Fishing

Haven't heard any recent reports on Minersville. Is the water pretty muddy due to runoff? How are conditions down there?

Mark

Reports are good fishing from the old man.

DWR recently did gill net study and looks like the wipers are well established and my dad is worried about his trout. They planted a bunch of nine inch trout last fall and doesn't look like any made it.

First net 22 wipers 2 20+ inch trout
Second net 21 wipers 1 20+ inch trout, 1 chub.
Not small mouth were netted.

fnf

Is there anything better than fishing?

Do you know how big the wipers are?

Seems one member said they are getting as big as 7 or 8 lbs but thats second hand info, so don't quote me on that, but there are some big ones in there.


BFT administrator and moderator

When they first put the Wipers in Minersville they expected 2 percent survival to catch-able size.

I think they have done much better than that.

The 9 or 10 incher trout they put in last year are now 13 to fourteen inches.

Still seems to be a good number of that size in the lake.

Plenty of 18 to 20 inch trout to be had. The trout have seemed to stay in better condition over the summers sense they introduced the Wipers.

Fishing has been off and on all spring with not the best water conditions.


Does seem to me that the Small Mouth have taken some what of a down turn the last couple of years.

I don't think the latest netting should worry the trout guys that much.

If you are worried about the Wipers come down and kill some, and ye there are some nice ones in there'

There is a misconception that all fish are equally spread out throughout a body of water. This is the 90% thinking (10% of the fishermen catch 90% of the fish, 90% catch 10 percent of the fish). In fact, wipers should not be in the same locations that trout or SMB are located, especially this time of year.

Additionally, gill nets are also sized and shaped somewhat specific to the type of fish. I know that Walleye gill nets usually don't catch bass and trout of smaller sizes usually swim right through a gill net set up for bass. Wipers are probably more like bass in their profile.

Still, poor Minersville had had issues for as long as I have recollection, and that includes my youth in the late 60's fishing it.

IF the trout and SMB are suffering, but the cubs get cleared out, well at least they wipers don't reproduce and can be controlled with liberal limits and reduced stocking.

Family down there tells me the fishing at Minersville is as good as it has been in years, especially with the low water they have had.

I wish the Minersville fishery the best.
My bucket list has a hole in the bottom of the bucket.

FROM THE DWR A FEW DAYS AGO.


The water level is still rising, but the water has started to clear up. Anglers report fair fishing when drifting nymphs on gravel shorelines and points. The pattern favored by the fish can vary day to day, so you may have to try a few things. One angler recommended black zebra midges in sizes 16 and 18, because larger flies were ignored. Midge patterns are often a good choice at Minersville.

Our annual monitoring survey found fair numbers of fat, healthy rainbow trout. Fish in the 17- to 22-inch range are readily available. Wipers are also doing fantastic, with an abundance of four- to six-pound fish. We also saw a few larger wipers that were up to eight pounds. Look for wipers to get more active as the water warms into the 50s in the next few weeks. (Last update 04-14-17)

Rainbows are gorging themselves on midges right now. To the point that it can be difficult to catch them.

On Saturday it was hard to breath without sucking in a handful of midges. Trout are just swimming sub-surface with their mouths open.

Fish are in good shape!



I couldn't help it. It just popped in there.
Dr. Raymond Stantz

[/quote]Rainbows are gorging themselves on midges right now. To the point that it can be difficult to catch them.

On Saturday it was hard to breath without sucking in a handful of midges. Trout are just swimming sub-surface with their mouths open.[/quote]
Boy you called there! We caught a few before the hatch came off but once it did, there was too much competition from the real thing. I don't know if I missed the hatch last year or if it just wasn't a prevalent as it has been, but it sure was back last week.

Boy you called there! We caught a few before the hatch came off but once it did, there was too much competition from the real thing. I don't know if I missed the hatch last year or if it just wasn't a prevalent as it has been, but it sure was back last week.[/quote]

those midge hatches are pretty typical out there at Minersville.

give it another month or two, and it will be the dragonflies!



I couldn't help it. It just popped in there.
Dr. Raymond Stantz

Are there any boat restrictions on Minerville Lake?
Ice_sled

the only restrictions I'm aware of are to follow the clean, drain, and dry mussel decontamination rules.



I couldn't help it. It just popped in there.
Dr. Raymond Stantz