Reports (Rob Z.): Fishing in Scranton, PA (2013!)

Hello, Good Readers of the Blog!

After a good while, Rob is bringing another fishing report!

Before that, let me tell you guys that the permit for the first "Catfish Tourney on the Banks" has finally arrived. Therefore, the new scheduled date for the competition is May 26th, 2013 (Rain date: following Sunday). For more details, you can click here. If you are interested in participating, send an e-mail to sheng12182527@gmail.com to receive the application form.

For previous reports from Rob Z.
Fairmount Dam


Rob's report on a Lake in North Scranton, PA: 04/18-04/20.
 
------------------------------------------------------------
Written by Rob Z. - edited by Leo S.
 
Happy Spring!
 
After a long and cold winter, April is starting off with some hot fishing action. On the afternoon of April 18th, I headed up to my buddy's cabin on his land, in Scranton. This would be my first time to this place since last year. In fact, on April 20th, 2012, I caught my Personal Best Largemouth Bass in his pond: a 4.33lbs beast. Here is the link to that post.
 
That post ended like this: "Hopefully, in a year, this fish will be 5lbs!"
 
Well, we will get to that in a bit.
 
On Friday morning, I walked down to the pond by myself. I had plenty of sleep and I was ready to find the beast that I caught last year. As I got to the lake, I noticed that the wind was going to be a factor. I had hoped to catch the same fish on the same lure, but after throwing a popper for 30 minutes without a whiff, I changed it. After all, the water wasn't smooth enough. I tied on a small minnow jerkbait that you will see in the pictures below, and I had my first Bass about 10 minutes later. This first fish hit in a deeper pocket of water, and fought pretty good for its size. When I pulled it out of the water, I realized I had caught a freak shaped fish. I should have taken a length measurement. It weighed 2.42lbs, and it was very short! Look how stubby and fat this fish is! It must have been a female with eggs. She was released unharmed.
 

 
With my new found confidence with this lure, I kept at it. After more action for about 45 minutes, I changed to a trout magnet, except, it was actually a panfish magnet. There is no difference at all, but the panfish kit had a different color scheme than the trout magnet kit. I put on a black and chartreuse panfish magnet and started casting it under a bobber. I call this the "happy fun time" rig. I was catching panfish after panfish with this rig. On one particular cast, I threw it out there - about 5 feet, and a big Bass came out of nowhere and slammed the little bait! I set the hook, and was soon pulling out a 2lber, my smallest (non dink) Bass of the weekend. With this rig, I believe that the splash of the bobber grabs the attention of the fish, and then the fish turns around to see the little plastic jig, which looks yummy.
 

 
With two Bass under my belt, I headed back up to the cabin as I knew that a storm was coming. The keg of Stone IPA kept me comfy that night, and I got another good night of sleep. Saturday morning, April 20, 2013: 1 year since I caught my previous PB, the 4.33 LMB. This morning I had some other cabin goers follow me down to the pond, so I set them up fishing with my gear. I then realized that I had no rod left, so I hung out there and watched them all catch fish on the "happy fun time" rig.
 
When the first of them gave it up, I took the rod and tied back on the ghost minnow bait. I cast and cast, but nothing. Then, on one special cast, where there was really nothing special about it, I felt a nice bump, and set the hook. I immediately started screaming, "5 pounder, 5 pounder!" I fought the beast quickly, and brought to the surface a big fish. I lipped him and pulled him out for some pics and a date with my scale: 3.7lbs - the 2nd biggest bass I have ever caught. Not too shabby. I kept searching for the 5lber, but no luck.
 

 
Our beers ran out and it was time for lunch, so we headed back up to the cabin to re-energize. I told tales and showed pics. I talked about how I still needed my 5 pounder, and how that would break the current cabin record for LMB, which has stood since 1935, when the original owner landed a 4.5 LMB. I wanted to beat it with a 5. After food and drink, and some games, we decided we would make one more attempt in the later afternoon. This time, I headed down with one buddy. He threw the "happy fun time" rig, and I threw the minnow bait. He was whacking fish and having a blast, since he doesn't usually catch anything. And at some indistinct point, I felt a very slight tap on my lure, so I instinctively set the hook.
 
