August Fishing Sessions: 08/24 - Exploring and Fishing the Runnemede Lake & Surroundings (Runnemede, NJ)

What's up, Blog Readers?!

It's been quite a while since the last update, hasn't it? Well...the good news is that the excuse hasn't changed yet -- I am still unable to get up to date with all the social media due to lack of time (time is such a commodity nowadays). The bad news is that I am still 1 month behind the schedule on the fishing Blog! In other words...today is September 28th; however, I'm bringing you my fishing session post for August 24th. I will try my best to complete my August fishing posts in the next 2 days or so.

I am constantly working on minimizing this delay on the fishing Blog; however, my best recommendation for all readers here is to catch up on my Facebook Page and YouTube Channel. Since my YouTube Channel is my main source of income from the fishing side nowadays, I am constantly updating it with new fishing contents. So, make sure to stop by and check out where have I been to recently. :)

Also, I would like to give a gigantic shout out to Rob Z., David M., and Zachary H. -- these folks have recently donated to Extreme Philly Fishing through the PayPal button on the right tab of the page. Thank you VERY MUCH for supporting my work, and please notice that every single cent of your donations will go towards fishing! For now, my main goal is to save and purchase a GoPro Hero 4, so that I can start making videos in the range of 1080p60 HD quality. Of course the donations also help with my google storage fees and overall fishing tackle. Thus, once again -- many thanks to you guys!  

Finally and sadly, I have to announce that the 7th Catfish Tourney on the Banks is officially cancelled. You may read more about it here. As an event organizer, I have learned my lesson and next time I am sending my event permit out through certified mail. Sigh...

Okay...here is my fishing report for August 24th:

---  August 24th, 2015 ---

Location: Runnemede Lake/Big Timber Creek

Time: 11:30 a.m. -- 3:00 p.m.

Fishes caught:

-- 8 Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)

-- 18 Green Sunfish X Bluegill Hybrid (Lepomis cyanellus X Lepomis macrochirus)

-- 1 Pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus)

-- 1 Redbreast Sunfish (Lepomis auritus)

-- 3 Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides)

-- 1 Green Sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus)

Video:

Below are the highlights for this fishing session:

Fishing at the Runnemede Lake starts at 5:35. 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 to it. More likes and more subscribes = more videos in the future. :)

Goal:

The main goal for the day was to explore the Runnemede Lake for different Species of fish, as well as the Big Timber Creek (right across the street).

Setup:

Rod: St. Croix Avid Pearl

Reel: Shimano Symetre 4000FL

Line: 12lbs Berkley Vanish Fluorocarbon

(1) a Gamakatsu Octopus Hook with a 3" Gary Yamamoto Senko and sometimes a Berkley Power Worm.

(2) a 1" Gulp! Alive minnow on a 1/64 oz. Trout Magnet jighead, sometimes under a weighted Comal float.

(3) a size #10 Eagle claw hook with a Trout Magnet.

Summary:

Subscribers on YouTube had been asking me to explore and fish some other waters in southern New Jersey. Thus, I dropped my well known fishing locations for some exploration! One of my subscribers -- Nino -- recommended me the Runnemede Lake in Runnemede, NJ. I google mapped it and hopped on the NJ Transit 400 Bus the next day! 

Upon arrival, I was quite perplexed. At first glance, shoreline access of the Runnemede Lake was very limited. Across the street from it was the Big Timber Creek; however, access to it was also very limited! Thankfully, I was able to find much more shore access after looking a little bit harder. Heh.

I started the day with a beautiful Largemouth Bass in the range of 1.5lbs, caught on a 3" Gary Yamamoto Senko. Landing the fish was a little bit of a challenge (as seen in the video), since there was a lot of vegetation between the fish and I. Thus, it was very rewarding for me after I had it in my hands. Hah.

After catching my first Species of fish, I decided to downsize my bait for smaller Species of fish. I switched the Senko to a 1" Gulp! Minnow on a 1/64 oz. Trout Magnet jighead, all under a weighted float, finishing the Runnemede Lake with a bunch of Bluegill and stocked Bluegill X Green Sunfish Hybrid. Meanwhile, I also hopped to the Big Timber Creek across the street for a couple casts, where I landed a variety of sunfish: a Pumpkinseed, a Redbreast Sunfish, and a pure breed Green Sunfish. 

With the remaining of my time, I decided to fish the Runnemede Lake on the bottom. However, I ended up not having a single bite all the way down! Little I knew that the same Runnemede Lake actually had a fish kill back in the days. I also had no idea that the Runnemede Lake used to be referred to as "Hirsch Lake." The fish kill was certainly a bummer! No wonder I didn't see any Carp swimming around.

I finished my fishing session around 3:00 p.m. with 5 different Species of fish -- a successful day for Multi-Species fishing in South New Jersey.

Photos:

Below are the photos for this fishing session:

A scenic view of the Big Timber Creek in Runnemede, NJ.

