Hello, readers!
I'm finally bringing you all the pictures of the recent sessions that my friends and I did since the beginning of September (or so). Lots of pictures and comments to entertain you. Hehe...Enjoy!
Before getting into the fishing sessions, here are some pictures of what Mike H. caught during his vacation around USA in August:
Mike must have gotten real bored in some Bumblefuck in Ohio (pardon the word usage) because he started to fish for Green Sunfish with lures.
Some great Largemouth Bass from Maryland
Hmmm....is that the same fish? I believe this is the one that Mike caught twice in the same day. Godly.
Yes, guys! Yes! Mike can actually catch a Carp. Nice Common Carp from Ohio, Mike! But lipping a Carp is pretty interesting...
Mike H. with his signature fish. Now he can add Ohio to his list of "locations I caught Bass."
Mike caught a decent amount of Sharks while staying in Delaware.
Nice vacation, isn't it, guys? Man...I wish I had a vacation like that! Anyways...let's begin with the recent fishing session here in PA and NJ.
September 14th, Schuylkill River (from Locust to Boatrow)
After college, I decided go to the Schuylkill River with lures and test them out along the River. My Daiwa mini-rod is very pleasant to carry around, and the quality is VERY GOOD. If you ever think about buying a compact fishing rod that you can carry around, the Daiwa one is my recommendation!
The Schuylkill River was very clear that day, the tide was very low, and I could literally see the bottom of the River (and even some fish!). I missed a nice Largemouth Bass on a Senko next to the Market Street Bridge, saw a Clear Musky sunbathing close to Spring Garden (at least 30 inches long), as well as a Gizzard Shad feeding close to the fisherman statue. I ended up skunked, but the sight-fishing at the Schuylkill River was an unique experience!
There's a Gizzard Shad in this picture! You can try your best to find its tail, at least.
My little Daiwa rod/reel combo. I carry it with me almost all the time - it's very convenient, and the quality is great.
The bottom of the Schuylkill River at Spring Garden. Have you ever wondered why you get so many snags at certain location along the River? =)
Another picture of the low tide at the Spring Garden portion of the River.
Not only rocks, but some logs as well. When the tide is low and visibility is high, it's good to do some surveying and memorize spots where fish can possibly "live at" - unusual places with structure. Personally, I always create topographical maps of all places that I go fishing at. Maybe one day I'll share them in a book... =)
A good example of a nice area for Smallies and Largemouth in the Spring at the Schuylkill River.
Sometimes schools of Catfish will survey sandy areas for food. These areas are good when feeding is at its peak!
The fisherman statue! Mike H. got many Smallies and LMB at this spot this year - golden spot for plastic worms and shallow Crankbaits.
Hmmm....interesting, huh? A relic of the past, part of the River's history.
The good Cosmic Cafe at Lloyd Hall, above the Fairmount Dam. The fruit parfait there is awesome, not to mention that the place is a big fan of local and homemade stuff. After a tiring fishing session, nothing better than some good quality food to replenish the energy, huh? They take debit/credit cards too, which is a plus!
September 15th - Manayunk Canal/Schuylkill River
Mike H. invited his friend Vince and I to go to the Manayunk Canal in the morning for some Largemouth Bass. I caught a couple using Senkos while he caught some using a different set of lures. I took only one picture of him, but he had many Bass! the video is available here.
After fishing at the Manayunk, I realized I still had a couple hours of freedom before work! Therefore, I decided to stop at the Schuylkill River between Locust and Walnut for some multi-species fishing. I met Nadir G. there, and we got some different Species of fish! (correction: I got, he got some Catfish and Perch)
First Bass of the day on a 5 inch Senko directly under the weeds on the other side of the Canal.
Mike H. with a nice LMB. You can see all the action in the video link!
My biggest one of the day, also on a Senko.
Started with a little Bluegill on the Schuylkill banks.
Spot Croakers were still active in the Schuylkill back in September, and they are very pretty fish. Isn't it awesome that they can make all their way up to the Schuylkill?
Nadir G. showed me his newly purchased Alabama Rig
Got this very nice Pumpkin Seed - maybe biggest one from the Schuylkill River this year
Front pic. =)
Yellow Perch on the nightcrawler!
There are a couple Yellow Perch in the Schuylkill River. Most people don't know about them because they often bite baits that are suspended a certain depth in the water.
