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Today I am bringing you folks a summary of my 3rd outing of 2019.
Main Objective:
The main objectives for this fishing trip were to scout fishing spots in the state of Delaware, and to search for the Rosyside Dace (Clinostomus funduloides).
Locations:
- Bogy Run
- White Clay Creek
P.s. hyperlinks for the Smugmug folders of these locations are only accessible to Patreon/YT Members.
Species Caught:
- 9x Bluegill(Lepomis macrochirus)
- 13x Common Shiner(Luxilus cornutus)
- 11x Creek Chub(Semotilus atromaculatus)
- 5x Pumpkinseed(Lepomis gibbosus)
- 2x Rainbow Trout(Oncorhynchus mykiss)
- 5x Redbreast Sunfish(Lepomis auritus)
P.s. hyperlinks for the Smugmug folders of these locations are only accessible to Patreon/YT Members.
Video:
Below are the highlights for this fishing trip:
Exploring and fishing the Bogy Run
Exploring and fishing the White Clay Creek
Summary & Photos:
This section is available for Patreon & YouTube Members only. If you are already a Patreon Member, please check your Patreon Inbox for the hyperlink that was sent out. If you have a YouTube Monthly Membership, please check the community tab for the hyperlink.
Folks -- Winter is finally coming to an end!!! Next week we have some good weather (40-55F)! I think it is time for us to catch up on this Blog as well. :)
- 1 Bluegill X Pumpkinseed Hybrid (L. macrochirus X L. gibbosus)
Video:
Below are the highlights for this fishing session:
My 5th outing of 2018: still-fishing the Upper Cooper River, below Driscoll Pond. Don't forget to watch it in HD quality (1080p60)! If you enjoy watching my YouTube videos, please support the YouTube Channel by subscribing to it! More likes & more subscribes = more time to make videos!
Summary & Photos:
Every winter of every year, I tend to keep one of my fishing traditions alive: to go micro-fishing for some shiners at the Upper Cooper River in Haddonfield, NJ. The fact is: shiners are just so underappreciated in the fishing community nowadays! After all, they are sold in tackle shops as bait; thus, they have a "baitfish" reputation. But let me tell you something, my fellow friends...when it comes to their sizes, even a chunky Golden Shiner(Notemigonus crysoleucas) can give you a nice bend on an ultra-light setup! Even better -- many Species of Shiners are very resilient when it comes to cold weather. Therefore, they will always be there for your bait -- even when other Species are not willing to bite.
Taking that in consideration, I went to the Upper Cooper River with my ultra-light setup for some "shiner still-fishing" action. I arrived at my usual spot -- the bridge, under the Driscoll Pond, around 11:30 a.m.. I equipped my Daiwa Spinmatic Ultra-Light Rod with my Shimano Sedona 500FD and 4lbs KastKing Fluorokote Fluorocarbon line. For my rig, I tied a dropper-loop rig with a size #10 Mustad Hook and a Water Gremlin Dipsey Swivel sinker. My main choice of bait was small pieces of big red worms.
After my first cast, it didn't really take long for the first Species of the day to show up. And to top it off, it wasn't a Shiner:
First Species of the day: a Pumpkinseed(Lepomis gibbosus).
Second cast in, I got my first Shiner Species of the day:
Second Species of the day: a Spottail Shiner(Notropis hudsonius).
And I have to say, folks: I was delighted! Heh. Not only I was happy at the fact that my objective of the day was accomplished, but also because the Spottail Shiner is not easily found in the state of New Jersey.
In Pennsylvania, this Species can be found pretty much in every little Creek here and there. That includes places like the Pennypack Creek, or the TTF Watershed (Tacony, Tookany, and Frankford Creeks). Even the Poquessing and Byberry Creeks have a healthy population of Spottail Shiner. New Jersey; however, is a whole different story! Per se, NJ already doesn't have a lot of "clear water creeks" in the southern portion of its state -- which by the way, is the prime habitat for this specific Species of fish. Thus, catching one of those in NJ waters is always an accomplishment for a micro-fishing angler!
