Fallfishing

S

Silent Ocelot

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For the record I am not talking about fishing in fall season, but rather fishing for fallfish (chubs).

Just wondering how many people on here enjoy catching a nice sized fallfish every now and then or is the group consensus that they are junk fish and that it is better off to pursue a trout species or trout in general (I won't judge, fish for whatever species your heart desires). I for one enjoy catching fallfish to the point that I have even targeted them on streams where I know trout would not be present. I enjoy targeting them on the top with a dry or sub-surface with my indicator nymph rig. There's a junk stream by me that is too polluted to sustain trout where I have targeted them for years and have caught ones in the 15-16 inch category, which is large for that species. My most memorable one was taken on a hopper. I will say as the season cools off I will be back to my usual trout haunts, but sometimes it is nice to take a break from that and hit up some fallfish. Bigger fallfish do require a bit of skill as the can be wary, at least more wary than a freshly stocked trout (does that really say anything though?). I also will say, a friend who is true trout snob (I guess I kind of am too) said that sometimes fallfish save the day when nothing else is biting. What do you all think?
 
I’ve never minded catching fallfish and usually caught a mixed bag of other warmwater species at the same time. Fishing the Juniata nightly for about two work weeks near Mifflintown in the early 1980’s comes to mind. So do the big fallfish in Middle Ck’s, Snyder Co, SGL section. Finally, I caught the largest that I have ever seen this past summer while night fishing wet flies in a northcentral stocked trout stream. Had 2 that were 20-22 inches long and the fight nearly matched that of a 20 inch BT caught from the same hole. Until a few seconds before the fish was netted I didn’t know if I had another fallfish on the line or a BT.
 
Nope!
 
I love catching fallfish. I run into them a lot. Big ones hit large streamers hard and fight better than trout at first, but seem to tire out quicker.

Here's a big one. That's an El Jefe net for reference.

IMG 2243 Large
 
I love catching fall fish. They fight very hard and the bigger ones crush streamers. Mike, I too get them swinging wets and pushers at night. Get them in summer but cool thing is on some slow winter nights, they can be trip savers too. Have always wondered about their night vision. I know browns and brook trout retinal cone cells can detect crazy low amount of light. But with how much the fall fish strike at night It always made me wonder how adept at feeding they are at it.
 
My recipe for making Fall Fish:

1. Carefully, gut and fillet the fish;
2. Soak the fillet in milk overnight;
3. Poach lightly in salted water, a slice of lemon and 1/2 tea spoon of white wine:
4. Drink the rest of the wine;
5. Throw out the fish; and
6. Open another bottle of wine.

:)
 
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Mike said:
I’ve never minded catching fallfish and usually caught a mixed bag of other warmwater species at the same time. Fishing the Juniata nightly for about two work weeks near Mifflintown in the early 1980’s comes to mind. So do the big fallfish in Middle Ck’s, Snyder Co, SGL section. Finally, I caught the largest that I have ever seen this past summer while night fishing wet flies in a northcentral stocked trout stream. Had 2 that were 20-22 inches long and the fight nearly matched that of a 20 inch BT caught from the same hole. Until a few seconds before the fish was netted I didn’t know if I had another fallfish on the line or a BT.
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That's incredible that you have caught some of that size, I didn't think fallfish even got that large. I have caught some suckers on the Tully in the 2 foot range. I never thought they fought particularly hard but due to the mass of the bigger ones they can feel heavy. I have had instances also where I fought a fallfish and thought it was a trout. Thanks for tuning in Mike!
 
silverfox said:
I love catching fallfish. I run into them a lot. Big ones hit large streamers hard and fight better than trout at first, but seem to tire out quicker.

Here's a big one. That's an El Jefe net for reference.

View attachment 1641227446
Click to expand...
I didn't think you'd be the one to go for fallfish @silverfox, but I appreciate your comment and that picture of a massive gorgeous silver sider. Your assessment of how a fallfish fights is spot on.
 
Tard Lombardo said:
I didn't think you'd be the one to go for fallfish @silverfox, but I appreciate your comment and that picture of a massive gorgeous silver sider. Your assessment of how a fallfish fights is spot on.
Click to expand...
You must not know me well then. :ROFLMAO: I'm a native fish nut.
 
I like catching fallfish.

But don't enjoy catching chubs.

(They are not the same thing.)
 
I call them freshwater Tarpon ( more for appearance of scales than fight). I like seeing and catching them. Conodoquinet has quite a few. I have stalked rising fish in New York only to find they were giant Fallfish. They were no easier to fool than the wary trout in that river.
 
Just don’t come close to pushing your finger into the rear of their mouths or the beginning of the esophagus. You’ll find out why and it won’t be pleasant.
 
Mike said:
Just don’t come close to pushing your finger into the rear of their mouths or the beginning of the esophagus. You’ll find out why and it won’t be pleasant.
Click to expand...
They have crushers or teeth there? What are they designed to primarily forage on?
 
salmo said:
My recipe for making Fall Fish:

1. Carefully, gut and fillet the fish;
2. Soak the fillet in milk overnight;
3. Poach lightly in salted water, a slice of lemon and 1/2 tea spoon of white wine:
4. Drink the rest of the wine;
5. Throw out the fish; and
6. Open another bottle of wine.

:)
Click to expand...
That's very similar to "recipe" that Isaac Walton gave for cooking chubs. (He stuffed the fish with all sorts of edible things and the ate the stuffing after throwing the fish out.)

Supposedly, they make good fish balls.
 
I usually spend at least one day every year deliberately targeting them.

If they didn't crap in my hand every time I unhook them, they'd be a favorite species.
 
I catch them all the time in the Conodoguinet. They’ll go after anything. I never target them, but at times take an “embrace the fall fish” attitude because that’s what’s biting

Steve
 
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