Full day Saturday on Arthur.  Water started 72 degrees @ 8:30am and finished around 76.  The lake is at least a foot high, maybe a foot and a half.  Fish were all busty somewhere else I guess... worst outing in quite a whole for us.  Handful of bluegills and 4 perch, only one decent one.  Lake was choppy and packed to the gills with sailboaters.  Nothing better than seeing a fricking sail boat anchored in front of shore brush you'd like to fish.  Idiots.  
 
Threw my net way down in Porter's Cove because I was crazy bored.  Caught 57lbs of weeds, a dozen or so baby bluegills and one baby bass.  That was fun to clean up.  
 
Met psu_fish at the launch, always nice to see board members out there.  Hope you did better than us.  
 
Pork I found that 8' net.  Yours if you want it.  Next time you are up North drop me a line and I'll meet you somewhere.  
 
Two weeks until I get to go out again.  If we get some decent cool weather I might be tempted to hit Wilhelm for some crappies.  If it keeps raining though I'll just stay home.  

python73
Full day Saturday on Arthur.  Water started 72 degrees @ 8:30am and finished around 76.  The lake is at least a foot high, maybe a foot and a half.  Fish were all busty somewhere else I guess... worst outing in quite a whole for us.  Handful of bluegills and 4 perch, only one decent one.  Lake was choppy and packed to the gills with sailboaters.  Nothing better than seeing a fricking sail boat anchored in front of shore brush you'd like to fish.  Idiots.  
 
Threw my net way down in Porter's Cove because I was crazy bored.  Caught 57lbs of weeds, a dozen or so baby bluegills and one baby bass.  That was fun to clean up.  
 
Met psu_fish at the launch, always nice to see board members out there.  Hope you did better than us.  
 
Pork I found that 8' net.  Yours if you want it.  Next time you are up North drop me a line and I'll meet you somewhere.  
 
Two weeks until I get to go out again.  If we get some decent cool weather I might be tempted to hit Wilhelm for some crappies.  If it keeps raining though I'll just stay home.  

I wish I could give a better report, but we had a pretty slow day on the lake. I got a surprise Smallmouth way in shallow in a spot I have caught largemouth before.  Was around a 15/16 incher, tried to get photo and quick measure, but he wiggled his way out of the boat. So that was cool to get a good size smallmouth on Arthur. Hit bunch of other spots, my buddy got a nice 17inch largie on the McDaniel's side. We missed a few on top water and in the lily's. I had a smaller largemouth get unbuttoned on a perch colored Shap Rap along the bank near Bear Run as we were fishing our way back in.
 
Hoping once the water gets into the mid 60s, the fishing turns on. I think I kinda maybe have an idea on what to do when the bass get the fall feed bag on? Been rough learning curve on this lake for me.
 
My favorite is the rental canoes and yaks that see you fishing in a cove, and proceed to paddle between your boat and the shoreline, total oblivious to the fact you are whipping a lure with hooks. As far as the sailboats, part of me wanted to get into the formation they had, and join in for a few laps. Some were doing circles, others were going straight across the lake, flip around and go right back to where they started.

Porktown
I noticed those things at Bear Run at the end of July.  It looked like they had started it a few weeks prior.  I have no idea what they are for?  Hopefully kayak launching. 

 
I didn't realize that Bear Run pier ever had safety rails.

Yeah, the safety rails were great because I could trust the kids to be up there fishing and have a place to not only thing that rods but also not go tumbling down the rocks. They were designed to be handicap-accessible, so I don't know if this means they've given up on that or not.

Those little cement piers are strange. I wonder if they did them to stop erosion. When you go down on them you notice that they actually jammed small trees into them sticking out into the water! Plus they built a new walkway right above them.

That’s just great!

Summer's last horrah the next few days.  Long term forecast is looking fishtastic!!!  A few weeks until the circus hits Erie, too cold for the average kayaker & paddle boarder and the fish start feeding.  What a bummer the boat rental is closed at the end of September too...  