Continuing my fishing session for the day, the following Species showed up soon after:
Not quite a Species, but a Hybrid: a Bluegill X Pumpkinseed (L. macrochirus X L. gibbosus)
Third Species and second Species of Shiner of the day: a Golden Shiner(Notemigonus crysoleucas).
Fourth Species of the day: a Bluegill(Lepomis macrochirus).
Fifth Species of the day: a Yellow Perch(Perca flavescens)
The Golden Shiner were definitely putting a great fight on the ultra-light setup! And among the Bluegill that showed up, there were a few "jumbos" here and there. In quotes, since a jumbo panfish in the Upper Cooper River only ranges from 5-6 inches. :(
And to end the day, a neat little Bass decided to bite on the red worms as well:
Sixth and final Species of the day: a Largemouth Bass(Micropterus salmoides).
For a winter fishing session, the Upper Cooper River did not disappoint! To be able to land six different Species of fish in open water, in the harsh month of January, that is quite an accomplishment for any PA/NJ multi-species angler. :D
And therefore, I left the spot without any regrets. Another annual tradition was fulfilled.
- 1 Bluegill X Pumpkinseed Hybrid (L. macrochirus X L. gibbosus)
Video:
Below are the highlights for this fishing session:
My 4th outing of 2018: fishing a the Pine Run Creek spillway, below the Pine Run Reservoir. Don't forget to watch it in HD quality (1080p60)! If you enjoy watching my YouTube videos, please support the YouTube Channel by subscribing to it! More likes & more subscribes = more time to make videos!
Summary & Photos:
After my huge skunk at the Pennypack Creek(previous post), I decided to hit a winter spot that is known to produce different Species of fish: the Pine Run Creek. I had two main goals for the day: (1) to shoot a YouTube video focusing on the theme of "never giving up," and (2) to boost my confidence when it comes to Winter fishing. After all, nothing feels better than catching a fish (any type of fish) during the colder months of the year (30-40F water temperature).
I arrived at the fishing spot around 10 a.m. EST. It was rather cold out there, but thankfully, the Creek wasn't frozen over! I setup my ultra-light Daiwa Spinmatic Rod with a Shimano Sedona 500FD reel (old model), 4lbs test KastKing Fluorokote line, and just a small 3 mm, size #16 Kenders Outdoors ice fishing jig, under a Comal weighted float. For bait, I tipped the jig with very small pieces of big red worms. The primary fishing pattern of the day was the traditional suspended jigging technique.
The Pine Run Creek. Plenty of snow around the area, but thankfully, the Creek was clear of ice!
First, I tried for a little bit under the Covered Bridge portion of the Creek. Sadly, after thirty minutes or so, I still hadn't had a single bite. Better saying -- I had three snags at that spot, and no fish. Thus, without wasting anymore time, I immediately hopped to the most productive spot on the Creek: the spillway.
The spillway at the Pine Run Creek.
Not even five minutes after I arrived, I landed my first fish and first Species of the day: the Bluegill(Lepomis macrochirus). And just as I had expected, the fish bit my jig very very softly! I mean...the float barely went down with the bite. Which is why I would like to emphasize: when jigging during the Winter months of the year, always make sure to go as finesse as possible. In other words, keep your jigging setup as light as you possibly can!
First Species of the day: the Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus). It barely bit the hook too!
After many Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) here and there, I finally got a very interesting bite on the slow pool area of the spillway! Instead of just "bobbing" a little bit, my float started to move to the left at a constant speed! Bites like that are usually a good indicator that a Crappie is about to come up. After setting up the hook and reeling in the fish, I ended up with a beautiful PA White Crappie(Pomoxis annularis).
Second Species of the day: the White Crappie (Pomoxis annularis). A very beautiful sample for my area!
For many folks around the country, catching a White Crappie (Pomoxis annularis) is no problem whatsoever. However, in the Philadelphia area (and surroundings), catching one of these from shore is quite a rarity! The reality is that there are plenty of Black Crappie(Pomoxis nigromaculatus) around here, and not so many adult White Crappie. Even with a boat, there are only a few bodies of water around here with a limited population of these fellas. :)
The rest of the day was pretty much a sunfish type of the day! I ended up catching one more Species while bottom jigging the worm: the Green Sunfish(Lepomis cyanellus). And a beautiful Bluegill X Pumpkinseed Hybrid (L. macrochirus X L. gibbosus) also came up as well.
