Any luck in Southcentral P.a.

[Joshua Beaver]

Been fishing for a bit now this year and haven't had any luck. Is anyone else have much luck? If so, where do you fish, what are you using, any tips for me? All is appreciated, would love to post a nice catch.

[thomas15]

I'm personally up in NE PA in the Poconos so I'm useless here but it would be helpful to know if you are you bank fishing or boating? Have you asked at any of the local tackle shops? How far are you willing to travel?

[Joshua Beaver]

2 hours ago, thomas15 said:

I'm personally up in NE PA in the Poconos so I'm useless here but it would be helpful to know if you are you bank fishing or boating? Have you asked at any of the local tackle shops? How far are you willing to travel?

As of now I'm strictly bank since I can't afford a boat. As for tackle shop, the I can do here is Walmart and Dick's sporting goods, neither of which can afford me enough information as a lot of people around my area don't fish much unless it's for trout. Travel wise, I don't have the time or money right now to travel more than a half hour to any fishing spot unfortunately. Plus, unless I'm of work (maybe one day a week) I'm restricted to morning and afternoon fishing as I work evening shift and usually start work between 4 and 7 pm.

[thomas15]

Again not any help but when I lived in NJ and worked in an industrial park there were several small ponds of just a few acres, literally 2-3 acres, one was right across the street from my work place. For years (I worked there 19 years) I thought there wasn't any chance there was any fish in the pond although we would see people sometimes try. One day I went over at lunch time and tossed in small pieces of bread which as attacked by bluegills. Next day I spent the entire lunch hour reeling in blue gill after blue gill.

 

After doing this for a couple of weeks (and forming an ad-hock fishing club), I decided to see if there might be something bigger so I dragged a few texas rigged plastics and darn if there weren't LM bass in there as well as some nice sized carp. I fished this pond (actually a glorified mud hole) at lunch time for several years and found a few others in the park that were just as productive.

 

So look around you might be surprised. Small ponds like this do not get much if any fishing pressure. Also, in my area in the old Lehigh canal some of the canal has water in it and there are some nice sized catfish.

 

 I have a boat now and in Beltzville it's difficult to fish without one but I actually caught more fish when I was bank bound than I do now. It takes a lot of time to get a boat from home to the fishing spot and back again.

 

This might be of some use  https://www.hookandbullet.com/c/fishing-fayetteville-pa/

 

 

Allow me to say when I first started bass fishing it took me forever to catch my first. One the day I hooked my first LMB I told myself when I left home that if I got skunked again then this would be it, I gave it (LMB) a shot but it's not for me. This was easy my 20th time trying. I tried a bunch of spots that I was told had bass, nothing. Finally I purchased a book that listed many lakes and streams in NJ and how to fish them and the pond I hit pay dirt  at was right behind the municipal building in Absecon NJ. It is a public park and kids fish it but not many serious bass fishermen so it's not a bad fishing hole.

 

My neighbor took me to a brackish pond across the street literally from Great Bay in Tuckerton. I caught many LMB there over the years and hardly ever saw anyone else fishing there. This is in an area famous for strippers and weakfish.

[Cargojon]

If you're after Smallies try the Conewago south of Harrisburg where it empties into Susquehanna.  I haven't been there in a few years but that was always a good spot.  

 

For Largemouth, I always went to the PH Glatfelter pond in Spring Grove.  Good for LM and shore fishing.

 

Also worth mentioning are Lake Redman and Pinchot Park, I have had luck from both over the years.