Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - July/August - 34

Pymatuning

Summertime

BASSIN'

by Darl Black

photos by the author

During the 1980s, I was heavy into bass tournaments, chasing
competitive events at lakes all over Pennsylvania, including
Pymatuning Reservoir, Crawford County.
While tournament contestants routinely caught
Largemouth Bass at Pymatuning Reservoir, most bass were
12- to 14- inches long. A typical five fish tournament limit was
between 7- to 8-pounds. Bass over 3 pounds were rare. During
a 2-person team tournament on Pymatuning Reservoir in
1986 with 100 boats entered, Dave Lefebre and I won the event
with a 10 bass limit that weighed just over 14 pounds. Our big
bass in the catch was 21/2 pounds.
In 2016, though still fishing Pymatuning Reservoir
regularly for a variety of species, I was no longer
participating in tournaments. However, I watched the
dynamics of the bass fishery change over the years. Nothing
quantifies my observations better than the Pennsylvania Fish
& Boat Commission's (PFBC's) 2016 Fisheries Report on
Pymatuning Reservoir.
In this report, PFBC Fisheries Biologist Timothy Wilson
addressed his night electrofishing bass survey. "Over the
last 30 years, the total catch of bass has more than tripled in
magnitude, primarily due to a large expansion of Largemouth
Bass since 2002. Pymatuning Reservoir has an excellent bass
fishery and hosts numerous tournaments," said Wilson.

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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * July/August 2019	

What was even more astonishing were the length
frequency of their samples. While 12- to 14-inch bass
comprised the greatest number of bass sampled, there were
solid representation of bass in the 15- to 19-inch size, plus
two Largemouth Bass over 20 inches long, which was rare in
the 1980s.
Bass angler R.J. Graham was not around during the
Pymatuning Reservoir's "low numbers, small-size bass" period
more than three decades ago. But, now he is a frequent visitor
to Pymatuning Reservoir.
"I have fished Pymatuning Reservoir for 15 years, initially
for fun with my dad and now as a tournament competitor. I
have fished tournaments on every good-size lake in western
Pennsylvania, and Pymatuning Reservoir is my second-favorite
bass water, beat out only by Lake Erie, which is an entirely
different style of fishing. As far as I am concerned, Pymatuning
Reservoir is what bass fishing in Pennsylvania is all about," said
Graham. A competitor needs a five fish tournament limit of at
least 14 pounds to possibly be in the money. Winning weighs
may go as high as 18- or 19-pounds for five fish.
Years ago, a veteran bass angler advised me to never fish for
bass at Pymatuning Reservoir deeper than the length of my
7-foot flipping rod. According to Graham, that advice is still
valid today. "I spend most of my time concentrating on water
4 feet or less. There are some deeper spots where I fish for
Smallmouth Bass, but I have never caught a Largemouth Bass
deeper than 8 feet," said Graham.
www.gonefishingpa.com
http://www.gonefishingpa.com
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