Results of the 6th Catfish Tourney on the Banks (Tidal Schuylkill River, PA)

Hello, Blog Readers!

As planned, today I held the "6th Catfish Tourney on the Banks" from 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.. The competition happened between Locust and Chestnut streets, down on the Schuylkill Banks. A nice photo of the event is below:

A couple contestants between Locust and Walnut are patiently waiting for the Catfish to hit. :) 

Overall, the 6th Catfish Tourney on the Banks had a good number of participants; thus, good cash prizes! In terms of fish, this competition was more about "quantity over quality." In other words, very few fish were above the range of 2lbs. Below is a little summary of all 6 competitions that were held so far:

-- 1st Catfish Tourney (May, 2013): 7 entries; $-- collected; $-- to local 501(c)(3) non-profit; 25 fish caught; total fish weight: 57.53lbs. (For more information on it, click here).

-- 2nd Catfish Tourney (June, 2013): 24 entries; $480 collected; $96 to national 501(c)(3) non-profit; 90 fish caught; total weight: 143.81lbs. (For more information on it, click here).

-- 3rd Catfish Tourney (September, 2013): 18 entries; $490 collected; $98 to local 501(c)(3) non-profit; 31 fish caught; total weight: 66.26lbs. (For more information on it, click here).

-- 4th Catfish Tourney (October, 2013): 12 entries; $290 collected; $58 to local 501(c)(3) non-profit; 14 fish caught; total weight: 39.41lbs. (For more information on it, click here).

-- 5th Catfish Tourney (March, 2014): 25 entries; $630 collected; $126 to local 501(c)(3) non-profit; 3 fish caught; total weight: 6.07lbs. (For more information on it, click here)

-- 6th Catfish Tourney (May, 2015): 25 entries; $590 collected; $118 to local 501(c)(3) non-profit; 83 fish caught; total weight: 82.27lbs. 

Summarizing...For the 6th Catfish Tourney on the Banks, I had a total of 25 individuals/teams. Therefore, the number of overall participants is still increasing a lot! It's always pleasant to see that more and more people are coming for the competitions. After all, more competitors mean bigger prizes for each competition, more money for the local non-profit that focuses on environmental conservation and/or aquatic sustainability, not to mention a stronger local fishing community. Therefore, as always, many thanks for everyone's support!

As a tradition, I always take a group photo after the competition. Above are the stewards who didn't give up -- the ones who stayed until the end of the event! Six hours of fishing under the scorching sun is not a small feature. Therefore, a salve of applause to each one of them.  

The total amount of cash collected for this competition was $590. From that amount, 20% of it ($118) went to the SRDC 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (Schuylkill River Development Corporation).

The SRDC is the organization responsible for the Schuylkill Banks -- from the Fairmount Dam until the Grays Ferry Crescent Trail. They do their best to maintain a clean environment for anglers, runners, bikers, and so on. Their job includes removing graffiti on a weekly basis, providing a clean and neat space for everyone to use, etc. They also hold many different Summer events: free movie nights on certain Thursdays, kayak and boat tours, etc. If you want to know more about them, you can click here to access their website. Note that the SRDC is very conscientious about aquatic sustainability and environmental conservation.

Below is the ranking for the 6th Catfish Tourney on the Banks:

1st -- Jake & Joe J. -- 9.06lbs (3.19/1.98/1.85/1.05/0.99)

2nd -- Marc C.J. -- 8.22lbs (4.38 Big Fish/1.52/1.49/0.83)

3rd -- Justin Z. & Christian H. -- 7.89lbs (3.19/2.62/1.80/0.28)

4th -- Alex & Daniel -- 6.48lbs (2.60/1.12/0.99/0.94/0.83)

5th -- Nicolas R. -- 5.68lbs (1.56/1.49/1.36/1.27)

6th -- Jose N. -- 5.59lbs (1.71/1.43/0.94/0.90/0.61)

7th -- Monica & Steven -- 5.40lbs (1.80/1.47/1.01/0.57/0.55)

