Lake Wallenpaupack Fishing Report- 11/2/13

Early morning fishing in November at the Pack doesn't get much better.  Although the temps are a little bit nippier in the a.m., all the annoying jet skiers, pleasure boaters, etc. have long packed their bags and gone home for the Winter.  Thank God.

I started out at the State Ramp at 0800.  The weather was cool (45F) but the sun was out and the lake was dead calm.  The water temp was 54F with a slick of pea green soup on top in places.  Before I started fishing, I wanted to run my boat to see how my newly installed jack plate worked.  In short, it was awesome..another 4-5 mph out of the boat with great bow lift.  I was a happy camper.

I was even a happier camper when I caught this Smallie on my 2nd or 3rd cast into the weeds/rocks.  The Smallies have been shallow lately eating up on all the crawfish before Winter.  Kinda like the Squirrels gathering nuts.  Ironically, this was the only fish I caught all morning.  I didn't fish late because I wanted to watch Penn State Football on TV at noon.  I was off the water by 1030-1100.  I didn't care, I was happy.  The boat ran great and I caught a nice chunk.  Fish ON!  Rob

Lake Wallenpaupack Fishing Report- 10/20/13

Bass Fishing at the Pack doesn't get any better than it was this past weekend on Saturday afternoon.  In fact, I'm not sure if it's any better anywhere else in Pennsylvania.  I'm sure it was safe to say that it was the BEST Fall day fishing I've ever had at the Pack on Saturday afternoon.  I'm not talking numbers, I'm talking size...BIG Smallies and BIG Largemouth.  I also said Saturday "afternoon" not Saturday "morning".  If you fished Saturday morning you were met with clear skies, no wind and bright sun.  The air temp was in the high 40s low 50s.  The Pack is one of those body's of water that when it's a bluebird day, like Saturday morning, you're better off doing something else, anything, other than fishing.  It's not that you can't catch a fish on a "bluebird" day at the Pack, it's just that you won't catch that many..zeroing-out is the norm.

I decided to launch the boat from the State Ramp at noon.  I normally launch from Capri because the State Ramp is usually a cluster-F.  I don't mind paying the extra $8 at Capri because sometimes I leave my car/trailer overnight.  I would never leave my car/trailer overnight at the State Ramp.  In fact, one of my friends trucks/boats was broken into one night while my friend was sleeping in the back of the truck.  Do you believe that?  

When I arrived at the ramp the weather was drastically different than the morning.  It was VERY windy and cloudy.  It warmed up a tad, mid to high 50s.  The waves were a good 2 ft. high out on the Lake.  I heard that we were expecting rain that afternoon.  That was good, anything but bright skies and no wind.  Because of the wind, I decided NOT to motor far and to take refuge behind any point/bank I could and start working the bank.  Normally, the upper end of the Lake (dam end) is better fishing in the Fall..at least I think.  I started running the bank with all the fast baits: spinnerbait, crankbait, jerkbait, etc.  Any reaction lure I could throw.  It was too windy, even out of the direct wind, to throw any plastics.  I started throwing the spinner first.  I think I caught my first fish in the first 5 minutes..except it wasn't a bass..it was a big ole Pickerel.  I hooked up 5 minutes later with a nice size Yellow Perch.  Again, no bass, so I switched up baits and started throwin' the crankbait.  Within 10 minutes I hooked up with my first Smallie..a good size one that jumped and spit my bait out of his mouth.   At least it was a Smallie.  Not more than 1/2 hour later I started getting into em good.  The next Smallie took my bait good and started going deep with it and reeling off line on my rod/reel.  I thought it was a catfish because this fish did NOT want to come up.  It wanted to go deep and stay deep.  It was a BIG fish because even with the drag set correctly it was banging my rod against the boat.  I thought the fish was going to break my line.  In fact, I had to loosen the drag it was stripping line so fast.  I only fish with 8 lb. floro on my rods at the Pack.  I think the floro is more invisible underwater than most lines and allows my lures to run deeper.  It's really not the smartest line to be throwing a crankbait on, because if you're working a crankbait correctly you should be crashing into everything..rocks, weeds, etc. and it doesn't take much to abrade or cut the line and take that 8 lb test down to 4 lb test.   Anyway, I landed probably what was the biggest Smallie I ever caught at the Pack.  It was a good 3-4 pounder.  It was so big it could hardly get it's fat a$$ out of the water when I finally got it to the surface.  It acted more like a largemouth.  Not more than 10 minutes later, I caught a BIG largemouth.

