Raystown Lake, Huntingdon Co, 7/1/26

[jifigz]

Two days ago, I launched my boat and tried to find panfish, specifically crappie. I caught some fish that day, but no crappie, and yes, I was using a spinning rod. Forgive me, Afishinado, for I have spinned. What I saw prompted me to go back today with my fly rods. On Monday, I saw many feeding carp, so they were top priority today. Also, I saw many bluegills that I thought would be better suited to the fly rod, so they were also top priority.

Air temp: Hellish
Water: 78° and clear and beautiful.

I launched my boat at 7:30 am and quickly began scouting the coves and bays for feeding carp. Since the sun was not yet high in the sky, I had a hard time spotting them. Two days prior, they were all over there shores mudding like crazy. I eventually found carp today, but was unable to persuade any to eat my fly. I'll go back for them soon though.

Today turned into a fun day tossing foam bugs at bluegills. I probably landed 25 bluegill or so, and I brought 9 home for the table. The same green, foam bug caught every fish. It was just big enough to keep the dinks off of it. If I'd have been throwing a smaller dry, I could have easily caught over 100 gills. Anyways, it was simple and fun fishing. I had a UL spinning rod with me, too, trying to find yellow perch, but I was unsuccessful. I caught one perch there on my trip two days prior, but I struck out on them today.

Raystown is a tough lake, but I'm bound and determined to figure it out. I got off the lake at about 1:30 pm.

 

[wildtrout2]

Two days ago, I launched my boat and tried to find panfish, specifically crappie. I caught some fish that day, but no crappie, and yes, I was using a spinning rod. Forgive me, Afishinado, for I have spinned.

Very creative! 🤣

 

[ROVERT]

That fly must have been huge to keep the dinks off. We camped there a couple of weeks ago.

My son caught a bunch this size on that Yo-Zuri.

 

[dudemanspecial]

I have yet to get out to do any warm water angling this year, which is weird because I do more of that than trout fishing most years. Partly due to just being busy and partly because my youngest son is at the age where he disappears on his bike at 10am and is gone until dark, so my fishing buddy isn't around as much. I'll have to make something happen this weekend.

 

[jifigz]

That fly must have been huge to keep the dinks off. We camped there a couple of weeks ago.

My son caught a bunch this size on that Yo-Zuri.

View attachment 1641252180

Hmmm. That's not a bluegill. But I'm not sure what type of sunfish that is, either. Today, I only had encounters with pure bluegill, which have very tiny mouths. That kind of looks like a spotted sunfish. Sunfish get confusing for sure. Regardless, my dry wash like a size 12 I'd say. Most dink bluegills today would eat it and pull it under and not get hooked. The fish had to be almost 7 inches it seemed to actually get the hook in its mouth.

Did you catch any other fish? There are some huge LMB and SMB in there.

 

[TimMurphy]

I have yet to get out to do any warm water angling this year, which is weird because I do more of that than trout fishing most years. Partly due to just being busy and partly because my youngest son is at the age where he disappears on his bike at 10am and is gone until dark, so my fishing buddy isn't around as much. I'll have to make something happen this weekend.

Dear dudeman,

I had high hopes for warm-water fishing this week but this weather ain't doing me or the fish any favors. I did try yesterday at a local State Park but like 90% of the days I've gone out the wind was a steady 20 mph. Fly fishing was out of the question since the wind was straight in my face. The spin fishing was nothing much either. I managed a couple of bluegills on Gulp worms but missed many fish that couldn't manage to get a size 1o hook in their mouths. The SC area has probably the least number of lakes and ponds for any region in the State and the ones we do have are absolutely polluted with stunted sunfish.

I may have to try the Susquehanna, but I struggle to wade it with all the rock ledges locally. Maybe I'll try the Juniata when there are a few launches on large pools that I could fish with one of my float tubes easily.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

 

[TimMurphy]

Hmmm. That's not a bluegill. But I'm not sure what type of sunfish that is, either. Today, I only had encounters with pure bluegill, which have very tiny mouths. That kind of looks like a spotted sunfish. Sunfish get confusing for sure. Regardless, my dry wash like a size 12 I'd say. Most dink bluegills today would eat it and pull it under and not get hooked. The fish had to be almost 7 inches it seemed to actually get the hook in its mouth.

Did you catch any other fish? There are some huge LMB and SMB in there.

Dear jifigz,

Where did you put in at Raystown? I've only ever fished on the north side of the lake around the launch at Aitch. I've moved some large bass and a few much larger toothy critters fishing by casting parallel to the fishing pier on the lake side. Fishing the back side of the pier was like shooting crappies in a barrel. It was one on every cast.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

 

[jifigz]

Tim, I put in at Snyder's. It's the closest to my house.

 

[TimMurphy]

Tim, I put in at Snyder's. It's the closest to my house.

Dear jifigz,

I know where that is because a long time ago in a land far far away my buddy from work was showing me around Raystown in his company truck when we got rear ended by some drunk on the way to the ramp. The dude who hit us was drunker than we were, so we just let it go and carried on. 😉

Those were the days!

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

 

[Dave_W]

Cool report.
Finding big bluegills that will eat a fly in summer can be a challenge on deep lakes.