Got out on the Juniata in my boat for the first time this summer and joined up with Afishinado for some late afternoon bassin. . .
WEATHER: Partly sunny, mid 80s, with a steady breeze downriver. Tough paddling upriver.
WATER: 4.2' at the Newport gage; 77 degrees F (confirmed with thermometer); stained with a max visibility of about 2 feet of depth; lots of dislodged grass on surface. Heavy angling pressure for a weekday - more cars than I would have expected for a weekend, much less a Wednesday.
HATCHES/FORAGE: Lots of baitfish in flooded shoreline vegetation with a couple bass hits on them; a few sporadic whitish mayflies but no surface activity. A few damselflies out and about, but no hits on them (probably due to the stained water). Saw no crayfish.
Got on the water about 3pm. Afish had been at it for a hour or so and had had some luck on top, including a couple fish in the upper teens. I chatted up some spin guys at the boat ramp who had had a good day.
Due to the higher than average, stained water I started with a dark streamer fly which produced only one fish. I switched to poppers and had modest success with small fish close to shore. It's been my experience that when levels are a bit higher than normal (such as today - normal for this time of year is about 3.7') that SMBs move closer to the bank and smaller ones seem to really like to get right up into flooded lizard grass, especially if there's current. I noticed this trend on this trip. However, action was pretty slow for me and I wound up catching just a few small bass and one large sunfish. Both Afish and I pulled out before evening so can't say how it might have been later.
Good to get out, but a below average day for catching. The one good note was I saw lots of YOY bass in the shallows - always an auspicious sign.
WEATHER: Partly sunny, mid 80s, with a steady breeze downriver. Tough paddling upriver.
WATER: 4.2' at the Newport gage; 77 degrees F (confirmed with thermometer); stained with a max visibility of about 2 feet of depth; lots of dislodged grass on surface. Heavy angling pressure for a weekday - more cars than I would have expected for a weekend, much less a Wednesday.
HATCHES/FORAGE: Lots of baitfish in flooded shoreline vegetation with a couple bass hits on them; a few sporadic whitish mayflies but no surface activity. A few damselflies out and about, but no hits on them (probably due to the stained water). Saw no crayfish.
Got on the water about 3pm. Afish had been at it for a hour or so and had had some luck on top, including a couple fish in the upper teens. I chatted up some spin guys at the boat ramp who had had a good day.
Due to the higher than average, stained water I started with a dark streamer fly which produced only one fish. I switched to poppers and had modest success with small fish close to shore. It's been my experience that when levels are a bit higher than normal (such as today - normal for this time of year is about 3.7') that SMBs move closer to the bank and smaller ones seem to really like to get right up into flooded lizard grass, especially if there's current. I noticed this trend on this trip. However, action was pretty slow for me and I wound up catching just a few small bass and one large sunfish. Both Afish and I pulled out before evening so can't say how it might have been later.
Good to get out, but a below average day for catching. The one good note was I saw lots of YOY bass in the shallows - always an auspicious sign.
