Good to know, but I never caught very many Smallies up there in the past.
Mostly Walleye in the hay days.
Lower Shenango in Sharpsville is loaded with Smallies mostly 10-15" but 15-25 fish days can be had in a few hours. How about that Hamburg stretch on upper Shenango ? I've never spent much time up that way. Never fished Greenville on down river either.
Access seems almost impossible from shore.   

The alarm on my phone woke me at 2:00, playing the theme song from "Fishing With Bill Dance" and I immediately tapped my favorite weather app "The (stupid) Weather Channel".  The report was excellent, no rain and little to no wind forecast for the day so it was off to hook the Fish Hawk.  I'm guessing it was just shortly past 3:00 when I backed the trailer into the water at a place where the "ramps don't meet the docks" (sorry; no spot burning today) and gently set the Hawk afloat.
 
The air was warm and humid along with the water looking like glass and strangely, I was hearing, (over and over) the words of a wise and very successful angler.... "BTDT, find the brushpiles in 12 ft water".  Those words were energizing as I set my plans for the day and so having, activated a special feature on my sonar/GPS, I set course for places unknown.  At this time I should like to say; thank goodness for quick menu's and "easy to navigate" instructions with these new sonar/GPS units as I'm sure, it would have taken me longer then the 40 minutes required,  to activate that special feature.
 
My first location, just past an overhead object and to the left, was a bay where I began making circles, each being wider all the while, eyes glued to the screen of my sonar/GPS.  Circle after circle, after circle; suddenly in an area one would never have expected, just feet from shore a huge log submerged in 12+ feet of water.   A word to the wise at this time, if I may; it is not a good thing to cut the main motor and dash to the bow of your boat to deploy ones trolling motor after having just made many, many, circles all going in the same direction just because, little fishy pictures appear on ones sonar/GPS.  I would like to recommend, from experience, to remain in the drivers seat until ones balance stabilizes.
 
Now, I know it will be hard to believe but, (after having regained my balance) I tossed a jig into the water giving a few cranks on the reel then letting the jig fall and as I watched I saw the line had stopped going under water.  Raising the rod tip quickly but without force, I felt the weight of a hooked fish.  Can you believe "I" caught a fish, yep I caught a real fish and with my first cast, and it was a Crappie to boot.(eat your heart out Marco)
 
But as luck would have it, seconds after releasing the fish, I heard the horrible sound of a big motor pushing a big boat being piloted by some old hairy guy out strutting his stuff on the water.  Even worse, the boat stopped just a few hundred yards to my starboard, out came the wake board followed by a person who couldn't get out of the water using the board which required many, many, many stops and starts.  Of course we could not just "ease around" returning to allow for another try, nooooooooooo we had to cut the wheel as hard as we could while jamming the throttle full ahead making all the kids in the bow scream weeee, woooooo, yeaaaaaa as, they got their chills and thrills.
 
No need to say I moved on, once again searching for "a" elusive fish but alas.......... to no avail!   Soooo, by now, having been on the water for 5 hours (still using the special feature on the sonar/GPS) and the sun now setting with thunder clouds looming, I chose to put the Fish Hawk back on her bunks and call it it a day and a beautiful day it was and yes, I did have fun.
 
In closing; just let me say, as they say in the old country........  "we'll get em next time"!
 
Stupid fish!

BTDT ..... Yes like Captain says .... But seriously you should be writing novels .....but I would like to get the first autographed book free bud 😜🍺

Thanks guys and Chauncy I'll get it, one of these days............  Honest.
 
Anybody got a good remedy for an earworm, I keep hearing the same song over and over again.  https://youtu.be/OjvjhE5Oh9U?t=1
 
 
PS. Mopars, You got it!
 
PSS.  I still had fun...............

CAPTAIN HOOK
Finally fished Shenango a few hours tonight and blew the dust off the boat. It's been awhile.......
Wish I had a fish story but once again Shenango strikes me out. Just can't find those big Stripers anymore. To make an evening worse got back to the Mahaney launch and the main launch light is burned out ! Anybody know a contact number to let them know please post or call. Seems nobody checks those lights very often. Seen this problem before here. Water level is down and lake is not very clear, nice calm night though.

                                                                                  
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Don't know if this number will get you anywhere or not....... (724) 962-7746 

You are very welcome Captain and I am happy to hear you got the cobwebs blown off that boat of yours.  No fish  for you on this excursion but I'll bet there were lots of memories and pictures that flashed through your mind's eye as you botor moated around on the Shenango.
 
