I'll check it out tomorrow ............thanks John

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...... 
 
 
 
 

Yes that number worked, light will be checked out......thanks again.
 
 
Shenango did and still does have some of the largest hybrid Stripers to be caught statewide. They seemed to have peaked about 5-7 years ago as far as steady catches.
They average over 8 lbs. on up to 15lbs. with a 18lber or larger being possible. They are a hybrid so they must be stocked yearly to maintain good numbers. They are fantastic powerful fighters and seem to never quit the battle. They don't jump, just strip line fast and burn your drag while surging for deeper water! There is no mistaking them once they are hooked. Many fishermen believe they have hooked into a large Musky and lost it , when in fact it was probably a 10 lb. Striper. 
 
I personally think they are the best stocking decision made by our Fish Commission for inland lakes like Shenango and Author . They opened new life into a nearly dead lakes. Just can't figure why the numbers seemed to have dropped the past years. I along with my local fishing friends release about 99 % of all caught. They just fight too hard to kill and not let someone else enjoy that fantastic experience. I don't condemn people who keep them just realize they are a hybrid and don't reproduce on their own. 
 
I know one thing if you have never caught a large Hybrid Striper (Wiper) you need to put that game fish on your fishing bucket list. They are like a mix of fast running Steelhead, Smallmouth attitude , injected with steroids ! LOL....something like that.  I've caught a lot of different species and these Hybrids are right on top of the list for overall power fighting.

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.  

Okay, yinz know how I don't care for "spot burning" so I tried being hush hush about a trip to the Shenango River Reservoir this past week.  But, I had so much fun I just can't help myself and I just gotta tell ya about it.  In fact I had so much fun I had to sit on my hands to keep from blowing the boat horn and, waving to everybody. 
 
It was a "Bluebird Day" when I launched, using the ramp at the park entrance and I was very excited to see the docks still in the water. 
 
Wanting to inspect some great looking structure and other habitat I found using my sonar/GPS on a previous trip I set sail, once I figured out how to program the numbers, using the "quick menu" that gives access to a ton of other menus from which I had to guess (many times) where to plug in my numbers.  
 
I am delighted to say, the sonar/GPS did  take me back to those areas unfortunately just not directly to where the little pictures said they were.  However, upon switching from GPS to sonar followed by many many tight circles, I was able to relocate what appeared to be the same pictures indicating I had found my destination even though, the GPS was saying the pictures I was looking for, is 70 feet in another direction.
 
How fun is that, and fun I did have, until having fished for several minutes (about an hour) when I realized the pictures of structure and other habitat lacked the pictures............ of little fishes.  Stupid fish!!
 
 
 
Ohhhhhhh welll..... we'll get 'em next time.  
 
I hope.
 
 

.....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

Great picture of your family Brock and I can't say as I ever saw a cloud shaped like a horseshoe.   It is said "it's never to late" so maybe I should start looking in the sky to change my luck, instead of a sonar/GPS thingy hoping to get lucky, and catch some stupid fish.

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..... 

And I'm sticking to it!!!  Ha haa.       I believe there has been many more Bluebird days this year allowing for the much warmer water we are seeing and i think it is sending the fish deep.  I'm sure with so much bait fish there has been many frenzy feedings in the cover of darkness.
 
Good thing about the extended and somewhat warmer water,  survival rate should be better and fish, so it is said, grow faster in warmer waters.  Maybe we'll see an increase in them 'eyes and wipers come next year.  That is if the PFBC has stocked any in Shenango.

Shenango in October
 



Nice sky but no fish ! Another skunk