Fallfishing

I like catching fallfish.

But don't enjoy catching chubs.

(They are not the same thing.)
Its funny how many people call them chubs.

I don't like how they grunt and go spastic when you remove the hook.
But the big ones can put up a nice fight.
 
I'm all about the fall fish! I love catching good sized fall fish. I've targeted them on Pine Creek and Kettle Creek. I've caught fall fish up to 22 inches and several around 20 inches. They are very underrated fish that will take a fly just like a trout, they are native fish, they can withstand the warmer waters, and put up a nice fight! I never understood why they get a bad rap!
 

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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.

🙂
Reminds me of a woodcock recipe that ends with throwing away the bird and eating the paper bag. 🙃
 
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.
I refer to them as Chester County tarpon as I am from SE PA. My one friend calls them "silver sides".
 
Wow! I got a much better response than I initially thought! Thanks guys! Love the pics and the positive attitude about pursuing fallfish. Today I am going to be fishing some DHALO sections for stockers but I won't be disappointed if one of our silver sided friends decides to hop on my fly!
 
I've always been a little disappointed when I saw a fallfish on my line instead of the trout or smallie I was fishing for that day. This thread has given me more appreciation for the fallies. Next time I catch one I will try to appreciate them little more and be thankful for their nice tug on my line.
 
I'm always a little disappointed when I'm fishing for small mouth and catch a trout, and when I'm fishing for trout and catch a smallie.
Same! there's always that period in June where the smallies start acting up. There always is that moment where I get into a smallie thinking it is a trout. Even a 10 inch smallmouth can put up quite a fight. I think getting tricked into thinking I have caught a trout when I have actually caught a smallie is worse than catching a fallfish and thinking it was a trout.
 
I've always been a little disappointed when I saw a fallfish on my line instead of the trout or smallie I was fishing for that day. This thread has given me more appreciation for the fallies. Next time I catch one I will try to appreciate them little more and be thankful for their nice tug on my line.
You of all people should have an appreciation for fallfish. In the area we live in they are the most prevalent species.
 
just the exact kind of response I'd expect from somebody from NJ.
Jersey guys have a reputation to live up to.

I hate the f'ers as well. Though I use them as a marker, if I catch sizable ones and a lot of them, I know that a particular stream isn't being fished as much by bait fisherman.
 
I enjoy fall fishing as well. Good sized fall fish inhabit streams with reduced game fish populations, so somedays it is fall fish or 4" pumpkinseeds. I go with fall fish. The Delaware has some big ones and I don't mind if a fallfish grabs my streamer now and again. Adds some variety.
 
I catch a lot of fall fish on the Juniata River when fishing for smallmouth. I don’t mind catching them at all and they provide a lot of fun on the water.
 
If im catching big ones, I won't complain. Most of the creeks I fish get too warm for trout for months, so I will fish big streamers and dries for them. Record is a 17.5"
 
Its a fish that can give you an entire fishery all to your self to enjoy that jumps, fights very hard, attains large size, and eats dries, wets, nymphs and streamers. Just have to forget the socially learned behavior of somehow ignoring all those fun aspects because their not trout. Give me hard fighting fall fish over dead rubber brick of a hatchery trout all day.
 
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