SW Pennsylvania Thread

[Lucky Craft Man]

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

That's what I ended up doing after first trolling across the lake at full speed and slamming into a log.  That is a huge lake for trolling motor only.  I guess you have to launch very close to where you plan to fish most of the day.

[bassnleo]

Whelp, I will be of no help, I actually did break a TM there this yea

Like already mentioned, run TM up higher than normal and be really observant.

[Lucky Craft Man]

Hey Guys,

I am looking for a little advice.  I am taking a few days off of work next week and am heading up to Erie.  I was wondering if anyone could offer me any advice as to what depth you guys have been finding the smallmouth?  I haven't been up there since the Spring, so I haven't been able to follow the fish movement and would grealty appreciate any help.  Thank you in advance.

[bassnleo]

Man that's tough. I would start on a 15 foot break and maybe head shallower. If no bites go out deeper say 20-25 feet.

I fished there in mid September and my success was 25-30 feet.

I hear the bay is on fire for largies, spinnerbaits early then pitching to weeds when the sun gets up.

[HPBB]

good news to all that like BPS. i just got my christmas catalog. don't really buy anything out of it, but looked at the page that has all their stores on it, and there is a mark for Pittsburgh ( in washington), It sayes "coming soon".  I know the have been trying to open one up here so it looks like it might be soon. no date on when it will be open, or where other than washington. This will be good we will have a BPS and a Cabela's within a 1/2 hour of each other, with a bonus big Gander Mountain in the mix. sounds like the bait monkey is getting restless.

[Lard_Bass]

HPBB,

I hate to burst your bubble but BassPro's website pulled Pittsburgh off its future store locations months ago.

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CFPage?appID=94&storeId=10151&catalogId=10001&langId=-1

The store was originally slated to open in 2007-08 but it is on delay (possibly not coming at all anymore). I drive past the Racetrack Road site daily. There is a sign up for upcoming stores but BPS is not on it. If you are in the area, try Gander Mountain in Washington. It's hit or miss but I have walked out with some great deals. I bet the catalog was designed prior to the website change.

I haven't been to Cabelas in about 6 months. I find that place overrated. The fishing department seems to be getting stocked with less and less stuff. Plus the prices are much more expensive than Gander Mt or Sportsman Warehouse. The bargain bin at Cabelas could have some decent finds but you have to dig through all the junk to find a diamond in the rough.

If I see a BPS sign go up on Racetrack Road, I'll keep you guys informed. Unfortunately, that bait monkey will be waiting a long time before BPS comes to town.

[HPBB]

i know what you saying. It was pulled from the web site month ago or last year. Infact I have a master catalong from 2005 that has Pittsburgh as a future site. then It was pull from all the mag and the web site. Maybe its a typo, but in the newest catolg its listed  Pittsburgh again.

Just getting my hopes up, and you have to bring me back down. Thanks . I go to all the stores and I do like GM, but I have two of their stores closer to me than going to washington, but have been there many many times. I do think cabela's isn't the greatest, but its good. Sportsman's wearhouse is good also. I do However like BPS the best, but making that drive to balt is a just a bit long. I know I can go to harrisburg, but that is a small store and don't like it that much

[Lard_Bass]

Well, maybe the catalog is a good sign.  Heck, all those big winners from the casino should spend their money on some new fishing gear.  I'll keep you posted on any BPS sign sightings.  

Anyone bass fishing lately.  I got skunked the last 2 times I went out on Cross Creek lake.  Fish seem to have lockjaw.  I am probably going to start stream fishing for trout.  

[HPBB]

this is one of the best times of the  yearto be out there. fish may be hard to find, but once you do, man can you get into some numbers. water is still warm( the yough was 75-78 degrees & and the mon river was 66-70, I would not leave the bass yet for those trout.  once that water gets, and stays in the low to mid 60's the bass will really start to put the feed bags on.

What lures have you been using?

Shad like lures are  what I like best right now.

Two weeks ago was down on Yough Dam for a few days, and the lake was one fire. 3 big lures were torepedos, flukes & tubes. The smallies would destroy a torpedo when ever there was some fog cover. After the fog lifted I moved to flukes in the shallows. Then tubes a little deeper. Also the Pike just loved the flukes, they also hit the torpedos. on that sat got 3 pike over 30inches, biggets abot 33. infact that sat ( when it was about 95degree in Oct) was the best day of the 3. My dad, me and a buddy went out and boated about 30 fish between the 3 of us. All Bass and pike. and missed just as many as we caught on the torpedos and flukes. my dad had the biggest Smallie a real nice 5.3# . That sunday had a tournament down there and only caught 4 fish, all were keepers and go enough for 2cd place. had about 4-6 get off or miss topwater. need to impove on that

last week fished the mon river in Mckeesport for about 3 hours on sat morning (only had a little time to get out) caught 3 bass one LM about 14 and 2 sm around 11-12 all on top water. 2 on torpedo and one on a buzz bait.

The biggest thing is to have bait fish in the area. that is what happen on the sat at the yough dam. our one spot had a huge school of bait fish and that is where we caught most of our fish. On the mon river we found bass bustin bait fish at a mouth of a creek and got a few there.

this time of year I like to use faster moving bait, that look like bait fish, top water, spinnerbaits, crank baits(shallow most of the time), not to metion slower soft plastic work well, flukes ,senkos & grubs(swimming them) Once the water cools some more ( mid 50'S) I'll move to more jigs, and tubes

[BASS fisherman]

I was fishing Keystone state park lake last Sunday and caught over 30 LM in just about 2 hours.  I caught them all throwing small Storm swimbaits.  I went back this past Wednesday and the baitfish were ganged up in the same spot.  I started throwing a small Rapala countdown and caught a few before I lost it.  Then I tied on the Storm swimbait and continued to hammed them for the next hour.  I ended up loosing count, but I caught a bunch.  

