skip

I didn't really think about the hook set, not used used to worrying about 4/0 hooks. Lost a few using a swim bait last year using a 30%-35% rod, meaning it bends about 1/3 of the way down. It wasn't a light rod but maybe just not enough "action." My crank bait rod bends just above half way down...its not a light rod but has that med action. I'm thinking that a 1/4 swim jig with small trailer could be something I could fish nice and slow for these first few (cold) weeks. But maybe I could get the same effect from a naked swim bait (maybe 1/16 weighed hook)...

I like the comparison with the spinner bait. I was thinking for the swim bait a med rod, that i might use for a crank bait could be good for the job. See any disadvantage to that?

Swim Jig Vs. Swim Bait When do you fish one and not the other? What differences in rod action or line type?

X2 on Mauch Chunk, it isn't that bad from the shore, you may want to bring some waders though. Beltsville can be difficult even from a boat due to the water skiers and tubers that come during the summer. I plan on getting to Nocamixion but I've never been there. I read a flyer in the local dick's advertizing a few tournaments there...but as I don't own a boat either I have to depend on the charity of others to get out on most local lakes. All in all I recommend catching small mouth in the Delaware river (not really a short drive from macungie...but its worth it). good luck skip

x2 on the pumpkin and I'll add watermelon....both with glitter/spots.

Since I can't post links yet... search this site for Husky_Jerkbait for a good article on this bait. I read this article on this site. I use jerkbaits...I just didn't know that they were called that. To me there are far to many niche names/baits. I've always just considered these a type of crankbait. I'm still learning these things. ANYWAY....the jerkbait is one of the hard baits I was talking about during those special times of year when you are tired of the tube Interesting skip

Yeah, they are defiantly not the go-to bait in NE PA rivers either (at least for me). I haven't really given the other spinner baits (single will ow or otherwise) a chance...maybe I'll give that a shot this spring... Tubes, tubes and tubes....with top water hard baits during select times of year. But if you were going to try the spinner again...I would suggest finding some non-smooth water, and feeding the inline spinner down through the shoot and retrieve back to the point in the rapid 'V'. There is a tour/guide group in the Lehigh Valley for small mouth fishing in the Delaware river (I think they are linked from this site)...who I ran into one night who strongly suggested Mephs #4 skip

With spinners in the river. You might try placing an inline spinner at the top of a "chute" (with the point of the V down stream) and letting the current dictate the depth and speed (depending on the current you may have to do a slow retrieve) . Then when the spinner passes the point of the V start the retrieve. Strikes will happen as the spinner comes back to the chute. The small mouth in the lehigh river (NE PA) like to hide in the eddies and backrollers near the V point. Maybe its the same where you are too. Also, just about anything that looks like a hellgrammite will work wonders. skip

Thanks I read almost every single article before I even knew there was a forum. I loved every one of them. I fond this site when I was looking for information on rods. Really, nowhere else on this forum/site or google could I find anywhere where someone defines what 4lb test actually means to the fisherman. Which if you compound with the myriad of choices on the shelf can be really frustrating. Your post helped a lot. Thanks again.

Great answer, if you charged new fishermen 5 cents for that info you'd make a millon dollars. I am going to pick line based on diameter and the conditions...and adjust one way or the other on the size of the fish I will probably catch. Thanks Skip

Lehigh River, PA The best time for poppers and other surface hard baits (including 0-1ft divers) was the 3 weeks right before daylight savings ended (mid fall). After that it went back to tubes and the like. And the floating torpedo (with propellers) was a fun, yet inconsistent, hard bait for most of the fall. Skip EDIT: This goes for the Delaware river too.

Since this is the line basics thread I have no problem asking this question. If I plan on catching 2-3 lb. fish should I use 2 lb line (or 4 or more)? Can I catch a 4lb fish on 2lb line IF i set the drag properly? If I catch a 4 lb fish on 2 lb line, with NO drag will it break? If I catch a 2 lb fish on 2 lb line, with NO drag will it break? I'm really just trying to wrap my head around "what does 4lb test mean?" --- Now to complicate things. If I buy a line that is 4lb but has a diameter of 0.004 less then others will it break sooner because it is thinner? What does 4 lb test actually mean (not the physics) for actual fishing? Back to the basics (like the thread topic states). Thank you, Skip PS. Being a noob I would understand if you just point me toward other forum topics too (I have searched...but unsuccessfully).

Just thought I would post here for my first one and say hi. I don't have any tips for fishing here (Lehigh valley pa) after a thaw, but I'll be keeping my eye out for any more responses. cya, skip