After the hookset, I kept the rod tip straight up, and waited a few seconds. Nothing. I then started reeling in, and felt a fish. Then the fish felt me, and started running away. I could not believe the bend in my rod, much less the fact that this fish started to take drag. The 3.7 pounder didn't take an inch of line, but this fish was peeling it off. I was so happy that I had braid on and a 6 foot medium rod.
 
I fought it, and it came to the surface, and it splashed me with a mighty swing of its tail. I shouted or cursed or something. My friend knew something was up and ran over, and watched the action. I got it close enough to the shore for a lipping. I kept the rod up with my left hand, and stretched with my right hand, and lipped the fish!!!  It was freaking huge!!!
 
This fish looked like it could be five pounds. It was behemoth. I knew it was a new PB, but was it a five?
 
We took some pictures, and then I put it on the scale: 4.87 lbs. Holy smokes, a new PB and cabin record!!! I told my friend that this might just be the fish I caught last year, and that a scale by scale analysis should tell us for sure. After a quick trip out of the water, the fish was released again, unharmed, back into the pond.
 


 
Quite content, we went back to the cabin to share more stories and pics.
 
This morning - April 22nd, I am back at the office. Doh! I compared the picture of last year's Bass against the pics from this year, and I have come to the conclusion that I did recapture the same bass. The black scale patterns were the identifying clues - a perfect match. This fish grew from 4.33 to 4.87 pounds in one year, which sounds about right.
 
It looks like that if I want to catch that fish above the 5 pound mark, I will have to come back.
 
"Hopefully, in a year, this fish will be 5 lbs!"
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Nice report, and beautiful new PB! =)

Best of luck for all of us,

Long Days and Pleasant Nights,

Sincerely,

Leo S.

Latest News and Future Updates for the Blog

Hello, Readers!

Although it doesn't look like, I've been doing quite a lot of work on the Blog in these past days, not to mention that the Facebook Page has been updated almost on a daily basis.

Here are the latest news that you should check, and also a couple future projects for the Blog:

1. Enter to Win an EPF (Extreme Philly Fishing) Under Armour T-shirt!


Finally, EPF (Extreme Philly Fishing) Under Armour T-shirts have arrived! Obviously, the numbers are very limited, since they were made by the company for my own personal use. It's Under Armour quality, meaning that the material is the best suitable material when it comes to fishing in extreme weathers. I designed the logo, which is imprinted at the back of the shirt (the color of the little logo was actually based on the Schuylkill Banks' logo, since that location is where I started fishing in Philadelphia )

I don't intend to sell them; however, I am going to give away TWO of them using a "drawing" system. If you are interested in participating, just "like" the Facebook Page (you certainly need a Facebook account for that) OR subscribe to the Blog (be a member for free) OR subscribe to the EPF Youtube Channel, and send an e-mail to "sheng12182527@gmail.com" with the subject line "T-shirt." On the e-mail, just include your name, what you subscribed to (Facebook Page, Blog, Youtube), and either "MEDIUM OR LARGE" (T-shirt size preference), and you are good to go! One entry per person, meaning that you could actually tell your whole family to enter. Note that you must either subscribe to the blog or the facebook page to enter this drawing.

The T-shirt is an Under Armour short-sleeve (Model #1233672) with the logo "Extreme Philly Fishing" at the back (same logo as portrayed above). The T-shirt is black, for males only (since it was designed for my own personal usage), and size M/L.

The drawing will be performed at the end of this month, on April 28th. The winners will be contacted by e-mail, and the T-shirts will be given IN PERSON.

Thank you all, and good luck!

2. Latest Updates:
Posts:
 
 
Updated a couple more fishing sessions for the month of March. The last updated fishing session always shows on top of the post (i.e. 03/03)
 
 
Added pictures of my fishing sessions up-to-date. Once I have more time, I'll be writing all the fishing reports for them.
 
