Meeting Professional Bass Anglers at the Chesapeake Bay Elite Series (Cecil County, MD)

Hello, Blog Readers! 

Today I'm bringing you guys my report for August 16th:

--- August 16th, 2015 ---

Location: Cecil County, MD

Time: 1:00-4:00 p.m.

Professional Bass Anglers caught:

-- Takahiro Omori

-- Dean Rojas

-- Chad Pipkens

-- Russ Lane

-- Bill Lowen

-- Aaron Martens

-- Carl Jocumsen

-- Dave Mercer (MC)

Video:

Below are the highlights of the last weight-in day of the 2015 Bassmaster Elite Series at the Chesapeake Bay:

Note that there is no fishing in this video! Unless you count stalking Pro-Anglers "Fishing." Hah. Don't forget to watch it in HD (1080p50)! If you enjoy watching my videos, please support my YouTube Channel by liking and subscribing. More likes and more subscribes = more videos in the future. :)

Summary:

I decided to go down to the weight-in of the 2015 Bassmaster Elite Series at the Chesapeake Bay with my friend Mike H. from the 1Rod1ReelFishing YouTube Channel. The main goal was for us to watch the weight in and stalk a couple Professional Bass Anglers around. Hah.

Although I am a Multi-Species angler at heart, I am also a big fan of the Bass competitions in the USA (Micropterus salmoides, dolomieu, & punctulatus are part of Multi-Species, though)! I follow most of the Pro-anglers closely and I have my favorites among all of them. I subscribe to the Bassmaster magazine, as well as other fishing magazines (i.e. Bassin, In-line Fisherman, Field & Stream, etc). Anyways...I highly encourage everyone to watch the Elite Series and the Classic, and to give support to those Pro-anglers! It's not an easy "job," and the same requires lots of sweat and sacrifices...! If you are willing to follow up on the Bassmaster events, make sure to check out their website. It's a lot of fun, fellas.

Unfortunately, Mike and I went to the event on the last day of the weight in (top 12). Thus, most of the Pros were already gone. Thankfully, we were still able to meet some of them! Photos are below.

Photos:

A nice shot with Takahiro Omori. For those who are not familiar with him, he made a legendary comeback on the 2004 Bassmaster Classic! You can watch that video here. Watch him catch a "five pownda!"

My friend Mike with Takahiro Omori.

A shot with Dean "The Machine" Rojas! There is just something about this guy that makes me like him a lot. He is actually one of my favorites in the pro league. His frog is the deal, folks! As Mike H. also points out -- his frog is one of the best ones in the market to walk the dog.

My friend Mike with Dean Rojas.

Justin Lucas (2nd place in AOY points for 2015, as for 08/29/15) talks to Dave Mercer about his plan on defeating Aaron Martens (1st place in AOY points) when it comes to the "Angler of the Year" points. The AOY guarantees anglers a spot at the AOY tourney, as well as a possibility of going to the Bassmaster Classic event. Notice that Dean Rojas was 3rd on the AOY standings last time I checked! Heh. Justin Lucas is also one of my favorites in the league due to his very social personality -- even with all the busy life, he replies to his fans with lots of charisma.

Aaron Martens with his two biggest Largemouth Bass.

As you guys may or may not be aware of, Aaron Martens was the winner of the 2015 Bassmaster Elite Series at the Chesapeake Bay. The results' table is here.

A nice group shot with Carl Jocumsen -- the only Australian Pro Angler in the league. Many props to this dude for coming here all the way from Australia to compete with the best in world in foreign lands. Also, he has a wild accent, man! Hah.

My friend Mike H. with Pro angler Chad Pipkens.

Chad Pipkens is actually one of the only anglers in the league with a hair company sponsorship! I knew very little about Chad before I met him at this Elite Series, and I am very glad to have done so. Super nice fella with a golden personality. 

My friend Mike H. with Pro-angler Bill Lowen.

Bill Lowen got 2nd place in the competition. He got super sentimental on the stage, which made me get sentimental! Just imagine, folks -- years and years waiting for that win; hard work and lots of sweat poured in; only to be crushed by another angler! Bill Lowen really deserved it! But then, who am I to say that Aaron Martens didn't deserve it also, right? After all, he lost the 2004 Classic to Takahiro Omori and a couple other events to KVD -- all finishing in second place. Dreadful feeling... 