In the next couple hours I caught 3 more BIG Smallies and missed another one...but I didn't care.  I was having the best BIG fish day on the Pack than I ever had.  I decided to take the boat out at 3:30 pm because the skies were getting darker and I felt a drop or two of rain.  Plus, I didn't want to ruin the day getting caught out in a storm.

Fish ON!  Rob     

Lake Wallenpaupack Fishing Report- 8/10/13

I caught more BIG fish this weekend then I've caught all year. On second thought, might have been the largest fish I've ever caught at the Pack.  Why?  Who knows.  Well, I take that back.  I threw a new bait this weekend that I haven't thrown in a looooong time. What is it?  Sorry, can't tell you that.  It's TOP SECRET.  If I did tell you, I'd have to shoot you. bwah.

Started out on Saturday morning at zero dark thirty.  Instead of fishing the Dam or Ledgedale end f the lake I decided to fish smack in the middle.  Air temp was 60F, water temp 74F, Overcast, slight breeze out of the Southeast.  I fished mainly the docks and weeds and any boulders/rocks/stumps/trees/etc. I could find.  BTW, if you're NOT doing that..you're not going to catch fish.  Sure, you can beat the bank and catch a rogue fish here and there but statistically you have a better chance of hooking up by fishing structure...any structure. After all, Bass are structure oriented fish.

I caught my first Smallie within a half hour..a nice 2 lb. chunk off the docks.  I moved off the docks and started catching em real good in the weeds.  I caught a 3 pounder within 30 minutes of the first.  Five minutes later I caught probably the largest Smallie I've ever caught at the Pack..it went close to 4 lbs.  I only got a photo of the 3 pounder (above).  I wish I got a photo of the 4 pounder but he/she wiggled out of my hand while I was removing the hook from its mouth.  The fish of the 3 pounder was much larger than what it looks like above.  That's because there is no reference in the background.  Normally, you hold a fish up for a photo in front of your body and you can tell proportionally how big it is.  I kid you not, not more than 10 minutes later I hooked up with another 3 pounder.  The place was on fire.  Good thing I was throwing braid or I don't think I would have landed the fish from the weeds.  I stopped at 0930 because the wakeboard morons were starting to wakeup. (get it wake-up?).  I'd say I had close to 12 pounds with 4 fish..all catch n release by the way.

Sunday morning, bluebird skies, air temp a cool 50F, water temp 72F.  Fishing was SLOW...real slow.  What a difference a day makes.  Maybe the fish were all stressed out from the boat traffic the day before.  Or, the fact that it was a bluebird day and the Wakeboarders and Jetskiers were already out in force by 7am.  I fished the same spots as Saturday to see if the BIG fish were still there.  If they were, they weren't biting.  So, I motored down to Ledgedale and fished there.  I caught a nice Smallie running close to 2 pounds around the docks.  My next fish was a monster..except it wasn't a Bass..it was a Pike/Pickerel or Musky.  To be honest with you, I didn't look at the direction of the stripes to see whether it was a Pickerel or Musky.  From the size, I'd say Musky.  You should have seen the teeth on this bad boy.  I didn't even pull it out of the water..I just grabbed the pliers with the fish next to the boat (still in the water) and removed the hook...trying to save my bait which he ripped the sh$t out of.  I decided to call it a day at 0930.  There were twice as many wakeboard boats and jet skis on the water as Saturday.

All-in-all a good weekend of fishing for sure.  Can't wait to get back.  Fish ON!  Rob

Lake Wallenpaupack Fishing Report- 6/29/13

Fished both Saturday and Sunday mornings with my bro-in-law.  Air Temp in the mid 60s water temp in the mid 70s.  Cloudy skies and breezy on Saturday.  Partly Cloudy skies and less breeze on Sunday.  The water felt warm to touch. 