Try throwing small tight wobble cranks like the OG Rapala or countdown, along with any swimbaits you may have.  The fish are ganging up on baitfish in  preparation for winter.

[Lard_Bass]

Thanks for the tips.  It may also be the lake (cross creek) that i have been targeting.  Everytime I go there, the anglers I meet on the docks say they get skunked too.  I should try somewhere else.  If I go back, where would the bait fish be hiding out at this point of season?  I tried fishing all points and steep drop offs but no luck.

I went steelie fishing for the first time.  Wow, what an experience.  I didn't catch anything but seeing all those large fish was quite a sight.  The streams are shallow and fished a couple of spots where the steelhead came right up to my toes.  They were so spooked from all the lures being thrown at them.  I decided that catching the fish where they were trapped wasn't sport and moved back to the deeper parts of the creeks.  

The one thing I did learn was that all this skunk smell on me is making me wonder if I should bathe myself in tomato sauce to get this stench off of me.  

[flyhatch]

i hit the river on sunday with my buddy and his 9 year old boy.

we loaded up on shiners and the tackle shop owner mentioned creek mouths

we had a great day.. smallie after smallie id hook them and hand the rod to the little guy.

we kept him pretty busy even managed a few wallydogs

[bassnleo]

Suuuure, NOW the creek mouths produce, why couldn't they have bout 2 weeks ago?

Good to hear you had fun, did you get to the Mon where I had those fish biting old pinky?

[flyhatch]

actually we hit the pool above harmarville

first creekmouth we found.

pretty much stayed there most of the day

but I have that spot logged in my mental gps

ill just start listening for sirens and whistles:P

I dont think any would of hit 18

but 15 probaly a couple

we just couldnt not listen to the lock 3 shop owner.

any luck with the deer ?

I am keeping my eye on erie for some fishable water.

latley nothing but tsumani pipeline stuff.

[bassnleo]

Not hunting deer, kinda gave that up a few years ago. Been bangin the ducks, turkeys this weekend hopefully.

A couple guys in the tourney did lock up day 2 and at least 1 18 incher was brought back down. Next year we won't have to worry about that silly reg, that pool has been removed from the Big Bass program for 2008!

I still hear those sirens and wistles, do I have a problem?

Erie has been like the North Atlantic, thinkin it may be over for the year, main lake at least.

[flyhatch]

I may try my skill at some turkeys this wednesday.

good luck on saturday

i will still keep any eye on erie ,word had it that mid to late nov can produce if the lake is fishable.

We will see

E

[HappyHooker]

Has anyone been to the keystone power dam lately?  Im thinking about goin up this weekend and giving it a shot.  I usually do very well in the spring and summer up there but I have not fished it this time of the year.  A couple people I talked to said that it is pretty low.  Anyone wanna give me an idea on wht to do?

[Pittsburgh Reeler]

Is anyone else wishing they either 1) lived further south, 2) could afford to go further south every weekend 3) wish that gas wasn't going over 3.00 a gallon to make at least a FEW trips further south, or 4) it was March again already?????? For Pete's Sake, it's not even the middle of November and I am already thinking these thoughts!!!! Sigh..... :'(  I know, I could go fishing, but I'm just not that hardcore and don't have a boat and I"ll be darned if i'm going to stand on the shore in one place freezing!!!

[m_lowlander]

I dont stop until the water is hard, and then I switch to trout/steelhead.

I was out last weekend and got some nice fish, and lost what could have been my largest PA bass to date...

I'll be out again this weekend dragging a jig.....looking for that fish...

[Pittsburgh Reeler]

Good luck, dont forget to tell us if you caught something!

[BASS fisherman]

I don't stop till the water's hard either, then I try my luck at different spots on the rivers.  Ususally I dont catch anything, but I equate it to an ex-smoker who just quit needing to chew gum or hold a pen in their fingers.  I just have to get out and cast for a few hours to alleviate my fix.

ichapicanemo,

 Where you located in SW PA?

[m_lowlander]

Castle Shannon, South Hills.

[HappyHooker]

i love fishin the rivers this time of the year.....when the water gets into the 50s you better have a crankbait tied on......if that dont work fish deep and throw a drop shot rig

[Lard_Bass]

HappyHooker, why would a crankbait work when the water is cold? I could see a suspending jerkbait but aren't the fish slowing down and reluctant to chase a crank?

I am pretty much hanging it up.  However, I got a couple of trips to Florida to get my fix in the next month!  

[HappyHooker]

i have no clue why they work but they do.  i will throw pointers if they are short striking the cranks just for a slower retrieve i guess you could say.  i was out 2 weeks ago n caught them pretty good in the speers pool.  the water was 57-59 degrees n they were eating a crankbait pretty good  but i was out this past saturday n the water dropped to 49-51 degrees so with that much of a change in a week i slowed things down n caught them on a drop shot n jig n pig.  i ran inot a school of spots that i was on the week before n i think they grew cuz i caught a 15 inch average of spots (12 to be exact)