Anyone fish the Conestoga lately?

BelAirSteve

BelAirSteve

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I have been meaning to get up there for some smallie action - I haven't seen any posts this summer. Any word?
 
Unfortunately I haven't had the chance to fish the stoga yet this year. I'm sure you'd be able to find fish there if you're familiar with the area. I'd give it a go!
 
Everytime I look to fish it, it rains. Then stays too dang muddy to fish.
 
djmyers wrote:
Everytime I look to fish it, it rains. Then stays too dang muddy to fish.

This ^
 
I fished it the other day in the County Park in Lancaster. Water flow was around 220 cfs (before the rains came). While this is nice for wading, it made the fishing a bit tougher. When I arrived an Oriental man and his wife were emerging up the banks with a 14" smallie on a stringer. He was happy as a pig in sh*t... :-D He did have a fishing license displayed which was good. I figured if he wanted to eat fish out of that river, he's a better man than me!

At any rate, I hooked into several smaller SMB fish on a bugger pattern. I haven't fished the river extensively this summer. Big buggers always seem to do well in colors of tan, brown, or olive.
 
Fished the Lancaster Central Park last week , had a good day using crayfish patterns with the best time around 3:30pm and later. Fished Mill Creek in the park earlier in the day , had a good time there too. Hooked up with a walleye about halfway down the closed road that runs along the river. First time I have found one in that section. Didn't set the hook well as he shook it off when I got him near. Later towards evening flies started coming off and stumbled across a channel cat (second one on a fly) at the bend down where everyone else in the park tends to be. Banged him in the head with a heavily weighted crayfish a few times before he took it. Believe he was feeding on nymphs since he was actively feeding on something low in the water column that I couldn't see. Went back Sunday morning and got skunked except for a river turtle I grabbed as it was paddling around the waters edge. It wasn't in any hurry to go anywhere. Sorry for the fuzzy pics ... cheap camera .
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I have really struggled to get on the Conestoga River this summer as well. Maybe fished it once or twice early in the season. It seems that just about the time that conditions get good for wading I try to plan an evening outing and that exact night we get blasted with yet another 2-3" rain event. The water level is coming down again right now, this weekend should fish well if we don't get another 3 inches or so of rain on the spur of the moment.
 
For a review of the Conestoga's opportunities from the Cocalico confluence to the headwaters, check out the PFBC biologist report in Area 6 as written after last fall's surveys of Conestoga and Cocalico.
 
Now... If I could just figure out where the esox are, I'd be happy! :-D
 
Mmmm, local sharp tooth! Show me the way. Maybe I should fish with bigger flies when I'm there. I've made notes of a couple areas Geo where I think they SHOULD be. Doesn't mean they're actually there though. What sections were historically stocked? I want to say around the water works but not sure.
 
Mike, I seriously have been reading those reports for the last hour! Nice pic by the way with the Ontelaunee catfish!
 
Slay - the last stockings were from the Water Works up to the confluence of the Conestoga/Cocalico Creek. Where in particular they were stocked, I don't know, but that is the range that was given. I believe the last stocking was a few years ago.

I can't help but think there are some nice ones lurking in the spillway of the dam at Water Works, but getting to them is another story. That and you can't fish within 100' of the dam, so that's another challenge. As you know, the best way to cover water on the 'Stoga is by boat.
 
Yeah, I remembered the waterworks as a landmark, just couldn't recall which way they were stocked from there.
I don't think I could double haul 100' with a musky fly on my best day, even if I had Derek over my shoulder coaching me.
Like I said, I have an idea for a couple likely spots where they might be hiding. Now proper flies and techniques... I have no idea.
 
I got skunked the other day on the 'stoga in the County Park area. I hooked into one real active, fairly decent smallie on a Clouser and on the second jump it spit the fly - I have to attribute the long distance release to a total line management failure on my part (did you ever get caught between stripping line and putting it on the reel? - yeah .... that fish won that game). I did witness some of the huge schools of gizzard shad in the area (that was pretty cool to see). I also happened across a serious butt kicking carp - but he didn't want to play either. No catch days are just a part of the game sometimes.
 
Fished from around Rock Hill down to almost Safe Harbor friday evening and again Saturday morning. Hit many spots that were reliable in years past. Was fishing with son and friend. I fished flies while they used spinning tackle. We managed three fish -biggest was about 14". Nothing to write home about.
Saw very little minnow chasing activity. Crayfish were abundant.
Fished some above Rt 30 bridge on Susquehanna in evening....not a fish caught or seen. Glad I have reliable trout fishing spots because the rivers are not fishing well in this area.
 
I've fished several stretches, mostly on the upper end. Been catching a lot of smallies in the 7-10" range, but only one broke the 15" mark, which I caught down in Leola where New Holland Ave crosses the river.

Fished the Cocalico often as well, and have been catching a good amount of smallies there, though again, no pigs.
 
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