Hi Guys,
I will be staying at Opinicon Lodge on August 13-27. What do you think are my best bets for catching LM and SM this time of year in this area. I have been going up there for many years but never catch as many as other people who have posted about these areas.
Any tips you can give will be great! I know of every lake between the newboro and opinicon lock and also fish opinicon lake as well. Hope you can provide me with some information so my fiance` and I have a blast this year.
THanks guys
Pat
Opinicon & Newboro
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Big Turkey
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Gunman
I usually like to fish mosquito and benson. Also like to fish loon lake and around sister island as well. Most of the time I like to throw Big-O crankbaits and white spinnerbaits on sunny days and blu/black spinnerbaits on dark days. When the sun is starting to set and before the mosquitos come out I can usually hook up on a zara spook or buzzbait/prop bait. I have been reading a lot of posts and lots prefer jigs and tubes etc. What are your thoughts? What type of lures do you suggest?
I typically work shoreline structure and trow under the hanging trees etc. Rarely Do i fish > 15ft of water or open water.
Pat
I usually like to fish mosquito and benson. Also like to fish loon lake and around sister island as well. Most of the time I like to throw Big-O crankbaits and white spinnerbaits on sunny days and blu/black spinnerbaits on dark days. When the sun is starting to set and before the mosquitos come out I can usually hook up on a zara spook or buzzbait/prop bait. I have been reading a lot of posts and lots prefer jigs and tubes etc. What are your thoughts? What type of lures do you suggest?
I typically work shoreline structure and trow under the hanging trees etc. Rarely Do i fish > 15ft of water or open water.
Pat
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Cancatchbass
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FLOATFISHIN
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Big Turk, 1st off welcome tot he board!!
For Newboro L, heavy bass in there, and all your techs are right with what you have now aswell.Try a scum frog over lillies, moss beds, and anytype of floating weed growth for some hard to be dog day summer bass.Besy bet is to keep your frog close to shore line and then retrieve back to you.Wait for the weight of the fish b4 setting the hook aswell, under heavy weed mats, you will get lots of blow ups but alot of miss aswell.
Tubes can efectivly be fished with either a jig head, or "Texas Rigged"Toss them under docks, or anytype of structure for a slow crawl, dragged or hopped back to the boat.
SENKO'S!!!!Wacky rigged and dropped into holes in weed patches, on weedlines, or texas rigged through shalow to deeper weedbeds aswell(Can be with or with out weight, wacky style is alwas weightless for me.)
Texas rig a 7-10" worm aswell for bass holding in heavy cover and wont raise for a topwater can be deadly.
You can rip minus one's,on shallow areas, and big lipped cranks on weed lines, or deeper water structure aswell.Try to keep contact with the crank bouncing off bottom aswell if fishing a deep running crank.Also if you find bass are there but not hitting, try bouncing you spinnerbaits, and cranks of of any visable structure
Hope this helps, F.F
For Newboro L, heavy bass in there, and all your techs are right with what you have now aswell.Try a scum frog over lillies, moss beds, and anytype of floating weed growth for some hard to be dog day summer bass.Besy bet is to keep your frog close to shore line and then retrieve back to you.Wait for the weight of the fish b4 setting the hook aswell, under heavy weed mats, you will get lots of blow ups but alot of miss aswell.
Tubes can efectivly be fished with either a jig head, or "Texas Rigged"Toss them under docks, or anytype of structure for a slow crawl, dragged or hopped back to the boat.
SENKO'S!!!!Wacky rigged and dropped into holes in weed patches, on weedlines, or texas rigged through shalow to deeper weedbeds aswell(Can be with or with out weight, wacky style is alwas weightless for me.)
Texas rig a 7-10" worm aswell for bass holding in heavy cover and wont raise for a topwater can be deadly.
You can rip minus one's,on shallow areas, and big lipped cranks on weed lines, or deeper water structure aswell.Try to keep contact with the crank bouncing off bottom aswell if fishing a deep running crank.Also if you find bass are there but not hitting, try bouncing you spinnerbaits, and cranks of of any visable structure
Hope this helps, F.F
There is just abut every kind of structure imaginable for a bass fisherman on those lakes.