Mike H. with the MC Dave Mercer.

Dave Mercer is a Canadian Pro angler and also the MC of the Elite and Classic event. Dude does a great job in narrating and pumping the crowd up! Many props to that. Also, his YouTube Channel Facts of Fishing is amazing. I highly recommend it!  

Mike H. with Pro Angler Russ Lane

To tell all of you the truth, I know very little about Russ Lane. But the fact that he won an Elite Series in 2010 and participated in the Classic 5 times is no joke! I'm keeping an eye on him. Hah

Mike H. with the winner of the event -- Aaron Martens. This dude is a beast! That's all I gotta say. If you guys don't believe me, check out his record.

Overall, it was an amazing event! Too bad that I wasn't able to meet more Pros down there. I really wanted to meet Rick Clunn to talk to him about his knot mistake back in the days, or Zell Rowland to ask him why his nickname is "Mr. Disaster" (although, I already know why. Heh), or Mike Iaconelli -- our local idol. Thus, you folks can expect me to go down to future events to meet more of them. :)

Best of luck to all of us,

Long Days and Pleasant Nights,

Sincerely,

Leo S.

August Fishing Sessions: 08/15 - Multi-Species Fishing Around the Chesapeake Bay (Maryland)

Hello, Blog Readers!

Today I'm bringing you guys my fishing report for August 15th:

--- August 15th, 2015 ---

Location: Susquehanna River/Sassafras River/Unicorn Mill Pond

Time: 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m./4:00-5:00 p.m./5:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m.

Fishes caught:

-- 7 White Perch (Morone americana)

-- 2 Brown Bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus)

-- 3 Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)

-- 5 Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)

-- 3 Redbreast Sunfish (Lepomis auritus)

-- 2 Green Sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus)

Video:

Below are the highlights for this fishing session:

Fishing starts at 6:45. Don't forget to watch it in HD (1080p50)! If you enjoy watching my videos, please support my YouTube Channel by liking and subscribing. More likes and more subscribes = more videos in the future. :)

Goal:

The main goal for the day was to fish together with my friends Chris McIntee from the Chris McIntee YouTube channel and Mike Hsiao from the 1Rod1ReelFishing YouTube channel. I focused on Multi-Species fishing whereas they focused on the Bass. :)

Setup:

My setup for this entire 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 rigs/baits/lures: (1) a Thomas E.P. series in-line spinner, 1/8 oz., nickel/gold color; (2) a 5" Gary Yamamoto Senko on a 5/0 Gamakatsu Worm hook; (3) a 1" Gulp! Alive minnow on a 1/64 oz. Trout Magnet jighead; (4) a size #10 Eagle claw hook with a Trout Magnet; and (5) a high-low rig with a 2 oz. river sinker, Eagle Claw three way swivel and an Eagle Claw snellled #4 hook. 

Summary:

Chris, Mike, and I had scheduled a "collaboration fishing trip" to the Conowingo Dam in MD since July! The purpose of the trip was for us "YouTubers" to record the trip from our own perspectives and publish our videos in our respective YouTube Channels, all while fishing together at the Conowingo Dam.

Chris and I got at the Conowingo Dam around 11:00 a.m.. It was our first time there; thus, we did a little bit of scouting before setting up our stuff. After a quick look at the place, we realized two things: (1) there was always a group of anglers wading on the far left side of the place -- closer to the dam, fishing for Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis); and (2) there were groups of anglers still-fishing for Channel Catfish and Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio).

One thing that amazed me down there was that folks were pulling good sized Common Carp from the Susquehanna River without even chumming!!! And fellas -- it wasn't an "accidental catch." There were literally about 8-9 Common Carp pulled out of there during the period of time that I stayed down there. No chumming whatsoever! And a couple of those fishes were easily in the 20lbs+ range. 

Anyways...I quickly tied on a 2 oz. river sinker to do some "recon." I ended up losing about 7-8 sinkers; however, I did end with a nice topographic picture of the place: the area was overall shallow with a maximum depth of 8 feet, not to mention that the whole area was extremely snaggy. 

