|
|
Posts: 12
| Hello all, new to the sport and new to the forum.
I've been a moderate fisherman my whole life but never really serious. This year I have the bug big time. Went out and bought a decent rod and enough baits to get started.
I've been fishing Lake Arthur pretty hard since ice off but have yet to land a muskie. I had one to the boat today only to lose it (I still want to cry). I'm reading everything I can get my hands on, watching a lot of video, and am spending a lot of hours on the water. I've been told that this is a tough lake to fish but it's close enough to my house to allow me to sneak out for half days, whole days, whatever...
I know I'm probably making a million mistakes. Does anyone else on this board fish this lake? If you could provide some information via PM, I would be eternally grateful. I'm telling you, I'm completely obsessed over here (I'm sure a lot of you know what I'm talking about).
Heading back out on the water on Saturday...
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 1202
Location: Money, PA | I fish Arthur pretty regular, not quite as much as I used to but still get out there often since its about 15 minutes from my house. It is truely a hit or miss lake and I have learned over the years that its more about putting your time in there than trying to figure out any consistancy....thats everywhere too right? LOL not really....Arthur more-so than other lakes. so throw your videos and articles in the trash and use that time on the water instead  I've had 4 and 5 fish days there, but then again gone weeks with not a strike! Do you have access to a boat? IMO, Arthur is more of a trolling lake than casting although I know a few guys who have caught fish casting in the past few years. It has a lot of bottom structure, road beds and railroad beds.....the weeds die off pretty quick or thicken up to the point of not being real condusive to holding fish, thats if you can find decent weeds. However, I will hit those weed edges when trolling. Beware, there are ALOT of snags in Arthur, so get yourself a good lure retriever if you plan on trolling. The lake contains mostly mud/clay bottom, hence the often stained water, so go with brighter colors. It is a man made lake constructed back in the 70s and was once rolling farmlands and country roads, including part of the old Rt. 422 highway. The primary foriage is shad and alwife which make for some pretty hefty hogs.
In short, the best advice I would offer in fishing Arthur and having the most success, would be to troll to cover more area. Troll the road beds, rr beds, drop offs, points and weed edges. And don't be afraid to get aggressive by going shallow to deep. My most productive colors there have been florescent brown perch, and michigan perch.
If you do have access to a boat and can trailer it, do not overlook some of the other local lakes in the area that are within an hour or so of Arthur.
Good Luck and if you have anymore Qs, feel free to PM.
Edited by ShutUpNFish 5/14/2010 7:34 AM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 12
| Thank you ShutUpNFish, I appreciate the information.
I am so completely new to this, so reading and watching videos has at least given me a view into what is necessary, what tools and baits I should be using, etc... Of course the real challenge has been disseminating the difference between the tools designed to attract fish and the tools designed to attract fishermen :c)
This site has been a very valuable source of information. I will be sure to post my first picture in this thread.
I do have a boat, but it's not as nicely equipped as many of the vessels I see on the water. I'm a firm believer that time and dedication are more important than the latest greatest gear. This spring I concentrated on the shallow arm of the lake. I've thrown bucktails (Gerry's Girls, Large Mepps, and Buchertails) until my arms have given out. I've thrown some large stick baits, I really need to invest in some good sticks and topwater baits. I was told (by someone who was really anxious to tell me how great of a Muskie fisherman he was) that spring Muskies in Arthur are always in the shallow water, particularly the North end. Yesterday I had my first strike on a Slop Master that I was buzzing over and through the lilly pads (incidentally it was not in the North end of the lake but it was in 3 ft of water). I've practiced my figure 8 and gotten to know the lake a little bit. I have a couple maps of the lake and I know where the structures are that you speak of. My boat is not set up particularly well for trolling but perhaps that is an area I need to work on.
Thanks again for the info. I most likely WILL PM you with some random questions in the days/weeks ahead. I am going to head to a local club meeting next month.
Best Regards!
|
|
| |
|
| Carpe,
Don't get discouraged because of the toughness of Arthur. I have been there many times, casted and trolled, and never have had anything good to report. (I don't have the luxury of concentrating on fishing, so I have not advanced in my learning and skills as quickly as I might have. Nor do I have electronics on my simple boat. That makesw it more difficult, believe me.)
Arthur is tough for a number of reasons. But outstanding to me is the pressure: too many anglers; too many boats. Those fish that are there, get a real education.
