I frequently fish the Mon at Southside, went a lot this past week expecting good fishing because of the weather. Not so! Yet to catch a single fish this year. I must be doing something wrong because a friend fishes the same spot and pulled out a few smallies and a decent sauger a couple week ago using spinners. I've been using spinnerbaits, inline spinners, gulp minnows, powerbait jigs, rooster tails, crankbaits, you name it...nada. Caught quite a few bass last year small and large, also a nice wally in late October at the same spot. Not sure if it's just plain bad luck or the Mon is just bein weird and needs to warm up more. May have to try the Allegheny at the strip or Ohio down by the science center.

Hope it's OK to bump this thread-

Skunked again today, this time in Sharpsburg. They won't even let me buy a fish in this city! Skunked all 6-7 trips to Mon & Allegheny. But I'm fishing from shore for only 1-3 hours per trip. I didn't fish until late May last year so I'm happy just to be fishing at all and getting outside.

The river looked really good, seemed like normal levels (from what I'm used to) and it's the clearest I've seen this season. I didn't wade today, no idea what the water temps are.

friend of mine said he killed them below the highlandpark dam on friday the 6th. Said he used shiners. could be a fish tale, but he does not stretch the truth that i am aware of.

Blurry pics better than no pic. Nice fish! Welcome to the site.

Mon & Allegheny shore fishing report for anyone interested:

I fished both yesterday. Homestead area of the Mon, Sharpsburg for Allegheny. Had my first bite of the year - and lost it on the way in. I'm totally snake bitten, still!

The Mon was more active than Allegheny, at least where I was. I saw nothing caught in Sharpsburg and far fewer fishermen. On the Mon I saw a few guys wading catch maybe 7-8 small bass and a walleye - maybe 15" all on small shiners or fatheads. A few other catches on shore too. I tried my best to match the hatch, but it wasn't happening.

So it was good to see smallies in the shallows, been waiting a while for it. I think with the week ahead of 60s-70s, they'll really be turning on and I'll finally break through.
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Anyone else have any reports on the rivers? Anyone been out around Lock 3? If so, has it been crowded? Maybe I'll hit the South Side next weekend

The Mon shores across from the Hofbrau house, down further to Page's icecream store slam the small mouth all late spring/ summer long. Even headed up to the point there are multiple spots where you'll catch plenty of smallies and rock bass with nothing more than a rubber worm. Lock 3 is also very productive for eyes and smallies.

ORIGINAL: Porktown

Unless you are working or living there, and only have an hour to kill, I wouldn't make it a destination fishing site.

Ain't that the truth. I go down to the park usually at least every week and the best I've ever caught was a 17" or so Sauger. Went today and baby smallies were hittin quite a bit, as well as quite a few white bass but nothing ever of decent size. Only go because it's close and I don't know of any other decent shore spots. I'll have to try down by 6th street.

No doubt on the boat vs. shore. The S. side of the river is just full of snags and not too deep for a good bit. I've waded, but the amount of sewage that pumps through that area with heavy rains, is disgusting, even in drought conditions, so don't even like to touch the water, yet wade around in it with waders on.

The 6th St or whatever street that is, where the kayak dock is, also has it's snag issues. There are usually some barges tied up there too, which at times acts as shade / ambush sites for fish. Also some old barge tie offs which are ok structure at times. A bike makes things nice. It was a relatively easy bike ride to the point, and hit the hot water discharge (without paying for parking). Can do the same crossing the river to the Oakland side, and fish the pay parking lots and Technology Dr. buildings. Could also ride down to Station Square and smack some of those 3' long carp... The "pier" behind the UPMC Sports works is a bit deeper too, but still same success as the Riverfront Park, but less bum fights... I never took the fishing gear much further up stream on the bike path, but imagine there are some decent spots along the Baldwin section of the river. It's a bit trickier bike ride to the mouth of Saw Mill Run, but driving is no issue. There is a pull off right after the business that is under the West End interchange. Cross the tracks and walk upstream a bit. A little rif raf will fish there at times. Another easy drive and if you get lucky, the mouth of Chartiers can be loaded with fish. There is a housing project about 1/4 mile away, so can attract some unwanted company... That's about all I know for local easy fishing. Anything else, if trying to get to after work (5PM), could take 1/2 hour or more to drive 3-4 miles. It took me almost 2 hours to get to Lock 3 once after work, about 1/2 hour to just get out of the South Side... I think that I got skunked too, I was so ticked off...

