Bass are beginning to bite

Bass fishing is strong, on all area lakes and all the reports I am getting are showing great numbers of smaller Bass.

I fished Pickwick Lake a few days ago and caught a bunch of Bass. Our best bite was in shallow water – about three to seven feet — fishing gravel bars working a 2.75-inch Bass Teaser tube bait in road-kill-camo color.

We caught less fish, but larger size Bass on a 3.5-inch small jaw tube bait in penrod purple.

These fish were further down the gravel bar in eight to 10 feet of water.

The next day we were able to produce similar results on Little Bear, but we had to fish the bait significantly slower.

A lot of bass fishermen are getting significant bites on lipless crank baits fished in shallow water adjacent to wood structure.

Next week I will have the opportunity to fish one of the best Smallmouth rivers in the country the Susquehanna River, with a fishing guide and lifelong friend Dan Grulke.

Last year Dan consistently put me on 30-50 Smallmouths per day, in the size of 16 inches up to 21 inches.

Not as big as in Pickwick or Wilson Lake but that is a bunch of Smallmouth.

If you need more info on Dan’s service you can send me an email.

Joseph Gallagher is the Outdoors Columnist for The Franklin County Times. He can be reached at naloutdoors@gmail.com