Those who do not live here in the mid-Atlantic region may not be aware that we have been hit with a nor-eastern storm this past week. It has dumped snow and ice from Pennsylvania all the way up into New England. The air and water temperatures have taken a drastic plunge since Wednesday.
A rebound in weather is expected over the next few days, but the water temperature dove from 58.7 degrees recorded during my last trip to 47.2 degrees. This low temperature was reported from Goldsboro, Pa. just yesterday. Folks, that's an 11.5 degree drop in just five days!
I joke by saying I saw a school of smallmouth bass building a bonfire on Hill Island in the Goldsboro Pond just to keep themselves warm. :-)
Not only has the river water temperature taken a plunge, but the river water level is on the rise. The local river level predictor indicates a rise to 4.7' by Monday evening. That is over foot rise in less than five days.
So, let's review this: 11+ degree water temp. drop, air temp has been holding in the mid to upper 30's since Thursday, and the water level is rising over 12 inches in less than five days.
I would predict that our smallmouth population will adjust by mid-week as the weather and temperatures begin to rise.
I hate going from warm to cold, which is what we are experiencing at the moment. However, a warming trend will reverse that process and go from cold to warm... dad likes!
Hang in there, we have plenty of fantastic smallmouth action coming our way soon.
dad
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