Posted
by FelixTheCat on 07-07-2003 04:18 PM:
Amawalk Reservoir
Fishing
Hello to All,
I just discovered this website today. While I should be working I spent quite
some time reading the posts and decided it was time for me to ask for some
help.
We have gone out on the Amawalk reservoir more than 10 times this season and am embarrassed to say that we have not caught not one fish. (Except for some sunnys, which I let my son reel in.)
My girlfriend just got me into freshwater fishing so I am still learning the
ropes. I have read various articles & books on bass fishing. I have tried
shiners, night crawlers, all sorts of colors of plastics worms(scented
& non), Rapala's (different colors and jointed as well). I even bought
Catus Jack's One shot system (It was on sale). 
Needless to say that didnt work either!
I have been trying all sorts of different retrieves. Fished shallow water
(there are a lot of weeds) & deep waters. Nothing.
It is becoming quite frustrating. I am tired of smelling like this!
We have gone before dawn & in the evenings to no avail. Cloudy
days & sunny days. She claims the fishing was alot better before
they did some construction on the dam a few years back.
Can anyone give me advice or hope? I was brought up saltwater fishing so its not like I am totally new.
Thank you.
__________________
Felix
Posted
by Gregg on 07-07-2003 06:52 PM:
What area's
have you been targeting? Shallow, deep, weed edges. You need to find where
they're holding. Which mostly depends on season. Read
the fishing reports and see where other people are nailing them. Like early
morning top water, afternoon deep weed edges etc.
__________________
Gregg
Posted
by basseracci on 07-07-2003 06:52 PM:
felix,
Welcome to the board...
The lake you chose to start on is one of the tougher in the NYC system...Bassinbilly
fishes their a lot with livebait and has some success, but for the most part
the lake doesn't stack up to some of the other nearby lakes that you will do
much better on...Amawalk ain't what it use to be...
Are you fishing from shore or from a boat?..If you are
fishing from shore, simply try another lake...There are many nearby...You must
have a NYC Public Access permit though, i assume you do...If you are on a boat,
consider putting it on a better bass lake...
Stick around here and you will pick up a lot of info on artificial baits for
bass...We dont really discuss livebait all that often...But for this time of
season, right now, I would throw soft plastic baits on the weededges that you
can get to or any other structure you can find...
Senkos are very popular and will work almost universally to some degree on many
of the lakes you might run into...Texas rigged worms, tubes, lizards will
probably produce very well in most places also...Get a Bass Pro catalogue and
thumb through it, you will see all the possibilities for bass fishing in one
form or another...
There are plenty of guys here to show you the ropes and i am sure some invites
to fish will be coming your way...
mark
Posted
by JOHN G on 07-07-2003 08:28 PM:
Felix, welcome aboard and
believe me, we can get you out of these doldrums:
couple of questions for you
1. you said "out" so I will assume as
Basserachi asked that you have a boat there?
2. you said "this season", now, are you
talking about after the technical legal season of 3rd weed in JUNE? This is a
very important question , especially for Amawalk, I
will explain why after your reply.
3. Tell us some of the books that you have read...there are some better than
others, we could help you with that....
and NEVER be embarrassed to say what you did, that is the way you will not only
learn, but perhaps a year or two from now, be answering some other guy's
questions on this board as we are trying to do with yours.....
get back on this thread and reply to my queries and
give us more, this could be a great thread!
__________________
JOHN G Forum Administrator
Posted
by FelixTheCat on 07-08-2003 09:54 AM:
Hi guys,
Thank you for your responses.
I do have a boat on the reservoir. #9
We went out in May a few times and once the weather
picked up in June we would try to go every weekend (weather permitting)
Last time we went out was on July 2nd. Got out there at 5:30am. Did not see one fish jump. We
work shallow and weed edges. Then we went further out about 30 feet from shore
and tried to do the same. Wind was calm until about 9. We drifted (away from
the dam) and called it quits by 10:30.
I have read the Field and Stream Guide to Bass fishing, The Fishermans Bible, a
Bass Masters book by Shaw (cant recall his last name I think it starts with a
G.) and cannot lie... Kids Gone Fishing, A young Anglers
Guide.
I appreciate your help. I still love going out there but it would be nice to be
able to catch something once in a while!
Thanks.
