Fishing the Susquehanna Flats?

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hakr

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I've never fished the Susquehenna Flats, but I'm interested in giving it a try during catch and release season, which is fast approaching.

Any Parkerites have room for a Susque Newbie? More than willing to share expenses and boat washout duties.

Got lots of gear, but have no idea what to bring.

Thanks
 
Not yet, they haven't! Must be one of those secret handshake thingies!
:cry:
 
Flats are a complex fishery. Often the water coming out of NY and PA is cold and muddy, turning the bite to crap. I struck out there several times until I hired a guide (Walleye Pete, Four Seasons Guide Service). After that trip, my success rate has climbed.

Biggest lesson I learned was to not waste time on the firs 1/2 of the C&R season. Unless you just want to move around and get a feel for the place, wait until the water temp goes to at least 50 deg. Topwater bite turns on at about 55 deg. In muddy water, the pros use cut herring on circle hooks in the channel edges.

Dave

aka
 
Porkchunker":2v5pplvn said:
Flats are a complex fishery. Often the water coming out of NY and PA is cold and muddy, turning the bite to crap. I struck out there several times until I hired a guide (Walleye Pete, Four Seasons Guide Service). After that trip, my success rate has climbed.

Biggest lesson I learned was to not waste time on the firs 1/2 of the C&R season. Unless you just want to move around and get a feel for the place, wait until the water temp goes to at least 50 deg. Topwater bite turns on at about 55 deg. In muddy water, the pros use cut herring on circle hooks in the channel edges.

Dave

aka
Click to expand...


I've never fished "the flats," and thought I might give it a try this year. Heck, I'm not even sure I know where "the flats" are! :)
 
hakr":31bxgfr4 said:
I've never fished "the flats," and thought I might give it a try this year. Heck, I'm not even sure I know where "the flats" are! :)
Click to expand...

Here you go! Look north...

upperbayv4_2003a.jpg
 
Thanks...

There are, I presume, good boat ramps thereabouts.
 
hakr":m9fhxvqw said:
There are, I presume, good boat ramps thereabouts.
Click to expand...

Yes... North East, Charlestown, Havre de Grace...
There are ramps. :wink:
 
Have to be careful on the flats. The channel around the shore line is OK, but there are a lot of shoals and very shallow places (<2'). Many a poor soul has grounded on the flats...especially on the north side in front of the hospital.

Best to go with someone who knows the area before taking your own boat there.

Dave

aka
 
Porkchunker":1xg2tp8r said:
Have to be careful on the flats. The channel around the shore line is OK, but there are a lot of shoals and very shallow places (<2'). Many a poor soul has grounded on the flats...especially on the north side in front of the hospital.

Best to go with someone who knows the area before taking your own boat there.

Dave

aka
Click to expand...


If I get the chance, I surely will. What gear is used? I'm guessing casting and plastics?
 
Yes, mostly plastics.
5" to 7" BA's and BKD's on as light a jig head as the current will allow.
Fish the channel edges or structure...

As Dave mentioned, pay close attention to your charts for the soundings and hazards. Besides the shoals, there are also submerged rock jetties in some areas. The rocks make for good fishing structure, but props and LU's don't like them so much. :wink:
 
There are also submerged snags...e.g...trees that floated down the Susky and got hung up on the shallow bars. There are some ditches out there that hold fish, but you have to cross water less than 2' deep to reach most of them.

Once water temps reach 55 deg, you can toss topwater plugs and have a ball. If the water is colder than that, 7" Bass Assassins (BAs) and Bass Kandy Delights (BKDs) work well on 3/8 and 1/2 oz jig heads. If the water is muddy, go with a dark color and push one of those little plastic bead rattles down inside the plastic. The rattle makes enough noise and vibration to help the fish find the bait. In muddy water I also do better with the paddle-tail style of baits (Shad Assassains or shad bodies). In clear water, use pearl or white, and in muddy water use a dark color with a rattle.

Dave

aka
 
Obviously my shiny new virgin-bottomed 2100CC has no business probing the "flats."

:p
 
Walleye Pete (one of the better Light Tackle Jigging (LTJ) guides on the Chesapeake) has his 21CC up there every day of the spring flats season. Have fished with him there. That 21 can get into some skinny water. You have the perfect boat for the flats.

Dave

aka
 
I been fishing the Susquehanna for almost 25 years from the flats to Conowingo Dam. It has got so crowded on the flats on weekends the last five years it's insane. If you go on weekends go late in the day and fish until dark to try and avoids crowds or go during the week.

Right now the dam has around 20 flood gates open from resent rain and it is chocolate milk. Hopefully all the snow will be gone and the rain will ease up and things will clear up in a few weeks.

If you get a good incoming high tide you can move around, low tide watch out you could get grounded.

Check this link anything above 90,000 cubic feet per seconds (Full generation) means there are flood gates open and the water is rippen downstream.

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/md/nwis/uv/?site_no=01578310
 
Kevin, I have been watching the river. I'm sure the bay will be muddy all the way to Bloody Point in a few days and will take a month to clear up.
Hopefully we will get a little relief after this weekend and trophy season won't get messed up. Maybe Mother Nature will give us a break or maybe it's her way to save some fish from the knife.
 
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