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Posts: 270
Location: Central Pennsylvania | I floated my local river in a canoe, for the first time, today. I found several holes from 5-8 feet but couldn't seem to find any musky. I was wondering about what tactics would be good for these fish (considering they are in a river rather than a lake). The main feeder fish are suckers, carp, perch/bluegill, trout, and I would assume smallmouth. Any lure recommendations or tips on where to look or how to fish? Too shallow for vertical jigging?
Side note- this river usually loses a foot of water in summer to drought. In summer you can see the fish laying on the bottom (not everywhere but some places). I've heard jigs and creatures would be good for these fish. |
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Posts: 1373
| Yeah, not a vertical jigging environment, but horizontal jig and (creature, paddle tail, curly tail), should be good. Don't overlook top water, as in that kind of environment, terrestrial prey that finds itself in the water, may be pretty common. Also, a suspending twitch bait of some sort should be effective. |
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Posts: 270
Location: Central Pennsylvania | I throw a little sister and whopper plopper 190 around quite a bit but never get any interest from fish. Recently bought some heddon spooks that I'll throw around on an penn spinning rod, had a dink (20") charge in and miss a bass jerkbait on saturday night. |
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Posts: 1315
Location: E. Tenn | Pa Tigers n trout - 5/2/2021 10:36 PM
I throw a little sister and whopper plopper 190 around quite a bit but never get any interest from fish. Recently bought some heddon spooks that I'll throw around on an penn spinning rod, had a dink (20") charge in and miss a bass jerkbait on saturday night.
I have a couple of "Super Spooks" that have been all beaten up, by bass, pike, and muskies... I don't know if it's the lure itself, or some zen thing....
Try the smaller ploppers, even down to the 110 & 75 sizes..
Have you thrown a well tuned & weighted 9" Suick?? Those things rock! Got this one ready to go for the carp spawn..
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Posts: 270
Location: Central Pennsylvania | Tempted to buy some jigs and plastics as well as a few swimbaits (swimmin dawg and maybe some bigger bass swimbaits). I just don"t know what they'll like, so I don't know what to buy.
I had a 9" suick but could never get it tuned right so stole the hooks off it and stuck em on a glider that needed hooks. |
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Posts: 25
Location: South Central PA | Not really an answer but I live in SC PA and have a good idea of where you fishing. PA Fish and Boat stock 2 large creeks with tigers but we only catch pure breds in them. I'm not saying there are no tigers but we never see them even spot lighting. Just throw your normal stuff and you will be fine. I had to take 2 years off due to lyme disease and surgery on my neck, but my son caught 3 - 45" pures along with multiple pups last year from one of the large creeks.
I have reached out to PA Fish and Boat and told them they are wasting their time with tigers in these creeks but I might as well be beating my head against a wall. I wish they would stock pures and just put the tigers in our the small lakes around here where they seem to have a better survival. |
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Posts: 25
Location: South Central PA | Oh and I forgot to mention - to catch tigers around here you need weeds on your lure. We figured out they are vegetarians at least in the lakes....haha
Stupid tigers anyways! Pures are the way to go!
edit: I went back and reread you original post and for some reason I was thinking you were only fishing the 2 large creeks in our area that are stocked with tigers. I must have been thinking of your name when I read it. |
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Posts: 270
Location: Central Pennsylvania | My Water is the West branch of the Susquehanna and Curwensville Lake. It is a fish-able population of tigers. We did receive a stock of pures in the lake October 23, 2019 (think it was the 23 or 24). However, I do not think these fish will be catchable for several years. We have a lot of people catch them, but they are usually bi-catch of bass fisherman. There have even been several supposed 50" fish caught. I have my eye on a mid 40" fish that sits in a certain spot.
A few years ago there was a discussion made on Musky First about trophy tiger populations in Curwensville, so I have no idea why there would suddenly not be trophy tigers here. |
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Posts: 25
Location: South Central PA | I assumed we were fishing the same water...Completely different fishing areas. Sorry about that. I just haven't saw any tigers in creeks where they stock them in my area. PM'd you.
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Posts: 343
| You should downsize to a Whopper Plopper 130, tigers will hit a 190 at times but I've caught a lot more on 130's. |
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Posts: 270
Location: Central Pennsylvania | Was planning on getting a few lil' basstards for downsizing but a whopper plopper is more budget so I'll be getting whopper ploppers instead.
Btw- this river is a green stained color unless it is high, then it is brown. Has a good visibility of around 2 ft. |
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Posts: 270
Location: Central Pennsylvania | Update- yesterday, I caught a 32" on a 6 inch phantom softail in the sucker color. This marks my first ever musky!  |
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Posts: 499
Location: Northern Illinois | Congratulations!! You'll always remember the first one. |
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Posts: 1315
Location: E. Tenn | Congratulations! |
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