8th -- Peter Sch. -- 4.90lbs (1.89/1.45/0.90/0.66) 

9th -- Michael S. -- 3.24lbs (0.97/0.68/0.57/0.52/0.50)

10th -- John J. -- 3.10lbs (1.12/0.59/0.50/0.50/0.39)

11th -- Shou YC -- 2.91lbs (1.19/1.16/0.55)

12th -- Joe Sz. -- 1.86lbs (1.05/0.81)

13th -- Eddie S. -- 1.77lbs (1.05/0.72)

14th -- Troy B. -- 1.76lbs (0.59/0.39/0.39/0.39)

15th -- Yuan ZD -- 1.27lbs (0.81/0.46)

15th -- Jasir & Jeremiah -- 1.27lbs (0.83/0.44)

16th -- Ronald J. -- 0.96 (0.70/0.26)

17th -- Joshua & Stephen J. -- 0.70lbs (0.70)

18th -- Peter Sca. -- 0.44lbs (0.44)

Mike M. -- 0.00lbs

Ralph O. -- 0.00lbs

Joe S. & Ian K. -- 0.00lbs

Harry OB & Luke R. -- 0.00lbs

Salvatore M. -- 0.00lbs

Jay & Jayla T. -- 0.00lbs

Above are the winners of the 6th Catfish Tourney on the Banks: 1st Place (Center): Joe and Jacob J.; 2nd Place & Big Fish (left): Marc C.J. "The Shark;" and 3rd Place (right): Justin Z. & Christian H.. Congratulations, fellas!

As everyone can see, this last competition was really unstable in terms of weight -- anyone on top ten had a chance to win until the very end of it! One 5lber would have made a big impact in the ranking. Thus, as Pro-Bass angler Mike Iaconelli always says: NEVER GIVE UP! 

The prizes for the 6th Catfish Tourney on the Banks were the following:

20% for the SRDC non-profit organization -- $118

1st Place -- $190 + Trophy

2nd Place -- $140 + Trophy

3rd Place -- $95 + Trophy

Biggest Fish -- $47 + Trophy

People who participated: thank you very much for your support! As I have mentioned previously, you guys are making a difference in the Philadelphia fishing community, not to mention that you are staying active in the sport. The "20%" of your proceeds will definitely make a difference for the SRDC! Everything counts towards the big scene. 

Also, many thanks to Joe and Jacob J. (the winners of this competition) for coming all the way from Maryland and Tennessee. Many thanks to Nicolas R. for coming all the way from Central Florida! Many thanks to Ronald J. "Shogun" and Marc C.J. "The Shark" for participating and representing the Grand Master Fish-Shoreman crew.

Extra thanks to Jay & Jayla T.; Jasir & Jeremiah; Justin Z. & Christian H.; and Salvatore M.: fishing is certainly more enjoyable when you bring your loved ones with you! Therefore, having kids and loved ones around is always an extra plus.

For those who didn't catch anything, be not sad! It was a tough day on the Banks and sometimes that's how it is. Unpredictability is one factor that makes fishing unique. Thankfully, the experience counts a lot!

Below are the photos of the "trophy" catches for this competition (2lbs+):

Contestant from the team "Alex & Daniel" with a 2.60lbs Channel Catfish. The fish was caught right next to the Chestnut Street bridge. It was caught on a piece of chicken liver (ugh).

Contestant from the team "Justin Z. & Christian H." with a 2.62lbs Channel Catfish. The fish was caught between Walnut and Locust. It was caught on a special dip bait.

Solo contestant Marc C.J. "The Shark" with the big fish of the day: a 4.38lbs Channel Catfish. The fish was caught on chicken liver.  

Contestant from team "Joe & Jake J." with a 3.19lbs Channel Catfish. Not sure what this fish was caught on, but good job! Heh.

The next Tourney -- 7th Catfish Tourney on the Banks -- is scheduled for September 27th, 2015. A post on it will be coming in July! 

Best of luck to all of us,

Long Days and Pleasant Nights,

Sincerely,

Leo S.

