The Gregory family clearly had a ton of fun fishing the Potomac River
in the shadow of our nation’s capital. (Photo by Capt. Owen Koch)
Guide of the Month: Capt. Owen Koch, Capital Blues Fishing Charters
by Capt. Richard Simms
Most people picture Washington, D.C. strictly as the nation’s political nerve center—home to the White House, the U.S. Capitol and power brokers shaping national policy. Ask 100 or even 1,000 people to share what they think of first about the nation’s capital and odds are NONE OF THEM will mention catfishing!
Capt. Owen Koch, owner and guide of Capital Blues Fishing Charters is working hard to change that and is the March CatfishNOW “Guide of the Month.”
Capt. Koch is a fulltime fishing guide and certified U.S. Coast Guard Captain. He says, “I’ve been guiding on the DC section of the Potomac River since August of 2024.
“What really makes my job fulfilling is seeing families connect,” added Capt. Koch. “Often, that is the main purpose of the trip: divorced dads who only see their kids periodically, grandparents whose grandchildren live across the country or military service members coming off a deployment. I feel an enormous sense of responsibility to these folks who have entrusted me with a window of their limited time together, and I always strive to provide a great time on the water, regardless of how many fish we put in the boat.”
Fishing from an 18-foot pontoon, he says he “can accommodate four average-sized adults or up to six people, if half or more are kids.”
A 4-hour trip costs $475, 6-hour trips are $600, and 8-hour trips are $725. He provides all equipment, bait, fuel and fish-cleaning services.
“I am happy to clean fish 10 pounds and smaller,” said Capt. Koch. “All fish larger than 10 pounds are released.”
Clients must buy a DC fishing license. He discourages clients from bringing their own fishing gear.
My gear and bait are ‘tried and true,” he said. “I run primarily Hellcat medium-heavy rods with Abu Garcia C3 6500 conventional reels. I also have heavy-duty spinning tackle as well, for guests who prefer to crank with their left hand or have mobility restrictions on their right hand.”
A $100 deposit is required to reserve a date.
Capt. Koch primarily targets blue catfish but catches flatheads at certain times of the year. Like catfishing anywhere, numbers vary depending upon the time of year, weather patterns and clients’ preferences.
“Some people want to fill their freezer, in which case we can target high numbers of smaller, eater-sized fish, particularly in the summer,” he said. “Spring, fall and early winter are great times of year to target larger fish in the 20- to 60-pound-plus range. More often than not, we catch ‘teeners’ or larger, but nothing is guaranteed on any given day.”
He will anchor fish occasionally, but his preference is to drag planer boards in order to cover more water and present bait to more fish. He runs trips year-round, except when there is ice on the river.
In addition to catfish, he also runs shad fishing trips in the spring, during the hickory and American shad runs.
“We use ultralight spinning rigs with 6-pound test,” said Capt. Koch. “But once I had a young kid casting for shad when a catfish hit his shad dart and started ripping drag. After a 30-minute fight and at least seven long runs, we netted the 22-pound flathead. Quite the fight!”
So now you know, when you are planning that family vacation to explore our nation’s capital, all the historical buildings and rich history, you can also include an exciting adventure on the Potomac River in search of trophy blues. Capt. Koch is waiting.
“Creating big smiles, laughs and shared family memories are the true purpose behind why I guide.”
If you’re a professional catfishing guide and you’re not already listed on the CatfishNOW “Find a Guide” web page, send an e-mail to Editor Keith Sutton at catfishdude@sbcglobal.net. He’ll provide you with all the information you need to get your free listing.
(From Chattanooga, Tenn., author Capt. Richard Simms is owner of Scenic City Fishing Charters, Inc. He has been a catfish guide on the Tennessee River for 20 years. He began his outdoor career as a Tennessee game warden later choosing journalism (and guiding) as his chosen profession. You can contact him at Richard@ScenicCityFishing.com or connect with him on his Facebook page.)