Third and final Species of the day: the Green Sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus). It came right from under a rock and hit the jig!
Not quite a new Species, but a hybrid is still a beautiful fish! This one is a Bluegill X Pumpkinseed Hybrid (L. macrochirus X L. gibbosus)
Summarizing...I ended up the day with three different Species of fish, and a hybrid to boost! For a Winter day in January, this fishing session was definitely extremely productive. Just as a reminder...it is always tough to fish during the colder months of the year. Chances of catching any Species of fish go down drastically. However, keep in mind, anglers: if you don't go outside and try it out, your chances of catching fish will always be zero. :)
Below are the highlights for this fishing session:
My 2nd outing of 2018: ice fishing a nameless pond in Gloucester, NJ. Don't forget to watch it in HD Quality (1080p60)! If you enjoy watching my YouTube videos, please support the YouTube Channel by subscribing to it. More likes & more subscribes = more time to make videos!
Summary & Photos: Taking the upcoming warm weather in consideration (32F/0ºC to 45F/7ºC), my friend Jacob Korbel (a.k.a. Jacob Korbel Fishing) and I decided to hit a nameless little pond in Gloucester, NJ for one last attempt at ice fishing! According to Jacob, who had fished the Pond for the previous three days or so, the pond had a combination of Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, and Black Crappie. Thus, our hopes for catching any Species of fish were pretty high! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EPF's tip of the day: As every angler should be aware of, reconnaissance is a fundamental strategy and step when it comes to fishing. That is when knowing your local watersheds really pays off. Recall: knowing where the structure and deep areas are in a specific lake or pond is the key to success during the colder months of the year! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We arrived at the spot around 10:00 a.m.. After checking the thickness of the ice around the edges of the pond, we were astonished to find out that even with the rise in temperatures, we still had 5-6 inches of solid ice! We dug a few holes with our Friday the 13th axe (old style) and got the jigging started!
Jacob stands on top of the little unnamed pond in Gloucester, NJ. Funny how even the smaller bodies of water by the roads can sometimes hold fish!
The primary objective of this fishing session was for me to catch my first fish of 2018. The secondary goal was to test my new Fiblink "Thunderfury" ML ice fishing rod. Therefore, instead of the traditional tip-up and "still-fishing" approach, Jacob and I decided to use our rods for active jigging. I paired the rod with a Shimano Sedona 500 FD, which is -- as a matter of fact -- the lightest reel that I have in my arsenal. For line, I used the KastKing Fluorokote, 4lbs test; and for my jig, I used a 3 mm, size #16 hook Kenders Outdoors Ice Fishing jig. I baited my jigs with half pieces of super-worm and jigged them 2-4 inches above the bottom, giving short stops in-between jigs. I favored locations with dying vegetation on the bottom. Five minutes into the fishing session, I landed my first Species and first fish of this year:
A Bluegill(Lepomis macrochirus). The "purplish" hue is an indicator of low water temperatures.
And after a few more Bluegill here and there, I ended up landing my second Species of the day:
A Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides). The red in their upper lips is a common indicator of low water temperatures.
My friend Jacob didn't fall short either. After jigging multiple holes, he finally found a productive one. He landed this nice fella after an intense fight on 2lbs test line (hehe):
Jacob with his biggest fish of the day.