May Fishing Sessions: 05/30 - Exploring and Fishing the Schuylkill Canal (Mont Clare, PA)

Hello, Blog Readers!

Today I'm bringing you folks my fishing session for May 30th:

--- May 30th, 2015 ---

Location: Schuylkill Canal (Mont Clare, PA)

Time: 1:00-5:30 p.m.

Fishes caught:

-- 4 Green Sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus)

-- 1 Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides)

-- 2 Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)

-- 2 Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu)

Video:

Below are the highlights for this fishing session:

The video is divided in three parts: (1) Introduction (0:00-2:35); (2) Setup (2:35-6:05); and (3) Fishing (6:05-end). Towards the end of the video, there is a nice view of the fishing area around Black Rock Dam, as well as Lock 60. Don't forget to watch it in HD quality (1080p50)! If you enjoy watching my videos, please support my YouTube Channel by liking and subscribing. :)

Goal:

The goal for the day was to explore the Schuylkill Canal and the Schuylkill River in Mont Clare. That included exploring the area around Lock 60 and the area around the Black Rock Dam. Additionally, the goal was to catch as many different Species of fish as possible, since I had never fished there before.

Setup:

My setup for this fishing session consisted of a Cortland Endurance 9' noodle rod with a Shimano Symetre 4000FL and 12lbs Berkley Vanish Fluorocarbon line. Throughout the course of the day, I used the following types of baits/lures: (1) a Gary Yamamoto Senko wacky-rigged on a 5/0 Gamakatsu hook; (2) a 1" Gulp! Alive Minnow hooked on a 1/64 oz. Trout Magnet jighead, and (3) a Thomas Lures E.P. Series in-line spinner, 1/8 oz., Nickel/Gold colored.

Summary:

Going to the Schuylkill Canal by public transportation was one of the longest trips that I did this year! As mentioned in the video, it took me nearly 2:30 hours to get there. First, I had to take the Septa Market-Frankford line from the Frankford Transportation Center to the 69th Street Terminal. Then, I had to take the Norristown High speed line to its last stop. Finally, I had to take the bus 99 to Phoenixville. Folks...that was quite a ride! 

I arrived on the Canal around one in the afternoon. I walked upstream from Bridge Street all the way to the Lock 60. In between, I stepped over to the Schuylkill River a couple times, finishing there with a couple miniature Smallmouth Bass.

Overall, the canal is a beautiful place to fish at! Note, however, that it's not a great idea to still-fish at the canal. After all, there are plenty of kayaks and canoes passing by from time to time. One thing that I found extremely interesting about the canal was the fact that the paved trail is shared between individuals and cars! That was actually the first time that I witnessed something like that. 

Anyways...I ended up catching a Bluegill, a small Largemouth Bass, and a couple Green Sunfish from the Canal. That was pretty much it! I wish I had more time to explore the place, but my time constraints were weighting heavily on me. Thus, I had to leave! 

Maybe I will do another trip up there one of these days. :)

Photos:

Below are the photos for this fishing session:

An authentic Bluegill from the Schuylkill Canal. I've caught them in the Schuylkill Canal, Manayunk Canal, Delaware Canal, Delaware & Raritan Canal, etc. Thus, they are pretty abundant in every Canal in and around Philadelphia. Heh.

A nice view of the Schuylkill Canal. As I have mentioned above, the paved trail on the Schuylkill Canal is shared between individuals and cars! That's because there is a parking lot at the end of the Canal trail -- right at Lock 60.

Another scenic view of the Schuylkill Canal. Folks -- it's a beautiful place for a family outing: picnic areas; kayaking/boating; fishing; etc. 

A small Green Sunfish from the Schuylkill Canal. It was caught on a small Gulp! Alive Minnow. 

Another beautiful Green Sunfish with spawning colors. 

A nice view of the Schuylkill River with the Black Rock Dam on the background. If you look carefully, there is a guy fishing in the middle of the River.

A nice view of the dam between the Schuylkill Canal and the Schuylkill River. Unfortunately, there were no game fish under that dry dam.