Chris and I fished there for about two hours, until Mike H. arrived. Chris had landed two Striped Bass in the range of 20-23 inches long and I had landed only one Channel Catfish on a piece of nightcrawler, under a weighted float. In other words -- fishing wasn't so great so far! 

A little bit after Mike H. arrived, we got kicked out of the Conowingo Dam. Hah. I am not going to get the story spoiled for you folks. Thus, if you want to find out why we got kicked out, just make sure to watch the video below:

Please note that what we did there was something serious! Do not attempt this, folks! Do not break the laws! Make sure to hear the afterword in the video for a discussion on this matter.

  

So, yeah...we got kicked out of the Conowingo Dam! BAM! All the locals were hating on us and the guard was understanding enough to not press charges against us (thank you, Mr. guard). Mike was pretty much skunked at this point. Chris had only two little Striped Bass and one Channel Catfish. And I had one Species so far! Eventually, we couldn't let the day end like that. Therefore, Chris suggested us to go to the Sassafras River for some Bass fishing!

We arrived there in the afternoon: very neat spot with plenty of structure and cover! The marinas and old docks helped a lot. Unfortunately, Chris and Mike were unable to land any Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides). Meanwhile, I finished there with a couple Channel Catfish, Brown Bullhead, and White Perch -- three different Species of fish for me so far! 

Still not ready to give up, Chris and Mike decided to hit one last spot for the day: a Pond that looked prime for Largemouth Bass. We got to the Unicorn Mill Pond around 5:30 p.m. (yes, folks -- the name of the place was UNICORN Mill Pond), and the place was certainly looking promising! But...once again, no Bass for Chris and Mike! Meanwhile, I finished there with a couple Bluegill, Redbreast Sunfish, and Green Sunfish -- six different Species of fish for the day! I also missed a small Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) on the little stream below the Pond. 

Overall, awesome day of Multi-Species fishing for me; however, not so awesome Bass fishing for my two fellow colleagues. That is certainly not to blame on their fishing expertise -- the Bass were just not collaborating with us! 

As we all left each other, we all thought: "Let next time be more productive!" Hah

Photos:

Below are the photos for this fishing session:

A nice view of the rocky Conowingo Dam on the Susquehanna River! The Conowingo Dam serves not only as an awesome fishing spot for Striped Bass, but also the boundary of tidal and non-tidal waters in the River (note that you need different fishing licenses in MD for tidal and non-tidal waters).

My only catch at the Susquehanna River: a small Channel Catfish on a piece of nightcrawler. So much for the anticipated Multi-Species fishing there! Sigh... 

A small surprise from a big River: a Brown Bullhead from the Sassafras River! 

Chris McIntee wading into the darkness. Hah.

One of the many White Perch of the day. According to Chris, one of his favorite fish Species to consume! 

A Green Sunfish from Unicorn Mill Pond. Unfortunately, it did not have a horn.

A gorgeous Redbreast Sunfish from Unicorn Mill Pond! Beautiful colors on this little fella! 

A nice scenic view of the dam at the Unicorn Mill Pond. Rocky and full of moss; full of life as well! Just no Bass...

And, of course, there is gotta be a Bluegill to finish the day. A recorded Bluegill from the land of the Unicorn. Haha

Best of luck to all of us,

Long Days and Pleasant Nights,

Sincerely,

Leo S.

August Fishing Sessions: 08/12 - Fishing For Largemouth Bass Using Wacky-Rigged Senkos (Hammonton, NJ)

Hello, Blog Readers! 

Here is my fishing report for August 12th:

--- August 12th, 2015 ---

Location: Hammonton Lake (Hammonton, NJ)

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

Fishes caught:

-- 7 Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides)

-- 5 Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)

-- 3 Pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus)

Video:

Below are the highlights for this fishing session:

Fishing starts at 5:10. 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. More likes and more subscribes = more videos in the future. :)

Goal:

The main goal for the day was to explore the Hammonton Lake a little bit further. In other words, see if I could catch a few extra Species of fish there.

