Where Stone Cats Rule

I launched my Labor Day weekend early with a trip to the North Branch of the Susquehanna where I fished for smallmouth bass with Chris Gorsuch.  The North Branch was at low flow with a water temperature of 80 degrees.  I was surprised at the dingy water color and lack of free floating weed strands - "Normal for the North Branch," notes Chris.

For seven hours on day one we fished lures exclusively, landing 50 bass on assorted baits.  Chris lead the way with crankbaits.  However, I surprised him with several fish on Yum Dancin' Eel - a soft swim tail cranker.  "Looks like a swimming stone cat," notes Chris.

At the next current seam below an island, I tied on a Gene Larew Biffle-O Jr. (A 5.5" tube body with a unique long tapering tail.)  I promptly out fished Chris who was using one of his custom-color tube jigs.  "Acts like a swimming stone cat," notes Chris.

On day two, we fished live stone cats that Chris and friends had caught the night before.  Every drop of a stone cat into the fast-current water produced a pick-up within 60 seconds.  We quickly lost count of bass landed.  Not only our numbers soared but stone cats produced more bass over 16" than artificial lures the day before.

On the North Branch, stone cats rule!