Note - Mouth of Montour or fishing in that direction, the traffic is not bad, if you drive through McKees Rocks and stay on 51 N along the river. Not sure why, but rarely hit much traffic, even in dead of rush hour. Any other direction, forget about destination fishing from about 4PM to 6:30PM. One thing that really sucked about living down there, and the reason I ended up fishing down there so often.

I work in one of those tech buildings on tech drive across from the southside. Some lots you dont have to pay, while others are heavily enforced. im sure if u came after work hours you could park in one of the smaller lots and walk down to shore. Im actually looking out my window right now at that stretch of water your all talking about. I could literally cast a line out from my window if i wanted to haha. I havent gotten a chance to bring a pole to work yet but would love to give it a shot. the shorline would def be a little tough to climb down but this stretch of the river looks awesome and we watch fish smack the surface all day long from our office.

Another real good spot to drive or bike to is the Mon Wharf parking lot. Cross the Smithfield St Br and make a left on Ft Pitt and its on your left at the first light. I always go after 4pm or on weekends so I don't have to pay. Sometimes on the weekends they make it "event parking" tho and its like $10 or $15. When you go there after hours the "in" lane is usually chained off so you have to go in the "out" lane. As soon as you turn in, watch for any cars coming out and immediately get into the left lane to go down to the lot (you will see the arrows). This is very important because people leaving the lot after hours fly out of there thinking no one is coming down. The only time you really have to be careful is if you go down around 5pm because a lot of cars are exiting. I've had to make laps around the block because cars were sitting at the light coming out lol. When I go down there its usually around 6 or 7 and we fish til about midnight. There's a trail there along the water with big concrete blocks you can rest your rods on. It drops off pretty deep pretty quick there. When we cast it from the boat we are in 15' of water about 50-60' off shore. We have caught numerous nice eyes (largest was 33" on a bluegill while fishing for flats), smallies (buddy caught an 7.5lb-er there last year on a shiner), and big flathead catfish (biggest was around 25lbs) along with your usual assortment of white x bass, carp, 10" mon largemouth, and the occasional mud puppy in the winter.

Watch out for the talkative drunk bums in the summer that live under the smithfield st bridge that come out at night. All last year I gave this one crazy sob some of the flatheads we caught and they ate them and all thanked me. He had rope with hooks and worms out that he used to fish at one end. I figure it's best to keep them on your good side. Some of their stories, man.

The Allegheny is ridiculously low right now.  I am desperately hoping for some significant rainfall to get levels back to normal soon.
 
 
 

It's been a weird spring for sure. High temps. Low precipitation. No snow melt from the winter.
All the feeders are way low.

I actually have my better years in low water situations- especially sustained ones going in to fall. I don't know if it's bait survival or maybe the bait gets more concentrated- but this year should be interesting river wise.

ORIGINAL: Jefff

ORIGINAL: Porktown

ORIGINAL: sloppy joe 2

I actually got a day off tomorrow

Taking 4:20 off...

same here. happy holidays!

I'm off to.

ORIGINAL: Porktown

Hippies.

lol

http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/103809/hippie-infestation

That's the one I was referring to. I haven't checked it out since all the construction took over the area. I would think the very first parking lot would be close to where that "walkway" with the rope was (if coming up 2nd Ave. from Greenfield Ave.). I haven't seen the discharge functional in years, but I haven't been by on boat or foot in at least 7-8 years.

Either way, I think it's worth checking out. There was some great structure around that area, with an incredible long dropoff very close to shore. I need to get over there and investigate but I haven't been too motivated recently. I'd really prefer to check it out by boat.