Mauch Chunk Lake and other, deeper, lakes

[Baron]

Is anyone fishing Mauch Chunk lake with a high degree of familiarty.

I could use some tips. I know how to catch one thing or another in the shallow lakes of the Poconos and streams in my area. But I have an interest in learning to fish deeper lakes, outside of the weeds, out over natural structures and drop-offs. Im pretty sure I could ff down to 12-15' if I prepare correctly. My thinking is that if I learn to fish the deeper schools and structures I will be more protected against the drop off in the bite during hot weather.

If you fish deep water or would like to perhaps we can get a discussion started on just that.

 

[Baron]

Is anyone using a fly rod to jig 15-20’ deep?

 

[Baron]

What other Pocono or North East lakes are Deep. So Many of the Army Corps lakes are but 4-8' deep.

 

[JerryC]

I have fished that deep, Baron, but usually from a boat. The only spots I've done it from the shore is off of jetties or sea walls or in a lake or river where I know the drop off is within my casting range from the bank.
If you're going to do it with a floating line you're going to need a leader and tippet that's 15 to 20 feet long and a fairly heavy fly to get down. If I'm going to be fishing in deeper water I use a sinking line with a 5 or 6 ft of fluorocarbon tied directly to the line. My line sinks at 4 to 5 inches per second, so I can sorta countdown so when I know I'm near the bottom. Also, the sinking line allows me to use unweighted or lightly weighted flies.
To me fishing that deep is too much like work. I'm retired I just want to have fun when I fish.

 

[Baron]

Well I had concluded that it must have been allot of work as no-one but you had answered. I guess I'll be happy to let the crappy have their privacy once summer arrives. It'll be hard enough to snap up bluegill once the spawn is over and the lakes warm up.
Do you use sonar on Shahola or elsewhere.
I fish mostly from the drift boat except in smaller streams.

 

[JerryC]

I get stuck with the guy my other two fishing buddies will not fish in the same boat with. We call him "He who steps on rods". He's only been fishing for a couple of year's since he retired and is just past the worm and bobber stage. He ignores the advice of three guys who have close to 150 years of fishing experience between them.
He's always asking if any one of us wants to go fishing on Lake Nockamixon which is a deep local lake with lots of underwater structure. I won't go with him because he refuses to buy a depth finder even a cheap one. A depth finder would be useful on Shohola to find holes. Last year in late June the weeds were within a couple feet of the surface. Maybe in deeper lakes they go deep but I've always caught fish on top all summer. I had my best day on Shohola in late June last year fishing in 3 or 4 feet of water.

 

[Baron]

That friend sounds like me. I have decided not to buy higher quality rods and reels until I install holders for them in both my pickup truck and the boat. I have a simple fish finder. 10 yes old but brand new in box. haven't installed it yet.
So you fish mostly the surface. Then I will also.

I grew up (Dublin) watching the government run farmers out of the inheritances and went 4 wheeling on the the floor of Nockamixon. I fished the stream (tohickon) before the lake filled.

 

[Baron]

That friend sounds like me. I have decided not to buy higher quality rods and reels until I install holders for them in both my pickup truck and the boat. I have a simple fish finder. 10 yes old but brand new in box. haven't installed it yet.
So you fish mostly the surface. Then I will also.

I grew up (Dublin) watching the government run farmers out of the inheritances and went 4 wheeling on the the floor of Nockamixon. I fished the stream (tohickon) before the lake filled.

 

[JerryC]

It's not that I don't fish subsurface. I just don't see the sense in trying to fly fish down in the 20-25 foot range. I have no problems fishing 8 to 10 feet of water, but, in fresh water I wouldn't fish deeper than 15 feet. The only reason I do that is I can fish it with either my sinking line or my intermediate line. One of my favorite tactics in Canada, and I've used it other places is to tie a floating fly on a leader that matches the estimated depth so the fly is still floating on the surface, let the line sink to the bottom then start striping the fly in. The fly will dive toward the bottom and if I pause it will start rising. Strip, pause, strip is the retrieve. It works best over sand, mud or rocky bottom. I don't think it would work in a really weedy place like Shohola.
Murph breaks rods because he's always in hurry, grabs rods without looking to see if something might be in the way of the rod tip or one of the guides. He worked 35 years as a railroad engineer. We figure he's still on schedule.
The boats they give us in Canada don't have rod holders. They're 16 foot Lunds. Most days we'd have 10 rods in the boat. I made this up out of old wooden milk box. Mainly to keep my rods in one piece and out of the way and some of the tackle boxes out of harm's way. First view is the front view. I later added two more on the left side to hold my fly rods. The second is a little different view, the black rod holder is adjustable and where I put my rod, since i'm usually driving the boat, when were trolling.

 

[Baron]

Very nice Jerry. I was out at Gouldsboro again today. Slow at first. Then a huge BG. Then a very muscular 12" Perch. Then several more 8-9" BG. One Crappy and three average Pickerel.

 

[Baron]

today