On Saturday, started out at 0600 from the State Ramp and fished the Dike area.  There were none of the usual baitfishermen around.  Wind was out of the Southeast at 10 mph.  It was too rough to throw the Spook so I threw other Topwaters.  A wave of Smallies came through at 0700 and 0800.  The first wave I caught em good in the 2+ lb. range.  The second wave was smaller, more like 1+ lbs.  Topwater action shut down at 0900 so we moved on to Spinnler Point.  Nothing going on there either.  Had to get off the Lake by 1000 to do some work on the boat trailer.  7 Keepers..around 12 lbs.  Not bad for 3 hrs. work.

On Sunday, started out at 0500 from Goose Pond Cove and fished the Points.  Only caught 1 Smallie on Topwater.  Barely a keeper.  Little to no wind, sun rising.  From there on to the other side of the Lake.  This time no fish at all..no topwater and no below water action.  So, my bro-in-law decided to tie on a small popper and use his fly rod.  Sure enough, a Smallie (pictured above) came out of 6 ft. of water and absolutely hammered the popper.  That was pretty much it for the morning so we got off the Lake at 0900.  The Wave Runners and Wake Board boats were already stirring up the Lake.

Will be back to the Pack by the 4th of July to fish for 4 days straight.  I hope the boat traffic and fireworks don't screw up the fishing.  I can only hope for rain to keep em off the Lake. ha.

Fish ON!  Rob

Lake Wallenpaupack Fishing Report- 6/15/13

Docks and Rocks was the pattern.  Today, Saturday, was a "bluebird day"..a day where you're normally better doing anything else but fishing..at least at the Pack.  That's not to say you can't catch a fish or two..but you're not going to fill-up the livewells- so to speak. 

I started out at 0600, clear skies, slight breeze, 59F.  Water temp was 64F.  Wind was out of the South at 10mph.  I wanted to see if there was a topwater bite so I spent the first hour throwing a Spook, Chug-Bug and Pop-R.  Only a couple takers..just shorts. 

I moved from topwater lures to swimbaits..no takers there either.  Then, after two hours of no legal Smallies caught, I boated my first decent size Smallie..a nice 2 lb. chunk on a tube.  I caught another within 1/2 hour going maybe 2.5 lbs.  I caught a few shorts, panfish, etc. in between.  I noticed all the nice size Smallies were caught near docks and rocks.  I imagine the bigger Smallies were under the docks and not too far from their rocky spawning grounds.  The fish I caught were females.  One had been caught before by the looks of the "ripped" lip.

By 0900 the first of the jet skiers appeared.  Normally, that is the cue for me to get the hell off the lake.  And, that's EXACTLY what I did.  I got off the Lake by 0930. 

Fish ON! Rob

Post Spawn Blues- 6/1/13

If I had a guitar on the boat today..that's what I would have been playing..the Blues..to go along with the lousy fishing.  I can't say the fishing was terrible, because my brother-in-law and I caught 5 legal Smallies..but the fish were barely legal..definitely bucks.  If it was a tournament it would have been 5 fish for 5 lbs.
Bluebird skies, temps in the low 80s, water temps moving up into the high 60s, slight breeze

We started at 0530 from Capri Marina and targeted all the points.  I wanted to see if I could call-up a Post Spawn female with a Zara Spook or some other topwater- reaction bait.  I did see a couple boil-ups..but nothing wanted my Zara Spook regardless of how I worked it (fast, slow, erratic, etc.)  What the Smallies did like, however, was the smaller Pop-R presentation.  And, interestingly, they wanted it shallow..I'm talking 1 ft. of water shallow. 

We fished until 0930 because we couldn't buy a bite from 0900 to 0930..not even a Rocky (Rock Bass) bite.  Although the Lake level is at its highest..and there was a lot of structure (trees/rocks/etc.) on the banks..most of the fish we caught were on/near the pea gravel and or boulders.  The funny thing too is, that the Smallies didn't want any plastic spoon fed to them at all...I'm talking senkos, swim baits, tubes, jigs, bugs, etc. regardless of how they were fished or where they were fished.  They only thing they hit was a jerkbait..and they were swatting at it instead of eating it good.

