# SCUBA Run - Bucks County PA 10/9/08



## Captain Ahab (Oct 9, 2008)

Headed out at dawn this morning to meet up with a long time fishing buddy, Ethan. Really wanted to go to DE and fish with Tom, but alas, new baby and frazzled Mom means I needed to stay local. Ethan was searching the satellite images for the surrounding area and spotted what looked like a promising pond. The trouble with doing this is often times the promising ponds are off limits, fenced and posted.

This pond was really well hidden between two McMansion developments - we almost gave up because it looked as if the only way into the area was to walk through a backyard. However, with the help of my new GPS system and some creative thinking we found an old access road that ran between the properties - problem solved.


We had to hike about a 1/4 mile and, cresting the small dam, we found a gem of a pond. We saw something chasing bait fish in the corner of the dam and a few casts later I had a nice Crappie on a small X-rap. Followed that one up with about nine more and Ethan landed a few as well.


I threw a little off the school of crappie and this decent bass slammed me:







As I was landing the fish a Bucks County truck pulls up to the top of the dam and sits, idling. Of course, this sent Ethan into a momentary tizzy, he was certain we were going to be arrested, charged and incarcerated in about 10 minutes. I looked over and told him to chill, it was not the police nor a game officer and we were doing nothing wrong. The road was a public road we used for access and the pond was not posted - at worst they could ask us to leave. 

Well nothing much did happen - the truck sat there for about another 30 minutes; I thought this was a "hiding"spot for some county worker looking to take a nap. Then a big ass white van pulls up and backs down to the pond right next to us - getting strange now. Another County truck appears and joins the 1st. The workers ignore us and have a conference. 

The guys in the white van then began pulling out all sorts of equipment, hoses, a large compressor and a generator. Great, we both think, they are going to do something to the water, and just after we discovered there were bass.

We move off across the dam and they continue to pile up equipment next to the lake. I switch over to a shaky head with creature type bait and have a small bass hit and pop off. I keep tossing the bait and, as i shake it I feel the line get tight - like I am snagged. I give the bait a sharp jerk to pull it free from the suppossed snag and a huge LM bass rockets through the surface of the still water. The bass jumps three more times and I finally land this big girl:












About 5 lbs

Ethan quickly switches bait to the same rig and begins working the area. i get another nice hit but i swing and miss.

We both look over to see one of the guys from the white van getting into a full diving suit - hose attached to his head and everything - WOW! He wades out and disappears before I could get a pic. We, off course, stop fishing and go over to see what the heck they are doing. After a brief conversation with the air tender we discover that there is a pipe in the spillway and it is blocked. the diver is going to clean out the spillway using a high pressure water hose.

We ask how long he would be under (I really wanted a photo) and they told us about three hours. Here is what we could see:






We moved the DE River and I landed one nice smallie and then could get nothing for the rest of the day.


Since we did not have a name for this place we are now calling it SCUBA Run. And, i now have a nice winter crappie hotspot


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## Waterwings (Oct 9, 2008)

Cool story, and really nice bass! 8) . Kinda neat that they have a scuba diver to do those jobs there. If something like that happened here, they'd probably pick the newest member of the crew and give him a garden hose to breathe through, lol. :shock:


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## dedawg1149 (Oct 9, 2008)

dude nice fish good to see you smiling again are you sure that scuba diver was putting them fish on =D>


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## Zum (Oct 9, 2008)

Nice fish.
Looks like it had some mucky bottom,by the bubbles coming up.


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## G3_Guy (Oct 9, 2008)

Nice fish Captain!


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## shamoo (Oct 9, 2008)

Nice fish and report Capt.


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## mr.fish (Oct 9, 2008)

Rack up another lunker for the year. Way to go Dave.


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## Salmon_Slayer_2008_Lund (Oct 9, 2008)

Very nice fish! Good report too!


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## Jim (Oct 9, 2008)

Good report Captain! Nice pig too! =D>


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## Gamefisher (Oct 10, 2008)

That's a great looking pond! Nice fishies.


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## Leibs16 (Oct 10, 2008)

Scuba Run is NASTY~!!!!!


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## DocWatson (Oct 10, 2008)

NICE !!!


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## bcritch (Oct 10, 2008)

Nice find and some nice Bass. 

It looks like it maybe an old farm pond?


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## FishingCop (Oct 10, 2008)

great fish Capt....


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## jkbirocz (Oct 10, 2008)

Those are some beauties, I am anxious to try this place out. Too bad I could not go yesterday, I could have really used a full day dose of recited crack fox lines :roll:


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## Quackrstackr (Oct 10, 2008)

bcritch said:


> Nice find and some nice Bass.
> 
> It looks like it maybe an old farm pond?



It's a watershed. We have a lot of them around here but they are not necessarily public domain.

The pipe that the guy is cleaning out is to maintain the water level at a certain height. When he got it unstopped, the watershed will drain down to whatever level they have the gate set at. That white apparatus on top is the stem for the valve gate. They take the handwheels off so some vandal can't open the valve and drain the whole thing.

Ahab, I know nothing of the trespass laws where you live but it might be in your best interest to check that watershed out a little closer. After the design life of the watershed is up in KY, they revert back to the owner of the deeded land. If the county was cleaning that one out, more than likely it is still active. Most of the active ones around here are still off limits unless you own a jet pack because of being surrounded by private property with no right of way.

Nice fish, btw.


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## Captain Ahab (Oct 11, 2008)

Quackrstackr said:


> bcritch said:
> 
> 
> > Nice find and some nice Bass.
> ...



These are flood control reservoirs and remain County or Commonwealth property in most cases. i can always pull a deed to check but in this instance, it is not private property and there is a right of way for public access. Just not as well kept as our other reservoirs, most of which are County Parks


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## FishinsMyLife (Oct 11, 2008)

I would love to find a gem like that...Nice catchin and healthy lookin pigs!


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