I live in Northern New Jersey and according to the news hype there is to be an invasion of Cicadas in my area in the coming weeks. I purchased an Arbogast Hocus Locust top water jitterbug type lure with the wishful thinking that the news equals the hype. Presently not a Cicada is fluttering about or thumping it’s chest on the eastern front here in New Jersey.
I’m wondering if any of you to the south or west have seen any of these insect invaders and can give me some insight as to there numbers and where lies the front line of the attack force? Yeah, I know they come from the ground under my feet. I just feel the ground under my feet may not be as warm and inducive to the emergence as the ground south and west of me.
I ask this because I’m hoping to plan a day off and be on the water with the Hocus Locust at the end of my line in the initial stages of the invasion prior to the bass and pike getting there fill.
in dayton
I live in Dayton Ohio, we have none yet. However they are all over and hour south in Cincinatti. It should work when they do come out. I am going to tie some dry flied to mimic them I think.
cicadas as bait
I was kayaking on the Little Miami (just east of cincinnati) sunday and I spoke to a guy fishing on the bank. He said he was catching fish on cicadas. He caught catfish and a carp. I think used as a live topwater bait it would be great for bass. On the east side the cicada hatch is weak but as you get close to the downtown there are thousands all over the side of the road.
Chris
Cincinnati Cicada
Hey, I’m from Cincinnati…well actually the suburbs of Forest Park and let me tell you…WOW! There are more this year than there were back 17 years ago! At my mothers house there are so many that the corpes and shells are pilled up against every tree in her yard at least an inch thick. And the smell of those rotting little buggers is sick! I’ve never seen so many! I couldn’t even cut her grass there were so many! You couldn’t walk in the grass without at least steping on 3-4 with every step. My apartment complex which is only 5 miles down the road is a different story. Just a few here and there. It’s a newer area only about 15 year old. It’s localized many to older parts of the community with old trees and lots of undesturbed ground. I’m going to freeze a few for later and top water fish a few live ones pretty soon. Talk about loud! Cicadas are much louder than any other insect you’ve ever heard! Sounds like an alien invasion force! 
They are in full force in the Baltimore
They are in full force in the Baltimore, MD area.
I hope to finally get out this weekend and use some live cicadas for carp and bass.
Here is a funny story of a guy who got a sleigh ride in his yak after hooking a carp on a cicada.
http://kfs.infopop.cc/eve/ubb.x?a=tpc&s=418607442&f=948607442&m=678104645
Also check out the freshwater forum of tidalfish.com. There are some good posts under the subject heading “Prettyboy Res carp on cicadas”
I also have a Hocust Locust and will try that too.
Good luck guys, I hope to get my first sleigh ride this weekend from a cicada and a carp!
Match the hatch
You see it!
Check out the article…
on the fly fisherman website.
www.flyfisherman.com
It is an awsome story. I wish we had them here I’d be on the water every night. In high school we had a cicada hatch. We used the bobbers that you can fill with water (easier to cast) and placed cicadas directly on a hook. We caught bass like crazy.