First Largemouth Bass of the day! Senkos never disappoint. Heh. :)

A gorgeous sample of a hybrid between a Bluegill and a Green Sunfish

A pure breed Bluegill from the Runnemede Lake.

A Pumpkinseed from the Big Timber Creek.

A Redbreast Sunfish from the Runnemede Creek. Noticed the 1" Gulp! Minnow hanging from its mouth? Those things work really well for micro-species. 

And, of course, a pure breed Green Sunfish from the Big Timber Creek. My first one ever from there. :)

Best of luck to all of us,

Long Days and Pleasant Nights,

Sincerely,

Leo S.

7th Catfish Tourney on the Banks: CANCELLED

Hello, Blog Readers! 

Unfortunately, I must announce that the 7th Catfish Tourney on the Banks is officially cancelled.

As you folks may or may not be aware of, any organized competition/tournament/derby in Pennsylvania requires a PA Fish and Boat Commission event permit. For fishing derbies, the law states that the organizer must submit the permit application 60 days prior to the date of the proposed event. 

It just so happens that I mailed my permit application back in July; however, I have never received my permit back! After waiting for almost two months, I finally called the Boat and Commission. For my surprise, I was informed by them that they never really got my permit in the first place. Sadly, the local post office doesn't know anything about it neither. 

So, in the end, only God knows about what happened to my permit application! And, of course, I can't really run the event without it. Thus, the event is cancelled. 

I apologize for any inconveniences,

Tight lines!

Long Days and Pleasant Nights,

Sincerely,

Leo S.

  

August Fishing Sessions: 08/23 - Exploring and Fishing the Pine Run Reservoir & Surroundings (New Britain Borough, PA)

Hello, Blog Readers!

It's been quite a while since I have worked on the Blog and I apologize for that! As always, life and work are still hectic; however, I promised that I will fill in the empty spaces here little by little.

Before giving you folks my fishing session for August 23rd, let me point it out a few updates and announcements:

(1) The 2015 Philly Fun Fishing Fest is tomorrow (September 12th) from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on the Schuylkill Banks. I have been advertising this event through my YouTube Channel and Facebook Page. I will be competing in it and I am looking forward to meeting you folks, in case you decide to show up. :) For more information on this event, you may access their website here.

(2) My first official Q&A live stream on YouTube is scheduled for September 21st, 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The scheduled video is already posted, and I will be answering questions non-stop for about an hour or so! Google+ users and YouTube users will be able to use the chatbox during the live stream for questions. If by any chance you are not able to post comments or questions in the chatbox, you also have the opportunity of e-mailing them to me! My e-mail is sheng12182527@gmail.com. Make sure to include "Livestream questions" as your subject line! Also, please make sure to include either your name or your YouTube Channel in the e-mail, so I know who to refer to. If you send me your questions through e-mail, rest assured -- they will be answered during the live stream.

(3) As you guys may have noticed, I have posted a poll on the Blog: "Do you often take your catch home to eat?" This poll will be used for an upcoming post that I am planning on writing; thus, please participate and voice your opinion on it! Your thoughts are always appreciated here at EPF.

(4) I have finally started to use the "label" system on Blogger. If you guys noticed, there is a new tab on the right side of the page entitled "Tags." After I tag all my post blogs, it will be easier for readers to look up what they want to read according to their tags of interest. Don't forget to use the command "Ctrl+F" to find what you need on the posts (it will save you a lot of time).

(5) I have added one more requirement for the Public Fishing Album on Facebook: photos of fishes from any private body of water without a name will no longer be accepted! After all, nobody really benefits from seeing fish from private waters. It cannot be forgotten that the Public Fishing Album was created to advertise the public waters of Philadelphia and its surroundings.

(6) Some Blog readers have been telling me that my "setup section" is quite confusing to read at times. Thus, the new "setup section" format is below. Cleaner and easier to read, not to mention that all items still have hyperlinks for easy access shopping.

Okay...now that all the announcements and updates are out, it's time for my report for August 23rd:

--- August 23rd, 2015 ---

Location: Unnamed Pond/Pine Run Creek/Pine Run Reservoir

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

Fishes caught:

--78 Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)

-- 11 Green Sunfish X Bluegill Hybrid (Lepomis cyanellus X Lepomis macrochirus)

-- 3 Redbreast Sunfish (Lepomis auritus)

-- 4 Green Sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus)

-- 9 Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides)

-- 1 American Eel (Anguilla rostrata)

-- 1 Black Crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus)

-- 1 White Crappie (Pomoxis annularis)

Video:

Below are the highlights for this fishing session:

Fishing at the unnamed Pond starts at 6:45. Fishing at the Creek starts at 12:25. Fishing at the spillway starts at 29:00. Fishing at the Reservoir starts at 36:00. 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: 

After years of fishing in and around Philadelphia, I finally decided to explore fishing areas around New Britain, Chalfont, and Doylestown. Thus, the goal for the day was to explore the Pine Run Reservoir and its surrounding bodies of water. 