Videos:
 
I added a couple more videos on my Youtube Channel:
 
"Things that you don't see when you stay at home:" A crazy guy throwing sandbags in the Schuylkill River.
 
"Things that you don't see when you stay at home:" Two ducks fighting over a female at Pennypack Park
 
Landing a big Channel Catfish at Knight's Lake - Collingswood, NJ.
 
Landing a big Brown Bullhead at Linden Lake - Lindenwold, NJ.
 
3. Future project for Summer time:
 
So, after taking a good look at the Blog, I finally decided to organize it a little bit better. Here are the following changes that I will perform on the Blog for this Summer:

- I am going to add the word "Introduction" to posts that portray a single body of water, and eventually make a list of introductions. Therefore, the readers will be able to locate those introductory posts using the search engine button on the Blog.

- I am going to date all pictures on the Blog for every post. I have all dates saved; therefore, I know exactly what happened when and where. Having dates on photos is important because readers can be able to "predict or expect" when certain fish will bite, and why.

- I am going to list all Species of fish in those single bodies of water, and add as many photos as I can.

Therefore, slowly, I'll turn those posts into a little "Fish Database" on the Blog, where the reader can just look up the post, and see what is inside there, when were the fish caught, the conditions of the place, etc.

I used the post above (Meadow Lake) as an example of how things will be; although, the Pennypack Post was the first experiment for this project.
 
 
That's it for now!
 
Best of luck for all of us,
 
Long Days and Pleasant Nights,

Sincerely,

Leo S.

Consuming Fish in Philadelphia: Are You Ready to Take your Chances?

Hello, Readers!
 
As Spring comes and the flowers blossom, so does fishing! It's around this time of the year that different Species of fish start to spawn. Others start to migrate from salt to freshwater, such as American and Hickory Shads, and even the Striped Bass. Shallow creeks that were dead during Winter time start to regain life, as smaller game-fish start to sunbath and feed in the shallows.
 
In other words, this is the time of the year when fishing gets really good in Philadelphia! For many, it also means the time to take their catches home for a great meal. I believe that some of you guys know about that feeling, right? The feeling of catching the fish, and taking it with you for a good meal. The feeling of fending for oneself, and providing a meal that is as fresh as it can be, directly from the water to the table!
 
It's within these guidelines that many Species of fish in Philadelphia are taken for human consumption during Spring and Summer. Among the most common Species: the stocked Trout (Rainbow, Brown, Golden Rainbow); Bluegills and Redbreast Sunfish; Rock Bass, White and Yellow Perch; Channel Catfish; Common Carp. However, how safe is it to actually eat what comes out of our waters nowadays? Is it even safe to trust our waters?!
 
This is the topic for today: Fish Consumption in Philadelphia. Are you really ready to take your chances with it? Can you eat the fish that you catch? In other words, are they truly safe to eat? If not, what are the possible consequences, health wise?
 
These are a couple questions that will be answered throughout the post.
 
Introduction
 
I'll start with a little bit of history. I believe that it's important for you guys to have not only an example of the bad history of Philadelphia in relationship to our waters, but also the "picture" of how, when, and where the pollution of the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers actually came from. I see people often criticizing the Schuylkill for being dirty, and some even fazed as they see me pull a fish out of there (thinking that there's no life in that River). So, let's take a little time travel, back to the 1870's! This is actually a little essay that I did for one of my College classes in the past:
 
The Schuylkill, back in the days of the industrial bloom in Philadelphia.

"Before I even start to talk about fishing, I would like to mention a little bit of the Schuylkill River’s history, especially because not a lot of people are familiar with it. Many people have asked me this specific question before: “Are there really fish in this River?” Yes, there are. However, unfortunately, a large portion of the population in Philadelphia still believes that the Schuylkill River is a “sewer;” a River that is so polluted that no aquatic life can be found in it. In reality, this ideology dates back to the 1800’s, when the city of Philadelphia had finally decided to use the Schuylkill River as a source of water. At that time, the River was perhaps at its cleanest state, and full of life.

