Summer is here. And with that we are looking at the start of another season of smallmouth bass float trips on the Juniata River. The excitement regarding the experience of floating the river in drift boats to fish for smallmouth bass is contagious.
Over the long weekend, I floated the river all three days with other guides at the club to check things out. It’s safe to say that the summer smallmouth fishing is on. And yes, I think there’s something to be said about the fact that many of our guides and employees at the club will get in the boats with us on off days any chance we get.
The water conditions for the start of this summer are in much better shape than the previous two years that we had high water in early July. Water levels on the Juniata River are currently a little lower than average and clear. These are excellent conditions for fly fishing for smallmouth bass.
Over the weekend the fishing was a lot of fun, and continued to improve each day. The subsurface game has been hot, and fish are consistently being caught on minnow patterns and crayfish flies. However, the popper fishing continued to improve over the weekend each day as well. There was enough action to make casting the poppers well worth it, and it’s important to note the biggest fish we caught the last couple of weeks have been on the surface.
A typical day in the boats is two anglers per boat with a guide. Based upon availability, we are able to do group float trips. Two boat float trips with 4 anglers and 2 guides are a really good time and have become very popular.
Just a reminder, guiding smallmouth bass floats are a priority for Andy and myself during the summer months. This means that even if it appears on the schedule that we are already scheduled to guide it’s always worth it to double check. It’s also very important to note that if your membership provides a limited number of days of access, smallmouth bass float trips DO NOT COUNT against your days, nor are there any guest fees.
If you’ve already booked your float trips for this year, we look forward to getting you in the boats again for another summer of smallmouth bass fishing! If you haven’t tried a summer smallmouth float trip yet, don’t miss out!
It’s just the start as the peak of our season runs through July, August and September. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I truly believe floating for smallmouth bass on the Juniata River is one of the best experiences available to anglers during the summer months. If you need to get a trip on the schedule, give Joel a call!