Try a Johnson spoon and twister or pork strip/frog trailer in the pads. Use the white spinnerbait even on dark days, never black unless at night. Fish it fast.. fast...fast over weed flats. Learn what coontail weed is and where to find it. Look for the deeper beds. Look for holes in those weeds and drop big heavy Jig n pigs into them.....hang on! Get some Senkos and fish them wacky over top, into and down the edges...all over. Texas rigged worms too around weedlines and shoreline junk, bounce it around broken rocks. Newboro has lots of free floating weeds that get dislodged and drift and get hung up.....look for the floating mats in bays after a big wind. For smallies 6-8 lbs spin rod and 1/4 oz plain jighead and smoke grub.....fished very slow, let it sit on bottom even.
Avoid the following.....flat, solid barren rock even if its a 5 ft shoal surrounded by deep water or a good looking point.....unless it has weeds......and that stump that looks so good? It looked good to the other 200 guys who went casted to it.
Try a Johnson spoon and twister or pork strip/frog trailer in the pads. Use the white spinnerbait even on dark days, never black unless at night. Fish it fast.. fast...fast over weed flats. Learn what coontail weed is and where to find it. Look for the deeper beds. Look for holes in those weeds and drop big heavy Jig n pigs into them.....hang on! Get some Senkos and fish them wacky over top, into and down the edges...all over. Texas rigged worms too around weedlines and shoreline junk, bounce it around broken rocks. Newboro has lots of free floating weeds that get dislodged and drift and get hung up.....look for the floating mats in bays after a big wind. For smallies 6-8 lbs spin rod and 1/4 oz plain jighead and smoke grub.....fished very slow, let it sit on bottom even.
Avoid the following.....flat, solid barren rock even if its a 5 ft shoal surrounded by deep water or a good looking point.....unless it has weeds......and that stump that looks so good? It looked good to the other 200 guys who went casted to it.
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Big Turkey
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Wow, thanks for the tips. I am definitely looking forward to trying out our suggestions. What color senkos/worms for August is best? Also what type jigs and trailers do you recommend?
One of the best things I do is i get two walk the dog baits. Use 2 zara spooks, one large (in the rear) and one small (spook jr up front). Take the rear hook off the spook jr in front and tie to the large spook. Cast em out and walk the dog back in. The first one will go side/side and the second will just come in. You can catch LM on the front one or rear and sometimes bass will blow up on both.
Night time is also deadly with woodchoppers and jitterbugs. Some of my biggest bass have been taken at night. I have been coming up there for about 20 years and my grandparents actually had their honeymoon in the late 40's at newboro lock. I guess I only swing like 2-3 bass a day and maybe get 1 4-5lber per trip. I was hoping I could bump it up this year.
Thanks guys
Pat
h
One of the best things I do is i get two walk the dog baits. Use 2 zara spooks, one large (in the rear) and one small (spook jr up front). Take the rear hook off the spook jr in front and tie to the large spook. Cast em out and walk the dog back in. The first one will go side/side and the second will just come in. You can catch LM on the front one or rear and sometimes bass will blow up on both.
Night time is also deadly with woodchoppers and jitterbugs. Some of my biggest bass have been taken at night. I have been coming up there for about 20 years and my grandparents actually had their honeymoon in the late 40's at newboro lock. I guess I only swing like 2-3 bass a day and maybe get 1 4-5lber per trip. I was hoping I could bump it up this year.
Thanks guys
Pat
h
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FLOATFISHIN
- Diamond Participant
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- Joined: Tue Apr 13, 2004 9:22 am
- Location: Delhi Ont
Pat, carefull on the spook pattern, in Ont you are allowed a max of 4 hooks per line, trebles on a lure are considered a series, and 3 trebles(On a super spook) pertains to a series of 3 hooks.1 treble on a lure counts a 3 hooks.
I have used a spook, and a (Slug-O) trailed off the end for blow ups, and the (Now a senko) texas rigged behind for not having to have a follow bait, and has worked!!!(Funny thing is, if they hit the senko 1st, the Spook acts as a float )
Colors...........................Watermelon, baby bass, well hard to say till that time of year bro, PM me towards your stay, and I'll try to know what soft plastic colors are hot for ya!!!
Jigs, A pro model 3/4 ounce tipped with yum chunks, pork trailers, or a 4" craw will do well.Again colors, couldnt tell ya till your trip, and weather, water clarity makes a diff to colors.
F.F
I have used a spook, and a (Slug-O) trailed off the end for blow ups, and the (Now a senko) texas rigged behind for not having to have a follow bait, and has worked!!!(Funny thing is, if they hit the senko 1st, the Spook acts as a float
)Colors...........................Watermelon, baby bass, well hard to say till that time of year bro, PM me towards your stay, and I'll try to know what soft plastic colors are hot for ya!!!
