Arthur Report

Congrats. Those huge channels make for some huge smiles on kids faces. I can't say they put one on mine all of the time, but put up a great fight and not bad in the fryer... Can't really ask for much more. That snotty residue left on your line is kind of strange stuff though.

Wirenut, that is a great idea. Although I use braid, and would get kind of expensive... Will have to start tying leaders on more. Those frustrate me, since I always have one fail, especially if retrying one at 2am.

I did too for about 3-4 years. Then my cousin proved to me, that tying directly to the braid didn't seem to make any difference for the fish I mostly target. I rarely fish clear water too. The issues that I had with my leader material (fluorocarbon) was line breaking at the hook knot. Likely from trying to tied to fast and not properly lubracating.

Almost always Palomar, when using bare hook and most lures.  I use different loop knots when fishing jigs (not sure of names), but those rarely fail (since most fish aren't big enough...).  I've pretty much given up on leaders when pan fishing too.  Especially fishing in structure.  I can usually pull (bend) my jig hook free with braid.  It most likely is my drag setting.  I like to keep tighter when fishing wipers (which is most of my knot failures), so they don't wear themselves out to death.  With straight braid connection, I have pulled many more hooks that I'd likely avoid if I loosened my drag a bit.  I'd rather them get away with alive, than release too stressed out to recover.  Although, never happy when they get away, especially with a lip ring...
 
I haven't found the abrasion to be an issue, but don't musky fish, and rarely fish the rivers or other area with many rock snags.  If targeting pike or in salt water, I always us a heavy mono or fluro leader.  

Took my boys to Arthur for the evening yesterday.  The panfish and dink largemouth were abundant.  
 
My 12 year old caught the biggest channel cat of his life on a cut bluegill - around 30" with a big fat belly.    Had a couple other runs on cut gills that we missed.  My 6 year old caught an 8" wiper, which he was really excited about since big brother has never caught one.  
 
Was surprised to not see more boats and shore fishermen than we did.  There was a quick storm that tracked just north of the Muddy Creek arm around 5:45 but even before that, there weren't too many out in that area.  Beautiful weather for fishing.  
 
I fished for wipers Friday night on my own.  Not much happening till about 12:30.  I've never seen so many boats and people on the lake at night before.  Had 2 brief hookups between then and 1:15.  Somebody said something about a wiper tournament this week, so guess that might have had something to do with the crowds.  

Good link Pork.  
 
I see the Bantam Jeep Fest is coming up this weekend.  We were traveling to and from Youngstown, OH last year for a baseball tournament the weekend of the Jeep Fest, and 422 was gummed up in both directions from the Rt. 8/Main St. Butler exit out to Coopers Lake all weekend, with Friday evening being the worst.  
 
Big Butler Fair is July 1-9 this year and that always creates some gridlock in the evenings.  

Haha, nope!  
 
Soon as we got there Friday evening for the first round game, we got pounded with one of the worst thunderstorms I've ever been in.  Grabbed dinner; turned around and headed back home to Saxonburg.  We got a hotel somewhere near Y-Town though for Saturday night.  No trophy for making it to the quarterfinals.  However, the legendary Old Dog/Rap met up with me to catch some ball games in his backyard and talk that Saturday, so it was all worth it.  

NEVER plan anything outdoors in Western PA during the week of the 3 Rivers Arts Festival.
 
Never.

I was at Arthur today......well almost.My neighbor docks his pontoon at the pay to stay marina and we went to put it in for the season today. We stopped at Rodgers Rifle Rod and Reel for minnies. I'm standing there shooting the breeze with Mike while he's loading my minnow bucket.Another guy comes walking up with a minnow bucket and says "Hey you're trucks on fire!" Sure enough my neighbor's Trailblazer is ablaze under the hood. I ran down and I lifted the hood and threw 3 dozen minnows at the fire. Still going. Mike hands me a fire extinguisher and I put it out. I figured the chipmunks had built a nest and sure enough they had moss PACKED in right below the firewall on top of the bellhousing.I cleaned their nest out and the truck fired right up.We launched his boat and took it out for a quick blast to make sure she was running good. We decided to cut our losses and come home. Maybe next weekend.

FishinGuy
Are there bazillions of cicadas flying around at Arthur (moraine sp)? Wanna go up for my first father's day, but would rather not traumatize my wife.

I haven't seen any the couple of times I've been there in the past month or so.  I live a little south of Butler and have not seen or heard a single one this summer.  Think they're mostly south and east of Pittsburgh from what I've heard.  
 
And congrats on your first Father's Day!

Had a great day. And boated my first legal eye from Arthur. 20". Not where our how I would have expected to catch it, but I'll take it for sure!

If you're taking a walk back the road from the Old 422 parking lot towards Muskrat Cove campground, be on the lookout for a mama bear with young unz.  I ran into 'em Sunday night back that way fishing for wipers, just off the road in the woods towards the lake.  Got a little bluff charge from mama.  
 
Glad to report that my waders cleaned up just fine.  
 
The wiper fishing was pretty slow in that area and up around Muddy Creek while I was there - about 11 PM till 1:15.  Very few wipers busting.  Small pockets of active alewives, but pretty quiet for the most part.  
 
Yesterday evening my 6 year old caught his first channel cat in the Muddy Creek area, so that was pretty fun.  Even the bluegills and small bass were slow with the hot sun and high water temps.  

Nothing beyond the normal weeds and lily pads that I've noticed in the shallower areas.  Still lots of areas to wade/fish from shore without messing with that stuff.  

Thanks for the replies fellas, guess ill have to head up and give it a shot, i aint scared of some weeds,just making sure it was still fishable