As the decades passed, however, the River attracted many businesses. By 1870’s, the Schuylkill River was the center of the industrial bloom in the city of Philadelphia. More than 36 million dollars were spent on manufacturing along the River, and more than 40 thousand individuals’ incomes were coming straight from jobs - close to the River. Eventually, the consequences of the industrial bloom came right after: all kinds of different wastes were thrown directly into the Schuylkill River without any governmental penalties. As a result, at a certain point in history – around the 1880’s – the water department issued a law against waste disposal in the Schuylkill. However, the law was easily overthrown by the business owners with the argument that “too many people depended on those businesses to survive.”

From the 1880’s to 1900, the River was at its worst state. It was heavily polluted with almost no signs of life, and its water was barely potable. As a consequence, more than 16 thousand Philadelphians died of Typhoid Fever due to the poor quality of the water. The water department was very concerned with it; therefore, everything changed when Chlorine was introduced in 1902, finally creating “potable filtrated water” for the population.

From that time onwards, the River slowly started to heal. The industrial bloom passed as urban sprawl occurred, and people started to be more conscious about the quality of our drinking water. As one can see, the history of the Schuylkill River was very turbulent, and it’s very valid to state that the River was dead at a certain time-frame in history. Little by little, different organizations worked together to make the River cleaner, and little by little different Species of fish started to return to the Schuylkill River. After a whole century, the Schuylkill River is still not as good as it was in the 1800’s, before the industrial bloom. However, we are much more conscientious about the quality of our waters, and that directly influences the fishing!

This portion of the text was for readers to see that there’s no “quick fix” when it comes to our waters. Nowadays, a lot of people look for an “easier way;” however, most of the times progress comes from hard labor, taking a long while. We should all be proud that there are so many different types of fish currently swimming and living in the Schuylkill River, and we definitely want to be sure to not make the same mistakes that the past generations did. The idea is to take from Mother Nature and take care of the same at the same time. Taking without giving will only bring lack of sustainability for the future generations to come.
"
 
After reading this portion of my Essay, which was entitled "Fishing the 'Sewers' of Philadelphia," what is your resolution on the Schuylkill River? Would you actually eat the fish that came out of it?
 
Well...I can tell you that it depends! Certain Species of fish bring less health risks than others, and we will see the "why" of it further below. However, at this point, one should notice already that eating fish from urban waters can be extremely dangerous for one's health, especially if over consumed.
 
The Hazards of Consuming Fish in Philadelphia and its Consequences
 
When it comes to fish consumption, there are two main components that are hazardous for the human body. One of them is a "cliché" nowadays - the so called "Heavy Metals." The second one is a little bit less known; although, word of it has been spreading from person to person, and more information about it has become available - the so called PCBs (PolyChlorinated Byphenils). 
 
A "warning" sign at Cooper River Lake, NJ.
 
Therefore, the answer to the main question of this topic - "are fish safe to consume?" - is rather simple: fish can be consumed as far as its levels of PCBs and Heavy Metals are within the safe levels defined by certain governmental agencies. For example, the PA Fish and Boat Commission has a Fish Consumption Guideline to help anglers determine if their fish is safe or not to eat.
 
Since this is OUR (Philadelphians) bible for fish consumption, I'll use this Fish Consumption Guideline as the base for my arguments here. All my tips and suggestions, including interpretation, will come from the PA Boat and Commission Fish Consumption Guideline, which, sincerely, is the most trusted source on the Internet.

Let's go through some important passages of it together:

"While the levels of these unavoidable chemical contaminants are usually low, they could potentially be a health concern to pregnant and breast-feeding women, women of childbearing age, children and individuals whose diet consists of a high percentage of fish."

Comments, Suggestions, Conclusion:

In other words, don't feed our local caught fish to pregnant and breast-feeding women, young women, children, and any person whose diet is mainly based on fish! Now...let's think through this carefully and ask ourselves a question: what is the percentage of young women, children, and people that eat a lot of fish in an angler's life? Some anglers want to take their catch home and have a hearty meal with his/her family, which most of the times include children and "women of childbearing age."

