Good takes - glad your old man made it Crappie!

CT - I currently swim around redbank. Water is very clear, and doesn't seem to be much industry around there. 

thanks for the info folks.

Lived right in Freeport in '63. They had a big floating dock out in about 8' of water made of about 20 55gal drums and telephone poles with a wooden deck, with two low and one high diving boards on it. Our gang would be in the river by 10 AM and not get home 'til the streetlights came on at 9 PM. We'd go under the dock and pop up in the air pockets and play games like seein' who could make it to the top of the water from the bottom with the biggest rock in your arms. We'd swim out and catch the big waves from the J. K. Davidson and Glacial Sand and
gravel barges goin' up and down, and some days we'd swim across 3 or 4 times in a day and dive off the rocks on the other side. The Graff bridge (rte 356) was brand new then, and you could stand on the bridge and literally see the Kiski River coming down the east side of Allegheny 'cause the Kiski was so polluted with the mine drainage back then. The water on that side was so dirty, when ya got home, you couldn't even get a comb through your hair! Oh, to be young again!

DeadGator401
Good takes - glad your old man made it Crappie!




   Thanks DG, me too!! 


 Least I found a new best friend called Arthur for the next 40 years and counting.
 
  I was so disappointed when I received my first fishing rod. A old man (Mr. Evans) was babysitting me when I was 4 and asked if I would like to have a fishing pole? I was so excited and couldn't believe it. Figured I could put my Allegator in it and so on. He reached into a closet and handed me a metal stick, WTH!! What little did I know at the time. Must be getting like my father remembering from long ago but not what I just did.  

I’ve been spending time at my buddy’s cabin over the last few weeks and Ive been hitting tionesta creek between Nebraska and kelletville a bunch. I’ve pulled several 3 lbers and a ton of smaller ones out of it. That has to be some of the best summertime fishing that PA has to offer, and that’s a gorgeous creek.

Me and the girlfriend kayaked the Allegheny from west hickory to tionesta on Thursday. She caught a huge bass but inexplicably threw it back before I was able to paddle over and put it on the board. She said it was “the biggest fish I ever caught” (and she caught a legit 20” once). I also caught an 18 1/2” like 10 minutes later and she said her fish was bigger. I was close enough to see some big splashes when she was reeling it in, but I didn’t get a good look. Maybe she boated a 5lber? I guess we’ll never know…

Took my dad up to Dunkirk for the weekend, lots of activity in 110 FOW. The majority of the fish were between 70 and 100 foot down, and water temp was 76 degrees. We caught 4 walleye smallest was 19" largest was 26" trolling with purple spoons on the downriggers. Lost a pretty big laker at the boat, it was fun watching that thing doing back flips 100 feet behind the boat. 

Fished the Templeton area this morning, that stretch of the river is beautiful. Nothing was biting at the dam, tried trolling the deeper areas but no action. Managed to catch one walleye jigging near the bridge near the mouth of Mahoning Creek. 

Nice. I’d be happy with a day like that in prime fall/spring season!

Fished Tarentum this morning, caught 5 smallmouth, 2 walleyes, and a catfish. Water temp was 70 degrees.   

I have had that happen before a few times. See the storm getting closer and the fish go nuts. Makes it impossible for us addicts to do the right thing and go to safety. Come to think of it, I usually overextend for storms, even if they aren’t biting. Just assuming that bite will happen and don’t want to miss it…

Launched the boat at Brady’s Bend. First time on this stretch of river. I know lock 9 is a couple miles downriver so I wanted to see how far I could motor upstream with a prop.

I went out yesterday and struck out. Got one dink. Decided to go for round 2 today.

First 4 hours on the water I got one 18” bass. Decent fish. Nothing to brag about tho. I was definitely struggling. I spend a lot of time on the river on a kayak but fishing it by boat is different, and the floating eel grass is really really bad right now.

Around 4pm I guess I found a school because for the next 2 1/2 hrs it was non stop action. Boated around 15 or so, all between 16” - 18.5”.

I went through a whole pack of flukes so I switched to senkos and they just kept hitting them too. I think they would have hit anything I threw in the water they were so aggressive.

I actually lost count of how many 18s I landed, at one point I think I caught 6 in a row. They were still splashing and chasing bait on the surface when I had to head back to the launch because it was getting dark.

I’ve never had a group of big fish keep coming and coming like that. I stayed anchored up in like 2 ft of water a couple feet from shore the whole time and barely moved the boat.

I’ve always struggled to catch fish in October when they transition out of those summer patterns. Now I understand what people mean when talk about that “fall bite”.

This was probably my last trip out until the spring. Helluva way to end the season.

 They put up a nice fight using a featherweight spinning rod. That lake puts out very healthy fish year after year. Probably more so with less and less good ice each year?

 Tim, Glad you had a good day fishing with your buddy. In the 80's -- 90's fished the lake mainly from boat. About 3/4 across the lake from the marina was about my 3rd or 4th best spot for Eyes and Byrds. You ever try worm harnesses with very tiny blades and beads?  Found a couple shoe boxes full of both yesterday looking for wool socks. Did well on certain cranks as well. Creek Chubs were hard to beat at times.
 
  Jim's had a photo (mid 80's) in his bait shop he took of me (limit of Eyes 27.5 -- 31") when I stopped in to get some in-line buzz baits for super thick Lilly Pads, couldn't find anywhere else. Great for those extremely hot days after LM. Lots of work though.
 
 Was thinking it would be nice if Timmy would take me out on one of his boats. He knows the lake 10 times better than I. Like wading better and need the exercise even more these days. He is so busy with his tackle business, already over a 1/2 million in sales working it alone for the year. He did buy a boat rental storage place this summer so just maybe he will remove some boats and box trailers from my yards.
 
 Saw some pure black catapultiers this week so who knows? 

I have been mostly jigging for the eyes now. Doing some internet article and video techniques. I did get some pulling harnesses in the spring. Right now, I’m focusing more on some deeper water. Setting trolling stuff that deep always ends up hanging up when I hit a hump, stump or whatever. I might give it a try next time out. I’ve got to get a bit more used to some of the spots that I have been fishing now. My GPS graph is somewhat accurate. I think that I am staying on a certain depth, then something comes out of nowhere and all of a sudden 10’ difference and GPS is saying it should still be deeper. Once I fish it a few times I can adjust. Fishing a lot of new spots that I have driven over many times but never really thought to fish. Who knows though. Seems like many of these videos and articles are slamming for lakes in MN and WI, but useless here. But I am marking fish, getting bites and landed one doing it. While we spent a good bit of time wiper and crappie fishing other spots. Just need more time fishing and less time working!!