Slab Happy Outlook for Pennsylvania

Sometimes it's hard to focus on the task at hand, and with that in mind I probably would be better served if I were to not read fishing reports related to upcoming travel. I can't ever resist reading them, though. In fact, I did so just this morning, which is why I find myself a bit distracted.

This time next week, I'll be at Pymatuning State Park in western Pennsylvania, where I'll spend three days fishing three different lakes. Pymatuning Lake, where the park is located, apparently has a red-hot bite happening, with the black crappie and the walleyes in the lower end of the lake attacking jigs in shallow water. Meanwhile, nearby Shenango River Lake is just starting to awaken, but it's already kicking out some serious slabs (like the 17-inch fish pictured above!) My third day will be on Conneaut Lake, where the day's targets will be a delightful combination of thick-bodied smallmouth and bulldog bluegills, and supposedly they are doing what they are supposed to do right now as well.

And while I know long-range forecasts mean very little, I've also been peeking at the Pymatuning 10-day report. As of now, all three fishing days look great, with highs ranging from 64 to 73, no cold lows and less than a 20 percent chance of rain.

I don't know what any of those days will bring, but as of now there's a tremendous amount of promise for fine fishing and excellent opportunities to gather photos and story material. For now, I suppose I ought try to push that out of my head and focus on getting some fish stories written.