Bushkill, PA Bushkill Creek May/June 2021

ChileRelleno · May 24, 2021, 01:02:11 PM

Here we go with another paradisical trout fishing vacation to my SiL's cabin on Bushkill creek PA.
Looking at 9 days of "Eat, Sleep, Fish and Repeat".
We traveled the 1100mls Sat/Sun, a rather nice trip, no problems/traffic jams.
We enjoyed some nice dining out on the road.
Highly recommend Chesapeake Seafood House in Knoxville, TN, fantastic food/service.

Hit both Bass Pro in Harrisburg and Cabela's in Hamburg, PA.
Bass Pro was disappointing, horribly under or out of stock, and lackluster service.
Cabela's was the exact opposite, funny that as they're now the same for most purposes.

Amongst all the other things we picked up felt soled wading boots this time, one morning and a dozen steps proved their worth every penny.

Got in just before dark Sunday evening, and I managed to get a few cast in before it got too dark to see.
Caught a nice fat Pumpkinseed as big as my outstretched hand.
Nate came up empty handed and annoyed.

DAY 1

Up at 0530, already plenty light out, started fishing and had a Brookie come unbuttoned, another really nice feeling unknown did the same and then I landed this nice 16" Brook.

Nate caught a stout Smallmouth, but they out of season so it was released.

Back to the cabin for a hearty breakfast, run some errands and then will get back to it.

Midway Tommy · May 24, 2021, 07:22:58 PM

Sounds like a relaxing and fun getaway! I love fresh fish!

You might want to stay up to date on which states already have, and are probably going to, outlaw felt wading boots. I know here in NE you can hardly give a pair away.

thorhammer · May 24, 2021, 07:34:35 PM

Quote from: Midway Tommy on May 24, 2021, 07:22:58 PM
Sounds like a relaxing and fun getaway! I love fresh fish!

You might want to stay up to date on which states already have, and are probably going to, outlaw felt wading boots. I know here in NE you can hardly give a pair away.

wth....cause that's our biggest problem.....

Midway Tommy · May 24, 2021, 09:07:57 PM

Quote from: thorhammer on May 24, 2021, 07:34:35 PM
Quote from: Midway Tommy on May 24, 2021, 07:22:58 PM
Sounds like a relaxing and fun getaway! I love fresh fish!

You might want to stay up to date on which states already have, and are probably going to, outlaw felt wading boots. I know here in NE you can hardly give a pair away.

wth....cause that's our biggest problem.....

That's the least of it. An awful lot of the state Game & Parks don't appreciate draggin' invasive species around from here to there. Heck, in most of the upper central plains you best not even be caught on the road with your livewell with water, or the plug, in it, or your drain plug in. They have LO's just looking to stop people on the road and hangin' around boat ramps to issue citations for that.

foakes · May 24, 2021, 09:53:42 PM

Quote from: Midway Tommy on May 24, 2021, 09:07:57 PM
Quote from: thorhammer on May 24, 2021, 07:34:35 PM
Quote from: Midway Tommy on May 24, 2021, 07:22:58 PM
Sounds like a relaxing and fun getaway! I love fresh fish!

You might want to stay up to date on which states already have, and are probably going to, outlaw felt wading boots. I know here in NE you can hardly give a pair away.

wth....cause that's our biggest problem.....

That's the least of it. An awful lot of the state Game & Parks don't appreciate draggin' invasive species around from here to there. Heck, in most of the upper central plains you best not even be caught on the road with your livewell with water, or the plug, in it, or your drain plug in. They have LO's just looking to stop people on the road and hangin' around boat ramps to issue citations for that.

Sounds a lot like — Nebraskafornia, Tom!

Thanks for checking back in Chile — I miss your skills and culinary reports.

Best, Fred

Midway Tommy · May 24, 2021, 11:22:29 PM

Quote from: foakes on May 24, 2021, 09:53:42 PM

Sounds a lot like — Nebraskafornia, Tom!

