Cicada 17 year invasion

[TEFNKY]

I was at Nolin last weekend and the cicadas were ear piercing! I was wondering if these insects may have any effect on the fishing? I seemed to see several of them floating on the water and it just makes me wonder if it may help or hinder the top water bite?

WHAS 11 news had a report on it tonight and said that they taste like shrimp. I wouldn't want to try one and will just take their advice, but wonder if the bass are thinking the same thing?

[crazyfishinnut]

I was at wax last night and they are coming out big time. 100s are falling on the water and some are being eaten many are not. Bite was slow

[dabassking]

I was down at Nolin on Memorial Day weekend and my uncle watched a bass eat one that he had thrown out of the boat so they might help the top water bite.

[fishbum]

I was at Nolin last weekend and the cicadas were ear piercing! I was wondering if these insects may have any effect on the fishing? I seemed to see several of them floating on the water and it just makes me wonder if it may help or hinder the top water bite?

WHAS 11 news had a report on it tonight and said that they taste like shrimp. I wouldn't want to try one and will just take their advice, but wonder if the bass are thinking the same thing?

There are several species of Cicadas. The last 17 year Cicada invasion was just over 4 years ago at least I thought that was the 17 year cicada. It was state wide.. This may be a 7 year cicada that is coming out. It will not hurt fishing. Matter of fact it will help. The top water bite while this is going on is tremendous. Even Carp will come up and feed on the cicada's as they are dropping in the water. I have seen Carp as big as 50 pounds go after Cicada's on the surface. It is one of the funniest looking things you will ever see. Carp has to bring his nose out of the water and then bring the snoot down on the cicada virtually without being able to see it.

[riverrat12]

O.K. I guess the carps out of the bag. We had a place many years ago, and it seemed the cicada would come out everyother year down there . Sometimes like this year they where out in force. If you looked hard enough anytime you could allways find one. Geeeze 30+ years ago you could find a muddy cove and throw one out there with your 33 and wear a arm off on carp 20+#'s.I think that was one of my first turn on's to rough fish. As far as bass I could deffenitly see a coralation between a top water bite and also the larve hatch early and bass feeding when the lake was above Summer pool possibly on the bottom.....early=29#sack... just my thought's. Chuck

[mhall]

There are several species of Cicadas. The last 17 year Cicada invasion was just over 4 years ago at least I thought that was the 17 year cicada. It was state wide.. This may be a 7 year cicada that is coming out. It will not hurt fishing. Matter of fact it will help. The top water bite while this is going on is tremendous. Even Carp will come up and feed on the cicada's as they are dropping in the water. I have seen Carp as big as 50 pounds go after Cicada's on the surface. It is one of the funniest looking things you will ever see. Carp has to bring his nose out of the water and then bring the snoot down on the cicada virtually without being able to see it.

No this is the 17 year has been said over and over by people that are suppose to know of such things. Just clarifying not trying to be a smartelic.

[redneckshadrap]

When is the 17 yr then?

[nonamesleft47]

I was in Baltimore when the 17 year cicadas hatched, this was about, well 17 years ago. They were shoveling the sidewalks around the Aquarium and dumping them in the water there. There were drifts of them a foot deep in the corners of the buildings downtown. The cicadas weren't the worst part, the seagulls had discovered this source of food and were swarming the waterfront to feast. It wasn't safe to walk outside without an umbrella. There were gulls sitting on the street that had eaten so much they couldn't fly.

As far as what year cicada hatch this is, there can be 17 year cicadas hatching in consecutive years. The 17 or 7 or 13 year refers to the species of cicada that they are. I'm fairly certain that the black with orange eyes we are seeing are 17 year cicadas and there may be hatches of them happen from county to county, year to year. This year it is especially large in central Kentucky, next year it may be Western Kentucky or Georgia. Here's a map that shoes how the hatch moves from year to year, of course it's Virginia but you get the idea.
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/entomology/444-276/444-276.html

An article with good info on KY--http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080531/NEWS01/805310509/1008

As to the fishing. Last Sunday we caught two 1 liter bottles full and fished elkhorn. We caught a fish every cast on those things. I was wanting to get some carp but they weren't feeding on top yet, maybe this weekend. Hook them through the main body a couple of times and add a split shot. They'll try to fly for a little while underwater but rarely do they make it to the bottom. Just wait a couple of weeks though, the noise of them will absolutely drive you insane!

[mhall]

When is the 17 yr then?

This is the 17 year cicada, right now.

[know1]

I could be wrong (I often am!), but I think the 17 year Cicadas hatch every year, but that some years are much more numerous than others.

[FishinBoo]

I was wondering the same thing. Do any of you old timers remember how significantly this did affect the top water bite? I'm sure we will catch more fish on top water. Has it slowed down the numbers you catch on softplastics, crankbaits, etc.? I think I'm gonna have to go get stocked up on jitter bugs, or catch some live ones for bait.

They sure do make some noise! I pulled on to my friends street the other day, and thought someone was weedeating at first. It took me a second to realize what it was. Man, the sound was deafening! It seems weird to me how they can be everywhere one place, and nowhere to be found at other places. I haven't seen the first one at my house, but they are everywhere at my buddies. I didn't see any on the Ky river yesterday below lock 8 either.

[RoadToad]

There are different "broods" of 17-year cicadas in different areas, that emerge in different years, and the same is true of 13-year cicadas. And sometimes some of them will emerge early. Plus, there are annual cicadas that are around every year. When I was out at Elmer Davis the other day, I saw sloughed cicada exoskeletons all over the place. I would think that fish would eat cicadas readily; everything else seems to. While they're emerging, maybe a surface lure that imitates a floundering bug might be a good idea?