Beyond Frustrated

jifigz

jifigz

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 8, 2013
Messages
4,296
Location
Miff-Co, PA
I don't vent much about anything. In fact, I'm very easy going and don't get worked up about much. There is one thing that is killing me, however. I went down to the Juniata two nights ago and things were gorgeous. Bass attacked my topwater bass bug on nearly every cast and I landed many 15-16" bass and a ton of smaller fish as well as other sunfish species. I came home satisfied and sat in my house tying flies and it started raining. I love storms. Didn't seem like much rain, either. The next day I go down and the river is a good 2.5 feet higher and muddied up. Okay, it must have rained upstream a fair amount. Today I check the gauges and walk down to check it out this morning and it is certainly lower and doesn't look bad. I go down this evening to actually fish and, while quite a bit lower than yesterday, which is great, the visibility is probably 2 inches. I just can't take it anymore. I'm so ready for classic summertime warmwater river fishing for smallies, catfish, redbreasts, etc. It is seriously starting to get depressing. Please tell me that others are extremely tired of this year's patterns.
 
If it makes you feel better I have a 3 hour drive to fish that area.
 
I hear yuh.

It's just been a lousy summer for river fishing so far. I have not yet had a day on the Juniata or Susky this summer. Scotched a trip to the Raystown Branch for tomorrow - regrouping and considering other options this evening. Dang.

On the bright side, the summer is young and we're really just getting into the better river bass season now. In the meantime, check out smaller waterways. Creeks clear up a lot faster. Some of the Juniata tribs ought to be worth checking out for WW species.
 
I hear ya.

When I can go the rain has killed the rivers. When I cant, it's hot and better for levels.
It is frustrating.
Dave is right though. Patience. It's going to be good once we can have better levels.
 
As a year round tailwater trout guy......let it rain. I do have to admit though it's getting to be a little much.
 
I'm with you. Last year's WW game was lousy for me because every time I planned a trip to the river, t-storms would screw up water conditions. I bought a new setup for the river this year and am really looking forward to busting some bass. Hopefully that opportunity comes sooner rather than later. I don't have a boat so I'm patiently waiting for 3.1 feet or lower at Harrisburg.
 
The Susquehanna River smallmouth populations dropped a lot because the drought of 2005 triggered diseases that hammered them.

The populations have rebounded since then because of better flows (more rain) through the summer months.

During drought years, trout populations also drop, in both the freestone streams and in the lower stretches of some of the limestone streams.

These years where it rains a lot in the summer are very good for the populations of both smallmouth and trout.

Fish being aquatic creatures, water is good.

 
Troutbert, that depends. a drought is bad for sure, especially for trout, but too much rain is bad as well for fish. Smallmouths do not like silted/muddied water and the high water most likely hurt their spawning by leaving most spawning grounds blown out and unprotected.

Ryan, be quiet. Lol

Dave, there are two good ww tribs near me worth fishing. I just hate driving when I can walk 30 seconds and be at the water.
 
Flood watch here in Westmoreland CO.

Lasted I checked, Pittsburgh was 9 inches YTD above average.
 
The 2 times I ventured out on the river this year yielded only 1 bass on each outing. This time last year I was absolutely crushing them. I thought maybe I wasn't remembering things correctly but my photo roll on my phone doesn't lie!
 
Some of you need to get out your crying towel and dry those eyes. You need to look at it as a challenge and go with the flow. start using bright flashy colors, and/or somethings that make a lot of noise (excluding your fishing partner). Go to smaller rivers/creeks where the visibility is better. Slow down your presentation. Once you hook a fish or two think about what location - what popper or streamer your using.


Further more, I like to limit my time out. Catching two fish in 3 hours feels better than catching the same in 5 hours.
 
jifigz wrote:
Troutbert, that depends. a drought is bad for sure, especially for trout, but too much rain is bad as well for fish. Smallmouths do not like silted/muddied water and the high water most likely hurt their spawning by leaving most spawning grounds blown out and unprotected.
Click to expand...

