Is it just me?

[ihrtffishing]

For the past few years I've been fishing the Susquehanna mostly for smallmouth bass. But this year it seems like I'm not catching anywhere near the amount I've caught in the past. Now it seems like I'm catching many more sunnies than in previous years. In previous years I would have 15+ fish every evening and my spinner rod friend would catch even more from fishing a mile long stretch. It also seems like the fish are generally smaller. At first I thought pollution was the cause but this section of river has always been polluted with garbage and mine acid. Is it possible that last years flood had something to with it? So is it just me?

 

[afishinado]

ihrtffishing wrote:
For the past few years I've been fishing the Susquehanna mostly for smallmouth bass. But this year it seems like I'm not catching anywhere near the amount I've caught in the past. Now it seems like I'm catching many more sunnies than in previous years. In previous years I would have 15+ fish every evening and my spinner rod friend would catch even more from fishing a mile long stretch. It also seems like the fish are generally smaller. At first I thought pollution was the cause but this section of river has always been polluted with garbage and mine acid. Is it possible that last years flood had something to with it? So is it just me?

I used to live up in your area, and I still get back and fish the River quite a bit up there. All my trips this season have been bad and last season wasn't really a banner year either. We had a dozen or so crack(ed) PAFFers fishing upriver from you a few weeks ago, and results were poor.

In 2010, the FBC surveys showed a good population of SMBs not that far upriver from you. It is quite possible the flood last year hurt the population. It also could be suffering from the same decline as found downriver in the Harrisburg area. I don't know, but it is a shame.

 

[ihrtffishing]

Thanks, just wanted to make sure I wasn't crazy.

 

[Kabutt]

So, say, five years ago, a typical day on the River you'd catch 20 bass? More? That's awesome, I have missed out... I fished from 7:00 to 4 or 5 both Saturday and Sunday and landed about a dozen SMBs and one nice channel cat. I'm pretty gassed about this. I was skeptical about fishing some of the water north of Hunlock. It was pretty AMD impacted and scummy-looking, but I had decent success. I can only imagine the kind of fishing a cleaner river would produce...

 

[Kabutt]

Also wanted to mention I hooked a river monster of some sort on Saturday. It immediately crossed the river and headed downstream. I wasn't in a position to follow, was into the backing within ten seconds, and had no choice but to put the brakes on. I felt a few very deliberate and incredibly powerful head shakes and it snapped me off. Cat or musky?

 

[SBecker]

Carp

 

[Kabutt]

Unlikely given the water speed and depth at which I hooked 'em, but possible... 40lb flathead, at least...

 

[barrybarry]

Foul hooked carp will tow you around for a half an hour. Kind of felt like "the old man and the sea" a couple times. But you never know. I always liked the ones you never see. Lets the imagination (and the stories) run wild.

 

[Kabutt]

'Twas a sturgeon I tell ya!

 

[henrydavid]

I've had a pretty good season so far on the North Branch, fishing at night has been the answer for me. Very good sized smallies and many nights when I lost count of how many I got to hand.