May 2012 - Susquehanna Fishing Magazine

Susquehanna Fishing
Magazine
May 2012
2012 Bass Regulations
Now in Effect
Contents
Susquehanna Fishing Magazine, LLC
13 York Road
Bloomsburg, PA 17815
Phone:
570-441-4606
may 2012
Monthly Sections
4
Special Interest
2012 Smallmouth Regulations
On the web:
http://susquehannafishing.com/
5
Letters.........................................W. Barnes
Email:
[email protected]
8
Special Interest..........................L. Dunham
This Month...
Publisher: John King Oast, Jr.
10
In the News................................B. Wilhelm
MSSA Update
11
Fly Fishing...................................J. Misiura
The Wonderful Month of May
15
Feature Article............................B. Milheim
Smallmouth vs. Largemouth
16
Hints & Tips................................B. Wilhelm
18
Kayak Fishing.............................R. Wolbert
Suskie Flats Kayak Fishing Jamboree
Initial Issue Release: February, 2010
Coverage: Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania
(Susquehanna River Regions)
Susquehanna Fishing Magazine is a free
publication funded by participating advertisers. It covers the entire Susquehanna River regions
of New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, and
helps to inform anglers about the most
productive angling techniques, while promoting
safety and responsible stewardship of the river.
Cover Photo: Kevin Webster, by John Oast
Susquehanna Fishing Magazine, LLC and its
contributors always recommend using caution
whenever around the water. Always wear a
personal floatation device, and practice
responsible behavior when on the water.
SFM content and submissions do not reflect
the opinion of Susquehanna Fishing Magazine,
LLC.
Susquehanna Fishing Magazine - May 2012
3
Special Interest...
Reminder About 2012 Susquehanna Smallmouth Regulations
From “2012 Pennsylvania Fishing Laws & Regulations”:
http://fishinpa.com/bigbass_cr.html
Counties:
Cumberland, Dauphin, Juniata, Lancaster, Northumberland, Perry, Snyder, York
Waters:
Susquehanna River (98.0 miles) from the inflatable dam near Sunbury downstream to Holtwood
Dam, including all tributaries to a point 1/2 mile upstream from the confluence.
Juniata River (31.7 miles) from SR0075 bridge at Port Royal downstream to the mouth, including all
tributaries to a point 1/2 mile upstream from the confluence.
Species / Special Regulations:
From 12:01 a.m. on May 1 through June 15:
CLOSED SEASON, NO TOURNAMENTS. During the closed season, it is unlawful to target or
attempt to catch a bass. A bass that is accidentally caught during the closed season must be
immediately released unharmed without being removed from the water. It is unlawful to possess bass
in, on or along these waters.
Remainder of the year:
NO HARVEST—CATCH AND IMMEDIATE RELEASE ONLY; catch-measure-immediate release
tournaments only.
Susquehanna Fishing Magazine -May 2012
4
Letters...
Dear Editor,
I am writing to request action on the part of Susquehanna River fishermen and women to support the
efforts of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission to have the Susquehanna River declared an
impaired river by the PA Department of Environmental Protection (the agency responsible for the
water quality of our Commonwealth’s rivers, streams, lakes and other water sources). Such a
declaration would result in Federal funding becoming available to study in more depth the complex
ecological factors impacting the river, develop solutions to correct or reverse those impacts, and fund
the implementation of such solutions.
I do not think that any knowledgeable smallmouth bass fisherman or woman, who has been fishing
the Susquehanna River for more than 10 years, can dispute the fact that the smallmouth bass
population on the river has suffered a precipitous decline most dramatically beginning in 2005 and
continuing unabated with each passing year. While one or more of the factors causing this decline
have begun to be identified, such as the role of the odorless, tasteless chemical estrogen, the role of
other chemicals such as prescription drugs, and now parasites have still to be properly understood. While the decline of the smallmouth bass fishery has been most readily identified because of its value
as a recreational fishery, other aquatic residents in the Susquehanna River have also been affected
such as the fresh water mussels, the inability of the river to develop a sustainable American shad
population despite the best efforts of the PA Fish and Boat Commission, and a recently identified
reduction of the American eel population which may be linked to the decline of the fresh water mussel
population.
While some bass fishermen and women have felt the PA Fish and Boat Commission has not done
enough in the effort to identify problems and develop resolutions, I feel that all of us have not understood the complex role of various state and Federal agencies in the management of our Commonwealth’s streams, rivers, lakes and other water resources. The Fish and Boat Commission has the
power to regulate the fishery rules, i.e. licensing, seasons, length limits etc. However, because it is a
user funded agency without the power to determine its own revenue (i.e. our Legislature sets fishing
license rates) it has limited budget resources to work on a problem of this magnitude. If our legislators were more future oriented rather than only raising fishing license fees periodically and leaving the
Commission to control rising expenses due to inflation in the interval between those license increases, the legislators would allow the price of fishing licenses to increase based upon some measurement of inflation. While none of us like to pay increased prices, increasing costs drive selling price
increases is an economic fact of life. Putting off raising user fees or taxes only makes the inevitable
increase when it does occur much worse and more difficult for the average individual to manage. All
of us as citizens would be better served by small incremental price (i.e. license fee) increases yearly
than delays until a large increase is required.
