Raystown Lake

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Travis46
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2012/03/01 09:10:39 (permalink)

Raystown Lake

I was wondering, how tough is the lake to fish? I've thought about taking striper/salmon/laker/walleye charters down there, but owning a couple of boats myself, i find it hard to pay someone to take me fishing. not too concerned about the laker and walleye, i have lots of those a few miles from home, but i have fished the chesapeake bay a few times for stripers, and i love it. how hard is it to find and catch these fish?
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    Fisherlady2
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    RE: Raystown Lake 2012/03/01 09:24:40 (permalink)
    Travis,
    It is not an easy lake to figure out, it is actually a huge amount of water to cover and there isn't a lot of info about it available with simple searches like many other bodies of water. We took our boat down a few years ago and chartered for the first day and then fished on our own after that. It really cuts down on the learning curve. The biggest thing to figure out is what bait is working when you are there. Sometimes live bait on long lines is the only thing that seems to get any attention, other times it is crank baits trolled near the tree tops. A charter captain is on the water there every day and is tuned into what the fish are doing at that time, so again, cuts down on the time spent. Live bait gets expensive and so does gas in the boat.
    There are a lot of stripers there if you can find them, and some great sizes also.
    Try this website for more info. We met a couple of the fellows from this group, and fished with one of them a few years ago and they have a wealth of info...
    http://www.fishpsba.com/

    Have fun, but don't expect to get much 'relaxing time' on holidays or warm weather weekends, the pleasure boaters on that lake are horrible! Try to figure your fishing time during 'off peak' times for best experience.
    #2
    Travis46
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    RE: Raystown Lake 2012/03/01 09:35:01 (permalink)
    thanks for the reply and link. i'll look into it
    #3
    davef
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    RE: Raystown Lake 2012/03/01 14:25:00 (permalink)
    Hi Travis:  I haven't fished it in years for stripers but when we did we just anchored beside the main lake points and used 8 or 9 inch trout for bait fished on the bottom.  In total I probably went 4 times and we only got one striper and that was with guides.  That one fish was just shy of 40 inches and 20 pounds if I remember right.  We did get a small one (15 inches) trolling one trip.

    I did hook one the first trip we made by throwing rapalas up against the dam breast and reeling them back toward the rope boundary in front of the breastworks.  Since 9-11 I think that fishing is no longer allowed there.


    #4
    Travis46
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    RE: Raystown Lake 2012/03/04 11:01:58 (permalink)
    Hi dave. I figured it wouldn't be easy. Thats a lot of water. Like fishing the Yough, either you are on them or you arent. Just a thought that went through my mind, I like to try different places for different things. I think if I were to get another charter for rockfish, I would just go back to the Cheasapeake or coast. It doesn't take long for a limit there, and a lot of captains will put you onto some sea trout, blues or bottom fish if there is enough time afterwards, which there usually is.
    #5
    DarDys
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    RE: Raystown Lake 2012/03/05 08:28:37 (permalink)
    ORIGINAL: Travis46

    Hi dave. I figured it wouldn't be easy. Thats a lot of water. Like fishing the Yough, either you are on them or you arent. Just a thought that went through my mind, I like to try different places for different things. I think if I were to get another charter for rockfish, I would just go back to the Cheasapeake or coast. It doesn't take long for a limit there, and a lot of captains will put you onto some sea trout, blues or bottom fish if there is enough time afterwards, which there usually is.

     
    You will catch more stripers at the Cheasapeake in a day than you will in a year, maybe longer, at Raystown.  Look up some of the results of Raystown striper tournaments and you will get some idea of your chances there.  Keep in mind that most who fish those tournaments are guides, locals, and hard core Raystown striper people -- and they aren't setting the water on fire catch-wise.

    The poster formally known as Duncsdad

    Everything I say can be fully substantiated by my own opinion.
    #6
    FishinGuy
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    RE: Raystown Lake 2012/03/05 08:36:19 (permalink)
    I would love to spend a few weekends out on that lake, but it sounds very hard to figure out. The few reports I've heard make it seem very intimidating. But it sounds like a very beautiful place. Someday...
    #7
    DarDys
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    RE: Raystown Lake 2012/03/05 09:13:22 (permalink)
    Guy,

    It is an absolutely beautiful place!  In the spring it is not that tough to fish either -- relatively speaking -- especially for bass.

    You do not want to spend any weekends out on the lake from mid-May until September.  Weekdays yes, weekends, no.  
     
    When I worked at a boat dealership there 15 years ago, before it got real crowded, I always tried to discourage boat test drives on the weekends because with the boat traffic it was hard to get a real feel for a boat.  The crowds then, and they have grown during the warm months, were large enough that we would launch the boat for the test drive and have the trailer crew just get back in line for pick up.  We would idle out of the mile + no-wake zone, do the test drive, and idle back through the no-wake -- then more often than not still have to wait for the trailer because that is how long the line was and how long it took.
    post edited by DarDys - 2012/03/05 09:17:47

    The poster formally known as Duncsdad

    Everything I say can be fully substantiated by my own opinion.
    #8
    FishinGuy
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    RE: Raystown Lake 2012/03/05 11:07:02 (permalink)
    Wow, fortunately I have a rotating 4 day work week and rarely fish at all on any weekends. Someday I will take a few days and see if I can find something. I'd just love to see that place, heard of people sight fishing smallies in 30+ fow, too cool.
    #9
    bigesox11
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    RE: Raystown Lake 2012/03/05 14:32:42 (permalink)
    Are there lake front homes to rent on the lake? Looking to possibly rent a lakefront home that has a private dock. Thanks.
    #10
    DarDys
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    RE: Raystown Lake 2012/03/05 14:51:39 (permalink)
    No.  There are no homes permitted on Raystown.

    The poster formally known as Duncsdad

    Everything I say can be fully substantiated by my own opinion.
    #11
    spoonchucker
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    RE: Raystown Lake 2012/03/05 17:44:55 (permalink)
    Raystown lake resort has some nice cabins "on" the lake. No private dock though, most folks just beach their boats. Seven points marina, has transient docking, I think. There's also a "boat in" campground, not sure if they have cabins.

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    #12
    DarDys
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    RE: Raystown Lake 2012/03/06 10:09:01 (permalink)
    The boat in camp grounds do not have cabins as far as I know.  If they do, they were added very recently.  You can check the Army Corps website to find out.

    The poster formally known as Duncsdad

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    #13
    thedrake
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    RE: Raystown Lake 2012/03/06 10:49:34 (permalink)
    I believe you are right. The boat in campgrounds are tent sites.
    #14
    willi724
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    RE: Raystown Lake 2012/03/15 20:45:01 (permalink)
    look at the raystown website. most of the camp grounds have mooring at alot of the campsites, they do get filled up though. i always make reservations online. there aren't any cabins at the camp areas that i know about.
    #15
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