poopdeck wrote:
Jack has not a clue. Welcome. Where are you coming from and what parts exactly are you relocating to. You will find that we have the best fishing oppurtunities in the state, unless your one of those 5" Brook trout hunters. The delaware river offers some of the best fishing in the state with the exceptional shad and striper runs, great year round smallmouth and largemouth fishing, fantastic walleye fishing in the cooler months, and an impressive array of catfishing oppurtunities. Some may scoff at Catfishing but the flatheads are nearing the 50 lb mark.
Plenty of local warm water waterways that offer every type of panfish, bass and huge carp. If you want to challenge yourself try to land a carp on a fly rod. They are a very worthy adversary' and much more difficult to catch then most fish species.
Within an hours drive you can fish for 5" brook trout or hit the salt for stripers, flounder, sea bass, ling, cod, or whatever else grabs your fancy.
you will enjoy the fishing oppurtunies that we have in the area and will soon wonder why you did not come sooner.
To clarify: There are some carp within an hour or so. The fact that so many around here choose to fish for them should tell you all you really need to know. There are also small panfish and bass in streams riddled with refrigerators and auto parts just about everywhere, as well, if you've had a recent tetanus innoculation. There are indeed catfish in the Schuykill river, but you can't eat them (you can't eat anything from freshwater anywhere near here if you have sense). Further, there are catfish and carp in every tepid piece of otherwise filthy water everywhere in the East, for that matter. There are a few nice little wild trout streams (with nice little wild trout) within an hour or so, as well. From time to time, as you might imagine, people show up to fish these streams. It is also true that the shore is but an hour away (if you drive at 90), and that there are fish in the Atlantic Ocean. Stripers haven't been fishing well with a fly rod from shore in about five years or so (maybe four), so unless you are looking for countless hours of casting practice, you probably should use bait or charter a boat. You can catch flounder on a fly-that is true. I've never seen or heard of anyone catching a ling on a flyrod ever. I haven't heard of anyone catching a cod in the last ten years anywhere on any type of rod. There are bluefish, however, and lots of them. They love flies. What they most seem to love about them is their ability to turn them back into bare hooks in one fight. Do not lip bluefish. On the subject of toothy critters, there actually are some decent spots for musky nearby (if you're into that sort of thing).
If, however, you're looking for beautiful settings, clear, clean, fertile water, big hatches, and big, healthy fish, you are generally, at a minimum, at least two hours if not three from where you need to be to experience that. Sorry to break the spell that Poopdeck may have spun, but I can't let you think you're headed somewhere where the fishing is good. It ain't. Three hours, and it can be fantastic. But generally, Jack is right on. Best of luck to you, and like Jack, I offer my humble condolences. Perhaps if you are coming here from industrialized Guanging Province in China, you will find the fishing to be an improvement, but if you have been places other than SE PA, you will likely find things a bit lacking.
