thoughts/opinions on "dead"river fishing in summer

[bulletbob]

I fish the NY section of the Susquehanna River.. loaded with SMB, Catfish, Carp, Muskies[if you don't mind putting a ton of time in].. It used to be loaded with Walleyes as well, but they have virtually disappeared from both NY and Pa. sections of the river.

I am enjoying really hot SMB fishing right now as well as really great fishing for fat scrappy good eating Rock Bass,,[I don't take the SMB to eat, only the Rockies].. anyway here's the reason for this post- The only time these fish will bite is once the river gets cooler and clearer in fall.. October and November, sometimes a week or two into Dec, depending on how cold it gets.

April and May would be good as well, but the river is often too high and muddy to fish, and the Bass are spawning, and I leave them alone.. During summer, you cannot get a bite. Nothing- Even live Hellgramites, Crayfish, worms go untouched.. Never even a hit.. Now, as soon as May, the river goes from a clearish green color and starts turning a muddy looking brown green the color of pea soup mixed with coffee with too much milk.. Also, the river churns with life, tons of Mayfly hatches that turn the sky white each night, and they are so thick, they fly into your nose and mouth when you breathe. Huge schools of tiny newly hatched fish are everywhere.. During this time, no one even fishes here because you catch nothing during daylight, and the ONLY fish caught are big cats at night.. IF you fish the river in summer and catch fish, its cats at night... I mean you would think a stray rock bass, smallmouth or sunny would hit a worm, but it never happens, and hasn't for the 33+ years I have fished the river.. If we get an early fall, with cool temperatures early, the fish might start biting mid sept, but most years, there are no fish caught until the water clears and cools down... I am wondering if any other river fishermen have seen something like this?

I know the fish have a lot of food, and I realize visibility could be a factor, but never anywhere have I seen a river system that shuts down so completely in warm weather... I have caught 50 times the fish here in Dec and Jan than I have in July/August, no exaggeration.. The only time you see even a single fisherman here is oct/nov/dec... None at all in summer except night guys catfishing... anyway, its interesting[and frustrating], and I would just like to entertain thought and possibly similar experiences.... bob