+1 ^

From last weeks article I posted about the PFBC SMB survey on the Susky:

One thing that has been noticeable with the annual surveys are significant swings in the catch rates of adult bass during certain years. Wnuk said the variations are due to year class strength – the number of bass produced in a given year.

This spring and early summer conditions haven’t been good for growth of young bass, and that’s something that could turn up in future surveys.

In fact, Wnuk already expects smallmouth reproduction to be poor this year.

“Reproduction is best when the water is high in April and low and warm in May and June,” he said. “This year it’s been all high, cold water. We could see the impact of that 2 to 4 years down the road.”

Link to source: https://www.timesleader.com/sports/665965/smallmouth-bass-thriving-in-susquehanna-river
 
My Susquehanna and West Branch Susquehanna fishing has been canceled every time I had the idea of fishing it. Same thing pretty much happened last year. I didn't get out really until August and September. I don't mind so much high water but that 6 inches or less of visibility gets annoying fast. I'm trying to find a few lakes and dams to fish since my trout fishing now has been limited to just a few locations with the warm weather. I keep saying I like drought conditions better then this wet weather. I can still fish in droughts and honestly it makes fish more predictable.
 
Everybody talks about the weather, but no one does anything about it.
 
I'm not sure where all of the sediment is coming from but it's been awfully stained this year. Floats that typically yield 70-100 fish are giving up 5-10 fish. Visibility has been 1' or less every time out. Half of the Smallmouth fun is having fish come 10' to attack your offering. It's so stained, spin gear hasn't been much more effective...even with vibration, flash, etc.

Thinking of selling the gear and taking up catfishing.
 
krayfish2 wrote:

Thinking of selling the gear and taking up catfishing.
Click to expand...

I love catfishing. Maybe we should try to do some catfishing and beer drinking at the WW Jam that I'll be hosting. A 10 lb channel cat is one of the better fighting fish I've ever caught.
 
PennypackFlyer wrote:
Some of you need to get out your crying towel and dry those eyes. You need to look at it as a challenge and go with the flow. start using bright flashy colors, and/or somethings that make a lot of noise (excluding your fishing partner). Go to smaller rivers/creeks where the visibility is better. Slow down your presentation. Once you hook a fish or two think about what location - what popper or streamer your using.


Further more, I like to limit my time out. Catching two fish in 3 hours feels better than catching the same in 5 hours.
Click to expand...

I fish in ALL CONDITIONS. That said, however, I like being able to throw bass bugs and make the fish come to the surface. I like being able to wade the river like normal without water up to my nipples where it is usually only thigh deep. I also appreciate when visibility is greater than 3 inches which is about all it was yesterday. The good news is we are in for some good weather so let's see what happens.
 
jifigz wrote:

Ryan, be quiet. Lol
Click to expand...

So remember me, mister I fish tailwaters let it rain??? Well the tailwater I want to fish just got a ton more water and won't be fishable. Damn you karma!
 
I liked jifigz's above post about catfishing.

I have canoe/camped 2/3 nights on many rivers in my native PA, then NC, where I have lived most of my life, VA, and WV, which have some of my favorite canoe trips.

It is in my blood. I have often thought about changing my name from Canoetripper to River Rat, since this is what I have done ever since high school starting on the Yellow Breeches.

I will be 60 years young next week and am smitten with this whole fly fishing getting better than I am right now at a R&G club in the western Poconos. I know that I can do it and get confident and then test what I have learned at more difficult waters like the challenging Pennsylvania limestoners not too far from where I grew up in Camp Hill.

I have to get better with my nymph fishing and am watching youtube videos to learn more. With the help of a guide, I caught 11 on the Frying Pan in Colorado, and that river's trout sees better fly fisherman that me.

One of my best canoe camping trips was somewhere in between Huntingdon and Duncannon but definitely near jifigz's property. We were on river west and set up camp next to a feeder stream. We had both a net and minnow trap.

Once it got dark and we caught enough minnows, we were ready for hungry channel catfish while we were "Y" sticking minnows on spinning rods and drinking beers.

The Juniata is a great and underappreciated Pennsylvania river. There is so much to explore and catch there.

CT


 
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