Super User Bankc Posted January 29 Super User Share Posted January 29 On 1/27/2024 at 7:46 AM, Logan S said: We've had the big cicada hatches here in MD twice while I've been heavily bass fishing...about 19-20 years ago and again a couple years ago. Honestly, the fishing wasn't really any different. I caught fish on topwater when there were some cicadas on the water....but in late May and June the topwater bite is pretty good anyway. Those cicada crawler baits have the right look, but their movement and action doesn't really mimic what the cicadas do. They just sit on the water and buzz their wings every so often... A small prop bait worked with very long pauses would be a more accurate presentation. Sorry to potentially burst a bubble... It's a pretty interesting thing to witness regardless. I was living in Maryland for that one that happened around 1990ish... I think. It was pretty crazy! I've also witnessed a near biblical like plague of crickets once. That was something you can't forget either. But I don't think they impact fishing too much. Cicadas (and crickets) aren't really water bugs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logan S Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 4 minutes ago, Bankc said: I was living in Maryland for that one that happened around 1990ish... I think. It was pretty crazy! I've also witnessed a near biblical like plague of crickets once. That was something you can't forget either. But I don't think they impact fishing too much. Cicadas (and crickets) aren't really water bugs. Well, that would have been like 34 years ago .... The first one remember was like 2003/2004, I was a freshman in college I think. I think the most recent one was 2021 here. They are LOUD and constant, its pretty crazy. Fishing wise, the biggest impact to me was trying to make sure one didn't smack me in the forehead running down the lake . Open water away from the bank/trees was pretty safe, but if running in tight quarters, stay behind your windshield! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User ol'crickety Posted January 29 Super User Share Posted January 29 On 1/27/2024 at 12:42 PM, gimruis said: After it has been going on for a while, the fish won’t eat much anymore because they’re stuffed with cicada buffet. Would you keep eating after you went to the buffet? What you wrote makes a lot of sense, gimruis, but it's not my experience. I've fished through some massive mayfly hatches, catching smallmouth and white bass, and both species had bunches of mayflies sticking out of their mouths, but they still hit my lures. I had to match the hatch with the smallmouth and the only lure they'd hit was a transparent Heddon torpedo. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishingmickey Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 When I was a kid. I caddied at a local country club in the suburbs of Chicago. One summer during the 17 year hatch (I think). I caught one off of the ground and when i walked by the water hole. I pitched it in. It vibrated on the surface and was spinning a circle. One of the biggest boils I had ever seen erupted and it was gone. It took less the 4-5 seconds. It made a serious impression. FM 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User scaleface Posted January 29 Super User Share Posted January 29 In my experience , when the woods are loaded with them , they land in the water frequently and usually get devoured quickly . Sunfish and bass will be waiting for them. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dytmook Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 We had a pretty big hatch in SW Ohio a few years ago. It didn't really effect my river fishing that much. But maybe I'm just not good enough to notice. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User geo g Posted January 29 Super User Share Posted January 29 On 1/27/2024 at 12:34 PM, scaleface said: Anybody remember those Chuck Woolery lures , that had a string ? When it landed on the water it would sit there and vibrate just like a cicada. I have one of those lures someplace, might have to dig it out for this years swarm. I have one somewhere and can remember several keepers smashing it. You could vibrate it in place. I have the helicopter lure somewhere too. Lol🤑 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detroit1 Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 On 1/28/2024 at 1:10 PM, Smells like fish said: I bought 5-6 of those new in box at a yard sale few years back, yank the string and they get with it!!! It looks like you would just pull the lure without the string coming out. Have you tried them in the water? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smells like fish Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 12 minutes ago, detroit1 said: It looks like you would just pull the lure without the string coming out. Have you tried them in the water? No I haven’t. I gave 2 of them to fellow anglers but haven’t heard a follow up yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User geo g Posted January 30 Super User Share Posted January 30 3 hours ago, Smells like fish said: No I haven’t. I gave 2 of them to fellow anglers but haven’t heard a follow up yet. You would cast it out and then jerk the bait, It would vibrate in place for about 10 seconds. It worked and I did catch bass on the top water lure. I believe the guy pushing the bait was from Louisiana, and he sold a bunch. I believe this was in the early 80's. