Smallies & Stripers

[dsleader]

About a month ago, I had the pleasure of being guided on the Delaware River for the day. What an experience!! Landed 32 15"-18" smallies and stripers, lost about 10 more and was constantly having strikes.

Prior to this, anytime I was on a large stream or river like the Delaware or Schuykill, I would use my 6wt. floating line set up. This day I used a sinking tip, and now I get it. I now am set up and anxious to get out again.

My fishing usually is confined to small trout streams in S.E. and N.C. PA, but living right on the Delaware River, I want to take advantage of it.

Any suggestions on books, techniques, times of the year, etc. would be greatly appreciated. I would like to get out this weekend and see what I can do.

Dale

 

[sandfly]

Go to either scudders falls or the wing dam in new hope and fish bright streamers for the sea run browns and tigers....they should be running now...some will go 10 - 15 lbs...I use an 8 wt with shooting heads made of LC13 and braided mono running line...
Mainstream outfitters should be able to set you on the line...
Kenny Schramm used to have a slide show picturing the browns we caught on the river..Large 3/0 salmon flies worked also..pm me if you need more info on the lower river..

 

[Philly]

Dale:
Another thing that should be happening now is the downstream migration of the YOY American Shad which usually causes most game fish in the river to put on the feed bag. Deceivers, or a fly like the Baby Angel, or any other peanut bunker fly would work. Tie them 2-4 inches long. You can fish them with a 6 wgt, though it might be interesting if you hooked into one of those sea-runs.
Also, Crease Flies, fish them on the sink tip. They work well.
I didn't even know the Delaware had sea-runs, a good piece of information to keep tucked away for later use , though I was aware of the large browns, 24-30 inch fish, that migrate up Valley Creek from the Schuylkill this time of year.
Speaking of Kenny, he also had some nice pictures of striped bass, in the 20-30 lb range, caught in the summer time at night in the Washington Crossing-Scuddders Falls area on large deer hair flies.
I really can't think of any books that focus on that stretch of the river. What you might see if you can find is map of the river. I picked one up many years ago that was a detailed set of maps, showing structure, water depth, for the river from the Philadelphia up to East-West split. With all the flooding we've had in the last decade, I sure it's changed a bit, but it would be a good reference if you could find a copy.

 

[sandfly]

The yoy shad should be about done now i would think...Kenny and a few of us would swim out below the new hope dam at night and climb up on rocks to fish for the stripers..I started fishing with him in the 70's and he could find fish...His gurgler was great on the river...Also try a clouser crawfish up to 6' long, yea they are that big in the delaware..