Setup:

My setup for this fishing session consisted of a St. Croix Avid Pearl spinning rod with a Shimano Symetre 4000FL and 12lbs Berkley Vanish Fluorocarbon line. Throughout the course of the day, I used the following types of rigs/baits/lures: (1) a Thomas E.P. series in-line spinner, 1/8 oz., nickel/gold color; (2) a 5" Gary Yamamoto Senko on a 5/0 Gamakatsu Worm hook; (3) a 1" Gulp! Alive minnow on a 1/64 oz. Trout Magnet jighead; (4) a size #10 Eagle claw hook with a Trout Magnet; and (5) a small creature bait on a 5/0 Gamakatsu Worm hook.

Summary:

I decided to explore Hammonton Lake one more time to see if I could catch a new Species or anything decent out of it! My first time there was on July 12th (video available here). I landed a couple Chain Pickerel (Esox niger), Bluegill, and Pumpkinseed. As a matter of fact, the Pumpkinseed were still nesting at that time! 

I arrived there around 1:00 p.m.. After setting up my stuff, I immediately knew which spots to hit! However, even after hitting the overall good spots with plenty of cover and structure, I was still unable to catch anything new. I did see what looked like a Redfin Pickerel (Esox americanus), but I was unable to catch it. There were also plenty of small Chain Pickerel around the Lake.

In the end, I played around with wacky-rigged senkos, finishing with a couple Largemouth Bass. I used smaller baits for the sunfish, such as the 1" Gulp! Alive Minnow and the Trout Magnet. Ultimately, I ended the day with a couple Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, and 7 Largemouth Bass -- none bigger than 2lbs. 

I don't think I will be going back to Hammonton for a while; though, it's a great environment for family outings and kids! I highly encourage folks to go there and enjoy the outdoors! :)

Photos:

Below are the photos for this fishing session:

Of course I had to have a photo of a Bluegill from Hammonton Lake. :) The wonder of recording different Species from different bodies of water is part of Multi-Species fishing. 

My smallest Largemouth Bass of the day! Greedy little fella, seriously! 

A mighty Pumpkinseed. The ones from Hammonton Lake are extremely gorgeous. Very vivid and colorful! 

A Largemouth Bass with hyperpigmented melanosis. One local did tell me that the water quality at Hammonton was extremely bad back in the days. Thus, I guess it's not very uncommon to see this illness in the Bass there. 

A nice scenic view of the place. As mentioned previously, definitely an awesome place for family outings and children! Highly recommended.

Best of luck to all of us,

Long Days and Pleasant Nights,

Sincerely,

Leo S.

August Fishing Sessions: 08/11 - Fishing for Channel Catfish Using Cut American Eel (Philadelphia, PA)

Hello, Blog Readers!

Here is my fishing report for August 11th:

--- August 11th, 2015 ---

Location: Tidal Schuylkill River (Philadelphia, PA)

Time: 6:30-10:30 p.m.

Fishes caught:

-- 1 American Eel (Anguilla rostrata)

-- 2 Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)

Video:

Below are the highlights for this fishing session:

Fishing starts at 7:50. 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. More likes and more subscribes = more videos in the future. :)

Goal:

The goal for the day was to catch some Catfish on the Schuylkill River -- either Channel or Flathead (Pylodictis olivaris).

Setup:

I used two rods for this fishing session. 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 50lbs Power-Pro braided line. The first setup consisted of a high-low rig: two snelled #4-#6 Eagle Claw j-hooks on a three way swivel (about 1 foot apart from each other) and a 2 oz. river sinker on the bottom. The second setup consisted of a 2 oz. egg sinker, a medium sized Eagle Claw golden snap-swivel, and a snelled 7/0 Gamakatsu octopus hook. For bait, I used mainly cut Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and American Eel.

Summary:

It's a very short summary, since it was a very boring fishing session! The idea was to attempt the tidal Schuylkill River for Catfish around the South Street Bridge, since it rained earlier in the day. The Philly River Cast website's current gauge increased by about 1000 cfs, which was considerable considering that we didn't have rain for a good while! 

My expectations were very high; however, the fishing session turned out to be horrible. It was an "all-slow" night and I finished with only an American Eel and two average Channel Catfish -- nothing bigger than 3lbs.  