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User slonezp Posted January 30 Super User Share Posted January 30 On 1/26/2024 at 8:51 PM, A-Jay said: Stock up on windshield wash . . . . A-Jay I've gone thru the apocalypse twice in my life. People were getting in car accidents because the dead run over bugs caused the streets to get slick. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrnkNsteen Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 18 hours ago, ol'crickety said: What you wrote makes a lot of sense, gimruis, but it's not my experience. I've fished through some massive mayfly hatches, catching smallmouth and white bass, and both species had bunches of mayflies sticking out of their mouths, but they still hit my lures. I had to match the hatch with the smallmouth and the only lure they'd hit was a transparent Heddon torpedo. I had an instance like that with the Mayflies hatching. Only thing we could get them to bite was a clear Zara Puppy. They went nuts on it. Had a couple literally jump up and catch it right before it hit the water. I only had one of the clear Zara Pups and my friend was ticked. He tried the pearl white one and they wouldn't touch it. I think they just liked the subtle profile of the clear. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User ol'crickety Posted January 30 Super User Share Posted January 30 1 hour ago, FrnkNsteen said: I only had one of the clear Zara Pups and my friend was ticked. Our experience is identical. I was fishing with my brother and I only had one clear lure. I caught and caught and caught bass and he kept changing lures and failing. However, it was hard for me to hook those bass because their mouths were full. However, since they hit it three to eight times on most casts, I had plenty of chances to hook one. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fin Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 12 hours ago, geo g said: You would cast it out and then jerk the bait, It would vibrate in place for about 10 seconds. I've never seen one, but in the video it looked like you pull the string, it starts vibrating, then you quickly cast it and hope it's still vibrating by the time it hits the water. It would make more sense if you could tie onto the loop at the end of the string, so that when you jerk the bait, you would be pulling the string, so it would vibrate more than just the first few seconds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User Bankc Posted January 30 Super User Share Posted January 30 Mayflies are different, because they're all over the lakes when they hit. They're larvae live in water and the adults lay eggs in water. Cicadas, it might depend on the lake, or more specifically, what's around the lake. Their larvae are grubs that live underground and feed on roots and the adults eat tree sap. So if the lake is surrounded by the right kind of trees (generally deciduous hardwoods), they might venture onto the water by mistake from time to time. But they're not hatching from the water and then laying eggs back into the water like Mayflies do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogface Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 Has anyone experienced the white miller hatch on the Susquehanna? It is Biblical! I was in a gas station on the river near Duncannon when one took place. It was so thick you could not see. People were panicking and screaming. It was amusing but not for those who had no idea what they were experiencing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User geo g Posted January 31 Super User Share Posted January 31 11 hours ago, fin said: I've never seen one, but in the video it looked like you pull the string, it starts vibrating, then you quickly cast it and hope it's still vibrating by the time it hits the water. It would make more sense if you could tie onto the loop at the end of the string, so that when you jerk the bait, you would be pulling the string, so it would vibrate more than just the first few seconds. That is exactly what you did. Your connected to the cord that reloaded the spring that vibrated the tail. Every jerk of the bait would cause action from the bait until the spring ran slack. It was well constructed, and lasted for quite a while. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzzbaiter Posted January 31 Share Posted January 31 On 1/27/2024 at 8:46 AM, Logan S said: We've had the big cicada hatches here in MD twice while I've been heavily bass fishing...about 19-20 years ago and again a couple years ago During the recent one (2021, I think?), the bass fishing wasn’t affected much at all. The carp were insane though. I saw them cruising all along the shallows popping the cicadas. Outside of koi ponds, I don’t know that I’ve seen so many carp in one place. The banks were lined with them. I even managed to snag one on accident. The bass didn’t seem to care nearly as much. If I were you, I wouldn’t waste my time trying to match the hatch. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator Bluebasser86 Posted February 5 Global Moderator Share Posted February 5 DUO makes a really nice little cicada bait. I bought one last time we had a big hatch and caught everything on it. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Duo_Realis_Shinmushi_Cicada_Bug/descpage-DUOSHI.html?from=gpmax&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAq4KuBhA6EiwArMAw1IUVms_d0uITVxjBsrGMex2opgnyQliMZNbJjLXRCjEw-Pf5lI4YqBoCTNAQAvD_BwE 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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