SW Pennsylvania Thread

[Lucky Craft Man]

Where in Erie were they hitting HPBB?  I may go up there this Saturday (if I don't have to work and it doesn't rain too bad).  

[HPBB]

The shoots by the Coast Gaurd put up big numbers of LM.

I caught my SM out in the lake by Walnut Creek.

If you go out in the lake start around 28-30 feet of water ,

4 inch dark green tubes, with 1/4 or 3/8 jig heads worked in both places.

If it rains put some rain gear on. It rained bad sunday and the fishing was great. now if the wind is blowing bad, that is a different story

[BASS fisherman]

HPBB-  Sorry I left so quick, I wasn't sure of the way home so I was at the mercy of Glen who always leaves quick.  Especially this tourney since he didn't catch any keepers.  

I got one smallie on a green pumpkin tube on a modified c-rid.  I wanted to fish some humps off sixteen mile creek, but Pat didn't want/feel like running that far.  If only he had..........  Pat just wanted to drift and drag all day, all day, all day.  I was so tired by the end of the day I almost fell asleep on the way home a few times.  

The fish I weighed in was dead .  I had deep hooked her really bad and she just lost too much blood to survive.  I felt like crap because of that.  But there really was not one thing I could have done about it.  

[HPBB]

Bass Fisherman, Up at Erie draging a tube is how it works some times. That is how we caught all our fish in my boat.We "Erie dragged" tubes all day. About a 200-300 yard drift over a spot. every drift put atleast one keeper in the boat, some drifts put 2 and 3 fish in the boat. I made that drif so much that day my GPS plotter looked almost black, you couldn't see the individual routs anymore

[Lard_Bass]

Hit Cross Creek today.  Water temp was 82 degrees.  Caught several LM, the biggest one around 19-20 inches.  Best fight of the summer for me.  He crushed my topwater Pop-R.  I love it when my drag lets out line.  Caught the others on gitzits.

BTW, if anyone is going to Gander Mountain, they have a bunch of outwear/raingear red tagged plus another 50% off.  I picked up a nice waterproof / breathable fly fishing jacket that originally was $80 for $24.  Strike King plastics were going for $0.99 as well.

[BASS fisherman]

Watch when you buy those .99 cent 3X plastics at Gander.

#1 Make sure the packs have the strike king 3X stickers on them, not "Bleeding bait" tubes.  

#2 Chech your receipt before you leave the store to make sure they only charged you .99 cents.  

I picked up a few packs and the stickers where wrong on the packs.  I got charged $1.99 and the receipt had the plastics listed as "Bleeding bait" tubes.

I didn't notice untill I was almost home and by then it was too late.  

[HPBB]

I'm going to try the rivers this sat. Not sure where yet. Either the Mon & Yough at McKeesport, or the 3 rivers in Pittsburgh out of the south side. I'll let you know how it is.

[Pittsburgh Reeler]

HPBB- I had fun regardless, tearing it up out there on dinks!    At least I was catching stuff and I had one keeper.  A real nice largemouth broke off Sunday day, too!  I was mad  >!

Thanks for taking me out on Saturday- sorry the dramamine made me pass out!!  :-/  It was fun getting that smallie!

As for other places, we went to Peters Lake in McMurray on Monday nite- NOT EVEN ONE STINKIN' BITE  >

Going back to my fave, Yellowcreek to wind down the summer. Hopefully I can get a few!

[HPBB]

FishingPunk, good luck at Yellow Creek, have a great holiday.

[hotrod53]

Hey FishinPunk, I fished Peters this afternoon, 1 stinkin bite! We used to bang em' at that lake a few years ago, the last 2 years have been really bad there! Something has changed in that lake, we used to catch 1-2-3 and occasional 4 pounders in there constantly, now nothing!

I'm gettin ready for Yellow Creek as well, the huge trout will be in the Trout Club area real soon, gotta love those 6-7-8 pounders!

[Lard_Bass]

I fish Peters Lake Park many times over the last couple of years and got nothing but dinks. I haven't heard of anyone catching anything substantial in that lake. I went out a couple of times with a canoe and fish finder. The deepest point was roughly only 25 feet and the terrain was flat. The lack of structure and deep water has probably hurt the fish population is my best guess.

[hotrod53]

I have fished that lake many-many times both from the shore and from a row boat. Three years ago we could catch 1-2 pounders every trip. Between the two of us we could fish for a few hours and catch a good bit every time. We caught a 4+ off of the dam last year. I too have cruised the lake with a fish finder and I saw the same that you did. Not much on structure, but tons of weed beds. I have heard storries of 6 pounders caught before fishing was allowed there, there was even one story of an eight pounder! I don't get it, we cant catch jact there now!

I do however have a story from personal experience at that lake....

Three years ago my son and I were rowing around in the cove by the boat dock. A lady walking her 6 year old son on the path across from the dock said "Look Johnny, there's a MOUNTAIN LION". They were real quiet and snuck up on this supposed mountain lion while my son and I out in teh boat laughed to each other. All of a sudden I heard one of the most frightening sounds that I have ever heard in the wild, the hair on my arms STOOD ON END!!! I never saw what it was, but I have never heard anything like it before or since! It was something in the cat family and boy was it LOUD! As I said, this is not urban legend, I heard it myself!