Hopefully my next fishing session on the Schuylkill River will be better! 

Photos:

Below are the photos for this fishing session:

This little fella was the only photo worth taking! Hah. That's how bad the session was. :)

Best of luck to all of us,

Long Days and Pleasant Nights,

Sincerely,

Leo S.

Help Rutgers University's Research on Leeches Attached to Catfish (Delaware River & Tribs, PA/NJ)

Hello, Blog Readers! 

Today I'm here to request your help in the name of science. If you fish for Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) or White Catfish (Ameiurus catus) in the Delaware River and its tributaries (i.e. Schuylkill River, mouth of Creeks, etc), here is a chance for you to be acknowledged in some scientific research papers (see rewards section below)! :) 

Summarizing, I received a very interesting e-mail from Rutgers University recently: scientists in the Biology department told me that they were conducting research on different local Species of "leech" that attach to fishes. They requested me to spread the word to the local fishing community, since they need live leech samples from the Delaware & its tributaries.

This is where you guys come in! Hah. If you ever catch a Catfish from the Delaware River or one of its estuaries, please check the fish for the presence of leeches! If you want to contribute to this research, please read the rest of this post (this event post will be on the right tab until the researchers no longer want samples). This post is divided in the following parts:

1. General information

2. How to identify the leeches. 

3. How to collect and preserve the samples. 

4. How to submit your samples.

5. Rewards and acknowledgments for participation 

--- 1. General Information ---

As mentioned previously, the collection of these leeches is for research purposes at the Biology department of the Rutgers University in Camden, NJ. In other words, your leech samples may be used for a PhD dissertation that will probably be in important scientific journals. As an example, here is a scientific paper on leeches that was published about two years ago in the "Journal of Morphology" (important people in the field reads this stuff, folks). The abstract is available for free in the website; however, the whole research paper can only be seen after purchase.

Therefore, as you guys saw, your "leech sample" will be used for very important purposes in the scientific community. For this reason, one needs to provide extremely accurate information when it comes to its collection. If you want to help by providing leeches for this research, the following pieces of information will be necessary:

(I) Your name: this will be used for acknowledgement purposes in the research paper, in case your sample is used.

(II) The location of the "catch:" since the leeches are attached to fishes, the site of the catch will be necessary. Recall: Delaware River & its tributaries only. A google maps/google earth pinpointed location is preferred and highly advised.

(III) The location where the leech was attached: from my personal experience, the leeches that I saw were attached mostly below the fishes' mouths or in their pectoral fins. Make sure to write down which portion of the fish the leeches were found and collected from.

These three pieces of information are fundamental and must be provided in case you decide to contribute for this research. As a scientist myself -- a physicist, I highly encourage all of you to participate, since you will be acknowledged if your samples are used (see section 5 for more details). :)

Additionally, samples are being accepted until the end of this fishing season (2015) -- unless noted otherwise.

--- 2. How to Identify the Leeches ---

I am well aware that it may be difficult for any of us to identify a leech. For your information, these leeches are not the traditional "dark" leeches that are used as bait. As a matter of fact, they are much smaller in sizes; usually concentrated below a fish's mouth or on its fins. Below is a photo for you folks to have an idea:

The left portion of this photo portrays a hand drawn diagram of a leech by Dr. Saglam. The right side portrays leeches attached to a Channel Catfish's pectoral fin (photo credit: Dave B.).

--- 3. How to Collect and Preserve the Samples ---

Since these leech samples will be used for scientific purposes, good collection and conservation of the same are essential. 

Anglers -- try to collect the leeches as smoothly as possible, preserving the sample as one. In other words, please avoid cutting/chopping them. The ideal situation would be to use a tool like a scissor or pliers to gently get the leech out of the fish, so that they are collected alive. 

For preservation, please place the live samples inside a small container with river water (if you are not sure about what "small" is, go with a pint). That should suffice. In case you are a scientist and you know what you are doing, you may also place the samples inside a small tube with 70% ethanol (I don't expect anyone to have conical centrifuge tubes and 70% ethanol at home, but you never know).