It's also interesting to note the portion that says "individuals whose diet consists of a high percentage of fish." A huge percentage of anglers that tend to harvest fish from our waters are in that group. Only a few people will really follow the guidelines, and bring a SINGLE fish home for one meal a month.

Also, the guideline indicates that when the levels of the chemical contaminants are low, these types of individuals can be affected. Can you imagine if the levels of the chemical contaminants are high, then? What kind of damage would it bring to these specifically targeted groups of individuals?

Therefore, if I were you, I wouldn't excessively feed the fish to young lads and anyone pregnant in my family. 

"Long lasting contaminants such as PCBs, chlordane and mercury build up in your body over time. It may take months or years of regularly eating contaminated fish to build up amounts that are a health concern. Health problems that may result from the contaminants found in fish range from small changes in health that are hard to detect to birth defects and cancer. Mothers who eat highly contaminated fish for many years before becoming pregnant may have children who are slower to develop and learn." 


Comments, Suggestions, Conclusion: 

Most of the people don't know about this little fact; however, PCBs and Heavy Metals build up in our bodies - they stay there. Most of what we eat comes out; however, it's a different story with these two. Therefore, the consequences of eating fish are not acute, but chronic. In other words, a person will not have immediate symptons for eating contaminated fish, but the same can suffer from drastic illnesses after a certain amount of time and regular wildly caught fish consumption.

PCBs, especially, are directly related with the production of Carcinogens. Therefore, if one consumes too many PCBs over a certain period of time, the same person has an increased chance of getting all different types of cancer later on.

"You will gain those benefits if you follow the sport fish consumption advisory carefully to: choose safer places to fish; pick safer species to eat; trim and cook your catch correctly; and follow the recommended meal frequencies. Using this advice, you will reduce your exposure to possible contaminants."

Comments, Suggestions, Conclusion:

Key word here: practice selective harvest! Harvest only what you are going to eat (usually one fish by the guidelines), clean the fish properly and accordingly, follow the guidelines, and you will decrease your risks dramatically! The key words for not getting yourself exposed to future illnesses are moderation and expectation. 


"Pennsylvania has issued a general, statewide health advisory for recreationally caught sport fish. That advice is that you eat no more than one meal (one-half pound) per week of sport fish caught in the state’s waterways. This general advice was issued to protect against eating large amounts of fish that have not been tested or that may contain unidentified contaminants."

Comments, Suggestions, Conclusion:

It's true that it's IMPOSSIBLE to know the composition of every fish that swims in our waters. We can only estimate by analyzing small samples of fish. Some are safer to eat than others. Some have parasites, others don't. Some have more PCBs and heavy metals in them due to their habitat and feeding location. That's just the way things are...

Therefore, for all Species that are not in the chart on page 2 of the Guidelines, the PA Boat and Commission recommends only a meal of half-pound per week, meaning 2lbs of fish per month.


"One meal is assumed to be one-half pound of fish (8 oz before cooking) for a 150-pound person. The meal advice is equally protective for larger people who eat larger meals and smaller people who eat smaller meals."

Comments, Suggestions, Conclusion:

Follow the guidelines, and you should be fine. 32oz of fish per month for fishes that are not in the page 2 of the guideline, and 8oz of fish per month for those who are in the page 2. As far as quantities are very small and the fish is nicely cleaned (most of the fatty part gone), even the worst Catfish cannot bring much harm to the consumer.

The problem is that people tend to bring a 2lb+ Catfish home from the Schuylkill, for example, and eat it in one meal. The bigger problem is to eat that multiple times a week. Think it this way: if someone eats 5lbs of Catfish from the tidal Schuylkill River per week, the person is consuming 9x the recommended value on the Guidelines. 5lbs per week means 20 lbs per month, 39x the recommended amount. Multiply that by a couple years, and you will see the "risks" I'm talking about!

