Yinzer Flats City Fishing

[Bruno]

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/outdoors/2017/01/15/unconventional-strategy-for-fishing-Pittsburgh-s-rivers-for-winter-walleye/stories/201701150148

 

[flyflicker]

Nice link. Where there is a will there is a way. Glad the guy is finding fish close to home!

 

[gulfgreyhound]

February in Tionesta,loads of BIG eyes. GG

 

[FarmerDave]

gulfgreyhound wrote:
February in Tionesta,loads of BIG eyes. GG

Not just there, but yea, you spot burner!;-)

You can find Walleye in that river from Kinzua Dam, all the way to the burgh.

And apparently there are Sauger in that river too, but I think they are more common around the Burgh, and in the Ohio and Mon rivers.

 

[Dave_W]

Neat article.

Winter walleyes certainly don't have a big following of FFers, but there has long been a small but dedicated group os spin anglers who target these fish on Mi-Atlantic rivers and often catch some large ones during the colder months of the year.

 

[DaveS]

Back in the late 80's early 90's, the Allegheny had epic Sauger fishing. Honestly 400+ fish days if were so inclined. So I took my fly pole because who would that back then...

I got sauger, walleye and of course Small mouth bass. At the time, the apron behind the Kelly Station power plant was a fish factory. This was likely late Spring.

Today, I fear it's but a shadow of what it once was. And I am not a fan of wading large (deep) water in cold weather. I mean if you died Dry fly fishing, that's one thing. Scheeh!

 

[nomad_archer]

gulfgreyhound wrote:
February in Tionesta,loads of BIG eyes. GG

Shhhhhh...... but in all seriousness there are always a few boats on the river in the same spots once the weather gets nasty. I always wanted to give it a go up there in the winter but after deer season it is a crap shoot if the road to camp in west hickory will be accessible or not depending on snow.

 

[nomad_archer]

FarmerDave wrote:

gulfgreyhound wrote:
February in Tionesta,loads of BIG eyes. GG

Not just there, but yea, you spot burner!;-)

You can find Walleye in that river from Kinzua Dam, all the way to the burgh.

And apparently there are Sauger in that river too, but I think they are more common around the Burgh, and in the Ohio and Mon rivers.

Growing up around the burgh we used to kill'em fishing just upstream of the mouth or at the mouth of just about any trib with minnows on floating jigheads and drop shot rig. Just before dark we would get bass, then Sauger and walleyes. That was a good time. Sounds like fun targeting them on the fly.

There are places I would consider wading the Allegheny in cold water but you better know the water before you try that. There are shallow sections and some really deep ones. I wouldn't bother wading the Ohio warm or cold water.

 

[Sylvaneous]

Compared to it's summer levels, the Allegheny is way up its banks in late winter. In most places, just due to the lay of the land and roads, rail roads and other built up stuff, it puts the river right along the drop off with no real shallow water, at least most places. But that's OK because the fish are more tight to the banks then, hanging in the mouths of feeders and behind current breaks. Feb/March is when that fishing kicks in. But it's hard for me to motivate myself to get out on the river when it looks so ugly and the weather so often sucks. But they are there to be had. I don't know if this is true with every river, but the Allegheny really seems to give up its big fish in the coldest, worst time of the year to be on it. From mid-December to the February transition is the only 'dead' time of the winter.
I just can't seem to convince myself that a 1/4 oz pink and white marabou jig/minnow will actually catch anything then.

Syl

 

[FarmerDave]

Sylvaneous wrote:
Compared to it's summer levels, the Allegheny is way up its banks in late winter. In most places, just due to the lay of the land and roads, rail roads and other built up stuff, it puts the river right along the drop off with no real shallow water, at least most places. But that's OK because the fish are more tight to the banks then, hanging in the mouths of feeders and behind current breaks. Feb/March is when that fishing kicks in. But it's hard for me to motivate myself to get out on the river when it looks so ugly and the weather so often sucks. But they are there to be had. I don't know if this is true with every river, but the Allegheny really seems to give up its big fish in the coldest, worst time of the year to be on it. From mid-December to the February transition is the only 'dead' time of the winter.
I just can't seem to convince myself that a 1/4 oz pink and white marabou jig/minnow will actually catch anything then.

Syl

This ^

I used to work with a guy who lived on the river in Franklin, and he would take his boat out every chance he could get. Some of the nastiest weather too. He always caught walleye.

And if I grew up where Syl grew up, I'd have rode my bicycle down to the "marina" and fish from the bank as soon as the ice cleared out.;-)

 

[724flyfishing]

I see this guy posting pics of some the walleyes and other river monsters he catches on the Facebook page "Steel City Anglers". Some really impressive fish. It makes me want to get a extra spool with some sinking line for my 7wt. If you're on Facebook, check out that page if you haven't already. It's kind of slow now, but spring-fall the musky, pike, walleye, flatheads, and smallmouth some of those guys catch downtown is pretty awesome and crazy to see.

 

[ryanh]

Bruno, how the hell are you? We need to fish again this spring.

 

[Bruno]

hells yes I am down for that

check your pm

 

[gulfgreyhound]

Whats the crick in Franklin? I saw the head of a 5lb. smallie that was caught there back in the 50's.
Back then Franklin had the best looking women. GG ;-) ;-) :lol: :lol:

 

[Flyfishing42]

Caught walleye,smallies, and catfish and drum all in one day at point state park in dwntwn pgh in the fall....not on fly rod though.