I am not sure if different Species of leech prefer different Species of fish. Thus, just in case, if you have different samples from different fish Species, please use one container for every fish. For example: if you found three leeches in a Channel Catfish and four leeches on a White Catfish, use two containers for it. Also, don't forget to label or mark the containers, so that I will know which belongs to which fish. 

Although this post only mentions leeches in Catfish, the ideal situation is for you to preserve any leech samples from any fish (just in case). In this scenario, please include the Species, besides the general needed information (section 1).

--- 4. How to Submit your Samples ---

Please submit your samples directly to me as soon as you can. Once I receive the samples, they will be submitted ASAP to Rutgers University. If you have any samples, please contact me on my Facebook Page (send a private message or post on the wall) or via e-mail at sheng12182527@gmail.com.

I will let you know of my availability and we can schedule a place to meet. 

--- 5. Rewards and Acknowledgments for Participation ---

According to the Professor and Chair of the Biology Department at Rutgers University -- "All data will be presented in scientific journals with appropriate acknowledgement/authorship." In other words, your name will be there if your leech sample is used.

Additionally, albeit rare, sometimes a new/unsubscribed Species of leech may show up! You never know, right? If you provide your leech for this research and it turns out that your leech is a "new Species," you will have a high degree of input on naming this new Species. How cool would it be to name a new Species, eh? Hah.

---

Anyways...thank you very much for taking your time in reading this post, fellas. Once again -- I highly encourage all of you to participate in this research!!! Let's not forget that scientific discovery is a beautiful thing, and science is definitely the way to go in life. Here you have a rare chance of contributing to science using one of your passions in life: fishing. 

You bet that I will be doing some Catfish sessions in the Delaware River in the upcoming weeks! I want to supply my own samples as well. :) If you are willing to join me in those sessions, please contact me in any form of social media with the subject line "Fishing for Leeches" and I will keep you updated on the dates of those sessions! 

Best of luck to all of us,

Long Days and Pleasant Nights,

Sincerely,

Leo S.

August Fishing Sessions: 08/09 -- Exploring the Non-Tidal Delaware River and the Giving Pond (Lumberville, PA)

Hello, Blog Readers!

Before I bring you my fishing report for August 9th, I would like to point out that a couple changes were made on the Blog:

(1) I've updated my Basic Fishing Log. Now you guys can view my log from September of 2012 to August of 2015. Every fishing session has been recorded with location and catch, including the Species, the number of fish, etc. Enjoy!

(2) I've changed the title of the donation button on the right side of the tab! I have received a couple donations and I thank you folks very much! As you all know, the main reason why this Blog and everything else is delayed is because this is not my main line of work at the moment. As a reminder, I am a married individual with a busy life, not to mention that I am a mathematics/physics private instructor. Therefore, every cent donated through the Blog helps and every cent will go towards fishing! More donations eventually mean that I can work less as a tutor and spend more time on my fishing social media. Once again -- many thanks to all those who have donated and if you like my work in the community, donations are always welcome!

(3) I've included two new tabs on the right side of the Blog: "EPF in the Media" and "Upcoming Fish Events." From now onward, all events hosted by EPF will be under the top tab. The "EPF in the Media" tab has external hyperlinks to newspaper articles featuring EPF, etc. 

(4) I've changed a couple rules for photo submissions on the Facebook Public Album. Folks can still submit photos; however, please read the new set of regulations for doing so. I pretty much reinforced the "poor fish handling" section. From now onward, fishes with dirt on them are no longer allowed on the Public Album. Notice that EPF encourages folks to practice safe fish handling; thus, that includes treating them as humane as possible! Letting them splash on the ground is certainly a sign of poor fish handling, not to mention that doing so damages the fish's slime coat -- one of their defenses against diseases. Solutions to this problem includes a quick catch-and-release on the water, buying a landing mat for the fish, laying them somewhere smooth and damp (i.e. grass), etc.

Alrighty...now, here is my fishing report for August 9th:

--- August 9th, 2015 ---

Location: Delaware River & The Giving Pond (Lumberville and north of it)

Time: 6:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Fishes caught:

-- 5 Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)

Video:

Since this fishing session was extremely poor, there is no video for it. :)

Goal:

The main goal for the day was to explore the non-tidal Delaware River around Lumberville.

