Lower Susquehanna River, York County, 7/17/2019

[HopBack]

Time fished: 8:00am-11:30am

Air temp: 75-90 degrees

Water temp: bath water

Bugs: spent mayflies and damsel flies

Effective flies: swing crawl, crayfish, black bunny leech



I took off work today in an attempt to beat the impending weekend heat and met up with Raftman to fish the lower river. Both of us have fished the river several times so far this year with very limited success. Same story everywhere.

Things started out about the same way. We took kayaks out to some great looking channels and rock structures but only say a few picky bass taking small surface insects. We tossed poppers and topwater flies to no avail and paddled on up river to some islands and shallow water.

At this point we had been fishing and paddling for 2 hours with no bass in hand. Things were looking pretty bleak but our luck quickly changed with the new locale.

Raftman did the best landing 3 nice size bass on a swing crawl and I ended up landing 5 average bass and a nice channel cat around. 25 inches. Great fighters on the fly rod but you know right away when you hook a catfish, like coming in second place.

All in all not a bad outing when you compare it to how the conditions have generally been for everyone this year. I hope it’s a sign of good things to come!


Raftman fishing the flats

Raftman hooked up

Hopback’s first bass on the fly for year

Pair of really nice smallies caught by Raftman

And one more decent bass

 

[afishinado]

Very nice guys.

Hopefully this is the beginning of a good smallie summer and fall season this year on the Susky.

 

[jifigz]

Nice. The Juniata is definitely coming around. Things are looking on the up and up. I need to get down and tackle the big river with you guys sometime.

 

[Mike]

I don't know where you fished earlier in the trip, so I can only add a general comment or tip that the rocky, nearly stagnant, backwater areas always on river-right below each dam look inviting, but hold very few fish in my electrofishing experiences under typical summer, lower flow conditions. That changes when there is more current.