__________________
Felix
Posted
by dodgeguy on 07-08-2003 09:58 AM:
you need to fish with some of the
reservoir dogs so they can see first hand what's up.generally you need to fish
outside weed edges in the summer and fish crankbaits or soft plastics 15-30
feet deep.any soft plastics should be fished real slow!!!
__________________
chrysler master tech and avid fisherman
Posted
by Mark G on 07-08-2003 11:31 AM:
Felix, I think the G you
are looking for is Grigsby...
And Dodge hit it on the head about the outer weed edges in the summer. I will
add to what Dodge said and say that I have found that weedless lakes are easier
to fish in the summer than weedy lakes. At least that's what I have found in
this, my first summer fishing mostly from a boat. Kensico and Soddom (East
Branch) have very few weeds, and I have found it is easier to locate fish in
them than the reservoirs with extensive milfoil beds like New Croton, Titticus
and Croton Falls (from what I have heard). Those
milfoil beds give the fish a lot of area to relate to, and it is hard for
anglers to find prime cover breaks amid the homogenous cover.
By cover breaks, I mean areas where cover ends or changes. Normally this is
where a weedbed ends, often called a weedline. That is easy enough to find with
a decent sonar unit, but large milfoil beds form very large cover breaks and
bass may be anywhere on them. You need to find a secondary fish holding
element, like a laydown that extends out ot the cover
break or a boulder or bedrock break that forms its own weed edge, or is close
to the natural weed edge. Not so easy to do in a sea of milfoil...
In contrast, Kensico, Cross River, East Branch and I'm sure others do not have milfoil beds. In fact,
finding any weeds at all is a challenge in these lakes, and often means fish
when you do. In these lakes you can target specific drop offs by finding fish
holding on the electronics. Once you've determined the depth the fish want you
can look for cover in the form of boulders or laydowns in that depth range, or
find areas where the drop from the shallows to that depth range is relatively
sharp. I guarantee the fish will be there, more smallies than largemouth, but
they'll be there.
Vic and I have found that the golden depth right now is 10-15 feet. We find
areas that have a sharp drop that starts at 7.5-12 feet and ends at 15-20 feet
and look for nearby cover or structure elements. For instance, we know of a
series of boulders and bedrock upheavals that run right next to a drop to 25
feet from 7.5 feet. Smallies are there...always. We also know a laydown that
extends from the shore out to 15 feet, over a drop from 7.5-15. We've always
caught fish there.
I've seen similar results at East Branch and Rye Lake with Mike M. Those drops are key right now. I'm still getting to know the weedy lakes
like Croton and will try to refine my skills at targeting those huge milfoil
beds. I will still target the depths and drop offs I mentioned, but I'll look
for secondary cover breaks in the milfoil at those depths as well.
So get yourself a good sonar unit. I love my Fishin' Buddy from Bottom Line and
won't go out without it. Target the drop offs and outer weed edges and see if
you catch more fish!
Mark
Posted
by basseracci on 07-08-2003 11:56 AM:
Check out the big brain
on Mark G...(lol)
Posted
by Mark G on 07-08-2003 12:07 PM:
I'm smarter than the
average fish. 
Mark
Posted
by dodgeguy on 07-08-2003 12:20 PM:
that has yet to be proven!!!
mark,weeds are the balls!!!yes,you are right that trying to
find fish buried in them when they cover 1/2 the lake can be fun.buzzbaits at
night over the beds are a good way to catch fish when they are in the mood for
this.my buddy catchs fish all day long on a zara spook in titicus no matter how
hot it is.give me the same lure and i catch a cold.it's key to find a
presentation that works for you instead of frustrating yourself trying to learn
50 different ones.also,don't be changing lures constantly as this will get you
no where fast.
__________________
chrysler master tech and avid fisherman
Posted
by NoWittyHandle on 07-08-2003 12:48 PM:
I agree with the comments
about the outside edge of the weedline being the best spot to target. A comment
I'll add is that I seem to do better when the water is lower than it is now.
With the high water, you get a very ragged weed edge, and I think the fish tend
to spread out a lot more rather than being concentrated on the outside (or
inside) edge of the weedline. Also, the high water seems to eliminate weeds
from areas where they occur during lower water.
Another comment about the Amawalk, which probably applies to the other NYC reservoirs
as well, is that at this time of year, the fishing seems to shut down
dramatically when the sun comes out. I was fishing Sunday and caught a couple
of decent bass. Then the sun came out, and I didn't get a bite for the next
four and a half hours. It may be just an opinion, but clear skies seem to hurt
the fishing less in clear water than in stained water.
