Maryland/Pennsylvania/West Virginia Region: 2011-2012 ice fishing season

[shanedoe]

Deep Creek,  the land of jumbo perch!!

[bobby11vd]

Do guys get muskie/pike T deep creek with any regularity?

[shanedoe]

Bobby, lots of nice pike&pick.  haven't heard of anyone catching muskie. Don't know if they are even in there.

[Getthenet]

Shane,
You are correct, no Muskies in Deep Creek.  MD DNR will stock Tiger Muskies in the Potomac and some other water bodies but not Deep Creek.  Probably, have enough predators with the big pike.

[strikequeen34]

Y'all need to keep me posted on deep creek..i want to plan a weekend trip up there. Is there any maps available for there? I've never actually fished there so I'd like to find a starting point. Thanks guys!

[bobby11vd]

Yeah, I saw that the md state pike record came out of deep creek...is it more common for guys to use steel leaders... Or will that spook em, or do guys go with thicker mono/fluoro...

[shanedoe]

Bobby most people are after perch, walleye and gills.  Most of the pike are caught while fishing for other species. I am sure some people target them with steel leaders and large bait. Even with mono walleye rigs you will still get some of them in depending on where they are hooked.

[Getthenet]

Shanedoe,
You are correct, SIR!  Before my bud (Big Scoop) got his Marcum and Shanty, always set tips and used steel leaders.  Caught a bunch of Pickerl and Pike.  I use 12 lb flouro or 8 lb braid and have caught a few pike.  Big Scoop uses a double rig as well, double hooks and double minnies. 

Ice will get here but it sure sucks when past years I was fishin already.  Thought about goin North but NY not much better.  The max I'd drive is 5 hrs. for a long weekend ice trip.  That would be Chataqua or Allegheny Reservoir Nat Forest.  You ever fish those lakes?

[shanedoe]

GTN I was hoping we would be drilling holes,cracking beers and icing fish by now. Maybe mid-late Jan. I never fished Chataqua or ARNF. Although they are further North I don't think they freeze any sooner than DCL with its higher elevation. Furthest North I've been is Pymatuning.

[bobby11vd]

Anybody ever icefish sleepy creek lake in wv...just over the md line...?

[icematt]

I target jumbo ling eel in the weeds.

[Spurcollector]

I spoke with a DNR guy today...we got on the topic of piney run reservoir in Carroll county...next to eldersburg...he was telling me that they stock it with tiger muskie and it is commonly ice fished...does anyone have any experience to add with this posting? Or heard of the same?

Hi, bobby11vd.  I have a grandson who lives in Sykesville.  We have fished  Piney Run many times(soft water only) and it is indeed a fine fishery.  It does have Tiger Muskie and also stripers but I have never heard of or seen anyone ice fishing there.  It only freezes safe ice once every 4-5 years and the Piney Run reservoir web site states that ice fishing is not allowed.  Although my grandson and I have punched some holes from the piers, we have never caught anything.  Piney run also has yellow perch that rival DCL in size -------It would certainly be a great place to ice fish and I plan to check further.  Hope you have a great 2012.---spurcollector

[bobby11vd]

Spur,
Thanks for the review...after you look into the ice fishing regulations I would love to hear about you findings.

[bobby11vd]

Icematt,
Your eel fishing was in reference to Sleepy creek lake?

[eyesntightlines]

Happy New Year Everyone!

[mmorgan]

I've heard of guys perch fishing up on the Susky Flats near North East town park. Does anyone have any tips for success there?

[Flying Frenchman]

That N.E. Town Park perch action is during the spawn around late Feb into early March, if it materializes this year.