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.

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