I know next to nothing about fishing for Striper [ made me say that] but I'll continue to learn and look forward to setting my first hook then hanging on, for a good time of tight line.  I have to think the 80+ degree water temperature along with the continuous change in the level has got to have a something to do with the fish being sooo finicky.
 
If one could find a area of deep water in the lake where cooler water is feeding in through a spring and/or having a high oxygen content one would think they died and went to angler's heaven.  Weeds would also be a plus as they provide oxygen as well as cooler waters..... umm sorry forgot we are fishing PA. lakes where such things as weeds are taboo.
 
Unfortunately for me I can't even find a stupid "brush pile" in 12 ft of water, mainly because, the wood is too far below the surface of the lake and I am unable to hit it with my prop.
 
Lastly but not leastly, I thought of fishing Shenango last eve but having failed my past two attempts () I chose to stay home and do stupid stuff around the house.  Sorry I missed you but there will be another time and better fishing soon...... 
 
 
 
 

To add to the captain there... LIGHTEN YOUR DRAGS!  If you crank down your drags and you hook into a big wiper he will break you off on his first run.  I learned this lesson a while back and have used light drag settings on my panfish gear ever since.  When my bobber went under last year on a 6lb mono rig with a 1000 series spinner on a ML rod, I was glad I did.  At hookset he screamed out half my line, but that allowed me to fight him.  6lb+ wiper in the net.  

.....and I thought I was finally going to hear a fish story on Shenango 
 
Don't feel bad we hit the lake on Mon. and I think all the fish got sucked into the river !
One little Perch and one Sunfish. Grandson showed us up ! Even had a horse shoe cloud above us for good luck ! 

Captain Hook III

Thanks' John , I got to admit Shenango's been tough fishing this season. Seems to be a lot of baitfish all over the lake.....that's my excuse ! LOL..... 

Shenango in October
 



Nice sky but no fish ! Another skunk
 

Fished Shenango this morning with grandson and a least we had some action for a change !
We landed about a dozen fish , mostly Smallmouths and Largemouths under 10", but the bobbers were constantly disappearing for the first 20 minutes or so with minnows.
 
Then the fish must have went out for lunch so we did too !

Gone Fishin ! 
 

There back.......?  Who knows must be my computer !

This was not my best week to take my last vacation week of the year. Started on Sunday on Lake Chautauqua in N.Y.; miserable conditions due to high winds. Simply could not take advantage of the wind, (even with the drift sock), to slow down enough for walleye presentations. Then me and the boys headed for the Niagara River at Lewiston, N.Y. Stayed in the Arkpark Hotel, (great rates), and went out on the river for 8 hours on Monday. We were blown up river against the 5 mph current of the river, making presentation really tough. Didn't want to brave going out to the bar with that wind; it would have been a lost cause. No fish except for a couple bass. Was gonna do it again Tues., but when we got up in the morning, the forecast was 15-30mph winds, cold, rain and possible snow showers. We fired up the Jeep and brought the boat down to Tionesta, where we'd never fished before in the reservoir. Guess what? Wind!!, (and only a few small perch). Wednesday, I helped the boys down at Freeport when we met the PA Fish Commission truck with 1400 Muskie fingerlings that the boys stocked in two trips. (Most of those muskies were 10" or better). Soooo, that made Friday our best fishing day weather wise, so me and my youngest put 8 hours on Shenango with my boat yesterday. We put in at Clark at the Corp launch by the bridge. (There were docks there in the morning; gone when we came back at 4:00PM). Couldn't believe the clouds of bait fish and other bait balls everywhere suspended at 10'-15' over the 22'-25' bottom, with some very large hooks down near the bottom, but we couldn't buy a hit. We managed a couple of bass and two channel catfish, one of which made me question the integrity of my Cabela's 7' 1/2" IM7 rod, as it was bent into a U and creakin' in the reel seat, but it held. Here's hopin' for more warm weather in the coming month.

Got out on the Allegheny this evening for a couple of hours. The river is high and runnin' fast. One little walleye on the first drift; a few other bites, and snag after snag. They must be lettin' the reservoirs down; I know Tionesta was up over normal pool by at least 10 feet Tuesday when we were there, as we noticed quite a few trees with their bases in 4 or 5 feet of water. Maple trees don't grow in water! We're gonna be on for either Shenango or Chautauqua again this weekend comin', weather permittin'.