Best of luck for all of us,

Long Days and Pleasant Nights,

Sincerely,

Leo S.

May Fishing Sessions: 05/28 - Fishing Meadow Lake (FDR Park) for Bass and Snakeheads (South Philadelphia, PA)

Hello, Blog Readers!

Here is my report for May 28th:

--- May 28th, 2015 ---

Location: Meadow Lake (@Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park, South Philadelphia, PA)

Time: 12:00-4:30 p.m.

Fishes caught:

-- 2 Black Crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus)

-- 1 Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides)

Video:

Below are the highlights for this fishing session:

The video is divided in three parts: (1) Introduction (0:00-1:30); (2) Setup (1:30-5:15); and Fishing (5:15-end). Don't forget to watch it in HD quality (1080p50)! If you enjoy watching my videos, please support my YouTube Channel by liking and subscribing. :)

Goal:

The main goal for the day was to catch some Northern Snakehead (Channa argus) and Largemouth Bass on Zoom Flukes.

Setup:

My setup in the video consisted of a Cortland Endurance 9' noodle rod with a Shimano Symetre 4000FL and 12lbs Berkley Vanish Fluorocarbon line. Throughout the course of the video, I used the following types of baits/lures: (1) a Zoom Fluke Texas rigged on a 5/0 Gamakatsu hook; (2) a 1" Gulp! Alive Minnow hooked on a 1/64 oz. Trout Magnet jighead.

Summary:

I arrived at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt park after taking the Septa Broad street line all the way to the AT&T station (final stop). As mentioned previously, the original goal for the day was to catch some Largemouth Bass and Northern Snakehead on the Zoom Fluke! Therefore, I Texas rigged a Zoom Fluke and walked around the main Lake in search of the elusive and "aggressive" Northern Snakehead.

After a good amount of time walking and casting, I caught only a little Largemouth Bass down by the Gazebo! Therefore, I decided to leave the main Lake (the biggest one) and walk to the stream at the back of the Park (where the skate park is at). Upon arrival, I actually saw four Northern Snakehead just chilling close to the surface of the water! I immediately threw my lure at them and here is the frustrating part -- instead of grabbing on my lure, they actually got spooked by it...

So, yes folks -- in case you didn't already  know, the myth that Northern Snakehead will attack anything that comes close to them doesn't check out! Despite what the common folks believe in, Northern Snakehead can be quite tricky to catch. They can be very elusive and finicky at times. Also, according to the Science of Ichthyology, they are classified as a "lie-in-wait" predator, which is the same classification that is given to the Esox family (i.e. Pike and Pickerel). 

After a bunch of hours without a single Snakehead and a thunderstorm moving in, I finally decided to shift gears to a smaller jighead and soft plastic! That's when I caught my two Black Crappie.

Overall, it was an extremely tough day down at "The Lakes," as the locals like to call it. 

Photos:

Below are the photos for this fishing session:

A view of a Mulberry Tree at Meadow Lake! Even though I didn't try Carp fishing on that day, Mulberry trees are Carp magnets. Therefore, always keep your eyes opened for those little yummy mulberries. 

Probably one of the biggest Black Crappie that I have ever caught at Meadow Lake. The "catching" for the day was horrible; however, this fish made my day! It was safely released.

Best of luck for all of us,

Long Days and Pleasant Nights,

Sincerely,

Leo S.

May Fishing Sessions: 05/27 - Exploring and Fishing the Schuylkill River at the Norristown Dam (Norristown, PA)

Hello, Blog Readers!

Today I'm bringing you my fishing report for May 27th:

--- May 27th, 2015 ---

Location: Schuylkill River (@Norristown Dam, PA)

Time: 1:30-5:00 p.m.

Fishes caught:

-- 5 Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu)

Video:

Below are the highlights for this fishing session:

The video is mainly divided in three parts: (1) Introduction (0:00-5:00); (2) Setup (5:00-7:25); and Fishing (7:25-16:10). The video also contains an "extra contents" video, which portrays the American Eel (Anguilla rostrata) that I caught on 05/26. Don't forget to watch it in HD quality (1080p50)! If you enjoy watching my videos, please support my YouTube Channel by liking and subscribing. :)

Goal:

The goal for the day was to explore and investigate the Schuylkill River around the Norristown Dam. After reading and hearing many rumors about the place, I decided to go down there and "see it for myself." 