Where you fish has a lot to do with how successful you'll be. There is a big, muddy reservoir up in Crawford County where the numbers are probably better for muskie. It is Py...
As to tools: Don't go overboard on what you buy. Stick to lures that have a good track record. Don't buy anything just because it is cheap. If your objective is just to catch fish, you really don't need that much. But there's fun in learning different things, so we get this and get that. On colors, I follow this dictum: on clear water (rare in West PA), natural colors; stained water, brighter colors. At least that's a starting place.
Good luck in your quest. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 203
Location: Germantown, WI | All the advice given on Lake Arthur is good advice. It is a tough lake, but there are plenty of muskies there and they do grow big. One problem in Lake Arthur is that there is a lot of open water baitfish so trolling is effective, but there is a lot of water to cover and it can be hit/miss. Late Fall can be a good time to troll, especially late November and early December weather permitting.
My brother has caught a number of muskies at Tamarack Lake near Meadville. It is a good casting lake, but is electric motors only. At Tamarack the whole lake is basically capable of holding muskies. There are lots of stumps and weeds so just working the channel and fan casting is a good approach. Bucktails have been effective along with shallow crankbaits and jointed crankbaits. The water is pretty dark so don't expect to see a lot of follows and figure 8 on every cast.
I've also heard good things about Pymatuning as well as Woodcock Lake. Woodcock is smaller so you have a much better chance of putting your lure in front of a musky. Don't overlook Conneaut, Edinboro, Canandohta or Le Beouf lakes. All are smaller lakes that can be effectively casted. The Allegheny River is also pretty good musky water. Anything above Kittanning on the river can be productive, but the best water is probably between Franklin and Kinzua Dam.
Musky fishing in PA is not for the person who craves lots of action. There are some good muskies there, but you will have many fishless days. Don't overlook Chataqua Lake in NY. My brother has caught some nice muskies there and lots of Western PA guys fish it too. The Kawartha Lakes in Ontario are about a 7 hour drive and offer some great musky action for the caster or the troller. Good luck to you. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1202
Location: Money, PA | MUSKYLUND1 - 5/14/2010 12:57 PM
Musky fishing in PA is not for the person who craves lots of action. There are some good muskies there, but you will have many fishless days. Don't overlook Chataqua Lake in NY. My brother has caught some nice muskies there and lots of Western PA guys fish it too. The Kawartha Lakes in Ontario are about a 7 hour drive and offer some great musky action for the caster or the troller. Good luck to you.
All terrific advice Tom....I take it you have some experiences fishing PA waters? The only thing I would dispute in your statements, is the first sentence in your last paragraph. Musky fishing, PERIOD, is not for the person who craves lots of action. PA has excellent muskie fishing opportunities, as I'm sure you obviously know, including what I believe to be one of the top 10-20 lakes in the world for muskies along with a rich history of giving up monster fish. Also, you mention Chautauqua which is basically the same general area of the country, and I'd be willing to bet a better quality muskie fishery than most you would find in the mid-west. IMO the east does not get near the credit it deserves for the muskie fishing primarily because we do not have near the amount of water, but we do have quality water. We also have some of the best muskie lure builders in the world! 
Edited by ShutUpNFish 5/17/2010 8:15 AM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 203
Location: Germantown, WI | I know a thing or two about PA waters since I was born and raised in Beaver, PA. Lake Arthur was my home lake for many years, but I mainly fished it for bass rather than muskies. My brother who still lives in the Pittsburgh area has caught some nice fish on Arthur, but it has been a tough bite the last few years.
I agree that musky fishing in general is not for action junkies, but there are many places where fairly consistent musky action is a possibility. We have lakes in the Upper Midwest that offer that and certainly there are lakes in Ontario that fit that description. PA for sure has some great fishing. I miss walleye fishing on the 3 Rivers and fly fishing for trout in the mountains. If I absolutely had to catch a musky in PA I'd probably spend my time on Tamarack.
There are truly some great musky fishermen out East in Ohio, PA and WV. The lure makers in the Ellwood City area are also a special breed. I've got a bunch of Wiley's in my box and they are my go to lures when I troll, especially in the Kawarthas. I've spent a good bit of time at the Fish Education Center talking to Howard Wagner and trying to pick his brain for whatever information I could glean. I don't think I ever got out of there without spending at least $50.
It's good to see some of the changes that the PFBC has enacted over the last few years to improve the musky fishery. They are definitely a step in the right direction. Good luck guys. |
|
| |
