Pacemaker Fishing Forum

This is from Mike Bailey aka the "Animal". Carl taught him how to fish (they were neighbors). The rest is history!

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Average first bite near the Potomac River fall line

Getting a bit antsy and tired of feeding birds  I called and had a chat with Gordon Leisch.  He is a Potomac river Fletcher’s Cove angler and former Navy pilot/shrimper/marine biologist who has kept consistent records on the first bite since 1975.  Before that he had partial info going back to 1948.

Here is what his records reflect.

Striped Bass -       February and early March in the Tidal Basin near the warm water outflows.

White Perch -       Mid-March

Hickory Shad -     Last week of March

American Shad -  1 week to 10 days after the first H shad

Snakehead -         April high water

All of it may be a little late this year.  We both agreed that it will probably happen all at once.