Smallie Spawn

[afishinado]

The water levels in rivers during the spawn have a great effect on the spawning success of SMBs.

The spring flows have been very high this spring, but given the lower temps, perhaps spawning has been delayed a bit...I doubt it though. We must wait for the late summer shocking survey of YOY bass to answer the question.

To get the smallie population back to decent levels in many of our rivers we need a little luck and have a few years of low to moderate flows during the spawn.

Here is a link to an excellent report by the PFBC on the subject:

http://www.fish.state.pa.us/images/fisheries/info_sheets/smbass_yoy.pdf

 

[Fishidiot]

Yeah - I'm worried too.

The last 2-3 years we seem to have these massive flood events during the late May early June critical time period.

I agree, we will have to see the upcoming YOY...but I'm not optimistic. :-(

 

[TLoomis]

I'm no expert, but I was on the J all day Musky fishing the day before the levels came up. Of all the smallmouth we caught (10-15), only one fish showed signs of spawning (marked up fins). We also looked for redds all morning and didn't see any in the shallow water. Hopefully the fish were either not spawning yet, or spawning in the deeper, more protected water since the water was already up pretty good. We can only wait to see

 

[cricketontherun]

It's been stranger than I've ever seen. I fish Western Pa from the Youghiogheny to Erie, and everything is off with the lack of pre-spawn and spawning activity. The Erie area activity is the most distinct, and it's still not even what I would consider pre-spawn! It's more like late April than late May! As for most of the river and stream systems; it's been high water. REALLY high water. Last year was a very high water spring and summer in this part of the state, but things where still fairly "on time". I'm not sure what to think?

 

[TLoomis]

Have you noticed colder water temps then usual? ^

 

[Bosshog]

Water temps are definitely lower then normal here in SEPA. People are still actively catching trout in the stocked streams. By this time most of those trout are dead from the warmer temps. Definitely a cooler then average start to the year, with more cooler temps in store for this week after tomorrow.

 

[melvinp]

I waited and waited to see the smallies come up out of the river into the feeder creeks,Nothing and still nothing then all at once they came a cruzen,They were at least a month late compared to last year up in the northern counties .

 

[csoult]

Bosshog wrote:
Water temps are definitely lower then normal here in SEPA. People are still actively catching trout in the stocked streams. By this time most of those trout are dead from the warmer temps.

Really? This early?

 

[cricketontherun]

TLoomis wrote:
Have you noticed colder water temps then usual? ^

The air and water temps have been cooler up north, but the water temps in SW PA have been fairly on point. I actually seems as the high amounts of rain have brought up the water temps in cases like the Yough. Targeting smallies now is a tuff call because I usually leave them alone until after fathers day, but I have still seen very little "predictable" behavior.