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 rigs/baits/lures: (1) a Thomas E.P. series in-line spinner, 1/8 oz., nickel/gold color; (2) a 5" Gary Yamamoto Senko on a 5/0 Gamakatsu Worm hook; (3) a 1" Gulp! Alive minnow on a 1/64 oz. Trout Magnet jighead; and (4) a size #10 Eagle claw hook with a Trout Magnet.

Summary:

My good friend and photographer Bryan KL took me to the non-tidal Delaware River around the Lumberville area. It was a first time for me and I must tell you, folks -- the non-tidal Delaware River is a whole different beast than its tidal section! The non-tidal portion of the "might D" was just gorgeous: the water was crystal clear; there was a presence of different Species of clams; etc. 

After witnessing the rapids, pools, and eddies of that gigantic "creek," I finally came to believe the rumors that the Upper Delaware held Muskellunge (Esox masquinongy), Fallfish (Semotilus corporalis), Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu), etc. 

Despite its beaut, my friend Bryan and I didn't do very well that day! After hours and hours of fishing, Bryan landed one measly Smallmouth Bass and I had nothing with me. At a certain point, I was so bored with the fishing that I started to collect freshwater Clams for a photo (the photo is actually below). Note that collecting clams for a photo is fine; however, taking them home is not fine! As the PA Fish and Boat Commission states, all freshwater clams are closed all year round for purposes of preservation. After taking my neat photo, I buried the clams among the rocks and left them to thrive in the River.

After getting skunked in the non-tidal Delaware River, Bryan and I realized that we still had a little bit of fishing time left on the clock. Thus, we decided to drive north, towards this one place called "The Giving Pond." Upon arrival, soon we realized that shore access there was very limited. Even so, this difficulty did not stop us from throwing a couple casts there! Heh. Bryan fished for Largemouth Bass while I did a some Multi-Species Fishing. Unfortunately, even with my Multi-Species, I ended up landing only Bluegill! Albeit, I did lose a small type of Catfish on a piece of cut bait. 

After all the heat and no fish, we decided to call it a day! 

Photos:

Below are the photos for this fishing session:

A nice photo of the Delaware Canal. The only problem was: there was no water in the canal at all! LOL. However, fear not, fellas -- the government is building a new lock up the non-tidal Delaware to fix this problem.

A very interesting set of freshwater Mussels. I tried to identify their Species; however, I am no mussel expert! According to local Aquatic Biologist Robert L., they are all Eastern Elliptio (Elliptio complanata). They were returned to the water after briefly being outside. 

A small Bluegill form the Giving Pond. Apparently, the pond didn't give us much. It didn't even give us a Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides)! 

Bryan KL in pursuit of his 5lber Largemouth Bass. Note all the structure in this place? Bass heaven! Highly recommended for small boats and kayaks. 

On our way back, Bryan stopped briefly at the Delaware & Raritan Canal. I took this nice shot of it. :)

Best of luck to all of us,

Long Days and Pleasant Nights,

Sincerely,

Leo S.

August Fishing Sessions: 08/06 - Revisiting the Concourse & Centennial Lakes (West Philadelphia, PA)

Hello, Blog Readers! 

Before anything else, I would like to thank Melony Roy for writing an article and interviewing me on Urban Fishing in Philadelphia. The interview aired yesterday on KYW 1060 radio station; however, for those who missed it, the online version of the interview is on the CBS website. Thus, many thanks to CBS and KYW as well! 

Now, here is my fishing report for August 6th:

--- August 6th, 2015 ---

Location: Centennial & Concourse Lake (West Philadelphia, PA)

Time: 9:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Fishes caught:

-- 3 Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)

-- 3 Green Sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus)

-- 1 Pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus)

Additionally, the following Species were caught...

-- 2 American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)

Video:

Since this fishing session was so short and nothing extraordinary was caught, there is only a video of a frog:

Don't forget to watch it in HD (1080p50)! If you enjoy watching my videos, please support my YouTube Channel by liking and subscribing. More likes and more subscribes = more videos in the future. :)

Goal:

The goal for the day was to get interviewed by the KYW reporter in a natural environment. Since I didn't really go to Concourse and Centennial Lakes for quite a while, I chose them to be the site of the interview.

