Fishin in the Dark: Juniata River produces impressive bite by lantern light

Fishin’ in the Dark:

Juniata River produces impressive bite by lantern light

By Tyler Frantz

            Anchored in the shallow, rocky waters of a warm Juniata River near Millerstown, outdoor writer Jeff Woleslagle presented his quick, crash-course tutorial on night-fishing cut-bait rigs for channel catfish.            

            Joined only by the steady hum of Route 22/322 traffic, an occasional passing train along Norfolk-Southern’s Altoona East Mainline, and a healthy swath of insect life now permeating the sultry summer air, Woleslagle and I seemingly had this starlit stretch of river all to ourselves.  

            My fellow writing companion had actually extended the invitation to join him on his home waters for a night-fishing excursion much earlier this year, but a jam-packed summer schedule kept preventing us from getting together.

            Woleslagle is the kind of guy you really want to take you fishing, though, as he knows the sport better than most and proves it often by catching tons of fish. There was no way I could miss out on his offer, and I was overjoyed to finally connect on a good night for the two of us to meet up.

            As the master demonstrated, we tied drop shot sinkers to our lines and placed a pair of suspended hooks approximately six- and eighteen-inches higher. Our savory and enticing bait came in the form of thick wedges of fallfish, freshly sliced on the portside shelf of Woleslagle’s 17-foot Bass Tracker jet boat.

           

            With a demo-line already in the water, I finished rigging my second rod and casted into the channel on the opposite side of the boat. Feeling the weighted line catch bottom, I relaxed back into my seat for the long, patient wait I had anticipated.

            But much to my surprise, the wait was short lived. Within seconds of getting cozy, my rod tip bounced twice and then doubled over hard. I reactively jumped to my feet and set the hook, securing a no-holds-barred tussle with one of Juniata’s finest.

            “That’s a good fish!” Woleslagle shouted as he scrambled to retrieve the landing net beneath the subtle glow of lantern light. “Loosen your drag and let him run if he wants to run.”

            Adjusting my reel, I allowed the hefty night prowler to lurch and writhe against the pulsing flow of the current, enough to tire him slightly, before gently working him in toward the boat.

            As he came within arm’s reach, I heaved my rod upward and backward, while Woleslagle lunged with precision to net the large catfish and bring him aboard. The giant channel cat- my first ever caught at night- measured 24-and-a-half inches. We snapped a few quick photos and released him back into the river.

            “This is going to be a good night,” said Woleslagle with a big smile.

            The truth is, it already was a good night. Two-hours earlier, upon pulling into Woleslagle’s parents’ house along the river- where Jeff conveniently keeps his boat docked- he leaned over and said, “Just so you know, my mom is probably going to try to feed you.”

            As if on cue, Mrs. W. graciously offered us homemade tacos as soon as we entered the door. Following standard protocol, we gratefully accepted and indulged before hitting the water. I must say- they were delicious.

            We then killed time, hitting the evening smallmouth bass bite just as the sun dipped down beyond the mountainside. Woleslagle was on a tear, reacting to surface rises and Rapala bites like a kid in a candy store. Head always on a swivel, casting as often as possible- this man was in his glory – a sincere angling aficionado.            

           

            In the time it took me to land two bronze backs, Woleslagle brought an impressive twelve to the boat, and we both missed several others. The action was steady, to say the least, and the only thing that stopped us was the onset of darkness- reminding us of our true purpose for this trip. It was time to anchor.

            While casually tending our catfish rigs, we kicked back and took in the solace of a carefree summer night. Conversation often flows freely when two outdoorsmen share a boat, and it was no different for us. We swapped old hunting tales and talked about our families, our careers and stories yet to be written.

 

            As the night wore on, more bites came. By midnight- quitting time- we had successfully landed a total of six decent channel cats, a solid outing by any measure. But the highlight of the evening came when Woleslagle hauled in the king of the river, a gorgeous 30-inch behemoth that would test the resolve of any angler.

            Woleslagle himself admitted that in a lifetime of fishing, he’s caught less than a mere handful of 30-inch channel cats- a rare feat seldom accomplished. “This is the ultimate trophy,” he said. “Thirty-inchers are the kind of fish that win tournaments- it’s really special to catch one like this.”

            As I drove home in the wee-morning hours of a new day, I reflected on my first successful “night fishing by lantern light” experience.

            Thanks to the hospitality of a great friend, I was introduced to the Juniata’s incredible warm-water fishery, we landed twenty fish of two combined species in less than five hours, and each of us caught and released Angler Awards Program- eligible catfish. Not to mention, I got a taste of Mrs. W’s delectable home cooking!

            Though it made for a somewhat sleepy morning, I’ll have to agree with Woleslagle on this one- it was a pretty good night.

            

For more great writing, photography and video work by outdoors freelancer, Tyler Frantz, visit www.naturalpursuitoutdoors.com. Also, please LIKE US ON FACEBOOK!

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