Susquehanna Catfish on the Fly

[raftman]

I've been spending a lot of time on the big rivers (Juniata, Susquehanna) this summer (it's nice having my summers off as a teacher). I usually do more traveling, but things came up and kept me close to home so I got to explore a lot more of these waters. I've gotten into some really nice bass and landed more catfish this year than ever before. All were around 16 inches.. until Saturday. I was floating and fishing from my kayak and got into probably the biggest fish I've ever landed. I caught a Bull Trout that was similar in length, but nowhere near the WEIGHT of this dude. I was using a 6/7 weight fiberglass rod and really just held on for fifteen minutes. There was no way I was muscling this guy in and he'd take me on these incredible runs where he was actually pulling me and the kayak upstream through current. Took me into my backing at least twice. I could barely lift him out of the water... what a ride!

 

[wildtrout2]

Wow, that's an amazing catch! Congrats.

 

[krayfish2]

Nice. They pull hard too. Caught a bunch over the last few years that were 6-10 pounds. Looking for that 25 pound flathead on a fly though.

 

[raftman]

Nice. They pull hard too. Caught a bunch over the last few years that were 6-10 pounds. Looking for that 25 pound flathead on a fly though.

Yeah... it was pretty incredible how far he dragged me upstream and the way he dove was insane. I've never had my reel go that fast or into my backing. I wish I would have gotten a weight on it

 

[Fish Sticks]

On wooly bugger near the bottom?

 

[goose54cdd]

Great fish!

 

[krayfish2]

The ones I've caught have come on sparkle minnows, clousers and even a popper.

 

[raftman]

On wooly bugger near the bottom?

Actually no... though I have caught quite a few on crayfish and bugger patterns. This was on a sparkling minnow type fly that I wish I had more of or that I wish I could tie...

All have been caught fishing upstream and stripping the fly back towards me, usually on the first jig.

 

[Beernut]

Very nice! I was catching them during the white fly hatch and they kept bending out my dry fly hooks. Lots of fun.

 

[Fish Sticks]

I’ve heard some people say they are in moving water. I fish a lot between the rock outcropings around 3 mile islands for rock bass during day and night with big size 4-6 wets/buggers and I never run into them. Not much current between those rock outcroppings though wonder if I need to find some current?

 

[raftman]

Fish Sticks,

Yeah man, find moving water. I fish that area a lot as well... hit me up if you want to head out sometime together. I was up there once and had a MONSTER flathead (I'm talking like 35 inches long) bite a channel catfish I was trying to land. We tangled for a few minutes before it let go. I wrote about it for Strung Magazine if you're interested in reading more about it. Cast up into the head of a riffle and start stripping back, jigging and letting your fly sink. You'll get into them.

- Michael

 

[Fish Sticks]

Fish Sticks,

Yeah man, find moving water. I fish that area a lot as well... hit me up if you want to head out sometime together. I was up there once and had a MONSTER flathead (I'm talking like 35 inches long) bite a channel catfish I was trying to land. We tangled for a few minutes before it let go. I wrote about it for Strung Magazine if you're interested in reading more about it. Cast up into the head of a riffle and start stripping back, jigging and letting your fly sink. You'll get into them.

- Michael

Yea man when I get free i’ll have to hit ya up to get out there sometime. I will have to start fishing upstream and jigging. If tried fishing for flatheads with the fly. Ive seen some articles from down south with a couple shots of flatheads caught kinda by surprise on fly but I don’t know if there is anyone consistently catching them in the susky up here on fly? I know channels are much more common.

 

[krayfish2]

Almost all of the catfish I've caught have been in shallow fast water or right below a natural shelf that creates a riff and a deep hole. To get a flat head, I think you need a fly with a giant profile that is unweighted. You need a fast sinking sink tip to pull your line to the bottom and allow the fly to be up off of the bottom. I think that it would also have to be a fairly large profile and they have no hesitation in chasing down a fast-moving Target. I caught one on a crankbait earlier this year while trying to reel it in quickly to recast.

Now that there's enough water out in front of my house, hope to get a few floats in soon and try a little flat head experimentation

 

[Fish Sticks]

Almost all of the catfish I've caught have been in shallow fast water or right below a natural shelf that creates a riff and a deep hole. To get a flat head, I think you need a fly with a giant profile that is unweighted. You need a fast sinking sink tip to pull your line to the bottom and allow the fly to be up off of the bottom. I think that it would also have to be a fairly large profile and they have no hesitation in chasing down a fast-moving Target. I caught one on a crankbait earlier this year while trying to reel it in quickly to recast.

Now that there's enough water out in front of my house, hope to get a few floats in soon and try a little flat head

Id love to find a shallow gently sloped gravel bar with safe footing next to a riffle or run i could familiarize myself with and then go out and try some stuff at night for em to see if that increases the odds or not.

 

[krayfish2]

If it helps you at all, I think you'll find them in those fast water sections during the day. When I've come into the shallows by the ramps in the evenings and turn on my headlamp, catfish everywhere in the slow shallows. I'm talking a foot of water. Not much current and not bothered by the light either. They don't spook. Hold their spot or slowly drift to the edge of the lighted water.

 

[Fish Sticks]

Oh wow thats good to know and maybe explains when I was night fishing the lower Swatty this summer what may have spooked. I was off the side of a riffle in about of foot of slower water and something big gave a couple of explosive tail movements and peaced out. Too big to be a bass and not a section i see carp in im guessing was catfish. Im guessing similar to trout at night, shallow cray fish infested flats with no current are gold.

 

[raftman]

right below a natural shelf that creates a riff and a deep hole.

This! Find those ledges (which there are a lot of on the Susky) and cast to their lip, let your fly sink a bit (I almost always use intermediate line on the Susky if I'm wishing below the surface, even for. bass) and strip back. I usually get them on that first strip. I think channels like to sit at the base of those ledges and feed on whatever drifts through.

 

[Fish Sticks]

This! Find those ledges (which there are a lot of on the Susky) and cast to their lip, let your fly sink a bit (I almost always use intermediate line on the Susky if I'm wishing below the surface, even for. bass) and strip back. I usually get them on that first strip. I think channels like to sit at the base of those ledges and feed on whatever drifts through.

I gotta get some more time on the river to try this stuff out, need more time on the water period. Im limited to trading sleep for fishing at night only right now with work and family.