The main story running around fishing forums was that the Norristown Dam used to be a trophy Smallmouth Bass fishery back in the 2000's. Locals warned foreign anglers that the location is no longer a trophy fishery due to silt deposition; in other words, the place no longer holds big fish. 

Therefore, emphasizing, the goal was to see whether the rumors were true or not.

Setup:

My setup in the video consisted of a Cortland Endurance 9' noodle rod with a Shimano Symetre 4000FL and 12lbs Berkley Vanish Fluorocarbon line. Throughout the course of the video, I used a Thomas Fishing Lures E.P. Series in-line spinner, 1/8 oz., nickel/gold color.

Summary:

After taking the Market-Frankford Line to its last stop (69th Street) and also the Norristown high-speed line, I finally arrived at the Norristown Dam around 1:30 p.m.! The pros of using this public transportation route is that I pay only $1.00 extra for a round trip, considering the fact that I have a Septa monthly transpass.

Upon arrival (and after getting lost), I scouted the location for a couple minutes. I immediately saw the fish ladder and decided to fish 100+ feet below it. I must say, folks -- I was quite disappointed with the Norristown Dam! Maybe if I had a kayak or a boat, that would have been a different story. However, just by wading, most spots around the area turned out to be really shallow. There were a couple deep pockets of water without major fish in it and the access to the dam was troublesome.

In the end, I caught a total of five miniature Smallmouth Bass on the Thomas Lures in-line spinner. No big fish whatsoever. No other Species of fish spotted. Not even Sunfish! For a Multi-Species angler like myself, that is seriously disastrous. 

Over the course of the fishing session, I did spot a lot of Rusty Crayfish (Orconectes rusticus) and clam deposition. Let me remind everyone that the Rusty Crayfish is an invasive Species of Crayfish in Pennsylvania; therefore, upon possession, they should be disposed of immediately. It's also illegal to use invasive Species in PA as bait! Therefore, make sure to not hook a Rusty Crayfish as bait. Finally, by common sense, make sure to not transport this invasive Species of Crayfish to other bodies of water.

On a side note, the food in Norristown is amazing! If you folks are fans of Mexican food, that is the place to go to! I always have a hearty Mexican lunch when I go to Norristown: cheap compared to South Philly, nutritious, and delicious! 

Photos:

Below are the photos for this fishing session:     

I took a photo of this very informative sign that was right next to the Norristown fish ladder. Good information on the Shad and Herring migration! 

Recall, folks: dams are danger zones! No boating, no swimming, and no wading! And by the law of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, no fishing within 100 feet of any fish ladder.

A scenic view of the Schuylkill River at the Norristown Dam.

One of the many miniature Smallmouth Bass that were caught that day. Big fish were definitely not present; however, it's always a good sign to see younger populations around. In other words, it means that the natural reproduction of Smallmouth Bass is still ongoing.

A Rusty Crayfish's carcass. There were lots of dead ones lying around.

Another carcass. Somehow, Crayfish always remind me of two things: (1) The Nintendo Metroid Series. Those who played Metroid in their childhood will remember those Crayfish-like creatures that shot lasers from their claws. Sigh; and (2) aliens! Isn't it interesting that many types of extraterrestrial models in movies and popular culture were actually based on aquatic Species? 

A small Rusty Crayfish in its natural environment.

Victory! After a good pursuit, I was finally able to catch a live sample. I took a couple of them home as well.

Not sure what this was before, but I thought that the shell was pretty neat! Little treasures of the Schuylkill River.

Same shell, another angle.

A nice view of the first bridge after the Norristown Dam. Note that the water around there is still super shallow! 

Finally, this is the pocket of water that I was going to explore for the rest of the day. However, I accidentally fell from a tree and busted my knee and left arm. Thus, I had to leave for the day. Ugh.

