Susquehanna 6/27

[LehighGuide]

Didn't fare any better from Duncannon to Marysville. I caught one nice smallie on the fly rod, 15" 2lbs.+ nice and healthy, and missed a nice tug with a hellagrammite pattern. The fish I caught was with my Chain Reaction Leech pattern in Chartreuse and it got slammed on the first strip, the fish did not put up much of fight. That was all the action I had all day between the fly rod, spin rod, and casting rod. Now get ready, I saw one baby smallie with white patches, just like when the big kill happened two years ago, gasping/sucking for air on the surface. I also saw a big catty that appeared to be struggling for life. We drifted over a few nice smallies that spooked as they usually do when you come over them quickly, maybe five we spooked out. The fish I caught was in a fast pocket behind a rock right along the seam. Most of the fish I saw and spooked out were in the tailouts, for lack of a better term, the water just in front of the ledges where it picks up a little depth. I have a feeling that wade fishing is better right now because there's so few bass and they're so spread out that you need to be very systematic about working the water over very carefully, I like to drift and fish so I only stopped to pound a few places with no results.

 

[Maurice]

I fished below Rte 30 on the York Side on Tuesday for the last two hours of daylight. Only saw a few nice fish porpoise and a handfull of rises. Not many bug to mention. I don;t recall seeing a mayfly but the swallows were busy high in the sky.

I didn't have a hit. Mostly I watched the surface and lobbed a crayfish immi into the riffles on the ledges. It's pretty depressing. But i am anticipating the white fly. this will bring some fish to the top, hopefully enough to keep me busy.

Thanks for the report LehighGuide

Maurice

 

[LehighGuide]

Oh, I did see sulphurs and a few small cahills(#16), no they weren't white flies, and a few rises but surface presentations did not produce any strikes. I did work the braids above Lady Liberty for about an hour with a small popper and did not have a strike.

 

[shipnfish2006]

I haven't been on the river yet this year, but the creeks are fishing well for smallies. My buddy and I got about 10-15 a piece on Saturday in about 2 hours. Biggest was about 17". I used streamers and he used crayfish and twisters. Hopefully it gets better soon here.

 

[MattBoyer]

Ship, you're right across the river from where I grew up, and my question for you is this: Have you noticed that ever since the fish kills started on the Susky that the tribs have just blown up as far as smallies go? Over on the east shore I have a few "trout" streams that have smallies further up than I can ever remember. Maybe it is because I used to be at the river that time of year, but it just seams like all the little streams are getting smallie and walleye "runs" anymore. Once again, it could be my imagination, but I figured I'd ask.

Boyer

 

[Maurice]

Boyer,

That is an interesting concept....and plausible. maybe the fish are unhappy with the water quality of the river and moving into the tribs. Of course if you are talking about pre-spawn activity, I have to say it is a pretty well known fact that the big fish are evident in the tribs during trout season.

Hmmmm.....

Maurice

 

[shipnfish2006]

MattBoyer wrote:
Ship, you're right across the river from where I grew up, and my question for you is this: Have you noticed that ever since the fish kills started on the Susky that the tribs have just blown up as far as smallies go? Over on the east shore I have a few "trout" streams that have smallies further up than I can ever remember. Maybe it is because I used to be at the river that time of year, but it just seams like all the little streams are getting smallie and walleye "runs" anymore. Once again, it could be my imagination, but I figured I'd ask.

Boyer

From what I've seen the populations that I've been fishing have been about the same throughout the whole problem on the river. A couple of trout streams I fish produce some smallmouths, but its still pretty much the same couple of creeks that have the strong populations.

 

[LehighGuide]

I floated the Delaware on Saturday from PPL to Sandts Eddy(just above Easton) and we boated around 20 smallies in about 5 hours plus a nice walleye(not on a fly). All in all I thought it fished well considering that the water was pretty off color and we fished mostly mid day.

 

[skiltonian]

I've found that smallies do enter trout streams when temps get too warm. I've caught up to 4 lb SM in streams on average 15' wide. If this type of fishing interests you, target cooler creek mouths and spring influxes. You'll find them easily if you are wet wading and remember the spot for next time. Water depths don't need to be much so sometimes a stealthy approach is needed.
I don't think water quality had anything to do with it, smallies do like moving and more oxegenated water if they have the choice.
Best part about it is you can get a few rainbows and browns in the mix.

Tight Lines,

Skiltonian

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

i love SM because they fight so hard. i also hate them for the same reason. once while fishing a stocked trout stream i landed a 4 lb largemouth under a bridge. i saw a 25 inch brown earlier under there. so i kept fishing. then i had it. something big. i couldnt move it from under the bridge. i thought i had that brown. instead it was a 5lb SM. the guy watchin me was like WHOA! those are 2 nice bass. and they were, but i wanted that trout :-D