Setup:

My setup for this fishing session consisted of a Daiwa Spinmatic Ultralight rod with a Shimano Sedona 500 FD and 4lbs Berkley Vanish Fluorocarbon line. Throughout the course of the day, I used the following types of rigs/baits/lures: (1) A Missile Baits' D-Bomb on a 5/0 Gamakatsu worm hook; (2) a 5" Gary Yamamoto Senko on a 2/0 Gamakatsu worm hook; (3) a 1" Gulp! Alive Minnow on a 1/64 oz. Trout Magnet jighead, under an Eagle Claw weighted float; and (4) a Trout Magnet on a size #8 Eagle Claw hook. 

Summary:

After getting contacted by a reporter from the KYW 1060 radio station, we scheduled to meet down at the Concourse & Centennial Lakes for a brief interview. I decided to choose these two Lakes in West Philly because it had been quite a while since I went down there.

Upon arrival, I was very surprised to see Concourse Lake filled with vegetation! I had fished Concourse in the past and there was some vegetation, but I don't remember it being that bad. The water level was also much lower than two years ago. Below are a couple photos of Concourse Lake back in 2013:

The Concourse Lake in 2013 -- regardless of vegetation, still "fishable."

Population of stunted Sunfish at Concourse Lake, back in 2013. 

 I didn't really take many scenery photos of the Lake nowadays; however, I can tell you folks that the whole place was choked with vegetation! Even the open pockets of water were filled with algae and other types of plants. Quite sad! 

While being interviewed by the reporter from the KYW 1060 radio station, I fished concourse for a good thirty minutes or so. I ended up landing two American Bullfrogs and no fish. Absolutely no Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides)! 

The curious thing about Concourse Lake is that I have seen Largemouth Bass in it, back in 2013. That was when my friend Mike Hsiao from 1Rod1ReelFishing was still around Philadelphia; thus, I sent him down there to scout the place for Bass. At the end of the day, both of us were surprised -- he hadn't caught a single Bass and there were no signs of Bass anywhere!

However, according to locals, there are Largemouth Bass in it. I.e.:

This fella is probably the biggest Concourse Lake Bass that I have seen up to date. It was caught by my friend John L.

Anyways...after fishing Concourse for a while, I decided to downsize my lures, targeting smaller Species of fish. I hit Centennial Lake for forty-five minutes and went back to Concourse for about ten minutes. I finished the day with a couple different Species of Sunfish, not to mention that I caught my first ever Centennial Lake Pumpkinseed! At least that was rewarding. Hah.

Interestingly enough, all the Sunfish at Centennial Lake were hitting very very close to shore. Also, there was a Great Blue Heron there all the time. My assumption was that the fish were really looking for food around the shallows, since the Lake didn't really have any food source in the middle. Quite sad... 

Photos:

Below are the photos for this fishing session:

Say hi to froggy, my friends. This little greedy fella hit my D-Bomb on a size 5/0 Gamakatsu hook! It was safely released, though. No frog legs for dinner. Haha

A very beautiful Bluegill sample from the Centennial Lake in West Philadelphia.

My first ever Pumpkinseed from Centennial Lake! Notice its big eyes? Different than the fish's flesh, which is its muscle, the eye grows naturally year after year regardless of food consumption. In other words, a fish's body may not grow as much if a place lacks food; however, the eye will still grow at its natural ratio. Because of this, very big eyes in small fishes are usually used to portray stunted populations of fish. From this alone, we can conclude that Centennial Lake really doesn't have a lot of food available for its fishes.

It's pretty rare to find Green Sunfish in Ponds and Lakes around here. Most of them are in Creeks and Rivers. This nice sample came out of the Concourse Lake, which is actually also the place were I pulled my personal best Green Sunfish! 

Additional Photo:

June 12th, 2013 -- I caught my biggest ever Green Sunfish that day, topping 0.55lbs on the digital scale. Definitely a trophy for Concourse Lake! 

Best of luck to all of us,

Long Days and Pleasant Nights,

Sincerely,

Leo S.