Best of luck for all of us,

Long Days and Pleasant Nights,

Sincerely,

Leo S.

May Fishing Sessions: 05/21, 05/26 - Short Fishing session at the Pennypack Creek + Schuylkill River (Northeast Philadelphia, Philadelphia; PA)

Hello, Blog Readers!

Today I'm bringing you folks two short fishing sessions in one:

--- May 21st, 2015 ---

Location: Pennypack Creek (@Old Bustleton Avenue, PA)

Time: 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Fishes caught:

-- 1 Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu)

-- 2 Redbreast Sunfish (Lepomis auritus)

-- 1 Brown Trout (Salmo trutta)

--- May 26th, 2015 ---

Location: Schuylkill River (@Chestnut Street, PA)

Time: 2:00-5:00 p.m.

Fishes caught: 

-- 1 American Eel (Anguilla rostrata)

Video:

Below are the highlights for my short Pennypack fishing session:

The video is divided in three parts: (1) Introduction (0:00-3:05); (2) Setup (3:05-5:45); and (3) Fishing (5:45-end). Unfortunately, the sound of the GoPro wasn't so nice after I changed the casing of the chesty mount to the waterproof one. Don't forget to watch it in HD quality (1080p50)! If you enjoy watching my videos, please support my YouTube Channel by liking and subscribing. :)

  

Since I caught only one measly American Eel for my Schuylkill River fishing trip, I decided to compile that small video as an extra content for another video. Thus, the video is below:

The extra contents start at 16:10. I actually saved that American Eel as bait for future Catfish. Heh. Once again, don't forget to watch it in HD quality (1080p50)! 

Goal:

The goal for the Pennypack Creek trip was to catch some Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) or Brown Trout for my mother to eat. She had just arrived from Brazil and she loves to eat Trout!

The goal for the Schuylkill River trip was to catch some Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) for fun!

Setup:

The setup for my Pennypack fishing session consisted of a single rod: an ultra-light Daiwa Spinmatic fishing rod with a Shimano Sedona 500FD reel. For line, I used 4lbs Berkley Vanish Fluorocarbon. Throughout the course of the day, I used the following lures: a Thomas Fishing Lures E.P. Series in-line Spinner, 1/8 oz., nickel/gold; and a size #6 eagle claw hook with Berkley Power Bait for the Trout.

The setup for my Schuylkill River session consisted of three rods for Channel Catfish. The first setup consisted of a Cortland Endurance 9' noodle rod with a Shimano Symetre 4000FL and 12lbs Berkley Vanish Fluorocarbon line. The second setup was a heavy action Daiwa Samurai rod + reel with 20lbs Berkley Vanish Fluorocarbon line. The third set up was a Daiwa Samurai medium action rod with a Shimano Sedona 2500FD and also 12lbs Berkley Vanish Fluorocarbon line.. Two setups were rigged with a 2 oz. egg sinker, a medium sized Eagle Claw golden snap-swivel, and a snelled size 7/0 Gamakatsu Octopus hook. Those two setups were baited with cut American Eel. The third setup was as you saw in the video -- a high-low rig with Eagle Claw three way swivels, snelled size #6 hooks, and nightcrawler. 

Summary:

For the Pennypack Creek, I arrived around eleven in the morning. I hit my usual spots for Trout without much success. When I say my "usual spots," I refer to the stretch of the Pennypack Creek that goes from Roosevelt Boulevard to the Old Bustleton Avenue. 

I ended up catching one small Smallmouth Bass and two Redbreast Sunfish on the Thomas in-line spinner, and a left-over Brown Trout on the traditional Berkley Power Bait! 

For the Schuylkill River, it was seriously a tough day. Over the course of three hours, I had only one solid Catfish bite. No hook ups! Besides that bite, I had two to three small bites on the nightcrawler, which is how I hooked my American Eel. :) 

Photos:

Since it was raining at the Pennypack Creek, no photos were taking for that fishing session.

