped to the low forties. Cormorants have apparently moved on, most humans too. Even Gordon Leisch has been unable to coax a strike at his namesake rock, off the trail just above the Cove. So we wait for the shad run to restart. Fletcher’s Boathouse is scheduled to open next Friday but the weather outlook is bleak, according to weather guru (and frustrated angler) Mike Bailey. The next round of winter storms, predicted for early in the week, will not likely miss the Potomac watershed again. Expect the river to come up and stay cold through the end of the month, and call ahead to confirm boat availability. For a convenient look at real-time and predicted river conditions, check out the comprehensive data assembled here by Friends of Fletcher’s Cove. Spring freshets are ultimately helpful for the shad run because fresh water and current help draw anadromous fish to their spawning grounds. An early April start for good fishing is normal. As for those walleyes, fishing has been good. Alex Binsted’s first fish of the year was a nice walleye taken in search of smallmouth bass on March 4th. The Fletcher’s Boathouse manager stood on the Virginia shoreline before the river settled down, in order to avoid debris. Walleye will qualify for the “wildcard” category in the first annual Tidal Potomac Slam Tournament, co-sponsored by NCC-TU, when it starts up on March 30th. The proceeds will go to Friends of Fletcher’s Cove and their effort to save Potomac access. See the information and links below if you would like to participate. Thanks to all who attended or participated in the NCC-TU Shad Night meeting on February 7th. Our annual celebration of the shad run is a good chance to meet and socialize with like-minded anglers, just about when anticipation for the new season heats up. Fundraising proved to be very successful this year and will benefit conservation causes important to the Chapter. Jim Cummins, our go-to fisheries biologist, was iced-in at his West Virginia home but was kind enough to send along a copy of his presentation on the state of the Potomac run. Using his slides, I pointed to the encouraging findings of juvenile American shad abundance in recent years, as recorded by the Maryland Shore Haul Seine Survey. Jim says that good numbers of first time spawners from the off-the-charts 2015 class are due to arrive this year and anglers will take notice. Are we in store for an even better season than last year, one of the best ever? We’ll find out very soon. Mark Binsted Sign Up Join Us! The National Capital Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders and CCA Maryland's Greater Washington Chapter are proud to present the first annual Tidal Potomac Slam fishing tournament. A multi-week event, compete for great prizes and bragging rights, while helping to support Friends of Fletcher’s Cove in its quest to restore the Cove and protect this unique urban fishing resource for generations to come. Sponsored by Sweetwater Brewing, RepYourWater, Costa Sunglasses, District Angling and Engel Coolers, the Potomac River Slam is a celebration of the arrival of Spring and all of the migratory species that return each year to our Nation’s River! So join the fun and get in on this year’s Shadness Madness! Visit our website |
An unusual series of events has resulted in the first shad catch of the year. On Monday afternoon, March 12th, a walleye fisherman working Big Eddy, above Chain Bridge, took a single large roe on a small swim bait. It shall be recorded that John “Last Name Unknown” landed the first 2018 Potomac River hickory shad. Never mind that he could not identify the fish and had never caught a shad before.
The very reliable Chris Campo witnessed John’s catch and took the photo below while back in town on spring break. Chris had ventured up to the normally turbulent stretch below Little Falls because the river flow was very low for March and too cold for shad, but perfect for early season walleye. Chris texted the time of the catch, approximately 3:45, and the Little Falls gauge water temperature, 43.5 degrees. He was less precise about John’s last name because, after all, they just met. If you’re out there John, send us your name!
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Warm weather in February raised water temperatures and attracted some eager herring and shad to the Fletcher’s Cove area. By mid-month cormorants were already spotted on the usual rocks waiting for an easy meal. When water temperatures briefly hit fifty degrees the Potomac was high and muddy, spoiling early angling attempts for many. Conditions improved just in time for the present cold snap and water temps have now dropped to the low forties. Cormorants have apparently moved on, most humans too. Even Gordon Leisch has been unable to coax a strike at his namesake rock, off the trail just above the Cove.
So we wait for the shad run to restart. Fletcher’s Boathouse is scheduled to open next Friday but the weather outlook is bleak, according to weather guru (and frustrated angler) Mike Bailey. The next round of winter storms, predicted for early in the week, will not likely miss the Potomac watershed again. Expect the river to come up and stay cold through the end of the month, and call ahead to confirm boat availability. For a convenient look at real-time and predicted river conditions, check out the comprehensive data assembled here by Friends of Fletcher’s Cove. Spring freshets are ultimately helpful for the shad run because fresh water and current help draw anadromous fish to their spawning grounds. An early April start for good fishing is normal.
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As for those walleyes, fishing has been good. Alex Binsted’s first fish of the year was a nice walleye taken in search of smallmouth bass on March 4th. The Fletcher’s Boathouse manager stood on the Virginia shoreline before the river settled down, in order to avoid debris. Walleye will qualify for the “wildcard” category in the first annual Tidal Potomac Slam Tournament, co-sponsored by NCC-TU, when it starts up on March 30th. The proceeds will go to Friends of Fletcher’s Cove and their effort to save Potomac access. See the information and links below if you would like to participate.
Thanks to all who attended or participated in the NCC-TU Shad Night meeting on February 7th. Our annual celebration of the shad run is a good chance to meet and socialize with like-minded anglers, just about when anticipation for the new season heats up. Fundraising proved to be very successful this year and will benefit conservation causes important to the Chapter. Jim Cummins, our go-to fisheries biologist, was iced-in at his West Virginia home but was kind enough to send along a copy of his presentation on the state of the Potomac run. Using his slides, I pointed to the encouraging findings of juvenile American shad abundance in recent years, as recorded by the Maryland Shore Haul Seine Survey. Jim says that good numbers of first time spawners from the off-the-charts 2015 class are due to arrive this year and anglers will take notice. Are we in store for an even better season than last year, one of the best ever? We’ll find out very soon.
Mark Binsted
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The National Capital Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders and CCA Maryland's Greater Washington Chapter are proud to present the first annual Tidal Potomac Slam fishing tournament. A multi-week event, compete for great prizes and bragging rights, while helping to support Friends of Fletcher’s Cove in its quest to restore the Cove and protect this unique urban fishing resource for generations to come.
Sponsored by Sweetwater Brewing, RepYourWater, Costa Sunglasses, District Angling and Engel Coolers, the Potomac River Slam is a celebration of the arrival of Spring and all of the migratory species that return each year to our Nation’s River! So join the fun and get in on this year’s Shadness Madness!
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