It's quite late, but Spring is finally coming! The green scenery is upon us, and so is the Striped Bass and American/Hickory Shad migration! Largemouth Bass are finally getting ready for spawning, along different Species of fish as well.
Here are a couple notes for this month's events:
-- The 1st Carp Tourney on Kelly Drive will be rescheduled due to our delayed Spring! The new date for it will be announced as the water temperature rises. Thus, it will not be held on April 16th.
-- The 6th Catfish Tourney on the Banks is scheduled for April 27th, 2014 -- a Sunday! A full post on it will be coming shortly; however, the rules for this upcoming competition will still be the same as the previous one.
-- There will be another Angler's Get Together event on May 17th, a Saturday! A full post on it will come by the middle of April!
Now, here are your photos of the month:
You don't see them very often, but they DO exist! Due to the PA Fish and Boat Commission's low budget, the number of "Game Warden Officers" is very low in Philadelphia. Regardless, they are out there trying to do their best for the environment and our fishes during their working hours! Let's not forget that we are talking about less than 5 people scouting MOST of our waters in Philadelphia! So, give them a break if you don't happen to see them. =) If you EVER SEE something illegal going on, though, it's highly advised for you to call the PA Fish and Boat Commission at their Harrisburg office number: 800-541-2050.
And now, for the fishing sessions:
Note: All fishing sessions are updated first on the Facebook Page.
Note: All fishing sessions are updated first on the Facebook Page.
--- April 2nd, 2014 --
Location: Pennypack Creek
Time: 11:30 a.m. -6:35 p.m.
Fishes caught:
-- 6 Rainbow Trout
-- 2 Brown Trout
Today I got my limit at the Pennypack Creek again!
The Trout season is going very well so far. I've caught a total of 20 Trout -- 18 Rainbows and 2 Browns (about 9.62lbs).
The total weight for today was 3.26lbs! I also landed my biggest Rainbow Trout of the season -- 13 inches, 0.9lbs -- and my first Brown of the year!
Soon I'll be visiting the Wissahickon to see how things are going over there.
Happy Trouting!
A deadly Blue Heron hunting for stocked Trout
April is here...and so are the bugs!
Gorgeous Rainbow Trout on a Thomas In-line spinner
Another beautiful Rainbow Trout on an in-line spinner
Even New Jersey anglers go to the Pennypack for some stocked Trout. ;)
Beautiful Brown Trout, also caught on an in-line Spinner. Personally, I always prefer Browns over Rainbows in terms of fighting strength and flavor!
A little Red-Ear Slider showed up on the other side of my hook.
My friend Karl with his first Brown Trout of the year!
--- April 4th, 2014 --
Location: Pennypack Creek
Time: 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Fishes caught:
-- 6 Rainbow Trout
-- 1 Brown Trout
-- 1 White Sucker
Got my first White Sucker of the year at Pennypack Creek today: 2.02lbs, 17 inches. The Sucker took a whole nightcrawler on a size 6 hook!
It's always good to know that the Pennypack Creek doesn't have only Trout!
Also, once again I hit my limit today at Pennypack Creek! The Trout season there has been awesome so far!
Highlight goes to this 2.11lbs, 16.5 inches Brown Trout that I caught on an in-line spinner -- my new Personal Best for Brown Trout, and so far my biggest Trout of the year!
Happy Trouting, fellas!
Little Rainbow Trout, caught on Power Bait.
2nd one of the day -- in-line spinner.
Beautiful 2.02lbs, 17 inches White Sucker in spawning colors!
Probably the smallest Rainbow of the day.
My biggest Brown Trout ever: 2.11lbs, 16 inches.
Same fish, another angle.
My friend Andrew N. with a Rainbow.
--- April 6th, 2014 --
Location: Haddon Lake
Time: 3:00-7:00 p.m.