The good old White Perch! Thanks to their schools, Team Extreme Philly Fishing was able to score 2nd position in the National FishAThon competition in September.
White Perch can be very tricky to catch. As a matter of fact, they are perfect targets to train hookset: when they come up with the hook deep in their mouths (which is bad), you know that you were late in your hookset. If you miss the fish and your bait is gone, you know that you gave the hookset too early.
September 16th, Haddon Lake (NJ)
I went to Haddon Lake in NJ with Jay D. expecting to catch some Largemouth Bass! Well...it was a tough day, and I finished with 1 poor Bluegill. Jay did fairly well, catching some Bass with his jig! Haddon gets pretty tough during Fall for Largemouth Bass...
The Lilypads at Haddon Lake, where Jay gets most of his Largemouth Bass.
Jay holding his trophy of the day!
September 19th, Haddon/Audubon Lake
After my traumatic experience on Sunday, I decided to go back to Haddon Lake with Mike H. before work (in the afternoon). There was only a small problem, though...I didn't have my gear with me! Hahaha...Therefore, without a fishing rod, I was forced to fish with braided line (hand line) and a jig, casting and retrieving using my hand as the "reel." Mike didn't expect me to get any fish, but hey - I used my primitive Brazilian fishing style and caught a nice Largemouth Bass on a hand (literally) hookset at Audubon.
As a matter of fact, I used to fish a lot with my hands back in Brazil. Basically, you tie the line in your wrist to make sure it's fixed, and use your hand as the "reel." But I must admit that pitching a jig using both hands gets a bit messy - I got many knots that day. Hah.
Mike H. made a video of it, but he deleted it by accident. What a bummer...
My healthy Largemouth Bass caught on a hand line and jig.
A better view of Audubon Lake. As you can see, it's really "jumgly" there (I just created this word), and there are tons of mosquitoes to entertain you!
September 21st, Manayunk Canal
This day was definitely my best day at the Canal this year, topping 17 Largemouth Bass in 3 hours, and 1 little aggressive Green Sunfish. All of them were caught on Senkos, from the beginning of the Manayunk Canal until the Fountain bridge.
I had decided to explore the whole Canal that day, and I made the right decision, clearly. Heh. I was alone, but I saw a couple people fishing at the Canal walking around with Spinners and Senkos...
It's good to emphasize that the Manayunk Canal is one of the best places in Philadelphia for Largemouth Bass in terms of quantity! Quality wise, the Bass will seldom pass 2lbs in size.
This one was caught flipping a Senko under a tree. Instant bite!
This one bit just after the Senko hit the water on the other side of the Canal.
Caught under the weeds!
Aggressive little Green Sunfish...hit a 5 inch Senko! Greedy.
This one was caught under some vegetation close to the beginning of the Canal
The last one - Number 17. Heh.
September 22nd, Multiple locations (NJ).
This day was certainly one of the wildest days we had in September! Almost the whole gang was together at a certain point of the day: Mike H., Vince, Steve, Jay D., Mike (friends with Steve)...good day!
We started at the Grenloch Lake, hunting for some Trophy Bass (5lb+). Mike H. was able to catch some while everyone else was getting skunked...haha. The sizes were, however, pretty small compared to what we expected to catch!
So, after a little while, we decided to hit a "secret spot," according to Mike (friends with Steve). We went to a certain location in Blackwood Lake, and had a blast over there! Literally, everyone caught at least a Largemouth Bass. Mike and I were using Senkos, Vince and Mike H. were shifting between lures, Jay and Steve were using a spinner, and we all caught fish! Apart from that, Steve caught a pretty sweet Bluegill!
Finally, after that, Jay, Steve and I decided to hit Driscoll Pond for some fish. Jay focused on Common Carp, Steve on Black Crappie, and I focused on Catfish. We all caught our targets.
Mike made a little video up to Blackwood Lake, hence he had to leave early. You can watch the video here. Note that Mike H. went to the Fairmount Dam in the afternoon whereas Jay, Steve and I went to Driscoll Pond.
Also, there's a very nice video of Steve catching his Black Crappie on a top water plug at the end of Cooper River. You can watch the video here. He uses his skills and catches a nice Black Crappie on his 5th cast! Amazing, Steve!
That was...a hell of a day! So much fun fishing with other people...
A double jointed Rapala snagged on a tree at Greenloch Lake. Trees bear weird fruits these days, huh?
A little guy caught at Blackwood Lake (NJ) on a 4 inch Senko.
