Smallmouth Fishing in Pennsylvania
Smallmouth bass got their name by having smaller mouths than a related species, the largemouth bass. The smallmouth bass is predominantly brown in appearance, and can grow up to 5 pounds. Their length can vary between 10 and 20 inches. Smallmouth bass has flaky white meat that is quite tasty, and has a number of preparations. A Pennsylvania public health advisory does suggest not eating more than 1/2 pounds of caught fish in a week, due to concerns about mercury levels. Smallmouth fishing in Pennsylvania requires a fishing license, but no additional licenses or stamps.
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Habitat
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Smallmouth bass can be found on rock-bottom rivers, lakes and streams. They swim at a depth of approximately 15 feet deep. This freshwater fish is considered a black bass, and usually are seen in less polluted waters. Smallmouth bass live in still and running water.
Fishing Season
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Pennsylvania restricts the dates that you can fish for smallmouth bass. The season differs between rivers and lakes. For rivers, you can catch and keep smallmouth bass from January 1 to April 16, and again through October 1 to December 31. You can catch and release smallmouths between April 17 to June 11.
Lake smallmouth fishing runs from January 1 to April 16, and June 12 to December 31. You can catch and release the fish between April 17 and June 11.
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Size Requirements
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Smallmouth bass must be 18 inches long during the first and last river fishing seasons. The middle season has a minimum limit of 15 inches. Lake smallmouths can be caught at 15 inches during all non-catch-and-release periods.
Bait
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Live bait or lures that resemble food from a typical smallmouth bass diet are used to catch smallmouth, which eat minnows, nightcrawlers and leeches. Many different types of lures are designed for bass fishing, and anglers on a smallmouth quest all have their favorites.
Popular Smallmouth Spots
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The Pennsylvania Game and Fish magazine published an article detailing 10 of the hottest spots for smallmouth fishing. Lake Erie, Presque Isle Bay, Susquehanna River and the Allegheny River are among the top.
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References
- Photo Credit bass image by Liz Van Steenburgh from Fotolia.com
