Cambria and ?'s on the Quem

Did really well fishing a local pond for bass. They are pulling up close to the shore and all were caught on wacky worm. No Bass fishing wilmore dam, but saw a ton near the shore. Caught a nice 10 in. Crappie and a rock bass, and my son lost a nice bass he caught on a red worm. Also saw a raccoon out in broad daylight. It was around noon, and other people said they saw it walking funny up on the trail. My son saw it dive down under the water. Not sure what was going on, but if you're fishing near the breast of the dam, be wary of the trails as it could still be around in the area and it appears to have something wrong with it. All in all, had a good weekend, and fishing with my son is second to none. Hope to get out and fish some more of the res's this week.

If you are worried about the health of the critter contact local law enforcement (wildlife officer or even local law for the jurisdiction of the park) They should be able to follow up on it and either trap it or dispatch it humanely if needed. I agree to treat it with a respectful distance though...

Although the we don't frequently see them out during the day I have seen raccoons out during daytime when it is an area with a lot of litter and human traffic. I think their habits adjust due to human interference... if trash is thrown during the daytime it may be a 'first come, first serve' situation for the local wildlife.
We did a 'boat in' picnic on an island beach once, we cleaned up afterwards and got back into our boat to leave and the local raccoon was already out checking out our picnic site before we could even cast off... he was disappointed because we didn't leave anything behind for him... but is just evidence of how their normal foraging habits will change when humans get involved.

Occasionally a healthy raccoon will be out during the day but if it is acting strange it is best to stay away from it.
 
Sick raccoons are more likely to have distemper than rabies but they are also the most common rabies vector in the state so caution is warranted. The good thing is that it is very uncommon for a rabid raccoon to be aggressive. They are more likely to be acting listless.
 
Any wild animal that will let you approach it or pick it up is either sick or hurt so the best thing to do is stay away from them and notify a Conservation Officer for guidance.
 R.S. Bodenhorn

Thanks to everyone for the info on the raccoon. I'll be sure to get up with someone about the situation. Never heard of distemper before, but I'll be sure to look into it. Definitely didnt know what was wrong with it, but had a large and sharp stick ready to protect my son if necessary. He had a large metal, extendable fishing "Y" to back Dad up! haha

@Running Deer, that's awesome about your kids doing well at the pond. Is it around the Cambria area, or elsewhere? What were you using? I do best on the ponds with rubber worms wacky rigged. Seems like they are always hitting them. I use a lot of spinner baits too.

Good luck to everyone else on your fishing endeavors!