For the Schuylkill River fishing session, I only took one scenic photo:

A nice scenic view of the Schuylkill Banks between Walnut and Chestnut street bridges.

Best of luck for all of us,

Long Days and Pleasant Nights,

Sincerely,

Leo S.

May Fishing Sessions: 05/19 - Fishing the Manayunk Canal and Schuylkill River for Bass (Manayunk/Philadelphia, PA)

Hello, Blog Readers!

Here is my fishing session for May 19th:

--- May 19th, 2015 ---

Location: Manayunk Canal, then Schuylkill River (Manayunk, Philadelphia; PA)

Time: 12:00-8:00 p.m.

Fishes caught:

-- 1 Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)

-- 1 Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides)

-- 5 Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu)

Video:

Below are the highlights for this fishing session:

The video above portrays me fishing four different locations: (1) The Wissahickon Falls at the Wissahickon Transfer Center (0:45-3:30); (2) the Manayunk Canal (3:30-10:45, 13:50-15:10); (3) the Schuylkill River at Manayunk (10:45-13:50); and (4) the Schuylkill River at the South Street Bridge (15:10- end of video). Don't forget to watch it in HD quality (1080p50)! If you enjoy watching my videos, please support my YouTube Channel by liking and subscribing. :)

Goal:

The main goal for the day was to hit the Manayunk Canal for Largemouth Bass! However, based on certain circumstances, I ended up going to a few different places to fish. The goal remained unchanged, though.

Setup: 

My setup in the video consisted of a Cortland Endurance 9' noodle rod with a Shimano Symetre 4000FL and 12lbs Berkley Vanish Fluorocarbon line. Throughout the course of the video, I used the following types of baits/lures: (1) a Thomas Fishing Lures E.P. Series in-line spinner, 1/8 oz., nickel/gold color; (2) a wacky-rigged Gary Yamamoto Senko on a size 5/0 Gamakatsu hook; (3) a piece of nightcrawler on a size #6 Eagle Claw hook; and (4) a Trout Magnet on the same type of hook.

Summary:

As mentioned above, the original goal for the day was to go to the Manayunk Canal for some Largemouth Bass! Therefore, I took the R bus from the Frankford Transportation Center to the Wissahickon Transfer Center. After arriving at the last stop, I waited a good twenty minutes for the Bus 61; however, the bus never showed up! So, in the end, I decided to fish the Wissahickon Falls for Smallmouth Bass for the time being. I tied on a Senko on a 5/0 Gamakatsu hook, casting straight down the falls. In a matter of ten minutes or so, I finished there with two small Smallmouth Bass.

I eventually rode the Bus 61 to its final stop, which was located right next to the Manayunk Canal. I tied on a Thomas Lures E.P. series in-line spinner and started walking and casting. After a good amount of time, all I landed was a 1lb Largemouth Bass. I did see lots of Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) swimming around; however, I did not have my Carp gear with me! 

I walked my way to the main line bridge, crossing a small path to the Schuylkill River. As you guys could see in the video, getting to that spot was no easy feature! The little path was totally overgrown and there were lots of poisonous plants (ugh). After making my way through, I fished the slow pools around the area for fifteen minutes or so without any success! Not even one bite... It was quite a disappointment, since I tend to catch at least one decent sized Smallmouth Bass over there. Anyways, I decided to head back to the Canal.

After heading back to the Canal, I fished there a little bit more with Senkos nightcrawlers, and Trout Magnets. I actually switched gears to nightcrawlers and Trout Magnets once I saw smaller fish bedding on the shallow waters of the Manayunk Canal. They turned out to be big Bluegill, which was pretty neat. In between, I ended up losing two additional bites on the wacky-rigged Senko!

Finally, at the end of the day, I still felt like fishing! So, I decided to hit the Schuylkill River at the South Street Bridge. Since the opening of the promenade, I never attempted to fish that area with lures. Thus, that was the perfect opportunity for doing so. I ran the Thomas Lures in-line spinner for a good hour or so, finishing only with miniature Smallmouth Bass (which was still a good sign). I did miss a couple Sunfish among the rocky banks of the River, as well as a big Bass bite! 

