WB Susky

[SBecker]

My son is finishing up his wrestling camp at Lock Haven tomorrow (Monday). I can’t pick him up till 5ish, so I was thinking about bringing the drift boat up earlier and doing a short float for some smallies. I have no familiarity with the WB, and was hoping someone could lead me to a launch that I can either row upriver and fish or one that the float between ramps are not too shallow.

Anywhere between Bucknell and Lock Haven will work.

Suggestions?

Is Uber up that way for shuttling?

 

[wildtrout2]

Hope you find the access you're looking for. Looking forward to an update on your excursion. I was always curious about that stretch of river.

 

[TimMurphy]

Dear SBecker,

PFBC Montoursville launch behind the Williamsport airport to the PFBC Muncy launch off Rte. 405.

You could also put in at Muncy and float to Montgomery or put in at either of those sites and row or motor upstream and fish the ledges around the ramps. Lots of interesting water upstream from the Muncy launch along the opposite bank.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

 

[SBecker]

Dear SBecker,

PFBC Montoursville launch behind the Williamsport airport to the PFBC Muncy launch off Rte. 405.

You could also put in at Muncy and float to Montgomery or put in at either of those sites and row or motor upstream and fish the ledges around the ramps. Lots of interesting water upstream from the Muncy launch along the opposite bank.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

Appreciate the info!

 

[TimMurphy]

Appreciate the info!

No problem. I used to fish from all those launches with a jet johnboat in the olden days. There is a large pool immediately above the Muncy ramp. It's probably over 1/4 mile long but then you reach a shallow section that you can't pass as you head upriver. There is a lot of water along both banks in that pool that is worth fishing. Lots of ledges with deep drop-offs behind them.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

 

[SBecker]

No problem. I used to fish from all those launches with a jet johnboat in the olden days. There is a large pool immediately above the Muncy ramp. It's probably over 1/4 mile long but then you reach a shallow section that you can't pass. There is a lot of water along both banks in that pool that is worth fishing. Lots of ledges with deep drop-offs behind them.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

It’s looking like what I will be doing. Not sure how easy it will be to find a shuttle in the area. Will report back my findings and hopefully some photos.

 

[lycoflyfisher]

For easy pools to fish by rowing a drift boat from the launch, your easiest bet is the PFBC Linden launch near Antlers on the water. Old log cribbings, bridge abutments etc to fish in close proximity to tge launch.

For a short float, you could do Greevy downstream to a launch behind the airport in Montoursville. The launch is just below confluence of Loyalsock Ck. You could easily spend a day there.

The Montoursville to Muncy float is a nice stretch of river, some skinny riffles.

In the LH area you could launch on castanea ramp on lower bald eagle and float to mcElhattan on the west branch.

There is also a boat launch in LH right above the dam. In the pool you have bridge piers a riprap bank and island that you could fish around.

Im not aware of any commercial shuttles

 

[SBecker]

For easy pools to fish by rowing a drift boat from the launch, your easiest bet is the PFBC Linden launch near Antlers on the water. Old log cribbings, bridge abutments etc to fish in close proximity to tge launch.

For a short float, you could do Greevy downstream to a launch behind the airport in Montoursville. The launch is just below confluence of Loyalsock Ck. You could easily spend a day there.

The Montoursville to Muncy float is a nice stretch of river, some skinny riffles.

In the LH area you could launch on castanea ramp on lower bald eagle and float to mcElhattan on the west branch.

There is also a boat launch in LH right above the dam. In the pool you have bridge piers a riprap bank and island that you could fish around.

Im not aware of any commercial shuttles

All great info, thank you.

 

[SBecker]

Fished Muncy ramp. Got on the water at 11:30 and fished till 3:30. I know, the worst time. Anyways, not even a follow. Rowed upriver, anchoring and tossing streamers and poppers. Water was off color. Worked both sides of the river. Probably made it 1/2 a mile up river.

Ran and picked up my son from Lock Haven and decided to row the same section with him. Got on the water around 6 and fished till dark. Had some action relatively quickly with poppers and wiggle minnows around Muncy Creek dump in. Small ones 6-8 inches. Kept working up river from the Muncy Creek confluence with a pooper. Did not see a fish. Crossed river and started floating down. Son picked up a “nicer” one with a popper and I missed one on the float back. That was it.