Vince with a Largemouth Bass at Blackwood.
Steve nailing the little Largemouth Bass on his in-line spinner.
That's the nice Bluegill that Steve got at Blackwood!
Steve caught this nice Largemouth Bass at Driscoll Pond while Jay fished for Common Carp.
The result of the video is here: a beautiful Black Crappie caught on top water.
I was targeting Catfish at the end of Cooper River. My PB there for Catfish is 5lbs. Got this little guy on a piece of cut Eel.
Jay smiling at his trophy of the day: what looks to be a 5lber caught at Driscoll Pond!
September 23rd, Fairmount Dan/Manayunk Canal
Day after day, we finally decided to hit the mighty Fairmount Dam for some Stripers! We arrived early - Mike H., Andrew H., and I. We fished there for a good while without any hits (only snags). After a couple pictures and no bites, we finally decided to leave.
We still had time at our disposition; therefore, we decided to hit the Manayunk Canal for some Largemouth Bass. For our surprise, we found Mike B. and Rob Z. at the Canal when we arrived! Erik K. joined us soon after.
Mike H. caught some LMB as usual; Rob snagged a Gizzard Shad - lucky!; and I finally got a picture of Erik holding a fish! Hah. I finished with 2 Largemouth Bass on Senkos.
Good cast, Mike! Show us that you can still use a spin cast!
Andrew H. focusing on his fishing.
Mike H. and his signature fish.
Rob Z. and his Gizzard Shad - Lucky, Rob! Time to go to the Casino!
Mike H. showing his skills to everyone at the Canal. When it comes to Largemouth Bass, he's the KVD of the group.
Erik K. with a Largemouth Bass at the Canal. Finally, Erik! Yay!
September 29th, Manayunk Canal
Jay D. invited me to tag along with his friends at Manayunk Canal (Lora R. and Alex D.), which sounded great to me! The plan was to bring these two friends of his that never caught a Carp in their lives, and give them a blast!
Well...the plan was not only very successful, but a couple surprises also showed up in-between! First, Alex D. caught an ancient Yellow Bullhead Catfish - probably the biggest one I've seen so far this year! The Carps ranged from 4-5lbs, and they were caught at different locations on Corn.
First Common Carp of the day. It gave me a very good fight!
Walk Jay - the fish waits for its master to be caught.
All set! Ready? Go!
Jay trying for Largemouth Bass. Unfortunately, they really weren't biting that day. We didn't manage to catch a single LMB.
Lora R. with the first Common Carp of her life.
Alex D. with his ancient Yellow Bullhead.
Yellow Bullheads are known to not grow very much. The one that was caught at the Manayunk Canal is very old, and weighted nearly a pound.
Alex D. with his Common Carp.
A little group photo - 3 Carps for the day. The plan was to have a 4th one for Jay, but unfortunately, it didn't happen.
September 30th, Hopewell Lake
Andrew H. and Erik K. invited me to join them on Hopewell Lake, PA. Andrew and I went out 4 a.m., arrived by 5 a.m., and set up the boat. We expected the day to be great, and the location looked promising! The place was filled with different types of cover and structure; therefore, we were expecting to get at least some nice Largemouth Bass.
Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Chain Pickerel, Clear Muskie, etc...Definitely a place for monsters! As soon as dawn hit, monster fish started to surface and jump. Andrew and I started to run different types of lures, but no bites at all...
Until noon, we tried many different spots around the Lake, but we couldn't seen to find the fish. We tried many different techniques, and we fished all depths - surface, middle, bottom. We did trolling, and it didn't work. In 7 hours of fishing, Andrew caught one weird Largemouth Bass with his gill hanging outside (mutant? Haha), and I was getting skunked! Erik K. arrived by noon, and he ended up not getting anything (???)... I missed a Largemouth Bass on a Dardevle Imp Spoon (the line snapped, and the fish took the lure away). It was my first fish on a Dardevle, and I failed to land it! Hmmm...
We really started to think that something was wrong with Lake Hopewell - nobody else there was getting fish either! There were a couple boats out there, but we didn't see anyone pulling fish in.
Overall, it was a weird experience...I recorded a little video of the Lake. I wasn't initially planning to publish it, but I thought: "It doesn't hurt..." You can watch it here.
