FISHING REPORT
Lake Erie (Erie County): Walleye took worm harnesses at 39-40 feet Wednesday morning. The bite was better that evening from Walnut Creek to Trout Run, and night boaters trolling harnesses between Walnut and Elk creeks reported a steady bite but no whoppers. Catches of largemouth bass up to 18 inches were reported in Presque Isle Bay, and smallmouths went for silver spoons and soft plastic lures at 20-30 feet from Shades Beach to the state line. Yellow perch were caught at about 35 feet between Trout Run and Elk Creek. Dan Morey, a kayak fisherman from Erie, said water temperatures in the bay were 65 degrees-plus and freshwater drum, or sheephead, were coming in to spawn. He caught and released a 30-incher on a jig in 12 feet of water on the east side of the peninsula. Channel catfish in the 30-inch range were hitting. “Can’t have much more fun on a kayak!” Morey said.
Pymatuning Reservoir (Crawford County): Muskellunge dove deeper in this week’s heat, but took trolling lures after dusk. Walleye went for crawler harnesses and crankbaits in 20-25 feet of water. Channel cats and flatheads, one in the 40-pound range, were caught throughout the reservoir. Largemouth bass took deep-diving crankbaits at 10-15 feet around dusk, and were pulled out of weed beds using soft plastics. The bluegill spawn was on.
Conneaut Lake (Crawford County): Big bluegills took tipped jigs off weed beds, and a few crappies were caught.
Largemouths patrolled off shorelines in 5-8 feet and were caught around sundown on diving lures.
Shenango Reservoir (Mercer County): Catches of hand-size bluegills and largemouth bass up to 19 inches were reported. Hybrid striped bass were caught after dark.
Lake Arthur (Butler County): Largemouth bass were pulled from weed beds in the hours around dusk. Schools of alewife were chased through the shallows at night by hybrid striped bass. A sterile crossbreed of white bass and striped bass, the stocked fish grow quickly up to about 12 pounds and more than 30 inches. To find them, anglers listen for the prey fish splashing in the dark. Boaters drift off shore while walkers throw crankbaits from the lake’s edges. Wednesday at about 11 p.m., Tony Brousy of Butler was throwing a Rapala from shore when his lure abruptly stopped and his rod bent.
After a 10-minute fight, he landed a 27-inch hybrid.
Keystone Power Dam (Armstrong County): Largemouth bass went for floating-diving lures near steep shorelines at dusk.
Ohio River (Beaver, Allegheny counties): A 22-inch flathead took cut bait shortly after dusk Wednesday off the railroad yard at Conway. Two anglers throwing soft plastics while drifting below the Dashields Dam caught and released five largemouth and smallmouth bass Tuesday evening.
Pine Creek (Allegheny County): A 17-inch brown trout took a nymph dead-drifted through a slow deep pool in the Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only area. The fish was released.
Indian Lake (Westmoreland County): With a little help from her grandpa, Sarah Hughs of Greensburg caught her first fish, a 13-inch brown trout, on a salmon egg under a bobber June 10.
Canonsburg Lake (Washington County): Fat bluegills were caught on the outer edges of weed beds.
Laurel Hill Creek (Somerset County): An 18-inch golden rainbow trout took a spinner and was released in the Old Growth Hemlock Forest in Laurel Hill State Park.
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