Trout on the move!
Photo by: celticstrm (Stock Exchange)

Plenty of fishers love summer for its hordes of hungry fish and easy catches, but fall is turning into a great alternative for fishers who want to beat the heat and still land record trophies.

If you’re an angler, today’s AllCampgrounds is for you as we explore some of the best seasonal fishing opportunities at parks and camp grounds around the U.S.

For a quick, recent intro to fall fishing, visit this Press-Republican piece: Some of the Best Fish are Caught in Autumn.

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The News on Fall Fishing

Autumn Fishing is in Full Bloom declares the New York Post, and the northeast is ripe for some of the best bass fishing this season. If you’re headed west, Rory Aikens of Arizona’s state Fish and Game Department wants you to know that trout fishing will be abundant in Arizona’s Fossil Creek and Winter Creek areas throughout fall and deep into winter. If you’re in the southeast, Florida Sportsman raises the call to keep an eye out for migratory fish populations including cobia, Spanish mackerel, kingfish, wahoo, and sailfish, among others.

Great Fishing Spots for Tent Camping and RV Camping Alike

New York

Back Bay: Fishing and Camping on Black Lake: Located in the 1,000 Islands region of New York, Back Bay offers tent camping and cottages near the famous St. Lawrence River. With freshwater fishing on Black Lake, you can rent a boat from the camp or bring your own. Plus, all the attractions and natural wonders of Ottawa just an hour away. Big rig RVs are welcome at the camp, and many of the facilities are accessible to campers with disabilities. Definitely a good choice for serious anglers.

Arizona

Patagonia Lake: Patagonia Lake, just a touch south of Tucson, is the main attraction of Patagonia Lake State Park, and clocks in at a massive 265 acres. Though the lake is man-made, it’s extremely well-kept and always full to bursting with a selection of crappie, bass, bluegill, catfish, and more: in fact, the pond is re-stocked with trout every three weeks through the high season of October through March. It comes serviced by its own full-featured marina, and offers primitive camping for expert tent campers as well as sites with water and electric hookups. Note that water skiing is prohibited from May through September, but it’s one of the most popular activities during the season.

Florida

Indian Pass Campground and World Class Fishing: Situated right on the tip of pristine Apalachicola Bay, where it empties into the Gulf of Mexico, Indian Pass is a glimpse of Florida’s untouched past. It has some incredible white sand beaches and is renowned for its delicious oysters, which you can sample at the Indian Pass Raw Bar. The camp grounds are also well-known in the area for fishing, and you can even hire a fishing guide if it’s your first time around the local waterways. This is an especially great choice for RV campers, since it offers prime waterfront sites for rigs. Visitors also have their choice of cabins accommodating up to five people.

Okay, you’ve caught your fish, you want to cook your fish and you want to eat your fish. The first step is, you have to kill (gasp) your fish! Oh, come on. Did you think fishsticks came from the fish fairy?

The easiest way to go about this necessary task, unless you are into sushi, is to give the fish a sharp rap on the top of the head with a blunt object such as a the handle of a hunting knife, the back of a hatchet, or even a rock. Of course if you have a hatchet or sharp knife anyway, you could just cut the head off, but some people think this is cruel. Personally I say 6 of one, half-a-dozen of the other. The fish has to die, the quicker the better.

Some fishermen keep their catch alive on a stringer until they have caught their limit. To me, this is cruel, and there is a chance you dinner will escape. Once you have done the deed, you can keep your fish fresh by putting it in an ice chest with ice, or if that’s not an option, then you can keep your catch on a striger until you are ready to cook it.

If you are not going to cook your fish immediately, you need to at least bleed it if you are waiting to catch more for dinner. This means you cut the main artery that leads to the gills so the “blood” drains out and doesn’t get into the meat. It is safe to keep uncleaned fish on a stringer in a cool river for a short time, but try to avoid putting fish that are already gutted back into the water so that meat doesn’t get contaminated.