Morning fog - we were FREEZING out there! Plus, the fish weren't biting. =(
All of our equipment on the boat. Andrew's boat is of the type that can be folded...very interesting boat, not to mention that the quality is very good. It took a good 15 minutes for both of us to set up the boat, but it's definitely convenient in terms of space.
Andrew with his only fish of the day: A little Largemouth Bass with its gill hanging outside (???)
Plenty of cover at Lake Hopewell for a top water frog. Surprisingly, we didn't get a SINGLE blowup on frogs there.
Plenty of structure for LMB to hide, and surprisingly, Andrew got only one bite on a Senko. I got 2 small bites on the Senko, and missed both of them.
A Lotus flower! Beautiful, huh? The lilypads were dying, but some flowers were still around.
This underwater vegetation was our demise. Most of the Lake was covered by this suspending vegetation. We assumed that gamefish were basically hiding beneath it, and there was no way to drop our lures through the vegetation. From time to time, we saw some LMB chasing minnows and going into it...
Erik K. focusing on his fishing in his Kayak. He ended up skunked, though.
October 5th, Schuylkill River (Between Locust and Walnut)
Slow day at the Schuylkill River! Finished the day with 2 Channel Catfish, and 1 White Perch. The Perch was basically the bait to get the 2 Catfish. Hehe.
Biggest Channel Catfish of the day!
A view of the trees and the sky from the Banks. Gorgeous!
October 6th, Cranes Lake (NJ)
I actually talked about our adventure in Cranes Lake in another post. You can read it here. That post is Rob's report on Cranes Lake.
There's also a video that Mike H. made of it. You can watch it here.
Overall, Cranes Lake is a private Lake (you need to camp in order to fish) in NJ full of LMB and Chain Pickerel. Not only that, the Lake offers some nice Sunfish and Black Crappies! Top water action is certainly intense there! We will be going back next year for more...
Mike H. with a decent Chain Pickerel. Cranes Lake has a huge amount of those in it.
Mike's first Largemouth Bass there on a Zara Spook.
Rob Z. with his biggest Crappie of the year! Monster, guys...what a slab!
Mike H. with a 4lber caught on a top-water Zara Spook in the weeds. You can see all the actioni in his video!
Rob Z. analyzing his Largemouth Bass. Nice Spinner, Rob!
October 7th, Flatrock Dam (Schuylkill River)
I went to Flatrock Dam with Erik K. and Andrew H. to get some Catfish! We tried under and above the falls! Erik and I got 2 little Largemouth Bass each under the falls - Erik used a pan fish jig, and I used an in-line spinner. After, Andrew and Erik missed a couple Catfish bites on chicken liver, and I was able to get some small Catfish and a decent 3lber on cut bait.
The mighty Flatrock Dam - another great location for Smallies and Catfish in Philadelphia
The 3lber that I caught using a cut Mummichog. The location is above the falls, close to the boat ramp.
October 9th, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park (FDR)
After a long time, Mike H. and I finally decided to return to the FDR one last time for some Largemouth Bass fishing. Mike's friend (Kyle) pointed out that he knew some prime locations at FDR for Senkos; therefore, we decided to give it a try!
I focused 90% of my time fishing for Crappies, and finished the day with 4 Crappies and a bunch of Sunfish on a Crappie rig (Gulp! Minnow on a bobber).
Kyle and Mike H. lost some Bass and some blowups, which is a shame! They both got skunked, but it happens at FDR constantly. The FDR Park is a tough place for Bass fishing...
Black Crappie caught under a tree, in water as shallow as 4 inches.
A Bluegill caught on a Gulp! Minnow.
A couple Sunnies were bigger than average, caught below the weeds in the middle of the back streams.
October 14th, Pennypack Creek
After the Fall Trout stocking, I decided to take a look at the Pennypack Creek for Rainbow Trout! I caught my limit in less than a hour, which was awesome!
I talked a little bit about Trout very recently. You can read about it here.
There were tons of other people fishing there for Trout as well, and most of them had 2. The Fall Trout season at the Pennypack is being a blast so far.
First Rainbow Trout of the Fall season!
Another beauty caught at the little Dam close to the Roosevelt Blvd bridge.
My limit for the day - 3.
October 15th, Pennypack Creek
Since the Trout season was so good, I decided to go back the next day. I stayed there until dark, and caught my limit just after dusk. The flashlight was very helpful while getting out of the jungle - the Pennypack can be very scary at night time. Heh.
Also, I caught a Smallmouth Bass on an in-line Spinner in the afternoon! It was nice to see that they are still there...
