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July 29, 2002 |
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Bass Fishing
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Spring and fall are generally the best times to fish for trout in the Catskills, because during the long, hot summer days low water conditions in the streams can stress the trout, and in the reservoirs trout are forced to deeper cold water. But don't put that rod away. When the temperatures heat up and the hills are in a haze, that's the time to turn your attention toward the fantastic fun of bass and pan-fish fishing. There are many private ponds and a few lakes on State land in the Catskill region that hold largemouth and smallmouth bass, rock bass, various sunfish, yellow perch, black and white crappy, pickerel, bullheads, and other warm-water game fish. Whether on a fly-rod or tossing out a worm, these fish can be fun to catch and is a great way to teach kids about fishing and the outdoors.
Early one morning last week we took our friend and local fishing guide Lenny Millen up on his offer to take us out bass fishing on the Pepacton Reservoir. Fishing with an experienced guide is a great way to tap into valuable local knowledge about where, when, and how to get some great fishing action. We met at the crack of dawn in Margaretville, grabbed a quick breakfast, and bought some small bait minnows from Wayne at Mountaintop Bait. Before long we had driven most of the length of the reservoir to where Lenny stored his rowboat, and loaded up our gear. In order to fish any of the six NYC Water Supply reservoirs in the Catskill/Delaware region, anglers must have a current NYCDEP fishing permit along with a NYS fishing license, and the only boats allowed on the reservoirs are row boats that are previously registered, inspected, and steam-cleaned (to kill zebra mussels and other invasive species) by NYCDEP.
It was a cool morning, and the beautiful mist rising up from the surface of the reservoir veiled the mountains and accented the early morning rays of sunshine. Right away we knew we would have a good day, as a nice 14-inch bass was caught from shore on a spinning lure before we even had the boat in the water! For four hours we rowed along the shore of the Pepacton throwing out bait minnows with a small weight, casting in to shore and reeling back through deeper water. We had quite a bit of action, each catching six or seven fish. Most were nice smallmouth bass, 12-14 inches, but a few were smaller juvenile bass. We also caught one nice 9-inch yellow perch, and two smaller rock bass. Most of the catch we released unharmed, but we did keep two smallmouth bass, one rock bass and the yellow perch for the grill. These fish are delicious, but anglers who keep some of their catch for dinner should be aware of the various health advisories for particular fish species and certain waterbodies across the state.
Good fishing is only one reason to get outside with your rod and reel. More importantly, it is a chance to get close to nature and enjoy some scenery and solitude if hiking is not your thing. On our trip we had a chance to see a bald eagle fly overhead, and we saw an old abandoned eagle nest on shore. The sun felt great, and the views of the hills above the water were fantastic. It's always important to remember what tremendous natural resources we have here in the Catskills, and not take them for granted.
- Chris and Aaron
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