Posted
by JOHN G on 07-08-2003 09:45 PM:
see,
this is where knowledge and experience on the various waters of the system come
in handy....
you can throw out what you know about deep weedlines at amawalk right now...
won't work.....Amawalk is VERY unlike the other waters....
right now, fish at that water are at the 30 foot or so depth contours, close to
bottom...
you want to be at the NORTH EnD......30 to 35 foot contours running east to
west up there....
strange but true .....all that T-rig and Senko madness
that works so well on most waters, forget about it here..
Dodge , what you do on Titicus would BLANK on Amawalk
right now, trust me.....
Felix: you need to get out on either titicus, Croton ,
or Kensico with one of the guys to restore your faith in fishing......
Amawalk in the summer is a specialized project unlike any other...I put in a
good summer there one year and was amazed at what I saw, as well as what the
successful guys were doing out there , it opened my
eyes....
a very very strange water....
and forget about the Southern end all together....waste of time fishing those
weedbeds too.......
that water will make you doubt everything you have read about bass fishing....
__________________
JOHN G Forum Administrator
Posted
by basseracci on 07-09-2003 12:29 AM:
Just one more comment...
Mark G, there are huge milfoil weedbeds all over Cross River...Its
not in the naked class that you put it in with Kensico and Sodom...
Plenty of weedlines and plenty of areas for tremendous topwater action...
Mark
Posted
by FelixTheCat on 07-09-2003 09:46 AM:
Thanks Guys,
This has been very helpful. I dont feel a bad now. At first I thought you were
going to tell me to hang up my rod!
We will try again on the north end for now. We are looking into putting a boat
on Kensico. Not sure exactly where. We were by #'s 12, 13 & 14. Is the best
place to get a boat at Mohegan Lake? I think they do everything for
you and even drop it off. That would be exactly what I need.
Cant wait to go back out with my new tips!!
Weather permitting I am going back out this Sunday. I will print this thread
and take it with me.
Also, I am going to Lake Sebago this Saturday. Do you think I
will have a better chance there??
Again, thanks so much for your replies. They have been very helpful!
Felix
__________________
Felix
Posted
by dodgeguy on 07-09-2003 10:03 AM:
john g.,i've never fished amawalk but
from what i hear they probably would be as deep as you say.what would you go
after them with?a jigging spoon maybe?deep carolina rig?
__________________
chrysler master tech and avid fisherman
Posted
by Mark G on 07-09-2003 10:30 AM:
Basserachi...good to
know! Now that I think of it, I've only been on Cross River in the spring, probably before
the weeds are up.
John, Amawalk sounds interesting! I'd love a place to test my deepwater
techniqes and it sounds like Amawalk might be it. As Dodge said, how would you
go after fish on the bottom at 30 feet? C-rig? Drop shot? Spoons? Sounds like a
cool challenge...
Felix, it will really help if you fish with one of the guys from the boards
that knows Kensico well. Kensico can be a dynamite
lake, both on the Rye Lake and Kensico sides.
People around here are happy to share spots, but it's usually done in person so
we are not broadcasting our honeyholes to lurkers. I know some nice spots on
both the Rye Lake side (I think that's where spots
11-14 are) and the Kensico side. I recommend putting a boat near the Rt. 22 bridge.
As for purchasing a reservoir boat, you have 3 options.
- Mohegan Sportsman
- Jack Stewart
- Used Boat via Pennysaver,
Bargain News or something like that
I haven't tried Mohegan Sportsman, but I have heard good reports from folks around
here. I'm not sure about them helping out with registration and dropping off of
the boat, but it wouldn't surprise me if they did do that.
You'll get mixed reports on Jack Stewart around here. I just got a boat from
him, and while I paid a premium I was very happy with the service. He offers
the same service that Mohegan Sportsman does, in that he'll get all the
paperwork going and drive the boat to the DEP inspection station and drop it
off at the reservoir.
Finally you can buy a used boat and have it registered yourself. Rowboats and
Jonboats appear in the Bargain News and Pennysaver all the time.
If you get a boat put in at Kensico and want a guide, offer up a ride and some
of us Reservoir Dogs will take you up on it. I know I'll be happy to show you
around Kensico when the time comes...
