rustbeltwilds
Well-known member
Month of march on till early april water temps mid 40s on larger freestone streams. Jigs. Bead head buggers. They seem to pod up by size. So when you get on go right back to the well
Fall Fish, one of PA’s original native predators: Thread for techniques, reports, and Fisheries.
- Thread starter Fish Sticks
- Start date
bigjohn358
Well-known member
I remember one day on an opening day of trout (early/mid April) on Kettle where I got into a school of fall fish. Every one of them was like 18-22" Just monster fall fish. Must have caught 6 of them in that size range back to back to back all on pheasant tails. All bigger and put up more of a fight than the trout I caught all day.
Fish Sticks
Well-known member
Yea they tend to pod up in April thats the time of year they carry stones with their mouth to pile up and build Redds that can have been recorded as being up to 6 feet long and weigh several tons. They tend to spawn on the downstream “lip” of the mound and the redd associates(minows/shiners/chubs ect) use the outskirts of these nest as well for reproduction in a symbiotic mannor. Themis is thought to benefit fall fish because this provides buffer between them and egg predators. Also more of these “redd associates or cohabitators” enriches the ecosystem /prey base for our states predators(fall fish included)so I always try not to step on these redds in april.
Captain Wader Farts
Member
We should stock Fall Fish
Fish Sticks
Well-known member
bigjohn358
Well-known member
My brother caught a crappie like that once ice fishing that looked like that on Sayers Dam.
That's from the being cut there. You stick your finger in there and pull you can gut and tear out the gills in one fell swoop. That's not a weird stockie syndrome like having no fins, etc, etc.
Fish Sticks
Well-known member
I will have to give that a try next time I harvest a stocker.
I don't really keep fish (like maybe a couple every 5 years) but it is a slick way to clean a trout. Cut that little flap of skin on the bottom jaw, stick your finger in, and pull. Out comes all organs, guts, and gills. Then use your thumbnail to push out the bloodline along the backbone. Choose a direction and just push and slide the goonk out. Then rinse. You have a whole trout, gut free and gill free, that I usually throw on the grill.
I've caught a lot on sulphur patterns, during sulphur hatches.
I was fishing a stretch that seemed to hold about 50/50 wild browns and fallfish. During the sulphur hatch both were rising.
To me the rise forms look very similar. Chubs have splashy rise forms. But fallfish have rise forms very similar to trout. I can't tell the difference.
But, the trout were found where the current was faster, and the fallfish were in slow areas.
6xAdams(Jones)
Well-known member
That's pretty accurate. I've been told to find faster water if all you're catching are fallfish and chubs (if you want to catch trout).
rancid waders
Active member
I had never caught them in any great numbers as some guys have reported, but then I am still coming off a 6+ year streamer binge so not much is fresh in mind. I was thinking eggs
Captain Wader Farts
Member
The way I see it: more chances for the fish to eat your fly
Fish Sticks
Well-known member
Thats my experience on penns recently
Fish Sticks
Well-known member
Streamers work great too in my experience but like wooly buggers clousers ect
Fish Sticks
Well-known member
This is true, i like to go straight to the raceway for this reason Specifically.
Beweav
Active member
These fallfish have made me feel better about myself as I learn to fly fish many times! I got this guy on a white wooly bugger this weekend. He was in a deeper fast moving riffle as well! You never know where you’ll find fallfish. Their scales are beautiful. He put up a pretty nice fight as well. I thought it was a SM at first. But they do seem to fizzle out pretty quick.
Fish Sticks
Well-known member
Beautiful fish, i can’t wait to get out and target em near home I’ve been tied down but soon will get out
Fish Sticks
Well-known member
Yoder
Member
I caught a pretty nice fallfish on Brodhead creek last week. I should have taken a picture. It was right around 14in. Caught it on a chartreuse mop fly.
