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Posts: 6
| Hello everyone, I discovered this website and it seems like the perfect place to talk muskies. Anyways, I was wondering if anybody has any info about muskie fishing the Yough River in southwest PA. I'm not asking for any secret spots or anything, I understand people don't give away their spots, but maybe just any lures that people have had success with or any techniques and stuff like that. I've fished this river quite heavily for muskies with absolutely no success. I've been going out 3 to 4 days a week for over a year now, with nothing to show for it. I know they are there, but I've just been extremely unsuccessful. Any input is welcome, thanks everyone.
Edited by bennnf 10/25/2016 2:52 AM
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Posts: 59
| It might be worth your while to join a local chapter of Muskies Inc. Chances are there will be people that are more familiar with your neck of the woods and perhaps someone that fishes the same water as you. |
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Posts: 59
| Look at Region 3 and find the closest chapter to you.
https://muskiesinc.org/chapters/16/ |
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Posts: 983
| Where are you fishing the yough? Seems like there would be better waters around depending where you are at? |
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Posts: 6
| Thanks for the responses, I'll look into Muskies Inc.
Edited by bennnf 10/25/2016 2:09 PM
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Posts: 6
| 25homes - 10/25/2016 10:06 AM
Where are you fishing the yough? Seems like there would be better waters around depending where you are at?
Thanks for the response, I'm in the West Newton area. |
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Posts: 203
Location: Germantown, WI | bennnf,
My brother used to live in Belle Vernon. He and his son used to shore fish near there on the Yough in a park that had a launch ramp. I know they caught smallmouth, walleyes and white bass. I'm not sure what else. The river was kind of shallow, but he did put his boat (15' aluminum with a 9.9 Merc) in there once or twice before he moved away from the area. I think there was a dam upstream of the park, but the one time I was there I never saw the dam so I don't know how far it was. I know he was only able to motor for a mile or so (maybe less) due to shallow rocks. He did raise several muskies in that area though. I don't know if the PFBC is still stocking the river or not. At one time the lower Yough was considered to be decent musky water and there was a guide on here that used to post frequently. His name was Brian Gilmore. If you search the old posts you will find him. He might be the guy to contact about the Yough. I don't know if he is guiding now or even if he still lives in the area. I don't think he has posted in several years.
Tom |
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Posts: 203
Location: Germantown, WI | I refreshed my memory a bit and I think the park was Cedar Creek Park in West Newton which should be close to you. I guess the closest dam is Connelsville, but I'm sure he could not motor very far from the launch. The river is probably best fished via canoe, raft, drift boat or jet boat in that area. The PFBC put out a Yough River management plan in 2015. According to that plan, section 6 which is from the dam in Connelsville to the mouth of the river will be stocked with supplemental Muskies. I'm not sure if that means they think there is natural reproduction or whether that means they will stock when they have extra fish. I hope that helps. I doubt you will get many folks to respond to you. The musky community in Western PA is a bit tight lipped to say the least.
Tom |
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Location: Washington, PA | I have only fished it a few times but find deep water and start casting. Bulldawgs/shallow dawgs, top waters and gliders.
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| MUSKYLUND1 - 10/25/2016 4:16 PM
I refreshed my memory a bit and I think the park was Cedar Creek Park in West Newton which should be close to you. I guess the closest dam is Connelsville, but I'm sure he could not motor very far from the launch. The river is probably best fished via canoe, raft, drift boat or jet boat in that area. The PFBC put out a Yough River management plan in 2015. According to that plan, section 6 which is from the dam in Connelsville to the mouth of the river will be stocked with supplemental Muskies. I'm not sure if that means they think there is natural reproduction or whether that means they will stock when they have extra fish. I hope that helps. I doubt you will get many folks to respond to you. The musky community in Western PA is a bit tight lipped to say the least.
Tom
Thanks for the response. I have been to Cedar Creek park quite a bit. I launch my boat there a few times a week, but haven't had any luck there. I do think the muskies in the river reproduce naturally. I have seen spawning behavior in mid to late April. And yeah the other musky guys around here are tight lipped, like you said. When talking to them, they are very careful with their words, as to not give out too much info, and that's understandable. As for Connellsville I've never been up that way, I honestly don't stray too far from home. Hopefully they keep up the stocking. |
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Posts: 6
| tomyv - 10/25/2016 8:25 PM
I have only fished it a few times but find deep water and start casting. Bulldawgs/shallow dawgs, top waters and gliders.
Thanks for the response. I have all the aforementioned lures, I'll keep trying them. I have a few Phantom gliders, Bull Dawgs, as well as topwaters. So far the only lure that I've received any action on was a Bull Dawg, and it wasn't a musky. A huge walleye followed it to the boat! |
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Posts: 61
Location: Morgantown, WV | I've never fished the Yough, only similar rivers in WV. There will only be a limited number of spots on the river that hold Muskies. Start with google maps and look for tributaries, deep water, current seams, riffles, boulders, river bends, places where the river narrows. Fish the good looking spots hard. If the river is very shallow for miles, look elsewhere. As far as lures jerkbaits are the best for learning the river. You may not catch them but you get lots of follows and that is key. Now you know where to fish and you can expirement with other lures. Personally I've had zero success on topwater. Twitch baits (cranes, big games), jerkbaits, bucktails, rubber are best. |
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Posts: 6
| Hey guys, I caught one today! I had a follow from a small fish first, it followed to the boat then took off when I started to figure 8. After that, I cast back to the same spot and got slammed by another one. I measured it at 44 inches but that might be a little off, I wanted to get the fish back asap. Thank you for all the replies.
Edited by bennnf 11/2/2016 3:19 PM
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