Mark
Posted
by FelixTheCat on 07-09-2003 11:59 AM:
Thanks Mark,
I will probably get the boat from Mohegan. It would be too much of a hassle to
arrange to by used boat and having to get the means to move it, get it cleaned
etc. Not that I am rich (my girlfriend is paying for it)
As soon as we get it out there I will be more than willing to pick you up or
one of the guys and go out and learn the ropes! Sandwiches and 6 pack on me.
Hopefully we will get this done sometime soon. Cant
wait. I am even anxious to go back out on Amawalk.
__________________
Felix
Posted
by BassMiesterNJ on 07-09-2003 02:12 PM:
quote:
Originally posted by JOHN G
right now, fish at that water are at the 30 foot or so depth contours, close
to bottom...
Hmm.... I fish a 70 acre lake that has alot of very
good weed beds and you can find fish at the weed lines (senkos, T-rigs etc) or
right inside under it all (jig/pig) - all in 10' or less of water.
After a while, that bite shuts down.
Last year I moved out to deeper water and fished points with a light C-rig and
found fish in 15' to 20' of water !!! It was a real
eye opener.
Pulling Bass up from deeper water opened a whole new area to fish in summer. I
guess knowing when to pull out of the weeds and go deeper comes with
experience. But I was suprised to find Largemouth that deep.
Posted
by NoWittyHandle on 07-09-2003 05:02 PM:
John, are the fish
consistently that deep in the Amawalk? I know that the fish move deeper in
fall, and in late fall you can catch them in 25'-30' feet. You can also catch
fish in deep water in the channel, but not as deep as 30'. The channel is the
only place that I've found deep fish here in the summer.
Posted
by Jofish on 07-09-2003 08:14 PM:
I have a boat on the
Amawalk and have NOT been out on it too much this year, but spent many a day on
it. And yes some days came away scraching my head like some other lakes. That
being said there is a good bass population there, some nice sizes too. Most of
my success came from a Black 7in. power worm dragged through the weeds on the
North end there is a sunken island and the weeds do fan out. There are rock
walls and road beds that you can hit with soft plastics and cranks, which
produce. As far as deep water fish, I tried c-rigging a sawbellie on1\2 wieght
and caught an 5lb lm in 60feet of water just past the
dog leg on the west shore. Pig and jig have produced for some poeple that I
have spoken to, But at that time It was not part of my
game plan, but I am going to try it soon on that water. There are some
submerged trees on the east bay shore line that hold
big bass and some big smallies near by due to the rockie shore line. Last
spring I lifted a 5lb 14oz { my scale working} on a
deep thunder stick. You could also Troll a rat-l-trap silver \blue on edeges,
not what I like to do but there are trout there too. At the North end there is
a reedy area and with the water high as it is now throwing soft stuff in ther
would be fun. There is a drop off right opposite to that you could work. It's a
tough lake and the sunsets are great. See you out there.
Posted
by JOHN G on 07-09-2003 09:18 PM:
Dodge and Mark: I pulled
a 5 pounder flat on the bottom in 40 feet with a spoon!! I am talking LM not
smallie!
keep in mind, that back then I did not do any blade
baiting.....
so I would love to try that there now....also things
like drop shot were not even known......
just think of all the fun you could have! LOL......of course, you could just
fish live bait down there also.....truth to tell, a dynamic combo would be to
have live bait sitting down there and at the same time, using the blade
bait.....
__________________
JOHN G Forum Administrator
Posted
by dodgeguy on 07-10-2003 10:03 AM:
john,my best smallie ever was spooned
out of 50 feet on mahopac.do you blade bait on a spinning rod?
__________________
chrysler master tech and avid fisherman
Posted
by JOHN G on 07-10-2003 12:56 PM:
BassMiester: as you can
see "DEEP" is a relative term...
on your 70 acre lake they went from the weedlines to the deepest part, which
was 15 to 20 feet......
last year when I fished Whaley for the first time smack in the middle of that
above 95 degree summer we had....I didnt even look shallow, all of our fish
were caught in 12 to 20 feet....some at the deep weed edges, but many more
beyond them.......
Keep in mind that there ARE always some fish that burrow into those weeds and
are not easy to ferret out....howver, people would be shocked how many do
cruise beyond the weed edges.....
as to all the time? NO! if
you fish the big Ammy in prespawn they will be positioned shallow just like
everywhere else.....
__________________
JOHN G Forum Administrator | 