I'm guessing the Blues will last another week until the Smallies are done their Post-Spawn Blues and the water temps warm up into the low 70s.  When the water reaches the low 70s, the topwater bite begins..at least traditionally for me at the Pack it starts.  If you find the right place, you catch some nice size Smallies..and a lot of em.

Until next time.  Fish ON!  Rob 

Smallie Fishing Lake Erie

I've ALWAYS wanted to fish Lake Erie for Smallies...and why not?  Could it be because the NY and PA Smallmouth Bass record are out of Lake Erie (8 lb. 4 oz.)?  Could it be from the countless articles that speak of 100 fish caught per day in the Spring/Fall?  Or, could it be this years' Bassmaster's Magazine rated Lake Erie as Top 5 Bass Fishery in the World?  Regardless, I needed to see first-hand why this was said to be Smallmouth nirvana/heaven.

I took a week off work and made the 7 hr. drive (at 70 mph, with stops for gas and coffee) from my home in Doylestown, PA to Erie, PA.  A lot of people don't realize that Pennsylvania is that wide.  Well, it is.  I arrived in Erie, PA on a Sunday..the air temps were warm (80ish) and the skies clear.  I decided to spend my first day, scouting out Presque Island Bay and the main lake.  I launched at the West Marine Launch out of Presque Island State Park.  It seemed to be the most popular launch for bass fishermen because it is FREE and it is well protected from the wind.

The Bay was shallow in spots..at least where the bass fishermen were fishing.  I'd say the depths ranged from 1 ft. to 5 ft. in the grassy flats..from the shoreline to the channel.  The main lake was shallow near the shoreline.  You'd have to be at least 400 yds. from the shoreline to safely navigate at speed where the water depth is 10 ft.  Visibility ranges from 15 ft. on a good/clear/calm day to less than 4 ft. on a windy/overcast/post-storm day.  The key to finding fish on the main lake is to find structure..whether it's drop-offs, humps, grass, rock or preferably grass/rock.  I could see BIG Smallies laying on the bottom in 13 ft. of water.  They could NOT however, be coaxed into biting regardless of what I tried or how stealthy I made the presentation.  I guess when you're on a bed/nest and ready to drop eggs, the last thing you want is food dangling in front of you.  There is no doubt in my mind the BIG females were ready to drop their eggs.   The water temp in the main lake was nearing 55F and the full moon is/was on May 25.  BTW, the water temp in Presque Island Bay (PIB) was at least 7-8F warmer than the main lake.

Each day I fished the main Lake in the a.m., making 10+ mile runs down the Northeast coast line.  And, each day I came up empty handed.  I just could NOT catch a thing (other than rock bass, gobies, perch, etc.) regardless of what I threw or what depth I tried.  And, let me tell you, I threw everything but the kitchen sink from 6 ft. of water to 30 ft. of water.  After blanking out on the main lake, I fished PIB where I ALWAYS got into them.  I'd say two guys, who know how to fish, could catch 20-30 nice size Smallies in PIB each day.  And, these Smallies would run from 2-4 pounds.   I didn't catch anything larger than what was pictured...which ran 3+.  I saw perhaps one other fish caught that was closer to 4..but that was it from ANY boat (that I saw) the entire week.  I wanted the 5 or 6 pounder that I heard so much about swimming the waters of Lake Erie..but it was not to be.  That is why I was adamant about fishing the main lake.  I figured I had a better chance of catching a big boy/girl in the main lake than I did in PIB.  After all, I did see some HUGE fish laying on the bottom in 13 ft. of water on the main lake.

All of my fish were caught and released.  They (PA Fish/Boat Commission) say you can keep one this time of year in Lake Erie if it is 20 in. or better.  I never measured any of mine but I'm betting the one photo'd was close to 20 in. 

On a side note, I headed to Lake Chautauqua on one day because the main lake (Erie) had too much wind and the weather forecast was calling for thunderstorms.  Boy did it rain/thunderstorm which is why I only caught two fish on Chautauqua..a nice size LM in a Marina and a decent size Smallie on a  main lake point..but that was it.  A little disappointing to say the least.  I heard/read good things about Chautauqua before fishing it.  In fact, a guy I talked to at a gas station said, "you should have been here yesterday..we killed em".  Story of my life.  But, then again, I read about 100 fish per day in Lake Erie too...this time of year.

