Finding Summer Bass In Small Pa Lakes

[sppatton1]

Just wanted to see who had some insight on this. I am located in Central Pennsylvania and am an avid bass angler. I am having trouble locating bass in the lakes we fish during the dog days of summer (late July - August). The lakes around us are smaller reservoirs that are usually elecric only or have a limit on outboard power and the water temp now is around 80 degrees.

 

I have been running into a wall when it comes to finding bass in the heat of summer and can't seem to even trigger a bite down deep. I have been working all angles by targeting points at various depths by running swimbaits or cranking at different speeds. I'll also throw a dropshot, carolina or mojo rig working a lizard, tube, worm, or creature of different colors without a single nibble. The only thing that seems to give me success is working on the top or running a spinnerbait shallow early morning or twilight hours.

 

I know everyone is saying that the bass are deeper during the summer but I still can't seem to trigger a bite down there. Obviously, it is hard to be confident spending all that time casting in the depths without any success and I understand it can be exhausting. But I have spent a good chunk of time concentrating on putting my bait in front of bass down deep and still haven't had success.

 

My fishfinder will show me what I want to see with groupings down deeper on a flat or holding above a steep drop off so it seems as if my presentation is flawed. The only other thing I think may be the problem is that I may need to throw a smaller bait.

 

Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

[TheBig1]

I too am from central PA, Mifflinburg to be exact, but unfortunately I now live up in NEPA.  I'll be honest, everyone that I've been talking to this summer, even us hacks who can normally catch dinks all summer long and have fun, have been having a rough go of it this summer.  That's pretty much across the board here with most of the people I talk to.  Now of course you have people who are better than I who will dispute this fact but I haven't had much success this summer myself.  I've only had very sparse success on frogs in the pads, senkos in the pads at all times of day as well as some dropshotting the weedlines where they drop from 8' to around 12'-13'.  That's really the only success that I've been having.  My buddy did roll about a 5-7 pounder last weekend on a 5" black senko texas rigged weightless in the pads which is about the most success I've seen all year and then all of the sudden they shut down.  We were getting a lot of hits until they shut down.

 

Just from hearing these guys on here talk, because they're the ones who helped me with the dropshotting, go smaller on the bait and just leave it sit.  When I dropshotted I was using a Roboworm in green pumpkin w/red flake.

 

I wish you luck.

[smallieking]

what lake are u fishing?

[FishinCop646]

This is probably one of my most successful summers. I've been fishing mostly Raystown and Sayers, but have made a few trips to Glendale. Power fishing is the way to go. Cover water until you find them. Most of my luck has been fishing rip rap or wood in the 5'-10' range. Fishing slow is a waste of time if you aren't on the fish! 

[tomustang]

T-rig, fish it slower, stick with it.

[sppatton1]

what lake are u fishing?

I usually fish Pinchot, Marburg, Blue Marsh, and Marsh Creek.

[Comfortably Numb]

Used to fish NE PA Poconos area. Did best in Shallow weedy lakes and ponds in summer. Tons of fun Pickeral and good bass on the wood.

 

We liked Shohola Falls. The Pack was pretty tough in summer. 

 

Guess that doesnt answer your Central PA question.

 

Tried any rivers?

[Ghostrider]

Pinchot and marburg is hard for me to catch fish on. But i really dont know either. Last time i was at pinchot i managed a few bass. Spinnerbaits and weightless senkos is what worked for me. But a lot of pressure on that lake.

[Zach Dunham]

The bigger lakes have stayed good for power fishing this year with the overall cooler temperatures. Last week Wallenpaupack was only 67-71 degrees and you could light the place up flipping grass for largemouth on the south end.

The smaller lakes: stick to grass areas and find breaks (where a stream bed was, or for stumps/rocks/logs). If you're going to flip/pitch be really thorough. I tend to power fish early in the morning and see where I get a few bites at and then go pick those places apart as the day goes on.

[einscodek]

heh I hear Blue Marsh is still tough.. sometimes half the tournament boats are skunked

[thomas15]

I Live literally right around the corner from Beltzville. I know it's a tough lake in good times but no one is catching anything at all on this pond. Really discouraging as I see the stripers jumping, my fish finder showing fish but even the bluegills ignore our bait.

 

Hopefully things will improve after labor day when the boat pressure decreases.

[PAGreg]

I've been making the trek from central pa to the finger lakes all summer instead of fishing around here. Closing in on 2k miles for the summer just for fishing, but its been worth it!

[tomustang]

I Live literally right around the corner from Beltzville. I know it's a tough lake in good times but no one is catching anything at all on this pond. Really discouraging as I see the stripers jumping, my fish finder showing fish but even the bluegills ignore our bait.

 

Hopefully things will improve after labor day when the boat pressure decreases.

 

Places like Blue Marsh and Beltzville had a problem with catch-n-keep fishermen, which have changed the bass populations.

[buzzbait4me]

This is probably one of my most successful summers. I've been fishing mostly Raystown and Sayers, but have made a few trips to Glendale. Power fishing is the way to go. Cover water until you find them. Most of my luck has been fishing rip rap or wood in the 5'-10' range. Fishing slow is a waste of time if you aren't on the fish! 

How have you been doing at Glendale? I am going up to fish it this weedend. Any suggestions?

[FishinCop646]

I won a tournament there earlier in the summer. My most recent trips were decent, but slow. Im limited on the lake because my boat has a 150hp, so all I can use is my trolling motor. Grass in 5+ feet of water and any wood you can find.

[buzzbait4me]

I won a tournament there earlier in the summer. My most recent trips were decent, but slow. Im limited on the lake because my boat has a 150hp, so all I can use is my trolling motor. Grass in 5+ feet of water and any wood you can find.

Any particular area of the lake to focus on and moving baits or plastics?

[einscodek]

Places like Blue Marsh and Beltzville had a problem with catch-n-keep fishermen, which have changed the bass populations.

I've always suspected Blue Marsh had a problem with catch and keep

..

Hows Lake Ontelaunee these days.. no boats but you could wade most of it

[FishinCop646]

Jigs around wood and beavers in the grass. There was also a pretty good chatterbait bite once the sun began to set. I couldn't say one section of the lake is better than the other. All I have fished this year was near the flag pole.

[Balshy Fishing]

Went to Pinchot about a month ago, caught a nice size largemouth over by the dam. Aside from that, nothing there.

 

Went to Kaercher Creek a month ago too and caught about 10, they were biting hard that day. Hot, sunny, you know.

 

I've just been fishing the Susquehanna between South Gate & Bainbridge and certain parts of the Swatty -- it's been weak lately. 

[Ghostrider]

Here are two of my biggest this year and that was last time i was out a couple weeks ago before the cool down. Flippin n pitchin lately.

[boatnik13]

You just need to know Pinchot better as well as other manmade small sleeper lakes in the area. As a lake map maker, there are good spots in Pinchot but you need to find them as D.O. levels  decrease, fishing pressure increases. My maps show theses area's. 

[akg414]

If they're not hitting in the top or middle of the water column, go deeper. Work the bottom with finesse plastics, slower and smaller. You'll get 'em.