Lehigh River - stripers?

[kenbrown]

On my way back from the store, I was checking out the Lehigh and looks like there is some deep water in spots. Anyone know if there are stripers in them there waters?? smile.gif Looks damn fishy!!

[reel thing 25]

I dont think that I ever heard them going up that far...I never really thought about it though.

[Chris Gatley]

stripers do run up that far for sure. People have actually caught stripers in the lehigh as far up as Allentown. On that river, there are several fish ladders so that the shad came make their migration back into that waterway. I guess they use to prior to all the industry. Stripers (but not many) have been seen, caught and documented with the state of PA from that waterway.

there are some deep holes on the river, especially as you go further north.

[sjb saxatilis]

I've talked to people/anglers that have actually caught striped bass in the de river at/near the delaware water gap, which is considerably north of allentown/the lehigh.

There are also stripers in many of the lakes in the pocono region.

I've heard that salt water stripers taste better than their fresh water counterparts, anyone else hear this?

[kenbrown]

Im slightly north of Allentown...thinking of giving it a try. Got some smaller storm shads that I think might work really well. I could also head down to easton and fish where the delaware and lehigh meet. Heard that area holds numbers of fish, but not fished all that much from what I've seen.

[freaky One]

It was the best kept secret, till now! Just teasin' :D I can tell you that I have caught them way up in the delaware river...but no stinkin' spots!In VERY shallow water. I think it would be worth a shot... ;)

[RyanF]

Walleye and smallmouth is a better bet for ya. Ive gotten a couple walleyes out of the big D in the Easton area during the school year, this is prime time right?

And never had any decent fish on the Lehigh, but never fished it hard or outside the bethlehem area.

RyanF

[freaky One]

Ryan....have you ever fished for stripers in the big D?

[Thumos]

kenbrown, try at the base of the Easton fish ladder (100ft. restriction)....you should see a yellow mark on a boulder--this is the 100ft. limit.

You can walk down and around to fish the base of the Easton railroad bridge as well....assuming moderate/low river flow.

A few years ago, someone reportedly landed a 30+ pound striper there on a live eel.

[kenbrown]

I know the area..havent been there in a long time. Would like to give it a try soon...maybe this weekend...dunno.

The lehigh is also like a mile away from my house but looks fairly shallow.

[Grasshopper]

I have heard of and seen pic's of some nice stripers caught in the Easton and Philipsburgh areas even as far north as Milford in the "Big D" They can definitely cover some water.

[freaky One]

if you decide to give it a try.float small eels with little/no weight at night..light test...I'd love to know how you make out

[Chris Gatley]

live trout is the ticket. using trout that is store bought with receipt is legal. catching trout and using for bait is illegal. trout is the number one producer - especially the farther north you head. as an fyi, there is a major resident population of stripers in the river. Hancock NY is one of the largest breeding grounds for the bass in the river. hancock is where the east and west branch meet - way upriver

Nick karas wrote a book named striped bass. in it, he talks all about the upper river bass. I sat and talked to him one night and he told me about his underwater encounters in hancock. he told me he saw many bass over 40 pounds up there. i guess they open their mouth and a trout just swims in up there.

[freaky One]

Chris....that's great info.

[RyanF]

freaky one, i have not fished for stripers in the Big D that far north. But I have seen stripers in the river up there. One spring after school let out in April my buddy and I canoed from LehighUniversity down the Lehigh and then down the Deleware to Yardley. I saw stripers on many occassions underneath me. I only had small plugs and jigs for walleye and smallmouth so I couldnt really target them.

Great story Chris. Ive heard a little about massive stripers way up the river by NY and disgarded it as hogwash. Are those bass ocean run?

RyanF

[kenbrown]

Live trout eh? Ok..where in the Easton/P-burg area would I be able to get some?

I was thinking of just trying some storm shads or maybe some bucktails.

I would love to try some eels as well, but no idea where I can pick em up locally. Ideas?

[LargemouthTim]

From what I have heard you can get trout on the Jeresy side but not sure what tack shop. I had an old timer tell me that some big stripers are caught above Easton. Another good area is where cooks creek comes in. All told by other anglers, never witnessed my self.

[kenbrown]

no idea....gotta look into it for sure....

[KRAYFISH]

Chris, the first striper I ever caught was in Raystown Lake on live trout. It tasted delicious.....Gene

[Chris Gatley]

let me see if i get all the questions answered. I did an artcile in NJ Angler for this but it has yet to publish. I think it may come out in JUne of 2006. we can ask Donovan when he plans on releasing the article. I have my copy but I can't release it. That covers all sorts of good stuff!

first let me say that the river records continually tested from fish in that area (easton, del water gap and NY). Now it makes sense since the lower river is a catch and release season when the big boys are in.

