Fall panfish

[Baron]

Where'd did they go????

I would like to hear your strategies to keep catching these on the fly.

I would also like to hear how deep to fish Clousers, Deceivers and Buggers in deeper water.

What flies and line/leaders do you use successfully.

I was at Mauch Chunk lake yesterday and there were no fish on the surface I saw one Bass following my deceiver. I also got two or three bumps but was other wise skunked in the medium depth 6-8' water. The water was scry clear and I saw no fish in any waters except the one following my file.

Target species: Pickerel, All panfish

 

[jifigz]

The fish might have been right there, you just might not have been catching them. Here in the upcoming weeks they are going to head deep but they should be back in shallow water for now. I'm the summer, the good panfish go deep as well..

Clousers and buggers can't be fished wrong. Sometimes they want a slow descent imitated by an unweighted bugger. Sometimes they want them ripped fast in a jigging motion. That's what fishing is all about. Figuring it out..good anglers build patterns through experience and know when to employ what..if it isn't working, switch up the retrieves.

For deeper fishing I use a 6 weight with a sinking tip line with however long a leader is needed..it isn't rocket science. I typically don't fish any deeper than 25 feet on a fly rod.

 

[Baron]

J, What are you targeting when you are that deep ?

The bottom of the lake was weed free at MC and with extreme clarity there should have been hits. No visible fish where there were plenty in summer. Only hits were in deeper water. 6-8+/-.

 

[jifigz]

Even if you're fishing where the fish are, you don't always get hits.

I target whatever. I don't fish lakes often, but crappies, gills, and largemouths are all easily caught all winter long like this if there is ice free and open water. Soon the fish will be dropping deeper than 6-8 ft. Right now the fish are staged there and can easily access shallows on nice days or slip into the depths when necessary..

 

[Dave_W]

Some phenomenon that a lake angler should keep tabs on are weed die-off and fall turnover.

These events can be subtle and vary in different bodies of water and in different years. However, these events along with others will have fish moving out of their summer holding patterns and feeding habits.

Some species that are suspended over deep water in summer will move close to shore this time of year (muskies, for example, tend to do this) whereas conversely some of the bass and 'gills that were predictably found close to weedy bays in summer are suddenly gone.

This is part of the mystique and challenge of angling... learning these patterns. I'd suggest setting up some sort of journal with some dates and weather patterns; where you caught fish in summer vs. the fall. Such a journal will allow to you develop a personal understanding of your lakes over the years.

 

[Baron]

Does water clarity affect the shyness of fish?

I plan to test your theories today at Gouldsboro.

While I'm not a journal type of person I am an active user of Notes on my iPhone. Perhaps that will help document along with posts saved on this forum. I also, after learning it in my line of work, document everything in dated photos.

In open clear and deep water that has cooled would panfish still be supended or will they spend more time on the bottom?

 

[Fredrick]

Best bet will be to hit the streams right now for panfish since they cant go as deep . Make sure you fish all the pools .

 

[jifigz]

Fredrick wrote:
Best bet will be to hit the streams right now for panfish since they cant go as deep . Make sure you fish all the pools .

Not bad advice. If you've got still water on the mind then by so means, stick to it. But this is an excellent time of the year to experience great redbreast sunfish angling.

 

[Van_Cleaver]

Still lots of pan fish available near shore around here. Had to don waders last time out but on a windy and slower than usual day caught several small crappie, a couple giant shiners, and several blue gills, a handful went 8". Most of the bigger fish on a rubber leg leech pattern.

The pattern hasn't changed much here, most of the better fish seem to be out a ways. Usually wading out waist deep and fishing 30 to 40' out and then fan casting. A couple who were fishing near me earlier and casting in tight, returned later and hammered perch but casting into the deeper water the opposite of what they had been doing. Sadly I couldn't seem to catch any perch, but they were fishing worms right on the bottom. Might have to try some jigs and spinning tackle for dinner fish. Water was 64 degrees.

 

[Baron]

I had a few hits yesterday but the weather is definitely further along in Gouldsboro.

Rubber leg leech,,,I'll look that up. Going again tomorrow and may take Spinning gear.

 

[Van_Cleaver]

Doubt you'll find it in any books. It's a mash up pattern I tied as an experiment, and field tested well. Jig hook with a bead head. Woolly bugger type tail (maribou with a few strands of Krystal flash). Fat body with some flash brushed out, two rubber legs in a v towards the hook, and a muddler size head of fur (I use Chocolate Lab) also brushed out. The fur head slows the sink rate even with a tungsten bead. Catches pretty much everything including occasional bass.

 

[Baron]

Van that sounds like a fun fly to tie. I Liver colored Cattle dog acceptable?

I nailed allot of panfish today but on spinning gear with my son.

 

[Van_Cleaver]

In fly tying and love all's fair.

 

[Baron]

like

 

[sandfly]

everything here has closed mouths, drought has alot to do with it since the lakes are low. water is very warm to. I find fish 12 feet or deeper but no bites

 

[Baron]

Sandfly the Bigger Gamefish are missing it seems. I know they're there but just not hungry.

Where is bucks did you hail from? I grew up in Doylestown and occasionally miss it.

 

[sandfly]

Doylestown too. right across from del-val collage
family owned the trailer park on 202

 

[Baron]

Wow. Love that area.

 

[Van_Cleaver]

Fly fished my local lake recently and only caught smallish gills Stopped for lunch and noticed thousands of Lanternflies on the water. I had only managed one on top ( and many misses) to go with a bunch on a sunken ant. Fish were rising steadily 80 to 100 ft out.

Took out my 7' spinning rod and put on a crappie jig I had tied about 4' down with a Rocket bobber to insure distance. Heaved it out 30 yrds. or so and promptly got into some nice 8" gills. Interesting to me was the water was probably 10' deep (or more). My takeaway was there are often feeding fish I can't reach with my fly rod and without a boat.

 

[Baron]

Sandfly,
My first Jeep was from the Old Fordhook Farm at Delval. Our Family Farm was in Dublin. Church in Plumsteadville. Hung out at First Baptist right up the Street from you. Ate a Ed's diner years ago. Fosters Toys. Mongomeryville Mart. Miss those days. Archie at the deli II. Worked one season for Sylvan Pools. Worked for Bartlett Tree Experts. I could go on........