Little guy caught on an in-line spinner! Beautiful!
My night time Trout Setup: Book bag to hold the rod in place, fishing rod, and a flashlight to detect bites. I recently changed the flashlight for a special flashlight that flashes red; therefore, the fish is not able to detect the light that easily. Guys - always be careful while fishing at night!
October 18th, Wissahickon Creek
The Wissahickon was finally stocked for the Fall Trout Season! I gave it a shot, and got my limit within 15 minutes. Not only that, the sizes were very good as well: 1lb minimum, 1.6lb maximum!
I'll be going back to the Wiss constantly for some Trout! Heh.
First Trout of the season for the Wissahickon Creek! Nice size, beautiful color, and a great fighter!
Biggest one of the day: 1.6lber.
My 1st limit at Wissahickon.
October 21st, Schuylkill River
Today I had a wonderful day on the Schuylkill Banks! The weather was perfect - in the 60s, and the fish were biting good. The bait was the usual: cut Mummichogs and cut Eel.
I finished the day with 4 Channel Catfish, 5.2lber kicker! The current of the River is still fast because of the rain that we had a couple days ago; therefore, this is actually a good time (if not the last chance) to fish for some Eels and store them as bait!
5.2lb Channel Catfish caught on an Eel head.
October 22nd, Wissahickon Creek
I decided to go fishing with my friend Andrew N.. We went to the Wissahickon Creek for some Trout, and stayed there from 4 until dusk. The day turned out to be very productive, and both of us finished with our limit of 3 Trouts per day.
All my Trout were caught from 4:15-4:45, while Andrew's were caught around dusk. Notice how his Trouts are much bigger than mine (Left: mine, right: his)! So, the hypothesis is still alive: "Bigger Trout bite at peak feeding times." Heh...
Also, as a conscious fisherman, Andrew practiced some selective harvest since a Redbreast Sunfish swallowed his hook very deep. Smart idea, bro!
Trout season is on...
Beautiful colored Ranbow Trout
Mine's on the left, Andrew's on the right. We both finished with the daily limit for Trout.
October 23rd, Wissahickon Creek
Since Monday was very productive, I gave it a shot on Tuesday again! However, I must say that going to the Wissahickon is a lot of trouble for me! I have to get the Bus R from Frankford Transportation Center, and the trip takes around 50 minutes. After getting out of the Wissahickon Transfer Center, I have to walk through the trail for another good 30 minutes...Hahaha plenty of exercise and time, huh?
But it's worth it, isn't it? I think so. I finished the day with 3 Rainbow Trouts, giving emphasis to the one on the picture below: 15 inches, 1.3lbs.
The biggest of the Season so far is still 1.6lbs! I can't wait to get a bigger one. =)
1.3lbs Rainbow Trout caught at Forbidden Drive
October 26th, Wissahickon Creek
After a whole week of college, I hit Wissahickon one more time. Once again, I went there with my friends Andrew N.. We arrived there around 3:30, and fished until dusk. Unfortunately, the day wasn't as productive; however, the reason was because we decided to explore other locations!
It was a great exercise and trip, and I ended up getting my smallest Trout of the season: 10 inches! Yay! Hehehe.
The second picture is of the Trout that I'm going to smoke soon. You guys know, right? The traditional stuff: brining/salting/marinating, then smoking with either plum or cherry wood (my preferences)...Heh. I started smoking them this season, good stuff. I prefer to season the fish, and smoke it for 4 hours at 250F.
Smallest one of the season, and a pirate - missing an eye! 10 inches.
The soon to be smoked fish before getting cleaned and seasoned.
Note: From November onwards, every beginning of the month I'll post a "Recent Fishing Sessions" post with my fishing adventures for the month. I'll update the post by session, and always keep you guys updated on it! This way, people that don't have a Facebook account can still have access to these updates!
Can't wait to fish again. Hahaha. Took a little while to write this post up, since I had to upload all the photos (average of 6MB per photo) and add the information...so, I hope you guys enjoyed it! This is the "reward" that I'm giving out for never posting my session here due to the lack of time.
As I mentioned before, college may be killing me, but I'll still have some time to work on the Blog! Also, guys, don't forget: Support the Bill #120654! That's an important bill for us, certainly.
Okay...that's it for today! Heh. Best of luck for all of us,
Long Days and Pleasant Nights,
Sincerely,
Leo S.
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