Did I just say gutted? Yes, the next step to enjoying a fresh fish dinner cooked over a campfire(or camp stove if open fires are taboo) is gutting the fish. Here is a step by step procedure that may help if it is your first time:

1. First of all, do not clean the fish too close to your camp. You don’t want to attract any wildlfe that would possibly want to eat fish guts.
2. FYI- fish guts are slimy, slippery and gross, but it has to be done. If you have a limited supply of fresh water save it to wash the fish after you are comletely done. If the feel of scales, fish slime, or guts is driving you crazy during the process clean your fish near the water you caught it in. Swishing your hands, or slimy half gutted fish in the lake, river or stream in which you caught it, is not going to kill you.
3. You want to begin by getting rid of the scales. Some campers/fishermen actualy buy a tool called a scaler for this, but a butter knife works just as well. Hold the fish by the head and start scraping. Scrape from the tail, toward the head. You do have to apply a little pressure. Make sure you get the scales around the fins, gills and throat of the fish. While it won’t kill you to eat a scale, its not the most appetizing experience. (If you have caught a catfish, you can skip this part-catfish don’t have scales!) Rinse the fish to remove loose scales.
4. Turn the fish so its belly is up. Locate the anus, and cut it out making a V shaped cut.
5. Insert the knife into this V and slit up the belly toward the gills. Depending upon the type of fish you may have to force the knife a bit to cut trhough the area around the pelvic fins.
6. Now comes the fun part, insert your fingers into the cavity and pull out the guts. After you have done this a few times you should be able to just grap the section at the base of the head, pinch a little and pull everything out at once. Make sure you scrape out the liver, which attaches to the back bone and the swim bladder which attaches to the cavity itself.
7. Remove the gills with your knife.
8. Cut off the head (some people leave the head onsome fish, especially trout, I say eww!, I don’t want my dinner looking at me.
9. Rinse the fish in clean water and either cook it immediately, or put it on ice.

If you are backpacking or have a limited amount of water to wash yourself with, here is a tip-lemon juice not only tastes good on fresh fish, it helps cover up some of the fish smell that will stick to your hands. Take some along.

By Sandra M. Webster

Pine Creek Gorge - Photo by S. Webster

Deep in the woods of Northeastern Pennsylvania, near the small town of Wellsboro, you will find some of the most beautiful camping and hiking spots anywhere. This is the location of the Pennsylvania “Grand Canyon,” also known of as Pine Creek Gorge. If you are looking for peace and quiet, or you prefer hiking, rafting, fishing or photography you will find it all and more.

State Parks Near the Canyon

Leonard Harrison State Park is located on the east rim of the canyon. This is where you will find the most famous scenic views of the Pine Creek Gorge. Leonard Harrison also is the more modern of the two state parks surrounding the canyon and includes flush toilet, hot showers, a playground for the kids and a sanitary dump station. Some sites have electricity.

Leonard Harrison is also home to the famous “Turkey Path Trail.” Along the two miles trail down, you will find beautiful waterfalls and scenic views. Wildlife and wild flowers are abundant, and the fall foliage is breathtaking.

Colton Point State Park is located on the west rim of the canyon. It is a much more rustic facility if you really want to experience the outdoors. Hiking trails are abundant and fishing is great if you don’t mind carrying the equipment down the trail and the catch back up! There are no facilities for kids on this side, so unless your kids really like camping and hiking, it probably isn’t the best option.

Hills Creek State Park is located about 20 miles from the actual canyon. It does, however, have boating and swimming facilities, a snack bar, and modern facilities.

Army Corp of Engineer Parks

Ives Run Camp Ground, also known as Tioga Hammond Lake, is another great place to camp that is near the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon. It is a great facility for kids. There are RV sites with full hook-ups down to tent sites in a primitive area. There are playgrounds, a beach for swimming along with swimming from campsites in certain areas, boating, water-skiing and other water sports, hiking trails and gardens, and just a whole lot to do.

Ives run is also located close to the New York State Border and the Corning Glass Museum as well as other attractions for rainy days.

Wynken, Blynken, & Nod Statue - Photo by S. Webster

What Else is There to Do?

If you are tired of camping, fishing and hiking, or it’s raining, there are several other options.

Animaland Zoological Park is right near Leonard Harrison State Park. It has over 200 exotic, wild, and domestic animals housed in a 12 acre landscaped exhibit. There is a snack bar and gift shop.

Wellsboro is located about 12 miles from the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon. This picturesque town has gift shops, antique stores, and great restaurants. Don’t forget to visit “The Green,” located across from the Tioga County Court House, and view the famous Wynken, Blynken and Nod sculpture and fountain inspired by the poem of the same name by Eugene Field.

Wellsboro, PA - Photo by S. Webster

If you still need more to do, stop at the visitors center and learn about Pennsylvania’s scenic Route 6 and all it has to offer.