Fishes caught:
-- 3 Brown Trout
-- 20 Bluegills
-- 1 Warmouth
Went fishing with my friend Andrew at Haddon Lake. We were pretty psyched about the Trout opening there; however, it didn't quite turn out the way we thought it would!
I finished the day with 3 Browns on spinners. Andrew finished with 2 Browns, also on spinners.
We also did a little bit of Multi-Species fishing! Andrew caught some Black Crappie, Sunnies, and a beautiful (and big) Golden Shiner (on the photo)!
It was a bummer that the NJ Wildlife didn't stock Brookies for Spring, but it was still fun.
Small Brown Trout from Haddon Lake. Note the different coloration on it: different hatcheries raise different Brown Trout.
Andrew with his first Brown Trout of the day.
"Things that you don't see when you stay at home:" A very interesting Mallard...Perhaps a hybrid?
Sadly enough, my first Bluegill of the year!
"Things that you don't see when you stay at home:" A giant Sunfish (a.k.a. Largemouth Bass) dead at Haddon Lake. What a shame...
Andrew N. with a Golden Shiner from Haddon Lake. A very nice size too!
Andrew N. with a Black Crappie from Haddon Lake.
A nice little Warmouth.
"Things that you don't see when you stay at home:" A muskrat swimming in the darkness of the night! Sooo neat.
"Things that you don't see when you stay at home:" A bunny with laser eyes?! Heh.
--- April 11th, 2014 --
Location: Schuylkill River
Time: 12:30-2:00 p.m.
Fishes caught:
-- None
Went fishing today with my friends Andrew and Matt at the Fairmount Dam.
As expected, the Shad are finally here! My friend Matt Alkire got the first Hickory Shad of his life, which was also his first fish from the Schuylkill River and also his first fish on a rattletrap! Congratulations, Matt!
The gentleman on the left got a Hickory Shad on a traditional Shad dart! What else can I say? They are in there!!!
Andrew missed a ~2.5lbs Largemouth Bass on a Walleye lure. Unfortunately, the fish got loose when we were trying to land it! So, no photos of it!
And, finally, a general reminder for the angling community: BOTH FISH were caught and RELEASED a few moments after being caught. Let's not forget that HICKORY SHAD is an ENDANGERED Species of fish; thus, possession of it is extremely illegal in Philadelphia!! Also, AMERICAN SHAD and HICKORY SHAD are not to be taken from the Schuylkill River, according to law! American Shad may be taken from the Delaware River.
For more information on creel and size limits, access the PA Fish and Boat Commission's website!
Fish on, brothers and sisters!
My friend Matt A. with the first Hickory Shad of his life.
"Things that you don't see when you stay at home:" a little bat taking a nap at the Fairmount Dam. It flew away a little tad afterwards.
Local angler with a nice Hickory Shad on a Shad dart!
Once in a while, the PA Fish and Boat Commission Game Warden comes down to check licenses, etc. Thus, always make sure to carry yours!
--- April 12th, 2014 --
Location: Schuylkill River
Time: 12:30-5:00 p.m.
Fishes caught:
-- 1 Common Carp (8.13lbs)
I went to my favorite Carp spot with my friend Matt Alkire for some action!
It was a GREAT DAY! We finished the day with 4 Common Carp (3 for Matt and 1 for me). We started at 12:30 p.m. and finished at 5 p.m.
Matt -- Congratulations on your new Common Carp P.B.: 14.64lbs. Also, cheers for me for catching my first Common Carp of the year! Small, but still fun to catch!
A nice view from Kelly Drive
12.5lbs Common Carp
11.3lbs Common Carp
14.64lbs Common Carp
8.13lbs Common Carp
Location: Schuylkill River
Time: 4:30-11:00 p.m.
Fishes caught:
-- Skunked
Last night, I went Flathead fishing with my friend Matt A. on the Schuylkill River! We figured that it would be an awesome night to do so, especially taking the water and air temperatures in consideration.
For our surprise, we met Chris McIntee and his crew fishing for Flatheads as well!