All-in-all..a good trip.  Did it live up to the hype?  Heck NO!  Not even close.  Had I known the main Lake was going to shut down like it did for the week, I would have rented a small aluminum boat with a 9.9 hp to fish the PIB.  That's all you needed.  I'm glad I made the trip to Erie though..because I had to check it out for myself.  Will I be back?  Hard to say because I was disappointed.  I guess only time will tell.  There are plenty other Smallie factories that are on my bucket list.  Until then, I'm going to have fun fishing my home Lake...Lake Wallenpaupack...in the 2013 Bassmasters Magazine's top 100 bass fisheries.

Fish ON!  Rob

Lake Wallenpaupack Fishing Report- 5/4/13

Man..if you didn't get out on the water this weekend and fish you probably missed one of the nicest weekends (both weather and fish caught) of fishing you will EVER experience at the Pack.  All three days (Fri-Sun) were bluebird days with highs in the upper 60s low 70s, moderate winds, sunny and warm.  In fact, it felt a LOT warmer than the mercury indicated.

Water temp on the lake varies (by location) from 59-62F depending on where you fished.  I fished from Ironwood up to Capri Marina.  Visibility is about 5-6 ft.  I can't remember the last time the water was this clear.  Perhaps it's because we haven't received much rain/runoff lately.  I don't know for sure.

Both Saturday and Sunday I was out on the Lake btwn 9-10am.  That's the beauty of fishing this time of year.  You don't have to be up at the crack of dawn to take advantage of good Smallie Fishing.  You can catch em all day long.

The bucks are up on the banks fanning out the nests for the big females.  I caught about a dozen smallies each day and 95% of them were bucks up near the beds.  They averaged just a little over a pound.  I caught a couple females that went about 3 pounds.  I can't tell you how many fish I had chase my bait..swipe at it with their tail, etc.

I threw and caught all my fish on a jerkbait.  There are all different types/sizes of jerkbaits but I like the small "jap jerkbaits" because they suspend MUCH better than the others.  According to Bill, of Bills Guide Service, the soft plastics are working well along with spinners.  I didn't even think of changing baits because I absolutely love throwing jerkbaits this time of year.  Probably because I don't throw them any other time of the year at the Pack.

I also watched a guy (and his girlfriend/sister/wife/whatever) catch and boat a 20 lb. Striper.  I believe they were fishing live bait.  When that Striper hit...he hit hard and just ran with the bait.  They caught it in 15 ft. of water with a live minnow off of Briar Hill North Point.  It took them about 5 minutes to land the fish.  They caught it at approximately 3pm.

The weather might not get any better in the upcoming weeks (how can it..this weekend was perfect) but I know the fishing is going to get better.  I predict the next two weeks will be the best times for both quantity and size.  The full moon is on May 25th, and the water is warming up nicely to the mid 60s....a time when the BIGGER female Smallies will move in and spawn.

So, get out there the next two weeks.   FISH ON!  Rob

Lake Level

In case you didn't know, there is a link on the internet to PPL's website showing the current water level at the Pack.  It's www.lakelevelppl.com

Last time I checked, the water level was exactly where it should be this time of year.  The high mark is June at 1187 ft.  So, the water level will be rising another 1.4 ft. in the month of May.  I wish they had a website showing the water temp..that would even be better.

I haven't wetted a line yet but will be FINALLY getting on the Pack this weekend.  The latest report, from Bill of Bill's Guide Service, is that the water temp is nearing 60F and the Smallies (mostly bucks) are active in the flats fanning out nesting sites for the females that are staging in the deeper depths.  The full moon is on May 25th, so the females will be moving up in the next couple weeks.  The females usually lay their first load of eggs on the full moon when the water temp reaches the mid-60s.  It's not gospel, but it's a good benchmark.  If you're a veteran fisherman, you know there are NO RULES in fishing.  But, the general rule (which includes the Pack) is that bass will spawn on or near the full moon when the water temp reaches 65F.  Fishing seems to be good, from what Bill tells me, from Ledgedale to the Dam.  I like to target the Ledgedale end of the Lake in the Spring because the water warms up faster and it always seems like there is less boat traffic since the majority of the boats on the lake launch from either the State Ramp at the Dam or Capri Marina (mid Lake).