In the end, even though the pond was rumored to have a few fish in the range of 4-5lbs, Jacob and I weren't really able to land any fish bigger than a mere pound. After jigging in many different holes, we were also unable to catch any Black Crappie. Taking all the negatives aside, I did accomplish my main quests for the day...and, of course, I had a wonderful day outdoors with a friend who I didn't see for quite a while! Fishing sessions like these always remind me of how the most trivial things in life can make us happy. Remember, folks...sometimes it is not so much about the size of the fish that you catch, or its rarity. Sometimes, it is just about enjoying the outdoors and having a good time doing the things that you love to do. :) Best of luck to all of us, Long Days and Pleasant Nights! Sincerely, Leo S. a.k.a. Extreme Philly Fishing
Today I am bringing you guys my fishing report for February 14th, 2017. The statistical fishing chart was updated as well. Aren't you guys glad that we are only two months behind here now?! :)
Below are the highlights for this fishing session:
My 13th outing of 2017. Don't forget to watch it in HD quality (1080p60)! If you enjoy watching my videos, please support my YouTube Channel by subscribing to it. More likes and more subscribes = more time to make videos!
Summary & Photos:
As the name of the video implies, this fishing session was a tough one!
The main objective for the day was to go to the Delaware Canal for some Carp fishing. I had two medium-action and one ultra-light rod with me, not to mention my huge Balzer Metallica net. After loading my bag with two cans of sweet kernel corn, I was ready for some action!!!
All hopes were lost upon arrival, though...Heh. After I arrived at the Delaware Canal, I came to realize that albeit the weather had been softly warm for the past two days (~45F), the watershed itself still had a thin sheet of ice on it.
An iced up Delaware Canal D:
Needless to say, a little bit of ice was definitely not enough to stop Extreme Philly Fishing. ;) Even though my prime Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) spot was frozen, I still looked around the canal for other potential Carp spots. After thirty minutes of search, I finally found a little place to chum. I ended up setting up two rods with slip-sinker setups -- 1/2 oz. egg sinkers with a size #8 Mustad hook.
Winter Carping right next to structure. To the right of this photo, a bridge.
I spent approximately three hours there, folks. And in the end, I hadn't had a single tap! So, yeah...that was definitely enough for me to give up on those Carp. Hah. That is when I thanked myself for bringing an ultra-light rod!
My secondary and last plan for the day was to catch some Black Crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus) and Bluegill. Thus, I tied on a Kenders 4 mm. Ice Fishing jighead, tipping it with small pieces of nightcrawler. Suspended jigging with a Comal weighted float was the main technique used. Sadly, the Crappie did not want to collaborate. Thus, at the end of the day, I was able to only land three measly Sunfish...
Fish #274 of the year. A Bluegill
On one hand, I was quite disappointed for the lack of Carp. On the other hand, I was pretty satisfied that I didn't really get skunked. Hah.
As I always like to tell my subscribers and followers -- "even one fish is better than nothing." And folks...that day was a tough day on the water!
Below are the highlights for this fishing session:
My 3rd outing of 2017! Don't forget to watch it in HD quality (1080p60)! If you enjoy watching my videos, please support my YouTube Channel by subscribing to it. More likes and more subscribes = more time to make videos .:)
Summary & Photos:
Since the weather for today was unusually nice for the Winter season, with a minimum of 46F and maximum of 66F, my friend Mike Caruso and I decided to go out and explore! After tinkering with Google Maps for quite a bit, we finally decided to choose the D&R Canal in New Jersey, which stands for the "Delaware & Raritan Canal." Our decision was based on a few factors: (1) considering two days of warm weather (>32F), we weren't entirely sure that all watersheds around us would be thawed; and (2) spillways and locks are amazing fishing spots for the Winter time. ;)
Now...truth be told, I have fished the D&R Canal one time in the past! Back in May 29th, 2014, my father and I went to the West Trenton portion of the canal for a day of Multi-Species fishing. We ended up catching a few Bluegill and Redbreast Sunfish. My father caught one Pumpkinseed, and a very unexpected Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). Thus, when I say that my friend Mike and I decided to "go out and explore," I mean that we went to portions of the canal that both of us had never been to before.
So, our quest started...
We met around 6:15 a.m.. Then, we went to our local tackle shop. We grabbed four dozens of shiners and a 24-pack of waxworms. We didn't need to buy nightcrawlers or corn because we already had them. Yes, sir -- as you probably deduced already, we were 100% ready for a full day of Multi-Species fishing. So, after a whole night of research (a.k.a. googling and online articles), we set our GPS to the lock 10 location of the D&R Canal. According to many different "credible sources," a "very productive fishing spot."
