Might hit Piney Run

[gliebig]

Looks like the rivers are gonna be washed out for a bit. I'm thinking if I do get out, I may give Piney Run Reservoir a shot next week.
I'm usually a river/smallie guy, so my LMB skills and tackle are a bit lacking. Any advice on what to throw, depth/structure I should focus on this time of year?

[acg_osprey]

I fish Piney all the time and have been for years. It is small, heavily pressured, and opens late. It also holds some really decent sized LM if you put in the time.

I'm nursing an injury so I have not been out myself, but I would imagine some of the lake is moving into spawning mode, but most of it will classic pre-spawn. I'd look for fish in 10'-15' FOW, near structure, and with access to the spawning areas. These fish should be making frequent trips to the shallows. If anyone has actually been there this year feel free to correct me, and let me know the exact locations of all the big ones you caught ;-)

As for baits I usually tie on a reaction bait of some sort...spinnerbait, rattletrap, swim-jig, or whatever floats your boat. I also always have a 3/8 oz. Confidence Baits Draggin' Head w/ a big worm on a rod, and a football jig w/ craw trailer on another. Last but not least I keep a soft-jerkbait or stick bait Texas-rigged weightless.

I throw the reaction bait around the structure and and on the edge of the transition from the deeper water to the shallows, and I chuck the fluke or stick-bait well ahead of any monsters I see in the shallows. However, on a lake as pressured as this one the big girls come from slowly working that worm or jig into, over, and through that structure.

Just remember that these fish have seen everything thrown at them, often multiple times in the same day, and some of them probably even fell for it before. I find the more natural the presentation and the fewer negative queues it gives off the better your chances are for the big ones.

I should know if I am cleared to paddle next Thursday. If I am and you still want to fish it after the rivers calm down shoot me a PM. Cause I can tell you if the doc clears me on Thursday somebody is taking a personal day on Friday!

[Mark]

agc_osprey gave you excellent advice above. Piney Run is heavily fished and presents challenges.

I haven't been there this year (or last) so I do not know present conditions or recent changes. But I have caught many bass there in the past.

Normally it grassed up heavily as the season progressed so I would shift to the upper Potomac or Susquehanna for smallmouth when that occurred. But Piney largemouth should be coming alive now.

Most of the bass I've caught there have been tight to the shoreline on the surface in low light conditions. I used a fly rod and a size 4 popper which is smaller than most surface presentations the bass see from conventional tackle. They don't shy from the fly and often you can see the bow wave of the fish moving toward the popper on its approach to the surface.

If they are presently staging for breeding this is a good time for that tactic.

Also, the original creek bed prior to flooding is on the opposite shoreline of the lake from the boat ramps. In late spring bass often lay in the creek bed when the sun is high in the sky. At that time I put down the fly rod and used conventional spinning tackle with small plastic worm or plastic lizard Texas rigged and slowly worked the shore line.

Good luck on your trip there.

[gliebig]

Appreciate the tips. I haven't fished there in ~20yrs. I didn't realize it got that much pressure. Do they still rope off that one cove?

[gliebig]

What's the musky situation there? Have you guys ever targeted them?

[Runnin]

I have not fished there in probably five years. I know there used to be Tiger Musky in there. I do not believe there is ever was naturally reproducing full strain Musky in that water. The state quit stocking Tiger Musky many years ago when there was some issue regarding their source for the fingerlings. The life span for the Tigers is about expired for the last ones that would have been stocked. Thus ,there should not be any in any of the stocked areas that used to exist.

I know that Black hills at one time had a really nice population of Tigers. I used to catch a couple per year by accident bass fishing. Some guys just targeted them exclusively trolling big plugs along weed lines at Black hills.

I haven't caught,or seen one in several years.

[gliebig]

^Is Black hills Little Seneca?

[Donsail68]

Yes its the same lake


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[DanMarino]

I like Piney Run. Never got skunked there. Always fished to the side of the lake to the left of the boat ramp. Wacky worms, flukes, spinner baits, x-raps all worked for me. For some reason I always caught yellow perch too when fishing for largemouth bass. Supposedly there's big stripers in there and that amazes me. It's not all that big of a lake.

Lost a very big bass that hit a spinner bait close to the shore line. Possibly the biggest largemouth I've ever had momentarily on the end of my line. One of those deals where I got too excited and horsed the fish in fast, instead of playing the fish in slow.

[gliebig]

Fished Thurs and Fri. Had to work for them both days. Day 1 was one fish early on top then about a dozen more on a worm. Caught five Friday, all on topwater. Couldn't get bit on a worm.

1st little fishy from Thurs...


Best from Thursday...



Best from Friday...

[acg_osprey]

Nice work!

[freshstripes]

Don't forget about the stripers in piney. I got a 26 pounder in December. I've landed 2 Lm over five pounds and a few others that were close to five. Also got broken off by a really big striper the other day. Easily 20+ if not 30

[freshstripes]

That's all In the last two weeks

[gliebig]

Be interested in hearing about how you target the stripers.

[freshstripes]

Livers, shiners, bluegills, cut dead whatever