Rivers are Cold - Smallies Off to a Slow Start

[The_Sasquatch]

Thanks. Love me the glass!

I got out to the 'Stoga yesterday on my lunch break. I had to look pretty funny standing on the banks of the stream in my black dress shoes, slacks and tie. Nothin' on the little white popper, nothin' on a bugger (brown and white), nothing on a SJW, nothin' on a white wulff. Odd. I admit I haven't done WW fishing this early in the past. Any suggestions? I'll go out again today on my lunch break. I'm wearing chords and I have a pair of sneakers in the car this time....so dirt won't show up as well as it did on my black dress pants ;-) I

One thing. I heard a very loud splash. I thought that a limb of a tree fell in the creek. I looked across the stream, and sure enough, a huge carp jumped clear out of the water. I mean, it was 100% air born. What he was jumping for, I don't know, but it was amazing! He did it more than once while I was there. Wish I could have gotten a cast out to him.

 

[pwk5017]

I really want to get out after work tomorrow. I hope I dont get rained out. We need some pictures on this thread.

As for the skunk...tough question to answer. Odd that you didnt get anything. The yearlings typically arent too difficult to catch. I remember this time--even earlier than this time-- last year I was consistently catching them on top with gurglers in the evenings. Were you fishing a solid spot? If I get out tomorrow, I am heading straight for the honey holes.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Yeah it's a solid spot. In the summer last year I would go here and pound the banks w/ dries and nail the blue gills, sunnies, and SMB for hours on end.

 

[dc410]

I stopped at the Li'l Skuke north of Port Clinton earlier this week on the way home from work. The water temp was actually 58 degrees. All I could manage was one big fallfish. I haven't even seen a Smallmouth yet this year. I was in need of some action so I rounded out the day for about an hour or so at the Tully and smashed them stockies swinging wet flies. The early season smallmouth thing has been very frustrating to say the least, but I won't give up on 'em.

 

[springer1]

I had a similar experience this week at a SEPA creek location that has nice 'gills ... only managed one runt.

Hopefully this string of warm weather will help a bit.

 

[Kabutt]

Yeah I'm one of those guys who disappears all winter...

PWK thanks for the PMs last fall. I'll be getting back to ya with my thoughts... eventually!

I've been to the lower Lehigh for a couple hours two or three times so far by my home. Nothin, not even a sunny...

 

[melvinp]

Have some sad news got into some smallies sunday but caught a couple with some sort of fungus problem I would say 2 out of 30.Its like a white mold growth on the belly and tail.I also saw some pictures of bass with large black spots.North branch Wyoming county.

 

[Fishidiot]

melvinp wrote:
Have some sad news got into some smallies sunday but caught a couple with some sort of fungus problem I would say 2 out of 30.Its like a white mold growth on the belly and tail.I also saw some pictures of bass with large black spots.North branch Wyoming county.

Melvin,
Let the PFBC know. If you've got pics, better yet. They'll want to know the location, date etc. Just report specifically what you saw (not rumors or photos from somebody else as these may already have been reported). Bass with fungal growth or spots are common in the Susky but the agency needs all the data and reports they can get as studies continue.

Link - Report Diseased Bass

 

[dc410]

I was chucking a black rabbit strip bugger at a group of large carp trying to aggravate one into taking it when the dark torpedo shot out of nowhere and hammered it. The Smallmouth season was on! I caught six of them in a very short time period in the same hole. I was fishing in Mill Creek, Lancaster Co. Have lived within 2 miles of this stream virtually all of my life and this was the first SMB I ever caught in Mill Creek on the flyrod. The water temperature was a balmy 66 degrees already. The smallest was 6" and the largest was about 12". They all looked very healthy with nice color. It's always great to find a new "honey hole". I'm pumped!

 

[pwk5017]

FINALLY, A SMALLMOUTH! Black zonker sz6-8 is my favorite smallie fly. I dont even strip the thing, just swing it low. It is insanely productive.

 

[riverwhy]

Got a nice one in the Swattie. Can't seem to figure out how to post the pictures. Working on it!

It is supposed to be a smallie that had to be about 20 inches. Maybe its better you didn't see it, I got it on a spinning rod! At least I tried the Fly Rod. Got two Fallfish on a crayfish pattern.