Upon arrival (after an one hour drive), those credible sources disappointed us right away. What the NJ Parks and Recreation classified on their website as a public parking lot by the D&R trail turned out to be an abandoned private lot with "no parking signs" everywhere. Damn son...we were certainly frustrated for about five minutes or so! Thankfully, we had a back up plan (6-7 back up plans, actually)...
Our backup plan was to drive further North for 6 miles and hit the Lock 11. We arrived there around 8:00 a.m.
A front view of the Lock 11, at the D&R Canal. Parking lot to the right.
A back view of the Lock 11, at the D&R Canal. Parking lot to the left.
I am not going to sugar coat it, fellas! The spot looked really neat. 7-8 feet deep above the lock, 5-6 feet deep below. Strong current right below the lock, with eddies at the end of the wall. Talking from a textbook perspective, that spot just had to hold fish!!!
Mike and I wasted no time. We immediately setup two rods each -- one with live shiner and one with jigheads. Our initial plan was to catch some Chain Pickerel (Esox niger) on the live shiners and some smaller Species of fish on the jigging rod -- Crappie, Panfish, Perch, etc. We stayed there for 90 minutes, and I will tell you one thing, reader: with each minute that passed and no bites whatsoever, our hopes and expectations diminished a bit. Hah. Once our watches hit 10:00 a.m., we were entirely burned out. "Screw those Chain Pickerel!" We decided to hit the road once again and try our luck elsewhere.
Our third pick of the day was a weird spot on Google Maps. From a satellite view (above), the location looked like a pond that connected to the canal. The problem was that the spot itself was located in the middle of the D&R trail, two miles away from the closest road/parking lot. In other words, we were talking about 30-35 minutes of walking to get to a spot that could be good or could be bad! Back and forth, that would mean spending 60-70 minutes just for that single place. I briefly mentioned to Mike that a satellite view was very little information to rely on; however, I also mentioned that I wanted to take a bet and check the spot out. We started to evaluate the pros and cons of hitting the place:
Pros:
-- the place was far away from any parking lots and roads. Therefore, less people would hit it. Less people = less fishing pressure = more chances of catching fish.
-- from above, the spot looked like a little pond connected to the canal. Textbook fishing indicates that a watershed's inlets and outlets are often productive spots for fishing!
Cons:
-- the only image that we had of the spot was from Google Maps, which is never a very accurate source for finding watersheds. The database itself is usually not up to date as well. In other words, there could be a possibility for the spot to be extremely shallow or even dry.
-- from above, the spot looked very small in comparison to the canal. Smaller (and possibly shallower) watersheds tend to thaw slower when temperatures rise. In other words, the place could still be frozen and unfishable.
Thus, we were in a dilemma. Heh. But after much thinking, we decided to take the risk! And 35 minutes and 2 miles later, this is what we found:
A view of the Tenmile Run, which passes below the D&R Canal
For our surprise, the "pond in the map" actually turned out to be an entire different watershed! And even weirder -- one that passed below the canal. Summarizing -- the run didn't have any connections with the canal whatsoever. The curse of having a 1-dimensional image, folks. Haha. On a positive note, the place was almost all thawed out; therefore, it was fishable (YAY). So, once again...my friend and I did not waste any time!
As soon as I cast my first rod in the water, with a drop-shot/nightcrawler setup, I got a hit! Set the hook. Fish was on! The first fish that came up for me was a Largemouth Bass.
Fish #23 and my first Largemouth Bass of the year.
Many nightcrawlers, shiners, and waxworms later, Mike and I ended landing a few more Largemouth Bass, as well as a few Bluegill and Fallfish.
Fish #25 and my first Bluegill of the year.
Fish #26 and my first Fallfish of the year.
After landing more than a dozen fish, we truly started to realize the power of the small Creeks that passed under the D&R canal! I mean...we never really expected so many fish to be stacked there. And guess what?! The Tenmile Run wasn't the only Creek under the canal around those areas. A few miles from us was another similar watershed -- the Sixmile Run. Thus, once the action slowed down, we walked to the Sixmile Run for a little bit more of Creek Multi-Species/Micro fishing. Heh.
