If you do a prop guard and what Mitch said about trimming up you should be good in shallower areas. But going through rapids like the jet boats do, I would be surprised if anyone cloud do with a prop. Some of those flows are faster than my barge can be pushed by my severely underpowered outboard.

If you lived on the Upper Allegheny or even Yough, or decided those would be 90% of your fishing, a jet boat would be awesome. You need to power up a good bit too, since the jet props take up something like 20% of the power.

Porktown
I will give that a shot.  I don't have any Zman flukes, but do have some Zooms that seem to get hit at times using as jerkbaits.  I did get two okay fish, one probably 14"er and another a little smaller.  Also got a few small rock bass too...  When using senkos (dingers), I get some 10"ers, but most are 12"+.  But far less strikes.  So, I guess a give and take.  I was debating to ned rig a dinger.

The thing with those Zman baits is the way they float. A zoom fluke will behave a little differently on the ned jig than the Zman fluke style bait. Similar, but not quite the same. Not sure how much difference it makes, but the way those Zman baits always try to try return to that upright position is unique.

I also just love that black and gold color for the clear water rivers. It’s natural, but it’s visible at the same time.

I also notice that there are the kind of spots where the bass are all 15-18s and then there are spots where the average is 10-12 or less. Baits make a difference, but habitat seems to be almost more important. The big ones are always near some heavier current. In my experience anyway.

Yeah, those things are worthless without some sort of weight. I tried to drift one weightless before and not surprisingly, didn’t work very well…. Makes sense they would make better Ned baits. I have some ZMan craws as well that I need to give a go. Also a bunch of the diesel minnow swim baits. Those are excellent in saltwater and have had some strikes in freshwater fished as well, but don’t use often enough. Only soft plastic that I have ever caught multiple bluefish without having to change it out. Those things destroy lures.

I haven’t noticed any sort of pattern with the bigger ones. Half of the times that I get any over 15”, they are in somewhere that I am casting randomly on my way to another better looking spot. Although my largest smallmouths have been in rather fishy looking spots.

pensfan1

CTKsnowman

pensfan1
As of right now, looking like Saturday's wind might be the best for the Big Lake. Like I said, for right now. NOAA is more bi-polar than one of my daughters. 🙄😆

Yeah I fish the east end of Erie (Barcelona, Dunkirk) Saturday and Sunday say 0.3 wave height for now....
I also heard the bugs are emerging, I might have to focus on slow trolling with the butterfly rigs.

In other news: I spent an hour cleaning the river scum off my boat yesterday, that stuff was nasty.  
 

Flat lining Hot n Tots and Bandits in thatsub 25FOW could be the game. Theyr slaughtering them at Ashtabula at night, 10FOW. Hoping for water temps around 65° 66° for Saturday. Last I looked it was 62° off Erie.

In the last two weeks, I've made it up Erie three times.  The shallow bite doesn't seem to be happening this year.  I've caught a total of 4 eyes in those three trips.  Talking to other boats, it seems the 40-50 FOW is the hot spot right now. Maybe you will have better luck. 
 
Although it has been a banner year for big sheepshead.  Many 8-10 pounders.  Fun to catch.

Ugh. Thanks for tha tip Jerry.

EMitch
Yeah, it's a swim bait. The head of it kinda looks like the rounded end of a shovel handle, w/eyeballs, gill fins, and a very long tail. No paddle on the end, but the rubbery tail swishes side to side. This was one of his larger ones; it also has a big spinner in front of the head. They range in size from about 6" up to 18" or so. He has Musky stick baits as long as a 15" sucker. Those baits are horribly expensive; in the $100 plus range. That's why I don't target Muskies. Too danged expensive for me.

A 100$?? Holy smokes.

I had a period where I caught around 10 over 2 summers or so casting big big baits for bass. Like Snag said earlier, seemingly a right place right time with em. 

I'm inspired though to go back to my roots for July 4 weekend - going Mister Twisters and jigheads on one rod, and drowning some worms on another I guess. In between drinking either some Bud Light Lime, White Claws or Coronas, and wrangling a 2 year old - I'm sure I'll be the next to post a Musky picture right?

pensfan1
Ugh. Thanks for tha tip Jerry.

My fishing is all on the east side (Lampe to North East).  The west side (i.e. Walnut) is definitely a better fishery, so if that is your destination, your luck may be better.  I don't have the patience to launch out of Walnut.

JerryS

pensfan1
Ugh. Thanks for tha tip Jerry.

My fishing is all on the east side (Lampe to North East).  The west side (i.e. Walnut) is definitely a better fishery, so if that is your destination, your luck may be better.  I don't have the patience to launch out of Walnut.

Having a smaller boat enables me to use the old ramp. We will probably go outta Walnut, but you have me considering Shades. I usually don't start going up there till middle of next month. We'll see how it shakes out. I'm thinking of starting around noonish and hitting it hard till late evenging. 🤔

Porktown
If you do a prop guard and what Mitch said about trimming up you should be good in shallower areas. But going through rapids like the jet boats do, I would be surprised if anyone cloud do with a prop. Some of those flows are faster than my barge can be pushed by my severely underpowered outboard.

If you lived on the Upper Allegheny or even Yough, or decided those would be 90% of your fishing, a jet boat would be awesome. You need to power up a good bit too, since the jet props take up something like 20% of the power.

Unless you stick to Oil City pool, running a prop outboard is a very bad idea. USGS gauge in Frankin was 3.28 Saturday afternoon, and you had to watch some areas...its currently 2.92.  
 
We use a Mercury 65 HP jet, but it I'm almost certain it would be rated as 90 hp with prop. 

psu_fish
Unless you stick to Oil City pool, running a prop outboard is a very bad idea. USGS gauge in Frankin was 3.28 Saturday afternoon, and you had to watch some areas...its currently 2.92.  
 
We use a Mercury 65 HP jet, but it I'm almost certain it would be rated as 90 hp with prop. 

I think my next boat will have a jet outboard. I feel like I'm missing out on some good spots up north.