Thanks for checking back in Chile — I miss your skills and culinary reports.

Best, Fred

Yeah, me and the Nebraska Game and Parks fisheries outreach program manager don't see eye-to-eye on a lot of that kind of nonsense. We've had many tense and heated discussions about some of their silly rules and regulations. One good example of their stupidity is they stocked a whole bunch of spoonbill/paddle fish in a 150 mile long canal & lake system a few years back with no intension to ever have an open season on them. A waste of money that could and should have been spent in a lot of other ways, like stocking saugeye instead.

SMH!

happyhooker · May 25, 2021, 01:13:43 AM

Sounds like a great trip. A 16 in. brookie is nice.

Frank

ChileRelleno · May 25, 2021, 01:30:23 AM

To be honest, the only laws I care about are the ones immediately pertinent to me.
And felt soled are currently legal in PA, and we don't have any plans to fish elsewhere in PA or the US so the point is moot.

I understand the laws/regs and agree with them for the most part, control of invasives is a huge problem.

As for those paddlefish, reintroduction and building populations is a huge part of conservation.
That's money well spent in my opinion.

It's like Cobia in the Gulf, I think they need a BIG break from fishing, several years of strict C&R to let them rebound.
That view makes me unpopular when the subject comes up.

But dammit, conservation works.

ChileRelleno · May 25, 2021, 01:34:14 AM

Still DAY 1Today was a tough day for catching, but some nice fishing scenery and solitude wise.

I only landed one more trout, a 12" Rainbow.
Several Smallies and panfish were caught too, all released.

Nate is still batting zero on trout and trout are all that counts.

I'm thinking pan fried trout for breakfast!

ChileRelleno · May 25, 2021, 01:53:03 AM

My SiL's cabin, my son and I working a section and yours truly.

RowdyW · May 25, 2021, 02:06:49 AM

Chile, it looks real peaceful & quiet. It has to be the Catskills. No place like it on earth. Rudy

ChileRelleno · May 25, 2021, 02:19:58 AM

Quote from: RowdyW on May 25, 2021, 02:06:49 AM
Chile, it looks real peaceful & quiet. It has to be the Catskills. No place like it on earth. Rudy

Nope... It's the Poconos.

philaroman · May 25, 2021, 02:23:51 AM

you know, old high-tops w/ AstroTurf epoxied to soles work almost as well as felt
(esp., wet-wading)... wear out sooner / cost LE$$ / might befuddle a warden

red Chucks, white laces, green soles --Christmas Shoes

EDIT: well, NOT Chucks -- cardboard soles

RowdyW · May 25, 2021, 02:26:51 AM

Quote from: ChileRelleno on May 25, 2021, 02:19:58 AM
Quote from: RowdyW on May 25, 2021, 02:06:49 AM
Chile, it looks real peaceful & quiet. It has to be the Catskills. No place like it on earth. Rudy
Nope... It's the Poconos.

Oops, that's what I meant. I used to live in N.J. about 40 miles east of there. Old age is creeping up on me.

Midway Tommy · May 25, 2021, 05:51:58 AM

Quote from: ChileRelleno on May 25, 2021, 01:30:23 AM
To be honest, the only laws I care about are the ones immediately pertinent to me.
And felt soled are currently legal in PA, and we don't have any plans to fish elsewhere in PA or the US so the point is moot.

I understand the laws/regs and agree with them for the most part, control of invasives is a huge problem.

As for those paddlefish, reintroduction and building populations is a huge part of conservation.
That's money well spent in my opinion.

It's like Cobia in the Gulf, I think they need a BIG break from fishing, several years of strict C&R to let them rebound.
That view makes me unpopular when the subject comes up.

But dammit, conservation works.

I'm all for conservation, and in most cases it is a huge benefit to all, but spending sportsman funded dollars to introduce a species like paddlefish into a water system where they have never existed with no intent on ever allowing the sportsmen that funded it to enjoy an open season is completely ridiculous and an irresponsible use of so called "limited funds".