It has been a while since I touted fishing right at Warren. It is a fact that some of the best fishing you will find anywhere, depending on your preferences, is either within the city limits of Warren, or so close that we can call it in Warren. In this area you may find good fishing for smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, muskellunge, brown trout, rainbow trout and the abominable yet sporting carp.

If you live in Warren, even if you do not drive a motor vehicle, you are within walking distance of good fishing; fishing most anglers can only dream about.

Dare I start with carp fishing?

I dare. Looked down upon by snooty anglers, carp fight better than just about any other fresh water fish. And they get big. Many years ago I watched one swim under the Fifth Street Bridge that weighed over 40 pounds. More realistically, you can expect to catch carp in the 10-pound to 25-pound range.

One of my most entertaining fish battles involved a 17-pound carp that sucked a streamer fly into its mouth. I even had the fun of watching it take the fly. It was a mighty battle on fly fishing tackle. And it happened inside the city limits of Warren.

The favorite place to fish for carp in Warren is Point Park. I suggest using jumbo canned corn on a size 8 treble hook. The only reason for using a treble hook is to hold more corn than a single point hook. Nightcrawlers, small crayfish or prepared cark bait also work just fine.

Trout fishing can be spectacular at times in Warren. There have been days when I lost track of how many I caught, with most of them longer than 16 inches.

I suggest using stick baits 4 inches to 6 inches in length. Some of the better places are just above or just below the Glade Bridge, alongside the animal shelter or the riffles at the upstream end of Betts Park.

Walleye fishing is a kind of thing that I might infuriate some fishermen if I were to suggest good walleye fishing places in Warren. Walleye are, I feel sure, the most desirable fish locally.

I will suggest that you carry three specific lures for local walleye fishing: the Rapala Minnow, the X-Rap, the Shad Rap and a leadhead jig. The latter can be tipped with a nightcrawler or a minnow. Any sort of plastic body can be added. Top colors are white, yellow, chartreuse and various color combinations.

Muskie anglers should look for calmer water with some depth, maybe 5 feet, or deeper. Very little serious muskie fishing is done in Warren. However, if you want to catch muskie, this is a good place to do it. Try the calm water along Betts Field, the dredge pool and the short pool at the mouth of Conewango Creek.

Pike fishing is very good in Warren, particularly during the cool and cold water months. This is probably a by-product of Conewango Creek, which is connected to pike spawning areas. The amount of pike spawning that still takes place at Akeley Swamp is questionable. However, there are pike spawning areas farther upstream. The part of the Allegheny River on either side of the mouth of Conewango Creek benefits greatly from pike movements in and out of the creek.

A live minnow is probably the best bait for pike. Use either common shiners, suckers or chubs from 6 inches to 8 inches in length. Larger minnows would be fine, but since I release all of the pike I catch, I do not want to risk the fish swallowing my hook. With modest-size bait I set the hook on the first run and usually get a hoot set in the lip.

How could I leave smallmouth bass for last?

Smallmouth bass are one of Mother Nature’s most wonderful gifts. As far as being sport fish goes, smallmouth bass are the complete package. They strike ferociously. They make several strong runs and jump often. No wonder they are held in such high regard by anglers.

Smallmouth bass can be caught just about anywhere from the upstream city end of the river to the downstream end, and from the mouth of Conewango Creek upstream to the upper end of city limits.

This is not merely good smallmouth bass fishing, it is excellent smallmouth bass fishing. There are good numbers of smallmouth bass, and some of them may weigh more than 5 pounds.

Unless you want a change of scenery, there is not much reason to go outside of Warren for some good fishing.