Get Hooked
The Park Authority Has a New Fishing Website

Fairfax County Park Authority

Fairfax County Park AuthorityThe Fairfax County Park Authority wants to reel you in with its new website dedicated to fishing in and around the county.

Anglers can consult the site for weekly fishing reports, and new articles related to fishing will be posted every two weeks. The website contains tips to help you get the most from your day of fishing and a bragging board to let you share photos of your catch of the day.

The fishing website provides information on the best places to fish in and around Fairfax County and a calendar with fishing-related events. In addition, there are photos and information to help you identify local fish.

Many interesting articles can also be found on this website talking about cold winter fishing, maintaining your fishing equipment, Striped Bass fishing to name just a few.  A topical article by Chase Brown offers what you need to know about fall and winter fishing for catfish.

Park Authority’s Dan Grulke writes, “There are many different species of catfish that are native to the waters of Fairfax County, including the brown bullhead, yellow bullhead and white catfish. Some nonnative species that inhabit county bodies of water are the channel, clue, and flathead catfish. No matter what species you’re after, the tricks and tips to catching them are all the same. “

He instructs, “The most popular way to catch catfish by far is using bait, such as worms or liver, that produce pungent smells in the water. Catfish rely heavily on their sense of smell to find food, so the smelliest baits generally produce good results.

However, during the fall and winter, the water gets colder and your smelly catfish baits don’t travel through the water as much as they did in the warmer months of spring and summer. If you find yourself in a similar situation such as this one, the best bait he can recommend is live or cut baitfish such as bluegills or shad. The smell of the fish will travel much better in the colder water; and since baitfish aren’t as prevalent in the colder months, the catfish will be more willing to take your bait. Using live bait increases your chances of success even further, as the scent and frantic movement of the bait will bring in predators from all around to check it out.”  

Read the rest of his article which discusses the best tackle and rig, the best time of day, and the best locations in Fairfax County, such as Burke Lake, Lake Mercer or along the George Washington Parkway around Alexandria and Mount Vernon, or at Buzzards Bay in Great Falls National Park along the Potomac.

Folks seeking additional information can submit their queries to the Question/Answer Board by emailing the Park Authority’s Dan Grulke at dan.grulke@fairfaxcounty.gov.

For more information, 703-324-8662, or send an email to:
parkmail@fairfaxcounty.gov.  
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/fishing

 

 

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