Chris finished his night with 6 Flatheads (~15lbs top), and Matt finished with 1 -- his first Flathead ever! It measured 5.18lbs on the scale. Congrats on your first Flathead ever, bud! Good catch!
For those who are not familiar with Chris, he used to run the "Seamoneyfishing" website. He is also one of the renowned local anglers in Philadelphia! Here's a little demo of what he is capable of: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=po8-ewmRpgY (a 55lb FLATHEAD CATFISH from the Schuylkill River, beating even the state record for PA!)
Anyways...Flathead fishing is always a thrill, and IT IS ON!
Nice sunset at Kelly Drive
Chris McIntee with a nice Flathead Catfish.
Nice fish!
Matt A. with the first Flathead of his life. Congrats, Matt!
--- April 18th, 2014 --
Location: Lake Luxembourg/Core Creek
Time: 10:00-3:00 p.m.
Fishes caught:
- 6 Bluegill
- 1 Yellow Perch
- 3 Brown Bullhead
- 2 Green Sunfish
Went to Lake Luxembourg with my nephew for the first time this year. Thankfully, he was able to catch a couple fish on live nightcrawlers!
Photos are below:
My naphew with a little Brown Bullhead. Notice his "snacks" on the background. Hah.
My first Brown Bullhead of the year! Thus, even though it was very dirty, I had to take a photo of it!
Cute little Green Sunfish from the spillway under lake Luxembourg
My nephew with a nice Bluegill on a Trout Magnet.
Another nice Bluegill on a Trout Magnet
To end the day, a Yellow Perch, caught on a live nightcrawler.
"Things that you don't see when you stay at home:" mother nature doing her stuff! =)
--- April 19th, 2014 --
Location: James River
Time: 6:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Fishes caught:
- 4 Blue Catfish
- 1 Striped Bass
Here's a post that is a little bit different than the usual ones, since it's not exactly portraying fishing in Philadelphia. My friends and I went to the James River in Virginia for a day, wishing to catch some big Blue Cats! According to our guide "Hunter Tucker" (HawgHunterChartersLLC). the bite was quite slow! However, each one of us was able to at least catch something!
Will's video of his 34.7lbs Blue Catfish can be viewed here.
Even though I didn't land any giants, this trip was still a big plus for me: I caught my first Blue Catfish (new addition to my Species list), and my first Striped Bass of the year! Heh.
Our guide -- "Hunter Tucker" -- was very nice and competent. Thus, I HIGHLY recommend him if you are ever looking for some action around VA. You may access his website here for more details on his fishing packages.
Particularly, I loved the fact that his equipment was mainly based on Shimano reels and rods (my favorite and trusted brand). Also, he caught us fresh bait before the beginning of our fishing session; took good measurements for properly CPRing fish; constantly moved us around to different "productive" fishing spots; etc.
Finally, I would like to thank Andrew, Will, and Mark for making this trip happen, and, of course, many thanks to bad-ass captain Hunter Tucker! Awesome job, man!
Photos are below:
A nice photo of the crew, including our guide (right side).
Mighty James River in Virginia
Will (top left) and Andrew (bottom right) caught the two giants of the day: 34.7lbs (39.5 inches) and 28.0lbs (38.0 inches) Blue Cats, respectively. Mark and I ended up catching some Striped Bass, which was equally fun from our perspective! Individual photos are below:
My first Blue Catfish! Looks almost the same as a Channel Catfish in color, except the anal fin and the shape and size of its whiskers.
The good and old Gizzard Shad: our bait for the day!
Location: Meadow Lake (FDR Park)
Time: 12:30-7:30 p.m.
Fishes caught:
- 1 Northern Snakehead
- 1 Largemouth Bass
- 11 Bluegill
- 1 American Eel
It was a good day at Meadow Lake (FDR Park)! My friend Matt A. joined me around noon, and we fished until a little bit before sunset.