I'll give my first report this weekend.  Until then, FISH ON!  Rob 

The Mayfly in April

Well, they call em Mayflys but they are out in BIG numbers around the Pack in April.  Thousands of the fockers.  I opened the Lake House front door this a.m. and I kid you not at least 50 of em flew inside.  I don't remember them EVER being this bad in the 40+ yrs. I've been coming up to the Pack.  Maybe that's because we used to avoid coming up during this time of year because of the bugs.  I'm sure if they are bad at my house they are worse down at the water..especially if there isn't a breeze/wind to keep em grounded.

I'm not so sure the Mayfly is a regular in the Smallie diet.  Maybe the trout, but not the Smallie.  At least in the Lake.  Why?  If you were a Smallie and you had a choice of a stinking fly or a nice meaty crawfish/crayfish or threadfin shad..what would you choose?  I'm not saying a Smallie won't eat a Mayfly it's just that given a choice..I'm sure they'd prefer the larger meal..especially since the water is warming up and their body metabolism is picking up.  Smallies probably eat these Mayflys like we eat mints when leaving a restaurant after a big steak dinner.

Enough of the Mayfly.  I haven't dropped a line in the Pack yet this year, but my friend, Bill Albright, and full-time Guide on the Pack is actually out on the water today with a client.  I'll get the fishing report tonight.  Yesterday was a beautiful 70F day at the Pack.  I'm sure the warmer temps warmed up the water and fired up the Smallies a tad.  I know it fired up the Mayfly.  (Sorry, the Mayfly again).  Anyway, I'm guessing the water temp is in in the low 50s.  I will post a fishing report when I hear from Bill.

I probably won't start fishing until the weekend of May 4th.  Fair weather fisherman?  Yes and No.  Yes, because it's still not warm enough at 0700 for me to go fishing (which is the time I usually head out) and No, because I know we're not even close to the Peak Smallie fishing time in the Spring at the Pack.  I'm guessing mid-May will be peak Smallie activity.  Guess we'll see.  Until later.  Fish ON!  Rob

In like a Lion..out like a Lamb

So, the idiom says...March is in like a Lion and out like a Lamb.  However, this year..it's a little bit bassackwards.  March has been more like "in like a Lamb and out like a Lion."  As I'm watching snow pile up in the driveway of my Lake House.  Well, at least compared to last year.  Last year by mid-March we had at least three 70F days and no trace of snow.  This year, I don't think we had three 55F days...and there's been snow on the ground for some time.  I'm not complaining.  I've enjoyed my weekends at the Pack this past Winter.  What's not to like if you're like me and you love the snow.  There's been snow on the ground since December..albeit no more than an inch or two at times.  What I also like about the Pack in the Winter..is NO PEOPLE!  No lines in the restaurants or stores, no noise during the day or at night.  It's the way I like it...QUIET!

 

For those of you that don't like the snow or ice..no fretting.  The ice will be off the Pack in 2-3 weeks.  I know it doesn't seem like it..but it will be..if history repeats itself.  Ice off means one thing and one thing only..and that is SMALLIE FISHING!  Yeah, yeah, I know you can ice fish..and I saw them out on the ice with their ATVs this Winter.  But, drilling a hole in the ice, sitting on a bucket, and dropping a line straight down in the hole in freezing temps is not my idea of fun.  Although the ice is clear in the beginning of April, I normally don't head out onto the Pack until the end of April and the start of May.  Therefore, my first fishing report probably won't be for another month.

 

Until then, this is a good time to start gathering your equipment, re-spooling your reels, etc.  If you need to buy something..buy it now before the shelves are picked clean.  I bought a new Goretex rainsuit at BPS in Baltimore and got close to $100 off in sales and discounts.   I also got some great lures to try out.

 

This year, I'm headed to Lake Erie for some World Class Smallie Fishing.  I'll be posting daily blogs from Erie.  I hope I have some Lunker Photos to share.

 

Talk to you in a few weeks.  Fish ON!  Rob