What did I see?

ryanh

ryanh

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I had a couple of free hours today and went scouting around for something new. Just for giggles I went for a walk around Mill Run Reservoir. I saw a pod of fish, probably about 20 all together each over 2 ft long slowly cruising about 50 ft of shore. What were they?

They were big, they had deeply forked tails and they were not fat. Carp would be the first thing in my mind but they were long and skinny. Not gar skinny but definitely did not look like mutated goldfish. Do pike/musky travel in schools? I watched them for a while with my bino's but couldn't say 100% what they were. They definitely had an essox look to them.

Also anyone know about the water down below the dam? I hiked it, it looked fishy but didn't have my rod so could not test the hypothesis.
 
suckers?
 
I agree with both responding posts. :) Seriously, though, I have seen the exact same thing in a lake around here and I believe I came to the conclusion that they were carp and the refraction of the water made them look thinner than they really were.

Boyer
 
Carp, pre spawn schools. also looking for warmer water..they will daisy chain this time of the year.(travel in school going in circles)
 
There are so-o-o-o-o many small flows of water and impoundments named Mill, you really must be more specific.

But if 2-foot or more, that's very big for even female white suckers.

Thinking could possibly be white armur (triploid grass carp).
 
not ladyfish,huh? too bad -they would cure you of those lite 20 pound tippets.
 
Hhhmm....
Considering the size, I can't image that they aren't carp. I'd have guessed shad or quillbacks but two feet long rules them out. Triploids do tend to be a bit more slender and I think their tails are more forked so that may be the answer.
 
I second Boyers Optical illusionary explanation.
 
Ryan
Were you there at around 11 yesterday? I was driving up to Meadow Run from Connellsville and I saw a car parked at the reservoir before the bridge. I saw someone standing at the edge of the water with a pair of binocs. I would have stopped if I would have realized it was you.
 
After reading burghwolfe post, can see reservoir. If you really want to know what's in there, check with operator of reservoir.
Is it owned by Pleasant Valley Water Authority?

A lot of water supply operations were target market for triploids and stocked triploids to cut down on algal and aquatic plant growth instead of using so much coppersulfate compounds for control. From upstream, would guess reservoir could get some nutrient loads.

Anyway, the triploids I've seen swimming around fit the discription you gave, 2-foot-ish, and slender, but especially the forked tail. Regular carp tails aren't that forked to be such an identifying feature.
Also, the ones I've seen are more greenish/dark on back, instead of bronze to bronze yellow. Carp a little more tear-drop shaped, even with refraction.
 
You cross it on the metal bridge on your way to Ohiopyle.

If they were not so skinny I would have thought only carp. Perhaps it was a tough winter for them.

Burghwolf, it very well may have been me. There was not a whole lot of other people there.
 
is that the res off of 653? i didnt know fishing was permitted there
 
381 actually goes right over the reservoir. Fishing is allowed. It is actually listed as a Big Bass Water.
 
ooh ok i know where your talkin about i had it mixed up with something else
looks like nice panfish and bass water what i was thinking about is what called cranberry lake? off of 653 by the windmills
 
Yes, Cranberry Glade lake is off of 653 like you said. It is also open to fishing. It looks very inviting although I have never done well in the few times I fished there..have never used a flyrod though.
 
Cranberry Glade is best fished with a boat for bucketmouths.
 
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