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I fished the Harrisburg section of the Susky today, 8-31-12, from a canoe launching near the Rockland Bridge. I use to fish this region a lot over 10 years ago when smbass populations were much higher. Fishing was crazy-good. Back then I had many outstanding trips there, 20+ fish in mid/upper teens… then the population crashed bigtime and I haven’t been back since the early 2000s. Today was the first time I have been back since then.
Not a lot has changed since the crash. I fished just above the Rockland Bridge for 4 hours. I caught 2 smbass, 15”&17” and missed two more of similar size. The water was quite clear and I could easily see bottom in 6+ feet of water as well as any fish that may have been swimming there. I saw baitfish every where, schools of them, 1” up to 5” long. No shortage of food there. Yet I saw only 3 or 4 adult smbass, plus the two I caught and two that I missed. I should have seen dozens. They still aren't there in the numbers of a decade or more ago.
I was fishing a 4” soft plastic minnow on/near the surface, opening night, on a weightless exposed hook. All 4 fish that hit my lure hit it savagely. There was no pussy-footing around the lure and no long look-overs of my presentation. They laid right into the lure without any hesitation. I sure had there been additional smbass in the area then they would have hit hard too.
I’ll attach a few pics of the fish and the area.
Not a lot has changed since the crash. I fished just above the Rockland Bridge for 4 hours. I caught 2 smbass, 15”&17” and missed two more of similar size. The water was quite clear and I could easily see bottom in 6+ feet of water as well as any fish that may have been swimming there. I saw baitfish every where, schools of them, 1” up to 5” long. No shortage of food there. Yet I saw only 3 or 4 adult smbass, plus the two I caught and two that I missed. I should have seen dozens. They still aren't there in the numbers of a decade or more ago.
I was fishing a 4” soft plastic minnow on/near the surface, opening night, on a weightless exposed hook. All 4 fish that hit my lure hit it savagely. There was no pussy-footing around the lure and no long look-overs of my presentation. They laid right into the lure without any hesitation. I sure had there been additional smbass in the area then they would have hit hard too.
I’ll attach a few pics of the fish and the area.
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