Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2017 - 20
Christmas
Vacation
at the
KINZUA DAM
TAILWATERS
by Mike Bleech
photos by the author
Instead of the insulated clothing usually associated with
the Kinzua Dam Tailwaters section of the Allegheny River,
Warren County, during the Christmas season, I wore just
a rain jacket over a flannel shirt. It was not raining, but the
air was wet. A small, shiny stickbait was already rigged on
my 71/2-foot light spinning rod. After pulling my gear bag
from my shoulder and placing it on a boulder, I sent a cast
past the swirling water along a current edge.
That was the last restful moment of the fishing day.
Water started bubbling around the lure the instant I started
reeling. After a couple of solid thumps, the lure stopped
20
with surprising ferocity. Normally at the Kinzua Dam
Tailwaters, anglers expect the fish to be trout. But, White
Bass were making appearances, so I was using 6-poundtest line on a light rod.
After catching and releasing a few 14- to 16-inch fish, I
switched to a shiny popper. The action remained as fast as
it had been with the stickbait but even more fun. Catching
White Bass on a surface lure during winter is special.
Somehow, maybe just coincidence or random good
fortune, anglers can usually count on some hot fishing
around Christmas at the Kinzua Dam Tailwaters.
Other good fishing days will follow through winter, but
Christmas is just the start.
Thinking back over many Christmases of tailwaters
fishing since the Kinzua Dam was built, unseasonably
warm temperature and high humidity accompanied a
large share of those best days of winter fishing. This may
be the most important factor in winter fishing.
White Bass are not the usual fish caught at the Kinzua
Dam Tailwaters around Christmas, but some are usually in
the tailwaters. Walleyes, Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout
are the most commonly caught gamefish. Sometimes,
Muskellunge fishing is good. From time to time, huge
Muskellunge have been caught from the tailwaters. There
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * November/December 2017
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2017
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