Susquehanna yellow perch - slow day

[J.A. Veil]

I had been meaning to try the yellow perch bite at Perryville (mouth of the Susquehanna). The weather forecast was for calm winds today -- that was true, but it was still cold and damp. I launched my kayak from Owens marina at about 10:30. I have never fished there before and did not expect to have an outstanding day -- my expectations were indeed met. I can add my voice to the chorus complaining that the big fish are not yet schooled up.

I caught several dozen small perch up to about 8". I measured one particularly small ned that barely made 7". The other fish I caught today were not a whole lot longer, and all were skinny. Most were caught on live minnows, but I caught others on three different types of small soft plastics.

The fish were not far from the ramp. Since I do not know the area there, I watched the other boats (mostly power boats + 1 kayak) and the guys fishing from docks. Depending on where along the shoreline I was, I fished in depths from 25' to 55'. The fish were not consistently at one depth. I did not see any other anglers catching particularly large perch either. A few 9" to 10" fish were caught, but no bigguns that I could see.

On the way home, I was about 15 minutes from home when the snow flurries started. I felt a bit silly driving through flurries with a kayak on the roof of my van.

[ictalurus]

Nice work, even if the fish was slow. At least you found your quarry and weren't skunked. It cracks me up how voracious yellow perch are. That shad is really wedged in that one fish's mouth.

As for having the yak on your van during flurries, the yak can also double as a sled in case the snow gets too deep to drive through.

[Southerly]

thanks for the report. it looks like some colder weather is on the way. maybe tht will set things right. did you notice WT?

a few years ago, i went up to middle river to look at a boat during winter - knocked me out that their creeks were all frozen, but no ice in the mid bay area that i knew of.

[Sun]

Thanks for the report, John. That's great that you were able to get some fish. Did you catch that tiny one on one of those big lures? haha.

How was the current while you were fishing? When I checked the flow meter on the Conowingo dam last night, it showed that there has been a lot of water going through it regularly throughout the day for the past few days. I don't really know how those numbers translate into the speed of the water....but I guess 90,000 cfs sounds like a lot . It would stink to have to paddle against a strong current from the dam.

Was there any ice covering parts of the water? Especially by the ramps?

[J.A. Veil]

thanks for the report. did you notice WT?

I wasn't sure what "WT" meant. I think you mean "water temperature". The answer to that question is "No". The temperature sensor on my transducer is giving me erratic readings. Several times during the last few trips, it has showed temps less than 10 deg F. I don't trust it. From empirical measurements however, any time I had to place my hand in the water or bait bucket, it was mighty cold. I guestimate around 40 deg or slightly colder. The sun was not out much today to warm the surface layer.

[chex]

Not too bad... you caught some. That first picture showing the YP, the bait and your rod/reel is quite excellent from an artistic perspective. You should frame it.

[toadfinger]

John,
Thanks for reporting on the state of the perch fishery in the lower Susquehanna. That has to be one of the cutest little perch I've ever seen. Hopefully the larger fish will show up in the next couple weeks.

Steve, Greenbelt

[Shady]

Glad you made it out and caught some fish. This big ones will be there soon!

[MetroMan]

This report is right in line with the report given at the Pasadena sportfishing group meeting tonight. They'll be schooled up soon!


Thanks for the recon report

[DOGFISH]

Sounds like the males are there, just waiting.

[ronaultmtd]

John, I have the exact same reel- 8225MG...and the water temp at Mattawoman Creek was 40 degrees Sunday...nothing drops water temps quicker than a snowfall.

[J.A. Veil]

That's great that you were able to get some fish. 1) Did you catch that tiny one on one of those big lures? haha.

2) How was the current while you were fishing? When I checked the flow meter on the Conowingo dam last night, it showed that there has been a lot of water going through it regularly throughout the day for the past few days. I don't really know how those numbers translate into the speed of the water....but I guess 90,000 cfs sounds like a lot . It would stink to have to paddle against a strong current from the dam.

3) Was there any ice covering parts of the water? Especially by the ramps?

Here are answers to Sun's three questions:

1) On Sunday afternoon, I did some internet research on how to rig up for yellow perch in that location. Essentially this was bottom fishing (most of my bites came in 40 to 55 ft depth). Many of the local anglers make up rigs out of 20-30 lb mono, tie in two surgeons loops, then cut off one end of the loop to make a single line. They tie small hooks on to those lines and tip them with very small soft plastic lures (1"-2"). Another loop is tied on the bottom to attach a 1-oz or 2-oz sinker. I tend to be a stubborn old fart, and like to make up rigs using whatever I have on hand rather than buying new stuff just because someone said to do it that way . The only mono I had was 12-lb test or lighter, except for one old unmarked spool of heavy line (probably ~60-lb test). I made a rig out of that, but used 1/16-oz jigheads instead of plain hooks. I used a 3" swim shad in a natural color to catch the 8-9" perch laying across my legs in the photo. Later I switched to a 2" black swim shad with chartreuse tail, and a 1" double tail twister with white body and pink tails. I caught at least one perch on each of the soft plastic types.

I also took along some of the standard metal bottom rigs I use in the summer for spot and croaker. I use snelled thin-wire, small-diameter circle hooks on my bottom rigs. I added live minnows to each hook and dropped it down. That is what the tiny 7" fish bit.

If you were over schooled fish, you usually got a bite on the minnows, and some times got a bite on the plastics. If I go back again, I will use reels spooled with braided line rather than mono. That way, I could feel every tap. I would also try to make or buy some rigs that were closer to what the locals used.

2) I was fishing right in front of the docks by the Owens marina launch (1 to 2 cast lengths from shore). The current was almost non-existent. I never paddled very far out into the river, where I suspect the current was stronger. I agree that having to paddle against a current and get your rig down 40-50 ft would not be much fun.

3) There was no ice on the ramp or on the water. The water temperature was upper 30s to lower 40s.

[HJS]

Hopefully the biggies show up soon. The lean condition of the males gives me pause. This time last year the guys were reporting hot& heavy action for big yperch. I think I also remember many of the reports saying most of stomachs had baitfish in them, sometimes several baitfish per fish to include sunfish. They appeared to be well feed. I wonder if all the flooding we had late this summer and fall swept out most of the bait from the area where the yperch congregated last winter.

[J.A. Veil]

John,
Thanks for reporting on the state of the perch fishery in the lower Susquehanna. That has to be one of the cutest little perch I've ever seen. Hopefully the larger fish will show up in the next couple weeks.

Steve, Greenbelt

Steve -

Thanks for your suggestions and moral support. Yesterday's trip was a learning experience to get the lay of the land. I accomplished that plus caught a few little fish in January. Hopefully I will be better rigged and more savvy the next time I go there.

[J.A. Veil]

John, I have the exact same reel- 8225MG...and the water temp at Mattawoman Creek was 40 degrees Sunday...nothing drops water temps quicker than a snowfall.

Ron -

I bought two Stradic 1000 reels (shown in the photo) last summer. They are extremely smooth for the ultralight tackle casting that I do, even after several dozen trips and thousands of casts in brackish water. I also bought a Symmetre 1000 reel at the same time. It too is nice, but not as smooth as the Stradics.