Page 15 - 2022 Digital Guide

I've been chasing Smallmouth Bass across northwest Pennsylvania for 50
years. This seems like it's a good time to reflect on those bronzeback
adventures and share my favorite Smallmouth Bass waters of northwestern
Pennsylvania.

Favorite By the way, I'm only addressing inland waters while excluding the elephant
in the room - Lake Erie. This massive fishery that deserves a review of its
own.
Smallmouth Conneaut Lake, Crawford County
Stats: 928 acres; 72 feet max depth; natural lake; unlimited HP
I started fishing Conneaut Lake in the late 1970s and quickly discovered it
supported a strong population of Smallmouth Bass in addition to an array of
Bass Waters other popular species. This lake produced some very large smallies in the
80s and 90s, with at least one over 8 pounds – according to the local
Waterways Conservation Officer at the time. My best bronzeback so far has
of NW PA been 7 pounds. Unfortunately, whether it was intensive fishing pressure,
changes in the lake environment, shift in forage or other factors, the
smallmouth population has declined in the past 20 years. However, I still
catch (and release, of course) my largest inland waters Smallmouth Bass
by Darl Black each season from Conneaut – just not as many as in days gone by. To fish
Conneaut for smallmouth, you must be prepared with an arsenal of baits to
address weedbeds interspersed with gravel areas on the flats, hard bottom
points and rock-capped mid-lake humps as well as suspended smallies
during mid to late summer. Include topwater baits, swimbaits, spinnerbaits,
jerkbaits, drop-shot rigs, shaky worms, finesse jig-n-craw, blade baits and
hair jigs in your box.
French Creek, from Union City to Franklin
Stats: 78 miles; shallow stream suited for paddle craft and wading.
If you are a kayaker or wade angler, French Creek is the perfect destination
stream for you. From the mid-70s to the late-90s, my wife and I routinely
floated sections French Creek. This stream isn't known for big bass, but it is
home to many acrobatic 8 to 14 inchers. I recall one April day standing on a
sand spit near the head of a pool, casting a 4-inch curly-tail grub to a current
seam and landing 27 smallmouths (each about 14 inches) on 27 casts before
finally losing a fish. Unfortunately, the summertime flow of French Creek
has diminished noticeably since the 1970s, and the numbers of adult
smallmouth don't seem as abundant. Nonetheless, if you like throwing small
baits on light tackle (spinners, small floating minnow plugs, tube jigs and
grubs), then you'll enjoy French Creek. In planning a trip, be sure to obtain
the free French Creek Water Trail Map & Guide to plot your float; contact
Crawford County Convention & Visitor's Bureau (www.visitcrawford.org ).
Woodcock Creek Lake, Crawford County
Stats: 500 acres; 10 HP limit; ACE Flood Control impoundment
Marilyn and I started fishing Woodcock Lake in 1976, the year it opened as
I recall. The newly impounded lake exploded with Largemouth Bass and
Muskellunge. Apparently, the annual severe winter drawdown and lack of
desired aquatic vegetation did the largemouth population in. However, lack
of largemouth-favored weeds along with ample rock/gravel bottom, allowed
Smallmouth Bass to fill the void. In a few years, those brown bass were
getting shoulders on them. I do not believe there is a high population of
smallies in Woodcock, but there are some very nice specimens in the three
to five-pound range. During periods of very clear water, we like to fish it
early and late in the day with topwater baits. If storm water is held back and
the lake level creeps into the shoreline brush and grass, it's swim jig time.
However, if water gets a thick algae stain during late summer, we avoid the
lake.

Pymatuning Lake, Crawford County
Stats: 13,000 acres; 20 HP limit; PA State Park Lake
Pymatuning is where my Dad taught me to fish in the late 1950s.
Smallmouth Bass were as 'rare as hen's teeth' in those days. Twenty years
later Marilyn and I began fishing Pymatuning regularly for greenies and
brownies, but it was rare to catch a bronzeback over two pounds. Roughly
15 years would pass before I caught a Pymatuning smallmouth over 3
pounds. Then around 2005, tournament anglers were suddenly catching
numbers of smallmouths in the 2.5 to 5-pound range. A smallie explosion if
you will! There was a time when I never would have recommended
Pymatuning as a destination for smallmouth. No longer. Want brownies? Go
to Pymie! Be sure to pack shallow crankbaits, jerkbaits, chatter baits,
spinnerbaits, jig-n-craw and those stupid-but-effective Ned rigs!