Over the last two weeks, I’ve been on the river almost daily between fishing myself and guiding float trips for members here at the club. Through that time period, water conditions continued to improve and with that the smallmouth bass fishing kicked into gear for the summer. Last weekend we experienced the best conditions and day of fishing so far, and with the current forecast, we expect that trend to continue.
I’m very pleased to say that this year’s outlook for the summer smallmouth float season is much improved over last year. We still received a lot of rain already this year, but it fell differently than last year which has led to it affecting the river a lot differently. Water levels are currently still dropping towards average for this time of year, however, the water clarity is in good shape for fishing. The current forecasts are much drier than earlier this year, so water levels and clarity are continuing to improve.
Over the last two weeks, the subsurface game fished well from beginning to end. Numbers of bass are consistently being caught on crayfish and minnow patterns with fly rods in addition to spinning gear for those who wanted to give that a try as well. This week we experienced the best day of popper fishing so far, which produced both numbers and size of fish on the surface. We expect popper fishing to continue being the major highlight of the summer smallmouth season, however, don’t overlook subsurface opportunities as they are a different style of fun as well.
Smallmouth float trips are off and rolling. If you want to get in on the action, look at dates in July, August, and September as that is our “peak season” for smallmouth bass fishing. I can honestly tell you that floating for smallmouth bass on the Juniata River is what I look forward to most each year. Don’t miss out!
If you need to get your float trip on the books, give Joel a call to make your reservation. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out. If you already have a trip planned, we look forward to seeing you on the water!