Nice Cat....great smile !

Glad yinz liked it John.  
 
Probably be heading there again tomorrow afternoon.  
 
My older offspring got 3 pike on the fly today with his buddy at Conneaut.  Haven't seen any pics yet though, so not sure I believe him 

That was a good sunset sky Sat. glad you shared it. I wasn't in a good area to enjoy the whole sky line but it looked nice.   

This week looks great for setting up the fall transition.  Is heading out this weekend jumping the gun though?  Boat rentals are still open, warm enough for that last kayak/paddle board trip, and would guess not enough photos of jacks to be sending the circus to Erie yet.  I would imagine fish are in transition, rather than fall pattern, so likely frustrating finding them.  But man, the weekend forecast just looks so nice right now!!!  Too nice to do work around the house that I have been pushing off all summer, being "too hot"...  Ha, ha.  Probably best to catch up on the honey do list, but not sure if I have the will power!!!

Ha, ha.  Sam's tub better be just getting started for the year!  That thing will be able to get where most boats can't, Perchville!
 

Seeeee I told ya, them 'yakers' luvs autumn leaves, on the water.

Not that I blame em.... mind ya.😎

"MOI"..... make fun of someone using a bobber. [snicker]

Porktown
Hopefully lifting some perch! I’m all about lifting as many that will fit in my cooler!!! Can’t wait. Going to try using a popping cork this year. Just so you guys don’t make fun of me using a bobber! Usually a good pop will help the bite. Maybe some additional commotion of a popping cork will help?

I think that will work good on gills too. I ve found them to be curious little buggers.

Pork are you talking about using saltwater popping corks?  The kind you'd use for reds and trout if we weren't landlocked away from real fishing?  I've used those before on Arthur with small bluegills and shrimp under them.  And even with 'wives.  Cats and bass will take them but didn't seem to increase hits for me.  Just a heavier bobber for the bait to lug around.  Haven't tried with a minnow for pans but I'm skeptical about them pulling that bobber down.  Bit big and floaty for that.  

Balsa slip bobbers. Plastic is OK just not as sensitive to the lite bite.

Just enough weight to take the minnow down yet allow the float to remain flat. Slightest bite gonna stand that sucker up (that would be the bobber... ya hogs)

Minnow head on a a jig to the bottom directly under the rod tip. Move the rod tip up no more than a inch or two. Watch your line where it enters the water as you lower the rod tip, watch for ripples. 1. Ripples mean set the hook. If no fish. 2. You created the ripples dropping your rod tip too fast. Slow down with your presentation. 3. No hits, move your rod a foot or so one way or another. FYI, hold the fishing rod tip at 11:00 o'clock, for starting.

Always, always keep a tight line using a jig. Vertical jigging, you should lower the line just till slack appears indicating the jig is on the bottom (or hitting habitat). Begin by "slowly" picking the rod tip up an inch or two. Drop the rod tip in the same manner, stopping at first sign of slack. (90% of the hits occur when the bait is falling). Slack means you're back on the bottom or a bite has occured.

Always lift the rod tip slowly and feel for weight unless of course you know a strike has occured in which, it's time to rip some lips.

Here's the deal. If the fish hit your slow presentation with aggression then be aggressive. However, fishing aggressively ain't gonna reveal the subtle bite. So fish slowly at first and if you're not catching fish and think you are fishing too slow, then you need to slow down.(as in slow down)

We have all fished over stacked fish and come up with every excuse as to why we were not catching. When in fact, presentation was the problem. (orrr ya got my kinda luck (stupid fish))

It is well substantiated, 10% of the fisherman catch 90% of the fish.

We've either been part of or, heard the story. Joe was fishing right beside me using the same bait and Joe caught all the fish.


Now that being said, should your bobber rig produce good fish..... SCREW the jigging..... 10-4??