71 Fish in 2 Weeks + 1 Turtle

Over the past two weeks, I've been in Kentucky, trying to hook some bluegill and largemouth bass. I have a few friends down there that let me fish on their private lakes. The first day of the trip, I went to a new friend's lake that I had never been to before. I had seen the lake, but never fished it. When I got there, I grabbed the two cane poles and the spin-cast rod out of the bed of my truck. I started fishing around 7:00 am and started instantly catching bluegill on the two cane poles. I had almost no time to throw the spin-cast rod. All the bluegill were normal sized, around 7 inches, nothing fat or long. The other private lake I fish at has 8.5 inch bluegill, so this lake was somewhat of a disappointment.

At 11:00am, I got another ordinary bite on my line, thinking it was another bluegill. I started pulling it up when a head and arms appeared out of the water. I had a turtle on the end of my line! I pulled it onto the bank, and for cryin' out loud, it swallowed the hook. I ended up cutting the line and the turtle walked itself back into the water with a big splash. I shouldn't be surprised that I caught a turtle, after all, I was fishing with live worms. I'm not sure what species of turtle it was, but if you know, please comment below. The picture to the right shows the turtle.

Summer Fishing Trips

Sometimes it's nice to get away from the urban hustle-bustle, even if your in the suburbs. In some suburban regions, such as the outskirts of Philadelphia, there are decently stocked trout streams.

Earlier in July, I went to Michigan to a wild trout stream. Now, in late July and early August, I'll be taking a trip to Kentucky. This trip doesn't have a main goal of fishing, it's supposed to be mostly sightseeing Louisville. But, I'll find a cane pole or a spin-cast rod and fish for some bass or bluegill.

Summer is a hard time for trout in Pennsylvania when it's hot and water temperatures approach the 70's. But in Kentucky, it's prime time for warm water fish like sunfish and bass. Last year, I went on the same trip and caught over 40 bluegill over an 8 hour period. That's about 5 fish each hour, or 1 fish every 12 minutes.

It's great fishing there, but there's nothing like the pull of a trout on a fly rod. So, getting away from your regular fishing hole every once in awhile is a good idea, just to keep in the back of your head.

What the Heck Do I Do Now?!

You're standing in your garage, packing up the car before a weekend fishing trip. You know that you really want to fish, but your not sure where. And then you realize that you have a fishing log. You see that this weekend's weather is going to be cool and windy. By going into past logs, you can see what year was cool and windy and where you caught fish. You pick out the spot where you caught fish a few years back, and it was cool and windy. Later that weekend, you're reelin' them in.

Fishing logs are great tools that can help you when you're not sure about where to fish or what to fish. Keeping track of past records can help  you make the right decision and could be the difference between catching fish or not.

I recommend the computer program FishersLog. With this program you can type in your fishing logs and they will be organized and kept in one place. Then, when you have a dilemma, you can "ask" FishersLog to search logs for you and comes up with a chart to show you the best plan. Unfortunately, it is priced at $19.95. But they do offer a 7-Day free trial.

http://www.fisherslog.com/

If you don't want to pay, you can use Fish Swami, which is an online fishing log. You can make a free account and submit fishing logs. It does have an analysis tool but has some disadvantages when compared to FishersLog.

http://fishswami.com/

Fishing logs are a great tool to have when you're not sure about something, or just want to remember one of your best fishing days ever. And there will likely be more of those after starting your logs.

AuSable River - Michigan

Michigan is one of the only states in the Eastern United States that has the ultimate fly fishing experience. Many rivers have wild trout that freely grow and become colorful and healthy fish.

As many of us know, southeastern Pennsylvania is not the best place to throw a fly. So each year, on the Fourth of July,  I go to the AuSable River in Northern Michigan with my dad. My uncle has a cabin just a couple of yard from the river which is known as "The Holy Water." This section of river is deemed some of the best fishing waters in North America by the Michigan DNR. For that reason, much of the area is protected by catch-and-release only or artificial flies only restrictions.