Right at the beginning of my fishing session, I caught a nice 2.42lbs Largemouth Bass on a Strike King spinner. After that, the bite was really slow! Thus, we decided to relax for a bit, put some nightcrawlers on, and catch some Sunnies. Yeah...we ended up catching plenty of Bluegills. Heh.
Matt and I walked around the place until the end of the afternoon. We settled down close to the Gazebo, where I caught a nice sized American Eel and a little Northern Snakehead.
Over all, productive day! I ended up catching my first American Eel and Northern Snakehead of the year. Heh.
Photos are below:
Bluegills! Thankfully, Sunnies are everywhere, so they can give you some action when the bite is slow! Get them on ultralight setup (4lbs test line, etc), and they fight REALLY WELL!
Anglers: please take care of your trash after you are done fishing! This amount of line can bring harm to many different types of wildlife, not to mention that littering is definitely a no-no when it comes to our sport and reputation.
2.42lbs Largemouth Bass on a Strike King blade spinner! Healthy and safely released.
Perfect size for bait -- American Eel caught on a whole little live Sunny.
Small Northern Snakehead, caught on a live Sunny (you can still see its tail sticking out of its mouth).
--- April 21st, 2014 --
Location: Meadow Lake (FDR Park)
Time: 2:30-8:00 p.m.
Fishes caught:
- 1 Northern Snakehead
- 8 Bluegill
Went back to the Meadow Lake for some more action! Pulled another Northern Snakehead from the FDR Park today and missed a massive Largemouth Bass on a live sunny!
Another small Northern Snakehead! This one was caught on a Senko, though.
--- April 25th, 2014 --
Location: Newton Lake
Time: 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Fishes caught:
- 1 Warmouth
- 9 Largemouth Bass
- 8 Black Crappie
- 2 Bluegill
After a good while, I was finally able to go to Newton Lake for some LMB and Northern Snakeheads. For my surprise, there were tons of dead fish around the Lake! In these past 2 years, I've seen plenty of dead Gizzard Shad around Newton Lake, which is common. This year, however, there were all types of fish!
After talking to a couple people, I was informed that there was a winter kill! This time, not even the Bullheads and Carp were spared (note: they are very resistant to low level oxygen waters). For you guys to have an idea, the stench around the lake was so unbearable that the county people came down to "clean" some of the putrid fish floating around the lake.
Among the dead, there were the following Species: Bluegills, Green Sunfish, Gizzard Shad, Common Carp, Largemouth Bass, Brown Bullhead, Channel Catfish. For this past Winter, only Northern Snakeheads were spared...
Other than that, it was a wonderful day of fishing! Photos are below:
This time, not even the Bullheads were spared! The photo above shows the remains of a Brown Bullhead.
Among the trash around the Lake, there were lots of dead Bluegill.
First Largemouth Bass of the day, caught on a 6 inch Gary Yamamoto Senko.
Cute little Black Crappie caught on a 1/64oz jig with a "Gulp! Alive minnow."
A nice Black Crappie in spawning colors.
Probably my biggest Largemouth Bass of the day, caught on a rigged Salamander.
Same fish, closed up view.
Another nice Black Crappie in spawning colors.
Largemouth Bass caught on a jigged tube.
A nice Warmouth from Newton Lake! (Also my first one)
Another Largemouth Bass, caught on the tube.
The remains of a NICE Common Carp...
--- April 26th, 2014 --
Location: Cooper River Lake/Newton Lake
Time: 1:00-7:00 p.m.
Fishes caught:
- 1 Common Carp
- 1 Brown Bullhead
- 3 Bluegills
- 1 Black Crappie
Quick session on the Cooper River Lake and Newton Lake! Finished the day with a nice 0.94lbs Brown Bullhead (my biggest one this year so far), a small Common Carp, 3 Bluegills, and 1 lonely Crappie!
Small Common Carp caught on kernel corn.
Nice Brown Bullhead, also caught on kernel corn.
A lonely Black Crappie from Newton Lake!