Setup:

Rod: St. Croix Avid Pearl

Reel: Shimano Symetre 4000FL 

Line: 12lbs Berkley Vanish Fluorocarbon

Rigs/Baits/Lures used: 

(1) a Thomas E.P. series in-line spinner, 1/8 oz., nickel/gold color.

(2) a 1" Gulp! Alive minnow on a 1/64 oz. Trout Magnet jighead, sometimes under a weighted Comal float.

(3) a size #10 Eagle claw hook with a Trout Magnet and sometimes a nightcrawler.

Summary:

As I always tell everyone in the fishing community, the novelty of exploration is certainly part of the sport of fishing! It doesn't matter how many folks have fished that certain spot in the past -- when you go there for a first time, everything is magical! Your sense of curiosity is enhanced and "your imagination is under there," as Robert Altman used to say. In other words, you don't know what to expect and what you will catch! That's exactly how I feel when I go exploring and that's exactly how I felt when I explored the Pine Run Reservoir and its surroundings.

As portrayed in the video, I started my day at the "Unnamed Pond" in the Covered Bridge Park. The pond was covered in vegetation; thus, I really didn't know what to expect! Being very positive, I tied on small pieces of nightcrawler on small hooks, wishing for anything at all to bite. Thankfully, I ended there with plenty of Bluegill and Green Sunfish X Bluegill Hybrids. Gotta tell you, folks -- nothing too special came out of that little pond; however, that is one spot for kids that I would definitely recommend. If you have young kids, make sure to take them there for some Sunfish action! 

After exploring the Pond, I walked across the Park to take a look at the Pine Run Creek. Upon arrival, I noticed right away that the Creek was overall shallow and muddy. There was a little dam to my left, which was also very shallow and unproductive. What surprised me the most was the spot after the dam -- a little deeper pool with three eddies and two current flows. After seeing that "by the book" location, I knew that I had to give it a try! 

After a few casts, I soon realized that I had hit jackpot. Heh. All the fishes in the Pine Run Creek were actually concentrated in that small area. I ended up catching plenty of different types of Sunfish there, not to mention that I was even able to pull some Largemouth Bass, an American Eel, and even a very little Black Crappie. As a Multi-Species angler, that Crappie made my day! Hah.

With the remaining time that I had left, I decided to walk up to the Pine Run Reservoir for some exploration (about a ten minutes walk from the Creek). I had done some research on the location earlier; thus, I was expecting to land a few nice Crappie and a few nice Bullheads from there. For my surprise, the place turned out to be overall shallow and very hard to be fished from shore! I ended my day there with a small White Crappie (so far, it's believed to be so) and one small Sunfish. Nothing else. 

Being hungry, dehydrated, and tired, I decided to end my fishing session right there. :)   

Photos:

Below are the photos for this fishing session:

First fish of the day -- a chunky Bluegill from the Unnamed Pond in the Covered Bridge Park, New Britain Borough. I would like to use this opportunity to thank the community crew who keeps the place clean! Many thanks for the beautiful fishing environment there! 

A Green Sunfish X Bluegill Hybrid. As mentioned in the YouTube video, these fellas were very likely stocked there at a certain point, There were absolutely no signs of pure Green Sunfish in that Pond.

A nice scenery view of the Pond. Thankfully, the green layer on top was very thin; therefore, it wasn't that hard to catch Sunfish there. :)

My first ever Pine Run Creek Redbreast Sunfish. This one was foul hooked on its operculum, though. Heh. 

What a surprise! To think that there was a decent population of Largemouth Bass in the Pine Run Creek. This one was caught on a small piece of nightcrawler.

An authentic Green Sunfish from the Pine Run Creek.

Beautiful Bluegill sample from the Creek.

A gorgeous Bluegill X Green Sunfish Hybrid from the Pine Run Creek.

A "not so cool" catch from the Creek: an American Eel. Hah. They are slimy and they tend to give you nasty knots on the house... Make sure to handle them carefully!

A beautiful scenery view of the Pine Run Reservoir spillway. The place was loaded with good sized Bluegills! Maybe next time I will take a couple home to eat.

A small White Crappie sample. I sent this photo out to five Species specialists and I got 3/5 for White Crappie. The other 2/5 came back as "undetermined," mentioning that the sample would have to be analyzed under a microscope or have its fins counted for identification. Indeed, the PA Fish and Boat Commission has only ever found Black Crappie from the Pine Run Reservoir; however, that doesn't necessarily mean that there are no White Crappie in there! For more conclusive results, future research will have to be done. 

An overall view of the Pine Run Reservoir. The place was shallow and deprived of life! Kayak or boat fishing would fair much much better in that type of environment.

My first ever Pine Run Reservoir Bluegill. Haha. One of the only fishes that I caught there.

After a full day of walking, hiking, and fishing, I decided to go to Doylestown for a meal! Folks -- the Shrimp Tempura at the To-Yo Japanese Restaurant and Bar in Doylestown is a killer! Highly recommended. Yum.

Best of luck to all of us! 

Long Days and Pleasant Nights

Sincerely,

Leo S.