The first day I was there, I went to the fly shop to pick out some flies. I asked the guy at the counter what flies were good for fishing during the day. He gave me a grasshopper and a parachute stonefly, which looked like a lot of different stoneflies.

I went fishing that afternoon, in the freezing cold water, and caught a brook trout in the first five minutes. I kept using that fly for three days but caught no other fish. My dad, who hadn't caught any fish during the first two days there, was determined to catch a fish the last night, the third night, we were there. He asked me if he should use a hex of a march brown. I told him to use a march brown, and sure enough, at 10 P.M. pm on the last night, he caught a 16-inch brown trout! He claimed it almost broke his line.

So, we had a great time at my uncle's cabin for the Fourth of July, and got some fishing in too. If you want great fishing, but don't want to go out west, stop by Michigan and throw a fly.

Let the 4th be with You

I know it's kind of a cheesy title. Many people across the country are traveling this Fourth of July and fishermen will flock to their nearby streams to catch some fish. There will be lots of men and women getting up early and heading to the stream. With so many people, there will be lots of competition and lack of space. I've already had my own experience with that.

I decided to take off work on the Friday before Independence Day to fish in the afternoon. I was sure the crowds of fishermen wouldn't be out until dusk. After all, the Fourth of July next Friday, still one week away. I got to my usual fishing spot around 2:00 pm and it was already taken. Looking for spots up and down the road, I could find a place where I could fish. After searching for about 30 minutes I had given up and found no location. I did find a few spots that I could use in the future though.

Don't underestimate the number of people that could be fishing, they all have the same idea: get out before the crowds. But so many people go early that they become the crowds. Don't let it get to you, be patient and don't try to push people out of their space.

So let the 4th be with you, but don't make it sour for everybody else.

The Famed Hex Hatch

Hexagenia limbata - The Hex

It's coming soon to a stream near you!

...or not

Southeast Pennsylvania may not have a hex hatch - you may not have even heard of the hex fly.

Hex is short for Hexagenia limbata. It's a fly known for its major hatch in the midwest. It hatches late at night between June and September. The large hatches most know usually occur in late June and early May. Because the hex are so large, they almost always bring large brown trout to the surface. This makes the hex hatch a prime time to catch fish and it brings tons of fishermen to streams.

Some hatches are so large that they appear on

Radar image showing hex hatch on Mississippi River

radar. In the radar image to the right, on May 30. 2010, the hex hatch on the Mississippi River was so dense that the waves produced by radar bounced off the flies and went back to the radar.

Each year around the Fourth of July, I take a trip to the AuSable River in Northern Michigan, just after the hex hatch is over. My father used to go out at night and trick a few trout on a hex about a week afterwards. Sometimes he'd catch a few nice brown trout.

It's an amazing feeling when these giant mayflies are all in the air and landing on your arm, your rod, reel, and everything around you. So, it should be on your bucket list to go to a midwestern stream and experience the hatch for yourself.

Summer Heat is Just About Here

It is almost unbelievable that there are trout streams in southeastern Pennsylvania, so close to downtown Philadelphia. But there are downsides...

As we head into the latter part of June, temperatures definitely start rising. And with that comes warmer water temperatures too. Some streams can get into the 70s. This is not good for trout, and then the smallmouths and panfish take over. In mid-June of 2014, our first heat wave had air temperatures in the 90s, and we will soon see water temperatures over 70 in many streams.

Once June arrives, many large fly hatches are over; the cream cahills and slate drakes hatch in early to mid June. You'll have to wait until August for the next big hatch: Trico.

July is probably the lowest point in trout fishing for southeastern Pennsylvanians. Most trout have died off after the warm water temperatures and fly hatches are mainly over. There many be a few holdover trout, but they are struggling to hold on.

So if you're heading out to a stream in Southeastern Pennsylvania, beware, the fish, the flies, and the water, is changing.