New to PA! Question about SMB streams

[phiendWMD]

Pratt the ramp he means is on the pa side south of 95. Its posted no wading though. There is access in nj north of 95. Not sure of the name of the park, but its just after 95.

 

[Chris2P]

Pratt,

It's on the PA side might be called the Yardley Boat Ramp.. It's Located on that small country/ residential road that runs along the Delaware, River Road - rt 29. It is located slightly north of the rt 95 exit for Yardley. It's been years since I've hunted and fished that area. Good marginal spot goose and duck hunting too. Never noticed the no wading sign though. Saw plenty of trappers wade up and down the river to check there traps. But you might want to check the local wardens. That sign my be detouring people from blocking ramp access for the boats. BTW Pratt is my last name🙂 Your not far from me we should meet up some time to shot the breeze.


Chris

 

[JohnPowers]

the water below Frenchtown NJ is accessible, check the maps, and wadable in a lot of places. it is well traveled as the tubers abound but full of smallies on the bugger. it's not that far and beautiful water. it's funny how a lot of philadelphians who know the D in center city have no idea how wonderful it is up there. there's a ramp above point pleasant on the PA side called Tinnicum, not the one near the airport. you can put a kayak in there, paddle up in the slack water behind the island and then go out into the river and fish down and paddle up again. many fish there. might want to wear some rock hugging footware. again, wading there on the jersey side may be easier. your well positioned.

 

[Missedagaib]

Poppers at low light or cloudy days are the most effective smallie fly tactic I have used. Trick is to keep moving around and casting to new water.

 

[Mike]

If you wish to try your hand at catching northern snakeheads on a fly, they are particularly aggressive when spawning. They are an invasive species now getting a foot-hold in the Delaware. They are nest guarders and fairly easily caught from the nests, which appear in shallow, weedy or not-so-weedy back-waters, calm pools in braided channels, etc, at least that is what we know so far. They have been caught from the Delaware with surprising regularity from Scudders Falls area (I-95 crossing) downstream to about 10 miles below Trenton NJ/Morrisville PA area this year. Morrisville has been particularly productive. Additionally, some scattered catches have come from Tohickon Creek, Bucks Co, about a mile upstream from its mouth at Point Pleasant on the Delaware, and from the Delaware River on the NJ side across from Martins Creek, Northampton Co, which is north of Easton, Pa. So, as you search for smallmouth you may run into snakeheads as you wade through back-water areas behind islands or shallow, dead water areas near shore. Note, that you should know the difference between bowfins and snakeheads before deciding to kill a snakehead, as the bowfin is a native species that is a candidate for threatened or endangered status in Pa. The PFBC will soon be coming out with a very good poster that explains the differences among similar species so that anglers will be able to readily separate snakeheads from the rest. Meanwhile, you can find a similar description on Virginia's fisheries agency's web site. Snakeheads may not be possessed alive in Pa, so either release them or kill them right away. By all accounts, they are good eating.

 

[JohnPowers]

wouldn't it be safe to kill a suspected snakehead in that part of the D given that of the hundreds of fish I've caught there I've never seen a bowfin?

 

[Mike]

No, it would not be safe to do so.

We have had numerous anglers on the Delaware and in its tribs report to us that they had killed a snakehead only to find out that it was a bowfin based on our later converstions with them or after viewing photos that they took. If you can't clearly tell the difference between a bowfin and a snakehead, then release the fish! Bowfin are much more common in the Delaware than you think.