Jigs, A pro model 3/4 ounce tipped with yum chunks, pork trailers, or a 4" craw will do well.Again colors, couldnt tell ya till your trip, and weather, water clarity makes a diff to colors.
F.F
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Big Turkey
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- Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2005 1:36 pm
Hi GUys!
It's that time of the year again! We are gearing up to leave PA on friday and will be up in the opinicon for 10 days.
Could someone please provide some help as to what you think my best bets would be? I am going tackle shopping on Thursday and would really appreciate some help.
Thanks guys!
pat
It's that time of the year again! We are gearing up to leave PA on friday and will be up in the opinicon for 10 days.
Could someone please provide some help as to what you think my best bets would be? I am going tackle shopping on Thursday and would really appreciate some help.
Thanks guys!
pat
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grumpy7790
- Bronze Participant
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- Joined: Sun Jun 15, 2003 8:23 pm
- Location: SE PA
Fish
BT,
where in PA are you from?
Anyhow, do yourself a favor and get a handful of Flippin jigs and learn to work that deep coontail grass. Try a 7.5' Flippin Stik with some braided line. Make close pitches, 10'-20' only to the grass. Watch your line very carefully as the jig falls. Any line movement left or right, set the hook. After the jigs hits bottom shake it a few times then hop it to the next spot. If it hangs in the grass, give it a quick rip and let it fall again. The ripping will trigger strikes.
Learn how to flip jigs in these weeds and you'll do just fine.
GL,
G
where in PA are you from?
Anyhow, do yourself a favor and get a handful of Flippin jigs and learn to work that deep coontail grass. Try a 7.5' Flippin Stik with some braided line. Make close pitches, 10'-20' only to the grass. Watch your line very carefully as the jig falls. Any line movement left or right, set the hook. After the jigs hits bottom shake it a few times then hop it to the next spot. If it hangs in the grass, give it a quick rip and let it fall again. The ripping will trigger strikes.
Learn how to flip jigs in these weeds and you'll do just fine.
GL,
G
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Big Turkey
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Grumpy!
Thanks for responding. I'm from Nazareth PA, originally from Pittston area.
We head up to the opinicon every year for 10 days and we have been doing it since my grandparents had their honeymoon at Sterling lodge.
Recently I havent been doing all that well. I will definitely buy some of those jigs. What colors/size/trailers would you recommend?
Thanks
Thanks for responding. I'm from Nazareth PA, originally from Pittston area.
We head up to the opinicon every year for 10 days and we have been doing it since my grandparents had their honeymoon at Sterling lodge.
Recently I havent been doing all that well. I will definitely buy some of those jigs. What colors/size/trailers would you recommend?
Thanks
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grumpy7790
- Bronze Participant
- Posts: 493
- Joined: Sun Jun 15, 2003 8:23 pm
- Location: SE PA
Jigs
BT,
I'm over in Orefield and have fished the area for many years. Well you can never really go wrong with black/blue, Mixed Browns, and even white jigs.
Sizes, 1/2 oz. is standard, also try 1/4, 3/4, 1 oz. But start with a 1/2 oz. There are some jigs tweaked for heavy grass, the head of the jig will be bullet shaped to help go through the weeds.
For trailers, I like zoom super chunks, sweet beavers, or pork craws. I'm not totally sold on specific brands but Triple Ratltlebacks, Strike King, Falcon, Bass Stalker, and Booyah will work well.
Just remember, short pitches, and try to get the jig to fall as vertical as possible. Strip line if necessary so the jig falls straight down rather than on an angle back to the boat.
Let us know how you make out,
G
I'm over in Orefield and have fished the area for many years. Well you can never really go wrong with black/blue, Mixed Browns, and even white jigs.
Sizes, 1/2 oz. is standard, also try 1/4, 3/4, 1 oz. But start with a 1/2 oz. There are some jigs tweaked for heavy grass, the head of the jig will be bullet shaped to help go through the weeds.
For trailers, I like zoom super chunks, sweet beavers, or pork craws. I'm not totally sold on specific brands but Triple Ratltlebacks, Strike King, Falcon, Bass Stalker, and Booyah will work well.
Just remember, short pitches, and try to get the jig to fall as vertical as possible. Strip line if necessary so the jig falls straight down rather than on an angle back to the boat.
Let us know how you make out,
G