Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2015 - 13

Timing

When you have located a spot that is off the
beaten path and less likely to receive a lot of
fishing pressure, you need to check it to see if
it can become your next hidden gem. As you
check out the spot, you need to be aware of
your timing. Don't fish a trout stream in August
expecting to find trout that are anything but
sluggish, and don't fish the shallows of a lake in
July expecting to find a large school of crappies.
Finding secret spots within a lake will always
vary based on the time of the year. One of my
favorite "secret" lake spots is where an entering
stream holds a large number of baitfish during
the summer months. The bass will cruise around
in the stream going after the baitfish. However,
during the cooler periods of the year, the bass
are just not there, because there is nothing there
to draw them in. My favorite time to explore a
trout stream is between June and July, because
most trout anglers are done for the year. The
true gem streams begin to show themselves as
fish have been sitting in the stream for a month
or two, and they are now receiving little to no
fishing pressure. If you were to go to this stretch
of stream in April, the stream would be receiving
so much pressure that it would be impossible to
determine it's true potential.

A stream with a lot of
pools will generally be
able to hold fish year
round and be able to
hide fish from plain sight.

General knowledge

The most overlooked element of a secret
spot is the general knowledge of the waterway.
A stream like Letort Spring Run at Marinaro's
Meadow, Cumberland County, will never be
anyone's secret spot because of how much is written
about it and the general knowledge already known about
the waterway. When I'm trying to find a new secret
stream, I try to find a stream that only receives at most
one or two stockings a year (if any at all), receives a
private organization stocking or doesn't have any type of
special regulation on it. Streams like the Yellow Breeches
Creek that receive 12 or so stockings each year are fished
so heavily that it would be difficult to find an area to
consider it "secret."
I like to find lakes that are not part of a state park,
have no special regulations (such as Big Bass or Panfish
Enhancement) or are a little more difficult to access.
This narrows it down to only a few lakes in each region
of Pennsylvania, but they are almost always consistently
more productive as they will receive less pressure. It is
up to you to explore these bodies of water and locate
the hot spots. That is where time and knowledge of each
fish species in the body of water will greatly increase
your chances of finding your next secret spot.

PFBC website: www.fishandboat.com

If you can find a stream that winds far away from the road, you
will generally find spots that offer year-round action.
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * January/February 2015

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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2015

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