4/2 Fishing

We chased toothies again yesterday and managed to move 2 good fish but no eaters.

Once again, it was amazing to see the massive changes to the river since the high flows we have had. I am not talking about the few big trees that roll into different areas but the hundreds and hundreds of tons of sediment that are pushed around or the big creek-mouth deltas that are washed away. Entire shoals are pushed around which changes the shape and depth of travel channels.

During back to back trips in late-November, we had fished a 9-foot area the first day and after the river rose several feet that night, the same area was 17-18 feet deep on the second day. We are talking about removing a chunk of sediment 9 feet thick, 150 yards long and 30 yards wide in less than 12 hours! (I could describe 2-3 more examples but I think the point was made.)

All of us river rats understand things change from year to year but I really hadn’t realized just how quickly it actually happens. Another related notion I think about quite often is how different this stretch of river is compared to the lower end of the river regarding the movement of sediment and spawning opportunities. If the middle/upper end of the Allegheny is moving this much sediment, just think how much is being relocated further South. We have very few substantial tributaries in this 30 mile stretch of water and the amount of moving sediment is very noticeable (if you are paying attention).

The difficulties in successful spawning (for any fish, not just muskies) is very complicated in river systems. So many variables must line up in a positive way for these guys to propogate their species.

I think the area of the river you fish sees greater changes than the lower Allegheny although creek mouths on the lower river are pretty dynamic. I've been fishing the same areas for walleyes and smallmouth for decades on the Lower River and a lot has stayed pretty much the same. The riffle that flows past the big burner at the Warren Refinery is a great example of a changing stretch. It's moved up the river almost 100 yards in the past 25 years. I'm also amazed at how some areas just stay the same. There are more than a few small spots that have been exactly the same for years. I think the biggest change in the area around Warren is the loss of the warm water discharge at the now dead power plant.

The locks/dams definitely impact sediment placement on the Pittsburgh part of the lower river and I wonder if that is the main reason you have seen little change in your area. The area I was referring to is the free flowing section from Tionesta to the first lock. Much more sediment and volume compared to here.