Bass season starts Saturday

Those looking to fish for bass can begin to do so starting on Saturday, June 12, and may keep them as long as they are 12 or more inches.

BY KEVIN WOODRUFF

Starting on Saturday, June 18, anglers throughout the region will try their hand at fishing for one of the area’s most popular fish species when bass comes into season.

Whether you’re fishing for largemouth, smallmouth, striped or rock bass, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission officer Kadin Thompson said that there should be no issue locating one.

Smallmouth bass are commonly lurking in the Susquehanna River as well as ponds and lakes throughout the region.

“I’ve seen quite a few people catching smallmouth bass on the (Susquehanna) river this year,” Thompson said on Friday. “And there has been some luck at Stevens Lake and Lake Carey with largemouth.”

Thompson said despite high river water throughout the spring months, he doesn’t believe there should be any difference in the amount of luck fisherman have.

“I think that it should be a typical year,” Thompson said. “I can’t see there being any big problems with catching any.”

However, Thompson did note that if anglers decide to go for bass, it is best to go either in the early morning or the evening.

“In the heat of mid-day the fish won’t be very active,” Thompson said.

In contrast to trout season, there is no big push to stock local waters with bass because the waters in the area are conducive to population growth in the species.

There are a few special considerations to keep in mind when fishing at Stevens Lake. A big bass regulation is in effect there, and anglers may not keep any fish below 15 inches, with a catch limit of four per day.

At Lake Winola, there are slot limits in place, where anglers can keep fish less than 12 inches, but none between 12 and 18 inches. Bass that are above 18 are good to take, but there is a limit of one per day.

In addition to lakes, farm ponds throughout Wyoming and Susquehanna counties are usually home to bass, If possible, it would be worthwhile to get permission from landowners to fish these ponds.

Thompson said that some popular bait for fishing for bass includes soft plastics, Rapalas and hellgrammites.

As far as safety out on the water, it is important for boat fisherman to pay attention to surroundings and wear proper safety attire.

For those who enjoy wading the waters in streams, watch out for slippery rocks, especially as the weather gets warmer, because algae tends to form on rocks in the summer.

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