Page 10 - Fishing Report | 5-4-16

River Spinnerbait Tips For NW Pennsylvania Fishing Report

By Jeff Knapp/Keystone Connection Guide Service

Free-flowing rivers like the middle portion of the Allegheny furnish
some of the best fishing in the state for smallmouth bass, with the potential
for both numbers and size. Rivers, though, are subject to constant change,
particularly given the whimsical weather patterns of recent years. One must
be able to cope with a variety of river conditions, including high and dirty.

Within reason, I like it when the Allegheny is up and off color. What’s
reasonable? Using the USGS gauges at Franklin and Parker as a measuring
stick, below 8 feet at the former or 7 feet at the latter; visibility-wise, at least
six inches.

Higher flows push bass tight to the banks, meaning they are more
concentrated rather than spread throughout various mid-river areas. It’s a
perfect scenario for chucking spinnerbaits, a tactic that often results in a day
that produces lots of quality-sized bass in the 15 to 20-inch range, particularly
if you follow these tips.

 Target banks that aren’t getting blasted with hard current. These
spots can be found along inside bends in the river, below points/bars
formed at creek mouths (incoming clearer water often found below creeks is another draw for bass), in
and around island complexes with are often feature diverse current situations and good shallow water
habitat.

 Bring you’re A-game, casting wise. Typically, bass will be tucked in right next to shore, likely inter-
cepting food that comes close by. As such, there’s a big difference between casts that land a few inches
off shore, and ones that hit three feet from the bank. Expect a bass to bite within the first few turns of
the reel handle. Unless we have a fish or two hit halfway back to the boat – indicating a willingness to
move for a bait that particular day – I recommend to my clients that they burn the lure back to the boat
once it’s 15 feet or so off the bank, so they can get another cast off, keeping the bait in the prime zone
as much as possible.

 Gear-wise, being proficient with a baitcaster is an advantage in this situation. You can thumb the spool
to feather the lure’s splashdown next to shore. However, medium action spinning tackle works okay,
particularly after the user has launched a few casts and gets the timing down.

 In terms of actually spinnerbaits, I like Terminator’s T1 as well as Winco’s Custom Lures River Rascal
Short Arm spinnerbait. When the water’s still quite dirty I prefer dark skirts and big thumping blades.
In the case of the Terminator, this is a single gold Oklahoma blade in size 4 or 4.5 (for a quarter or three
-eighths bait, respectively). With Winco’s bait, I opt for a size 4 Colorado blade rather than the size 1 or
2 that comes standard. As the water starts to clear (one to two feet of visibility) I notice a preference
shift to lighter colored skirts, and flashier tandem blades like the willow leaf, options available on T1.

 Retrieve-wise, a slow steady retrieve is often best within the first few feet of the bank, one that gives
the bass plenty of time to locate and react to the lure. Also, in areas where deeper water tucks up close
to the bank it often pays to allow the bait to spiral down on a semi-tight line for a couple seconds after
splashdown, just like a jig or worm. It’s a tactic particularly well-suited to single-spin lures.

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