A view of the Sixmile Run. Very similar to the Tenmile Run, but wider and deeper.
Once we arrived at the Sixmile Run, we didn't really get any bites there for our first 30 minutes. I had one rod cast about 15 feet straightforward, high-low rig. Another rod with a float and a jighead. Mike had similar setups as well. It was around 1:30 p.m. that I decided to change strategies: I took my float out and jigged along the concrete walls of the Run. That is when I had a little surprise...
Right after dropping my jighead, I got a bite on the bottom! A Bluegill came up almost instantaneously:
Fish #33. A Bluegill on a 1/64 oz. jighead, tipped with a piece of nightcrawler
I took advantage of the bite and dropped my jig once again in the same spot. Another Bluegill came up! I dropped my jig once again, and this time a Black Crappie came up:
Fish #35. A Black Crappie. Caught on the same setup described above.
The rest of the day was pretty much robotic, folks! After deciphering the pattern of the day, Mike and I caught fish after fish along the concrete walls of the Sixmile Run. Two and a half hours of packed action! Species included the Golden Shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas), the Largemouth Bass, the Pumpkinseed, the Green Sunfish, the Fallfish, the Redbreast Sunfish, and even a hungry and feisty Common Carp that found its way to my jighead. :)
Fish #36. A Largemouth Bass.
Fish #40. A Pumpkinseed.
Fish #43. A Green Sunfish.
Fish #52. A Fallfish.
Fish #59. A Common Carp.
Fish #70. A Redbreast Sunfish
After 7:30 hours of fishing and a nice gamble, I ended my third outing of the year with 8 different Species of fish and a total of 58 fishes caught! Mike caught much less; however, he did end his day with a total of 6 different Species of fish, including two Golden Shiners that never showed up on my line today. :)
Today I'm bringing you folks my fishing session for March 7th:
--- March 7th, 2016 ---
Location: Buck Creek (Yardley, PA)
Time: 12:00 - 2:30 p.m.
Fishes caught:
-- 7 Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)
-- 1 Redbreast Sunfish (Lepomis auritus)
-- 2 Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides)
P.s. As much as I want to bring you guys FULL fishing reports of every trip that I do, unfortunately I don't have the time to do so! Thus, the goal, setup, and summary sessions of every fishing post will be blank for now. If you want to see full fishing reports on the Blog again, please support me on my Patreon page. Once I reach my goal there, I will not only have enough time to write full reports, but also didactic posts and event posts for better community engagement. Tight lines and FISH ON! Leo S.
Video:
Here is my fishing session at Buck Creek. In this video, I not only micro-fish the Creek, but I also cover two of my favorite multi-species techniques in it: free-falling and suspended jigging. Don't forget to watch it in HD (1080p60)! If you like what you see, don't forget to like the video and subscribe to the YouTube Channel. :)
Goals:
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Setup:
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Summary:
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Photos:
Below are the photos for this fishing session:
Bluegill caught on a size #10 Mustad circle hook.
Redbreast Sunfish caught on a 1" Gulp! Alive minnow + 1/64 oz. Trout Magnet Jighead.
Small Largemouth Bass caught on a Gulp! Minnow as well.
As you browse through this blog, please keep in mind that Extreme Philly Fishing (a.k.a. EPF) is all about recreational and sustainable fishing in the United States of America!
EPF encourages an "educational approach." In other words, EPF believes that a good and positive fishing community can only be achieved by sharing proper information and educating anglers about the pros and cons of their actions. Good stewards of the sport know about the concepts of selective harvest and aquatic sustainability/environmental conservation; they know about the consequences of non-point source pollution (i.e. littering) and over-harvesting; they know about good manners and etiquette towards fellow anglers; safe fish handling skills for Catch-Photo-Release; etc.
I hope you do enjoy the readings and the information that I have to offer here! And, of course, tight lines and FISH ON!
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