Very very slow, maybe boated 4 and lost a few. Spoke to a spin guy local who said that he only caught 2 on a ned rig. Said the river is tough when it gets off color. Was surprised we boated more than him. Mentioned he lives on the river 2 miles up. Offered me his number and to use his property to launch my boat if I ever would like. Would also run shuttle for me. Pretty nice dude. I asked him if there was any size in the stretch. He responded “you fish the tournaments here?” I said no, and he smiled said good, they remove all the big ones and take them other places. Confirmed some good size fish, they just hide under rocks. lol

 

[TimMurphy]

Dear SBecker,

I'm sorry my suggestion sucked, but I will readily admit that I never fished it when the water wasn't almost perfectly clear. How far down could you see where you were floating? I've fished it when you easily see large carp and catfish in the holes between the ledges.

Next time bring a spinning rod and a couple of F-11 Fire Tiger Rapalas. They'll hit them in water that is turd brown. 3/8-ounce chartreuse spinner baits work too! 😉

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

 

[wildtrout2]

Next time bring a spinning rod and a couple of F-11 Fire Tiger Rapalas.

If you're going to go to those lengths, you might as well fish stonecats and or hellgrammites. Nothing outfishes them. 😉

 

[SBecker]

Dear SBecker,

I'm sorry my suggestion sucked, but I will readily admit that I never fished it when the water wasn't almost perfectly clear. How far down could you see where you were floating? I've fished it when you easily see large carp and catfish in the holes between the ledges.

Next time bring a spinning rod and a couple of F-11 Fire Tiger Rapalas. They'll hit them in water that is turd brown. 3/8-ounce chartreuse spinner baits work too! 😉

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

Oh no worries, you did not know what clarity would be like. It wasn't chocolate milk, maybe Yahoo. Also, not sure I made it up to the ledges. Local guy made it seem the ledges were up by his house. I can only row upriver so far. River like that definitely benefits with having a motor. lol

 

[wildtrout2]

Oh no worries, you did not know what clarity would be like. It wasn't chocolate milk, maybe Yahoo. Also, not sure I made it up to the ledges. Local guy made it seem the ledges were up by his house. I can only row upriver so far. River like that definitely benefits with having a motor. lol

Is a trolling motor strong enough to go upriver?

 

[SBecker]

Is a trolling motor strong enough to go upriver?

At the flows yesterday, I would say it would work. Took me a little while to figure out where the faster top currents were and avoiding them to get upstream easier. There was a nice upriver wind that definitely helped, except when I was trying to float back down river by myself on the Muncy Creek side, and instead kept blowing me upriver. Recommendation is stay right side to go up jump on the left to float down.

 

[wildtrout2]

That was nice of that local to offer his place for a launch option.

 

[TimMurphy]

Oh no worries, you did not know what clarity would be like. It wasn't chocolate milk, maybe Yahoo. Also, not sure I made it up to the ledges. Local guy made it seem the ledges were up by his house. I can only row upriver so far. River like that definitely benefits with having a motor. lol

Dear SBecker,

When the clarity is good you can see the ledges easily. They aren't the big obvious ledges like in the lower Susquehanna, but you can definitely see tan colored rock bottom with pockets of deeper green water below them. There are ledges on both sides of the river but if you can't see 2 feet into the water you'd never know they were there.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

 

[SBecker]

That was nice of that local to offer his place for a launch option.

For sure. Especially after only knowing me for 5 minutes.

 

[SBecker]

Dear SBecker,

When the clarity is good you can see the ledges easily. They aren't the big obvious ledges like in the lower Susquehanna, but you can definitely see tan colored rock bottom with pockets of deeper green water below them. There are ledges on both sides of the river but if you can't see 2 feet into the water you'd never know they were there.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

Not sure when I will get back there, but now that I have a shuttle option it will be fun to explore again.

 

[lycoflyfisher]

The main ledge area is around the "wall" left descending bank a little more than a mile above the muncy launch. Theres a bedrock shelf that runs out into the river with a sharp dropoff. Can be great fishing for several species at different conditions and times of year.

If trying to float downriver there you eant to be on right descending side. Current is stronger and less likely to deal eith strong upriver winds.

As a younger teenager my buddy and I fixed up an old 1.5hp johnson, put it on a small john boat best suited for ponds and would put in at muncy, burn a couple gallons of gas to get up above the wall and drift back to the launch.

 

[barrybarry]

There was a nice upriver wind that definitely helped, except when I was trying to float back down river by myself on the Muncy Creek side, and instead kept blowing me upriver.

When I fish the Susquehanna and find a strong upriver wind, I go home. It's always a bad day to fish. My old river rat neighbor used to say:

" A wind from the south blows the hook out of the fishes mouth."