"PCBs and most other organic contaminants usually build up in a fish’s fat deposits and just underneath the skin. By removing the skin and fat before cooking, you can reduce the levels of these chemicals. Mercury, however, collects in the fish’s muscle and cannot be reduced by cleaning and cooking methods. To reduce PCBs and other organics:

• Remove all skin.
• Slice off fat belly meat along the bottom of the fish.
• Cut away any fat above the fish’s backbone.
• Cut away the V-shaped wedge of fat along the lateral line on each side of the fish.
• Bake or broil trimmed fish on a rack or grill so some of the remaining fat drips away.
• Discard any drippings. Do not eat them or use them for cooking other foods or in preparing other sauces.

You must follow these cleaning and cooking directions. The meal advice is for eating skinned and trimmed fish."


Comments, Suggestions, Conclusion:

I like this portion of the Guideline. The Boat and Commission has a very decent picture of it, and they teach you how to clean the fish. The bad part is that the process is complicated, time-consuming, and a big portion of the fish's meat is wasted. For smaller fish (i.e. Bluegills, Black Crappies), the process is even more complicated. The good part is that it keeps you safe and healthy for more fish to come (remember: moderation is the key).

"Also remember that larger and older fish tend to collect more contaminants, and fatty fish (such as channel catfish, carp and eels) tend to collect PCBs and other organic chemicals. Therefore, eating smaller, younger fish and avoiding fatty species can help limit your exposure. Your exposure depends not only on levels in the fish, but also the amount of fish you eat. The consumption of any fish from contaminated waters is a matter of personal choice."

Comments, Suggestions, Conclusion:

This is something that I have been telling people all around! Rather than taking a 5lb Channel Catfish or Common Carp home, take a 2lber. The reason is simple: younger fish tend to have less contaminants in their system, and even tastier meat. Therefore, next time you get that "Trophy Fish," think about this. It's better to get a legal smaller size for your own safety.

"Delaware Estuary, including the tidal portion of all PA tributaries and the Schuylkill River to the Fairmount Dam (Bucks, Philadelphia, & Delaware CO.):

White Perch, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Striped Bass: 1 Meal/Month; PCB
American Eel, Carp: DO NOT EAT; PCB"


Comments, Suggestions, Conclusion:

This applies for almost everywhere around Philadelphia. After all, the tidal Pennypack and tidal Wissahickon are tributaries of the Schuylkill River, and the Schuylkill River is a tributary of the Delaware River. Therefore, take in consideration that one should only consume half a pound of the Species above!

I hope this Post was helpful for you guys - readers, especially because many people have no idea how bad the fish can be, health wise. I would advise all anglers to either purchase a Trout Stamp to harvest Trout, since they are safe, or take fish from Creeks (legally, and in moderation), since they are safer to eat.

Best of luck for all of us,

Long Days and Pleasant Nights,

Sincerely,

Leo S.

April Fishing Sessions (Last Update: --/--)


--- April 1st, Pennypack Creek ---

REPORT COMING ONE DAY. =)







--- April 4th, Pennypack Creek ---

REPORT COMING ONE DAY. =)




--- April 6th, Wissahickon Creek ---

REPORT COMING ONE DAY. =)







--- April 7th, Haddon Lake/Audubon Lake ---

REPORT COMING ONE DAY. =)











--- April 8th, Schuylkill River ---

REPORT COMING ONE DAY. =)


--- April 10th, Pennypack Creek ---

REPORT COMING ONE DAY. =)







--- April 11th, Newton Creek/Knight's Lake ---

REPORT COMING ONE DAY. =)













--- April 13th, Schuylkill River ---

REPORT COMING ONE DAY. =)











--- April 14th, Newton Lake/Knight's Lake ---

REPORT COMING ONE DAY. =)









 
--- April 15th, Cooper River Lake ---

REPORT COMING ONE DAY. =)






--- April 18th, Linden Lake ---

REPORT COMING ONE DAY. =)

















--- April 21st, Silver/Rowand's/Worth Lake ---

REPORT COMING ONE DAY =)
















--- April 24th, Linden/Kirkwood Lake ---

REPORT COMING ONE DAY =)













--- April 25th, Schuylkill River ---

REPORT COMING ONE DAY =)






--- April 28th, Lake Luxembourg ---

REPORT COMING ONE DAY =)



--- April 29th, Schuylkill River ---

REPORT COMING ONE DAY =)