I may have caught a state record fallfish

[RLeep2]

Kodrich, research statistics. We fished a lot. "sample collecting"

Bill just passed away a couple weeks ago. He was 90. I was fortunate to know him pretty well during my days doing Pennsylvania TROUT in the 80's and 90's. He was a good man..

William Kodrich Obituary | March 2, 2024 | Rupert Funeral Homes - New Bethlehem, PA

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[MissingPotter]

I agree in appreciating fallfish. In most cases, the value we ascribe to fish species is subjective. For example, what makes trout better to catch than bluegill? In other words, why to we stock the heck out of trout when there are so many bluegill to catch? I'm not trying to hijack, just adding a perspective.

Maybe shoulda switched out your pic before posting that one! 🙂 Just teasin man.

 

[Bamboozle]

I'm lousy at fish identification especially when it comes to stuff I can lump into one group like "sunnies" or "chubs" but in regards to fallfish and/or chubs...

...which one or do both make that weird "let me go" croaking sound when I attempt to extract the fly??

And NO I'm not squeezing them too hard as I usually only lip fish in the water and pop out the fly versus using a net or taking them completely out with my hand.

 

[rustbeltwilds]

Fallfish make that noise. Like a wet burp lol ya think your killing them but its just trapped air lol

 

[redietz]

Fallfish make that noise.

Just before they s**t in your hand.

 

[Bamboozle]

Just before they s**t in your hand.

Speaking of that...

At particular times of the year (don't ask me when because I want to forget) when I go on one of my annual boat excursions for sunfish, the sunnies p!$$ when you hold them to get them off the hook!! 😳

So including the panfish "problem," the fallfish "faux pas" and a fall brookie I nicknamed "Milt" that got a little excited...

I have probably been disrespected by fish in more ways that most... 😉

 

[wbranch]

I heard the same "plank" cooking instructions for shad when I first started fishing for them in the Delaware... 😉

Even though my Dad must of told me that story a dozen times I always enjoyed him telling it to me. My Dad & my best friend back in 1999.

 

[tomgamber]

Fallfish make that noise. Like a wet burp lol ya think your killing them but its just trapped air lol

Like a croaker on OBX

 

[Oregon_OwlII]

My buddy caught this monster.

There are some big ones in the Delaware system.

 

[Bamboozle]

I used to regularly fish for fallfish in the Delaware at the Delaware Water Gap and near the mouth of the Brodhead. The fishing and the fish were so good that I even enticed some old buddies from Brooklyn to come west and go fishing with me.

 

[Mike]

The largest fallfish that I have ever seen fishing: Kettle Ck…upstream at least 5 mi from the lake. Electrofishing: Middle Ck, Snyder Co. The Kettle Ck fish (2) bracketed a 19.5 inch BT while night fishing and when I caught the BT I wasn’t certain if I had another 20+ inch fallfish on the line or a trout. I was standing in the middle of a long pool and the fish all had opportunity to run in any direction and it wasn’t until the BT circled around me on a shortened line that I had the feeling that the fish was a trout. Learned that larger fallfish can put up an impressive battle for a while, unlike the 12-14 inchers that seem to lack stamina.

 

[Mike]

Bill just passed away a couple weeks ago. He was 90. I was fortunate to know him pretty well during my days doing Pennsylvania TROUT in the 80's and 90's. He was a good man..

William Kodrich Obituary | March 2, 2024 | Rupert Funeral Homes - New Bethlehem, PA

Share memories & support the family

www.rupertfuneralhomes.com

Ouch! I was not aware that he had passed. He was on my graduate committee and taught my biometry and population genetics classes. We communicated for yrs at Christmas. I admired him greatly as a biologist/ecologist and we also had many great laughs during my time at Clarion. He and his great friend and office mate, Dr J Robert Moore, my graduate advisor, had great influences on my career, not just with respect to what I learned in a classroom or in the field, but with respect to how I approached my work. They helped their graduate students develop a certain mental toughness that served them well in their careers. So many had great success and were spread throughout this country earning Ph. D.’s and working in academia or going as Clarion grads directly to environmental consulting firms and various federal and states’ agencies.

 

[JeffP]

I've always heard stories about the people back in the day catching suckers out of Fishing Creek and Little Fishing Creek and then canning them. Thats when eels also romed those waters and was a big thing I guess.

Vanishing Trout has early season sucker fishing accounts.

 

[JeffK]

I remember eating suckers. Some people gigged them, others had weirs, and some bait fished. People only ate suckers in late winter, usually Feb and March. The rule was sucker meat was mushy when the water temp reached 50F. People also used to can suckers. Once steamed didn't taste all that different from canned tuna.

 

[krayfish2]

Chubs / fallfish will give you a decent but short lived fight. It also seems that the fight is best when water temps are 50-60 degrees.

Gotta appreciate a fish who's first line of defense is to sh*t on ya

 

[discomidge]

I may have caught a state record for most psychedelic fallfish.

 

[afishinado]

I may have caught a state record for most psychedelic fallfish.
View attachment 1641235772

That's a Creek Chub, I believe >

 

[discomidge]

If it is, it’s the biggest chub I’ve ever caught - that fish is about 16”. I’m no expert but I read last night that fallfish get colored up like that and develop bumps on their heads like chub when they spawn and it’s that season.

 

[Swattie87]

If it is, it’s the biggest chub I’ve ever caught - that fish is about 16”. I’m no expert but I read last night that fallfish get colored up like that and develop bumps on their heads like chub when they spawn and it’s that season.

It’s a Fallfish.

Fallfish develop the purple coloration and tubercles during spawning season (similar to Creek Chubs). They spawn in the Spring, similar to Chubs and other minnow species, so catching one in that condition this time of year makes sense.

 

[jifigz]

I agree. It's a spawning fallfish.. Their spawning structures are impressive. They have to work hard to build them.