Susky musky article

[wgmiller]

This ran in today's Sunday News: http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/240761

Should help to take some pressure off of the Lititz Run trout! :-D

In all seriousness, this article isn't about a fly fisherman, but I did find something that certainly pertains to us. The fisherman states that 99% of his fishing is either done from shore or wading. Certainly that is of interest to a fly fisherman since the 42" hog he landed wasn't that far away!

 

[Fishidiot]

Neat link - thanks. We've got some good musky fishin here in center state. While it can't compare to the western PA counties in the Allegheny watershed, it's till pretty good. The Juniata and Susky Rivers produce fish in the 30 lb class every year, although usually as accidental catches by bass or walleye fishermen. In the last decade or so, the upper Potomac has become a first class musky river too. Interestingly enough, we can largely thank Charlie Fox for driving the movement to exapand muskies into the Susky watershed back in the mid-60s. Charlie just loved muskies. There are folks like this fella who focus on muskies and they do pretty good. Like smallmouths, I prefer to fish muskies by wading rivers. One nice plus about river muskies is they fish well year round. While I rarely target muskies with fly gear, I always have at least a couple musky flies with my bass gear. Often, I'll see a muskie follow in a hooked bass and sometimes they can be caught if you can react quick enough and get a fly to 'em.

 

[Maurice]

Fishidiot wrote:
Neat link - thanks. We've got some good musky fishin here in center state. While it can't compare to the western PA counties in the Allegheny watershed, it's till pretty good. The Juniata and Susky Rivers produce fish in the 30 lb class every year, although usually as accidental catches by bass or walleye fishermen. In the last decade or so, the upper Potomac has become a first class musky river too. Interestingly enough, we can largely thank Charlie Fox for driving the movement to exapand muskies into the Susky watershed back in the mid-60s. Charlie just loved muskies. There are folks like this fella who focus on muskies and they do pretty good. Like smallmouths, I prefer to fish muskies by wading rivers. One nice plus about river muskies is they fish well year round. While I rarely target muskies with fly gear, I always have at least a couple musky flies with my bass gear. Often, I'll see a muskie follow in a hooked bass and sometimes they can be caught if you can react quick enough and get a fly to 'em.

I enjoyed the article too David. And also your added input. LEarn something new everyday. But I have to challenge your use of the word "often" when seeing muskies follow a bass in. I have never seen a musky on the Susky but keep in mind I don't fish it alot in the mid day July-August or Jan-Feb time frame.

 

[JF_]

Good article...thanks.

It's amazing that there was an 18 inch catfish in its stomach.
Wow!

 

[Mike]

Note that Mr. Mellinger said that he also fishes the Conestoga River. Any angler in general, and fly anglers in particular, would probably have a better chance of his lure or fly passing over a muskellunge in a smaller body of water than the Susquehanna. The Conestoga has been stocked for perhaps 2 decades from the confluence of Cocalico Creek downstream to Lancaster Waterworks Dam. I am relatively certain that there are fish a few miles below that point as well given the range of these fish. In a Wisconsin river, for instance, radio telemetry has revealed that muskies move up to 30 miles from point A to point B below a dam in the fall, then return to point A after spawning.

 

[Fishidiot]

Mo,
Now that you mention it, I think "often" may not have been the best choice of words. I have seen muskies follow hooked bass perhaps 3 or 4 times over the years. I have never had a musky take a hooked bass (or any fish) off my line but others fishermen have. About 12 years ago, there was a fellow who used to guide for bass and muskies on the Susky around Harrisburg. He was a regular in the Patriot News Big Fish Contest back then although I haven't heard his name mentioned in recent years. Anyway, this guy got a lot of muskies in the Susky/Juniata Rivers and on the musky opener one year, he hooked a 32" musky near Duncannon and while bringing it in, this musky was followed in and attacked by a much larger muskie. This fella had caught muskies over 50" and got a good look at the giant while it grabbed the smaller musky and shook it. The big fish dropped the smaller one then seized it again. He estimated the big musky was at least 55 inches. Eventually, he was able to get the little fish in and although chewed up he was able to revive and release it. While he tried repeatedly to catch the big one, he apparently never saw it again. Heckava story. This story was written up in (I think) the Patriot News probably about May/June of 1997. I kept the article and I'll look to see if I can still find it in my old hard copy fishin files.