Extreme Philly Fishing: March Fishing Sessions (Last Update: 03/03)

Hello, Readers!

I'm finally able to start the March Fishing Sessions, even though we are already in April. My apologies for the delays; however, I ask for every one's comprehension since my college classes are pretty tough at the moment.

Most people think that I live for the sport of fishing, including the Blog and the Facebook Page. Although I would love to make a living out of fishing, that's not quite possible at the moment. It's not like that. I've received many e-mails lately about "being less active on the Blog," but I'm seriously doing the best I can to keep all of you guys updated on my fishing! I have to study (3 Physics classes at Temple - Classical Mechanics, Modern Physics, and Mathematical Physics); I have to work (I work from 4-11 p.m. certain days of the week), and then, after doing all my assignments and chores, I finally have some free time to work on my passion, which is fishing.

Let me emphasize that the Facebook Page is much more active than the Blog, since I can post small posts on a daily basis! Therefore, if you have Facebook, make sure to check it from time to time. If you don't have a Facebook, it's okay. This routine will continue only for 1 more month, since my semester ends in the middle of May.

After that, it's PARTY TIME - tons of fishing, and free time to write and work on the Blog. After all, 50% of my work here is "field work" - the going into the wild and exploring/fishing part, and the other 50% is the writing and putting all the photos together. It's a very time consuming process! But still...I do it from deep inside my heart, and it's a passion.

Talking about passion, here's a video that I did long ago. Even if you already watched it once, you should watch it again...and then think what fishing truly is to you:

Anyways, I ask for every one's comprehension. =)

To start with, I have some bad news about the Catfish Competition on the Banks. Pennsylvania's Boat and Commission states that a permit for Tourneys is required to hold competitions with more than 10 participants, and an application for it (which is free) must be submitted 60 days prior to the event.

I asked them how was my permit processing at the moment, even though I didn't send my document 60 days prior to the event (I sent it about 40 days prior to the event), and they just told me through the phone that they "never got my application."

Putting things short (I'll just jump to the conclusion), I resubmitted an application a couple days ago, meaning that the competition to be held on April 14th will have to be CANCELLED!

However, once I have the new permit IN MY HANDS, I'll definitely re-schedule the Tourney for another date (probably around June/July), and I'll eventually keep everyone updated on that.

In my opinion, it's really a shame that the process is so complicated for an event that is so small and simple. I even emphasized that the competition is a non-profit with the purpose of "having fun" and "raising money" for a non-profit organization that gives emphasis to environmental conservation. Well..it didn't work.

So, stay tuned for now! Once the permit is within my reach, then I'll schedule another date for the 1st Catfish Tourney on the Banks!

--- March 2nd, Schuylkill River ---

Slow day on the Schuylkill Banks. It's funny how a rare catch can mess with an angler's mentality. Have you ever had that feeling of going back to a place because of a single catch? Maybe going back to your "favorite" (in quotes - it becomes favorite after you have good catches there) Pond/Lake/River/Creek to fish after catching that awesome fish that will remain forever in your memories?

After I caught my 9.5lber Channel Catfish on the Schuylkill River, I just had this feeling that I had to go back for "some more" Catfishing. Unfortunately, it doesn't quite work that way! That big one was seriously a rare Channel Catfish from the Schuylkill...

Anyways...I invited some friends to fish over - Rob M. and Donald G.. We all came to the River expecting some awesome action, but it turned out to be a very slow day! I caught a 3lber on a piece of Shad. Rob and Don both caught 1 each (on bagel pieces).

At least nobody got skunked in the end!

Enjoy the pictures:

From back to front: Don G., Rob M., and a kid whose name I forgot. Don and Rob were setting up their gear for Catfish.

A picture of the Schuylkill Banks, as always. I like to note how this spot is convenient for fishing: safe, clean, and in a nice environment!

Lines in the water! Don. eating some burritos while waiting for the Catfish to bite.

"Things that you don't see when you stay at home:" A tree far away from the banks. Plenty of space to cast in between the tree and the water, right? What's so special about it, you ask? Well...look at the picture below:

"Things that you don't see when you stay at home:" The picture is a little bit bad, but there's a fishing line there with a hook and 3 small sinkers tied together. Now...this is certainly something that you don't see everyday. It defies the laws of Physics. From which position did the angler cast to get his line snagged there? I kept thinking how that thing got there! Truly incredible...

The only fish of the day - a 3lb Channel Catfish! No skunk! Yay!

Same fish, from another angle. Beautifully conserved - no wounds, no exterior signs of illnesses, etc. Looks like a healthy fish to me (it swam away pretty fast too).

Rob M. with his catch of the day! Caught on his "secret bait" - bagel. According to Rob, there's even a secret technique to turn the regular bagel into the "secret bagel:" smash your bagel with you car first, so it gets compressed to a point that it stays on the hook. Sorry, Rob! I guess it's not a secret anymore. Hehe.

I had a picture of Don G. with his fish too; however, I couldn't find it. =/

--- March 3rd, Schuylkill River ---

As water temperature started to rise, I decided to give a shot at the "Fisherman Statue," which is located on the top portion of the tidal Schuylkill River, very close to the Fairmount Dam. The Fisherman Statue is a prime location for Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass during Spring, not to mention that huge Channels and Flatheads can be caught there while still-fishing! However, be advised that still-fishing there requires two certain conditions:

1. The tide: still-fishing in this spot is best when the tide is coming in (low to high). Otherwise, the pull is so strong that even 2oz. of weight can drift on the bottom and get you easily snagged.

2. The weather: still-fishing at this particular location after rain is suicidal. The top debris will get stuck on your line every few seconds or so, not to mention that you will have to use a very heavy set to let your rig stay on the bottom (4oz+). If a huge log comes down...you are in trouble, my friend!

Other than that, it should be fine. I arrived at the spot 12:30 p.m. - a couple minutes before the change of low to high tide. Upon arrival, I saw a group of people fishing there. They were using chunks of fish on the bottom, so I figured that they were Catfishing as well. I set up two rods with pieces of fish (all suspended), cast, and waited for the bite.

For my surprise, after catching my first (and only) fish of the day - a Channel Catfish, the guys that were fishing on my left came over and told me that someone pulled a 12lb Channel Catfish from that spot the Friday before. I doubted them a little bit at the beginning, just like I do with any fishing stories, until another person came and told me the same thing.

That person was Chris, owner of the Sea Money Fishing website. When I was still a member of the Philadelphia Angler's Club, Chris was already pretty well-known for fishing monsters here in Philly. Particularly, I've seen enough videos of him on Youtube to know that he targets Flatheads and other big Species of fish.

He was holding one of his signature Baitcasters, not to mention that his setup was a typical "Flathead" setup. After he cast right next to the pillar of the Spring Garden bridge, I undoubtely knew that he was targetting some big Catfish. Interesting enough, that was my first time meeting him, and we knew about each other even before meeting in real life. My guess is that fishing fanatics just google all about fishing in Philadelphia, perhaps? =)

Anyways...that turned out to be my only fish of the day. No monsters for me. But, it was still nice to be outside. Enjoy the pictures:

My only fish of the day - a 2lb Channel Catfish caught on a piece of suspended Shad.

Looking from another angle, this Catfish still had some dots on his body. In other words, a young fella.

During low tide, when water gets to its shallowest point, the current at the Fisherman statue is almost ten times faster than during high tide. Therefore, a light rig on the bottom can easily be drifted into rocks, eventually leading to a snag.

--- March 7th, Manayunk Canal ---

REPORT COMING SOON - STAY TUNED