[Pittsburgh Reeler]

We went to Peters in spring before bass came in (maybe April or May), and caught a whole bunch of dinks at Peters.  A friend of mine caught a 15 inch largemouth on a little itty bitty piece of worm!  It was nice looking, but I didn't weigh it.  So I know they are there.  If I remember correctly, I caught a few there last year, too, in March, and saw some big mamas in there on beds in April 2 years ago.  I don't mind catching the dinks- I just go there for practice cuz its closest to me and I can run over there after work for an hour or two.  But we all know how frustrating it is to not even get a bite!   :'(  I have heard stories of other people catching some big ones.  

As for Yellowcreek this weekend, I caught a 13 inch bass on a live magic shad (w/w).  But the story of the day was my uncle, who caught a 29 inch pike on a shiner.  My Aunt also caught an 18 inch bass on a shiner- fat, too!  My friend caught a 14 inch bass on a nightcrawler.  Lots of crappies for fun.  Bye Bye Summer!!   :'(

I'll be on the lookout for mountain lions, nittany lions, cowardly lions, etc. next time I go to Peters!  Scary!  

[BASS fisherman]

After returning home from work one evening, I heard the sound of a small animal screeching for it's life.  I thought it was my cat torturing a small critter so I went out back to see what it was.  All of the sudden one of the trees bordering our property started shaking and then I heard the most gut wrenching scary noise I have ever hear.  It was definatley a cat......a BIG cat that was making that noise a house cat makes when it is mad, or if it encounters another cat that it doesn't want around.  It literally sent chills threw my body, and I about froze up thinking I was going to get pounced on.  I went inside, got the 12 gauge and a flashlight and went out to the tree.  Whatever it was was gone.  

We talked to our neighbor who has kids, and he confirmed seeing and hearing the same thing in his yard a few days earlier.  I believe whatever it was has since moved on, thankfully.  I know for sure it was a big cat.  Whether it was a mountain lion or a bobcat, remains to be unseen.

[Pittsburgh Reeler]

OK, here's a question for y'all:

I live by Carrick.  Where are some relatively close shore spots and how to get to them in the rivers?  For example, everyone says "back channel of Neville Island" but I don't where to find them.

Any one know any good spots in southside, anywhere else?? Somewhere that it would take less than 40 mintues to get to?  Thanks!!!  

[BASS fisherman]

The first link goes to a map of all the launch ramps in Allegheny county. http://www.fish.state.pa.us/water/county/pfbcmaps/alle.htm

The second link goes to the main page where you can look for spots all over the state.

http://www.fish.state.pa.us/map_regionguide.htm

Unfortunatley they are out of stock, but the 3rd link goes to the page where you can order the maps.

http://www.fish.state.pa.us/promo/form/pubs_free.htm

I'll see if I can scrounge up a map of the SW region.  I had a bunch, but can't remember where I put them.  If I can find one, I'll bring it tonight.

[Lucky Craft Man]

Bass Fisherman

I see you count all your catches for the 2007 year. This is the first year I have counted what I have caught and I think it will be a good base line as to how each year after this year will be fish catch wise. Have you been counting your catches long?

Does anyone else count their catch total?

[Pittsburgh Reeler]

I know I should, but I get too lazy about it.  I know my tournament catches because they are recorded.  I am trying to develop a log for which lures I caught them on, etc.

You can do a free one on Bassmaster.com if you are Bass Insider member.  And, peeps- if you are a federation nation member, you get BASS Insider for free. But they will keep charging you unless you call.

[Lard_Bass]

So, who's been out lately.  I went out last weekend to Cross Creek and got skunked.  Probably heading out again this weekend or trying the creeks for some smallies.  

Also, where's Yellow Creek?  I have heard it talked about on this thread.  FishingPunk, you fish Peters Lake and Yellow Creek.  I assume Yellow Creek is somewhere in Washington Co.

[HPBB]

yellow creek is in Indiana co. just east of the town of Indiana on rt 422

[Pittsburgh Reeler]

Yes, Yellowcreek is about 10 miles away from IUP.  There are 2 campgrounds close-by.  In fact, I am going to pack up my camper this weekend.  BOOHOO!  There are also several other ponds/ lakes closeby- Duman's and I forget the name of the other one.

[Lucky Craft Man]

Has anyone fished Tamarack Lake?  I went up there this weekend looking for a new place to fish and the water was the color of coffee (with a little cream).  The depth was real shallow and I ran my trolling motor into about 10 logs (I couldn't even see the logs when I hit them).  Is the lake always this muddy and is there any areas deeper than 4 feet?

[bassnleo]

As I replied on the fisherie site, Tamarak is always dirty. Deeper area is at the Cochranton end out in front of the dam.

A little Tamarak secret, the shallower the better. If you like to pitch and flip, that's the place to do it. I weighed a 20.33 lb limit (5 lm) last year in a club tournament there. The big ones are there...............

[Lucky Craft Man]

I weighed a 20.33 lb limit (5 lm) last year in a club tournament there.

That's quite a nice limit.  I hope you won that tournament.  Thanks for the advice.  One other question, how do you keep from damaging your trolling motor?  I would be going along and next thing I knew, I was almost going overboard, because my trolling motor slammed into a log (that I didn't see).

[HPBB]

try to run your tm a little shallower. and run slower if you are worried about hitting something