I decided to call it a day after that! 

Photos:

The photos for this fishing session are below:

A healthy looking Smallmouth Bass from the mighty Schuylkill River! Unlike the Susquehanna, the Schuylkill River is actually doing okay with its populations of Smallmouth Bass.

A nice scenic view of the Wissahickon Falls. And truth be told, folks -- you never know what you are going to catch under those falls! 

A gorgeous Largemouth Bass on a Thomas E.P. series in-line Spinner. Yes -- that's my favorite in-line spinner, and it works for a wide arrangement of fishes. :)

The spawning Bluegill at the Manayunk Canal. Note the dark coloration: that is its spawning color.

"Things that you don't see when you stay at home:" A dead rat on the rocky banks of the Schuylkill River. Another dead animal for my "death collection." 

Best of luck for all of us,

Long Days and Pleasant Nights,

Sincerely,

Leo S.

May Fishing Sessions: 05/16 - Fishing the Schuylkill River for Bass (East Falls, PA)

Hello, Blog Readers! 

Here is my fishing session for May 16th:

--- May 16th, 2015 ---

Location: Schuylkill River (From East Falls to Philadelphia)

Time: 1:00-8:30 p.m.

Fishes caught:

-- None

Video:

Since there were no fishes caught for this session, there is no video for it. However, my good friend Ronald "Shogun" from the Grand Master crew actually caught a nice Flathead Catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) around sunset. Therefore, I've compiled his video into one of my Flathead fishing videos:

Ronald "Shogun Assassin!" reels in a nice Flathead Catfish starting at 23:55. Don't forget to watch it in HD quality (1080p50)! If you like watching my videos, don't forget to support the YouTube Channel by liking and subscribing to it. :) 

Goal:

I went to the Schuylkill River in East Falls in hopes of catching some Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu) and/or Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides). The plan was to fish and walk from East Falls to the Art Museum in Philadelphia.

Setup:

I used a single fishing rod for this fishing session: my 9' Cortland Endurance noodle rod with a Shimany Symetre 4000FL and 12lbs Berkley Vanish Fluorocarbon line. For lures, I used the Gary Yamamoto 5" Senko on a 5/0 Gamakatsu hook.

Summary:

I started my day by taking the Septa R bus all the way to the Wissahickon Transfer Center, right above East Falls. I fished the Schuylkill River under the Wissahickon Falls, the mouth of the Wissahickon Creek, and eventually the bridges at East Falls -- all without success! I had a few bites on the wacky-rigged Senko right under the falls; however, no hook-ups.

As I walked down East Falls, I suddenly realized that the rowing regatta was on! In other words, my plans of fishing Columbia Bridge for Bass were utterly destroyed. The Columbia Bridge on Kelly Drive is a place with deeper water; therefore, I usually catch at least one Smallmouth/Largemouth Bass over there. 

Without many options, I walked all my way from the bridges at East Falls to the Girard Avenue Bridge, where I actually met with the Grand Master Crew. They were fishing the non-tidal River for Flathead Catfish. In the end, I chilled with them for a little bit and even witnessed my good friend Ronald "Shogun" land a Flathead.  

Photos:

Below are the photos for this fishing session:

The rowing crew on the non-tidal Schuylkill River. Certain folks tend to believe that the Schuylkill River is still so polluted that no activities can be performed on it. Well...this photo says otherwise! As a matter of fact, the "Hidden River" has been at its best condition since a century ago or so. In other words, governmental agencies are doing a great job in cleaning and maintaining the River.

The Grand Master "Fish-Shoremen" "Philly" Crew. I am not exactly sure how that name came by, but it is what it is! And folks -- they are an awesome crew of urban anglers in Philadelphia, Therefore, please give them your support by liking their page on Facebook.

My good friend Ronald "Shogun" with his 8lbs Flathead Catfish. The fish was caught on a cut Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus).

Best of luck for all of us,

Long Days and Pleasant Nights,

Sincerely,

Leo S.