River Advice

[H2O wolf]

I'm staying in Titusville Sunday and Monday night with some relatives. With all this rain looks like the river is out for Sunday... may hit Tamarack instead. Doing some stuff in Erie on Monday then was hoping to get a shot at the river on Tuesday before heading home.

I'm only familiar with the Franklin are so am looking for advice on Warren or Tidioute and I guess anywhere in between. I'm not really looking for anyone to give spots (but of course would take suggestions) but really looking for advice on where to launch and a heads up on skinny water/ hazzards. I'll have my girlfriend with me so don't want to scare her. Should mention I have a jet.

I haven't been up to Warren since doing the trip with Red (Fall 06 I think) and would probably recognize some spots there. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[H2O wolf]

I forgot to mention that I can check the river gauges but if anyone knows the number to call and can tell me what areas are fishable at what levels or cfs then that would be a huge help. Thanks again

[Red Childress]

I suspect the river will be way too high and muddy to do much of anything down that way. I cancelled my first musky trip in 15 years today due to high/muddy water and will cancel tomorrow's too....... Sunday and Monday is still iffy, just waiting to see what the ACE will do regarding outflow rates and mother nature is still threatening rain over the next few days.

If you can find a semi-clean creek mouth, try fishing it and even a considerable distance up the creek if the current is not too strong. Otherwise, maybe try the tails of the islands (or any other slack water areas with weeds) with some double 10's or 13's that have the thickest dressing you can find. I have had good luck fishing dirty water but when the river has just recently become muddy and the dirt is suspended throughout the entire water column, I have not done so well.

I read a research paper a few years ago stating the reason many fish do not feed much when the "mud is fresh" is that their gills get irritated from the abrasive particles passing through while breathing so they really become dormant until the thicker suspended dirt calms down.

Give it a shot, you never know what might happen. The conditions might even be better down that way considering Venango/Mercer/Crawford counties were not under a severe thunderstorm warning last nite.

Good luck!

[Red Childress]

I suspect the river will be way too high and muddy to do much of anything down that way but hopefully I am wrong. I cancelled my first musky trip in 15years today due to high/muddy water and will likely cancel Saturday's, Sunday's and Monday's as well.

If you can find a semi-clean creek mouth, try fishing it and even a considerable distance up the creek if the current is not too strong. Otherwise, maybe try the tails of the islands (or any other slack water areas with weeds) with some double 10's or 13's that have the thickest dressing you can find. I have had good luck fishing dirty water but when the river has just recently become muddy and the dirt is suspended throughout the entire water column, I have not done so well.

I read a research paper a few years ago stating the reason many fish do not feed much when the "mud is fresh" is that their gills get irritated from the abrasive particles passing through while breathing so they really become dormant until the thicker suspended dirt calms down.

Give it a shot, you never know what might happen. The conditions might even be better down that way considering Venango/Mercer/Crawford counties were not under a severe thunderstorm warning last nite.

Good luck!

[Red Childress]

I suspect the river will be way too high and muddy to do much of anything down that way but hopefully I am wrong. I cancelled my first musky trip in 15
years today due to high/muddy water and will likely cancel Saturday's, Sunday's and Monday's as well.

If you can find a semi-clean creek mouth, try fishing it and even a considerable distance up the creek if the current is not too strong. Otherwise, maybe try the tails of the islands (or any other slack water areas with weeds) with some double 10's or 13's that have the thickest dressing you can find. I have had good luck fishing dirty water but when the river has just recently become muddy and the dirt is suspended throughout the entire water column, I have not done so well.

I read a research paper a few years ago stating the reason many fish do not feed much when the "mud is fresh" is that their gills get irritated from the abrasive particles passing through while breathing so they really become dormant until the thicker suspended dirt calms down.

Give it a shot, you never know what might happen. The conditions might even be better down that way considering Venango/Mercer/Crawford counties were not under a severe thunderstorm warning last nite.

Good luck!