Now, I feel that some of these fish in the upper portions of the river are sea run fish that just stuck around. cool water, food - why head back? But like someone said above - many lakes and reservoirs with stripers dump into river that dump into the BIG D. For instance, Nockamixon and Beltzville. I am not too sure that people up north would know a hybrid from a sea run bass.

as for purchasing of trout. Some tackle stores carry them but it is easier to contact a trout hatchery. When I ran my drift boat on the lehigh river - i use to purchase live trout from Ted Miller at Birch Creek in Walnutport. Their is the Musky Trout Hatchery as well. That i believe is in Pohatcong township just south of PBurgh. A hatchery would be my option and often is.

if i forgot something - restate the question and hopefully i can answer it.

happy turkey day

[kenbrown]

thanks for the info Chris! Walnutport is just around the corner. When do you start up your spring charters on the big D? Might hafta see how a pro fishes it smile.gif

I fished Nockamixon with 0 stripers..didnt even know hybrids were in the lake. Caught some largemouth..thats bout it.

[Chris Gatley]

ken-

i fish the lower portions of the river (trenton) beginning april 15 with customers. i am there till may 15 when i make my switch to the ocean.

as of now, i am totally booked for 2006 and 2007 during that time. the river is that good!

watch for the article - it will tell you alot - or email me anytime
chris

[kenbrown]

Holy cow! Now thats what I call booked in advance!

I've only been shad fishing down Trenton area..did very well with that from the cat-walk and the power plant

Caught a 2lb smallie on a sabiki rig at the power plant a couple of years ago!

[BONAC H]

AHH the power plant.. I've fished that many times. You either kill them or it is DEAD. I have seen some nice stripers caught from that spot. That place also has a huge tide so becareful. I would guess it has around an 8 to 9 foot tide.

[kenbrown]

When I was there, saw some guys throwing chunks of herring/shad with no success. Pods upon pods of shad tho..I was hooking up on every cast..good time!

[Chris Gatley]

the power plant is one of many places to start. last year fishing was good down river. some days i took my 23 footer and ran FAAAAARRR!

other days, my small jet did the job. people do well from shore in New Hope and points north too.

lots o places to fish. find the herring and you found the bass.

[LargemouthTim]

Heres one from Nockamixon my friend caught. There are some big ones in there. http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a181/timclowney/joe2.jpg

[kenbrown]

Nice..wow..what he catch him on? I've fished there a whole 2 times. Once I fished around the bridge that goes over it..forget what the road is..comes off 412. Also tried a bit around the boat ramp..both times some small bass and sunnies.

Chris..If I get a chance I run down 611 and find some spots on the PA side..Ive noticed many, many turn-offs but never tried...

[LargemouthTim]

He got it on a luckycraft sammy 115 I believe. Some nights it sounds like someone is throwing cinder blocks in there when they are busting bait. There are many Hybrids and regular stripers in there. It is hard to catch them. Right place right time type of deal.

[troutwiz]

u have to head up to bucks county on the deleware there aare stripers up to 20 pounds there and they just glide across the surface witht there fin out of them water perfact for lite tackle but u need a good reel or ure screwed, up there all u have to do is fish with live peanuts and they are so many fish up there u will catch 40 5-10 pnd fish and a acosionaly a 10-15 so fun u got to trie it just bring some sabacki rigs for peaanuts also some huge wood trout handcarved plugs u order online fo largemouth bass u shld give it a try

[kenbrown]

troutwiz..any special sections I should pay attention to?...like around what towns should suffice....

[RyanF]

peanuts in bucks county? peanuts on a sabiki rig? im lost, herring?

[troutwiz]

around doylestown there is a small two lane bridge and o the left side on the nj side u pull into a hotel and u walk down to the river and wade across the river to the first support beam. it is a nice calm stretch of the river holds some good fish for summer time and now should be preety good havent been there latley but it is a very good spot. if u have a canoe or kyak u should paddle up river and drift down with some cut peanuts if currents arnt to fast


and also ryan f there are peanuts up there and u can cath thousands of them in a hour with a sabaki tipped with some small worms it is abundant with peanuts u will step on them.

[troutwiz]

also use 16 pound mono, to lite they will snap it and to heavy they can see it, but u could use 20 in the higher and faster sections

[kenbrown]

Thanks for the info. I will hafta check it out. Will hafta explore the river in the summer time.

Anyone try the smaller storm shads for the stripers in the river at all?

[LargemouthTim]

I have never heard that peanuts are this far up river. I will have to check that out. Are you sure you dont mean herring. Thats what everyone uses sabikis in the spring for.

[ 11-28-2005, 07:21 PM: Message edited by: LargemouthTim ]