Most importantly the water quality of our Commonwealth’s streams, rivers, lakes and other water
sources is regulated by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Our illustrious
current government (whom I am ashamed to admit that I voted for) does not believe we have
environmental problems and one of his actions was to reduce the budget of the PA DEP, limiting its
ability to respond to the present disaster. The agency responsible for gathering water quality
measurements is not a state agency but the United States Geological Survey, whose budget has also
Susquehanna Fishing Magazine - May 2012
5
been reduced – see the warnings on the various gauging stations on the Susquehanna River
indicating that due to funding limitations the various gauging stations may be eliminated. Not only
does the USGS collect and manage the data from such gauging stations it is woefully late on
making summaries of that data available to other Federal, state and local agencies. For instance
data gathered in 2009 and 2010 from the Susquehanna River was just released in a report in early
2012. It indicated some unusual conditions in the Susquehanna River which were not anticipated. If
private sector businesses were run with data that out of date, they would be out of business.
While I understand that businesses (guides, boat dealers, tackle dealers) impacted by the decision
of the PA Fish and Boat Commission to have a closed bass season in 2012 are not supportive of this
technique, they need to understand that was one of the few alternatives under control of the
Commission. Everyone should understand that the staff and Commissioners did not take this action
without thorough consideration of all of the effects including a major impact upon their own revenue
stream as a result of reduced nonresident license sales. I supported such action because something
rather nothing needed to be done.
Our PA Fish and Boat Commission was not the first fisheries agency to adopt such a management
technique. For instance when Maryland closed the fishing season for striped bass for a number of
years on the Chesapeake Bay, such action affected a greater number of fishing guides, lodges that
primarily catered to fishermen driving to the bay for striped bass charters, tackle dealers and boat
dealers than did the action of the PA Fish and Boat Commission. Additionally I am very familiar with
action by the Ontario Department of Natural Resources of the imposition of a similar closed season
beginning as I remember about 2001 on a large area of a lake that I first fished in 1982 (same year I
first fished the Susquehanna). Because the primary fishing season in Canada is normally limited by
weather (i.e. ice out in some years does not occur until late April), closing of a major part of the lake
as a bass spawning and nursery area until the end of June compacted an already short season for
the two lodges and guides on this lake. However, these businesses by and large supported this
technique as necessary to preserve both the smallmouth and largemouth fishery on this body of
water.
Given the new information that has become available on the status of the smallmouth bass fishery on
the Susquehanna River this year and indications of new and possible more complex problems, the
decision of the PA Fish and Boat Commission to close the smallmouth bass fishing from May 1, 2012
to approximately June 15, 2012 was the right decision that possibly should have been taken even
earlier. As a practical matter due to the low water conditions being experienced on Susquehanna
River this spring many areas of the river that have been historically good areas may not be accessible
to even outboard jet drive boats. Based upon some long range meteorological predictions out of the
PSU meteorological service, we may be in for a very dry spring of historical proportions which may
well exacerbate problems for the river and for us humans who use the river as source of water.
I believe the problems evidenced by the impact upon the aquatic residents of the river is but a
harbinger of impacts upon the human population that consumes water from the Susquehanna. The
die off of the smallmouth bass and freshwater mussels can be likened to the role of the canary in the
coal mine – when the canary dies it is time to get out of the coal mine as quickly as possible before
the disaster occurs. People who have failed to heed that warning have unfortunately paid with their
life in many cases.
For more information on actions the Commission and other organizations concerned about the
Susquehanna Fishing Magazine -May 2012
6
Susquehanna River have taken go to this link: The Fish & Boat Commission last week reinforced this
ask with another detailed letter to the DEP.
CALL TO ACTION: If avid bass fishermen and women are truly concerned about the present
condition of the Susquehanna River and the effects of that condition upon all of the aquatic
inhabitants (things like we are experiencing do not happen in isolation), they should write a letter
to the Secretary of the PA Department of Environmental Protection requesting that he declare the
Susquehanna River an impaired river so that greater financial resources including Federal resources
can be brought to bear on in-depth identification of all of the possible sources of these problems,
development of solutions to rectify or correct the problems and implementation of those solutions. These letters should cite both the ecological indicators of the problem such as the precipitous decline
of the smallmouth bass population and the economic effects that has had upon fishing license sales,
guide services, tackle dealers, boat dealers and ancillary businesses that anglers frequent along the
Susquehanna River such as gas stations, restaurants and motels.
The address of the Secretary is as follows:
The Honorable Michael Krancer, Secretary
PA Department of Environmental Protection
400 Market Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
I realize that other people may disagree with the opinions I have expressed in this letter and I respect
their right to do so. Having said that the time for dramatic action is the present as a failure to act
could well result in an ecological disaster of unparalleled proportions. Whether we agree on actions
taken to date or not we all need to push for more dramatic actions to assess and correct the problem
at hand now. William H. Barnes CPA
Susquehanna Fishing Magazine - May 2012
7
FISH
Special Interest...
This Month with a
Susquehanna Fishing Guide
By Lance Dunham
Let’s start with the creation of “The Beast,”
a big powerful jet river boat that I had been
planning in my head for the last five years now. Every serious angler out there at one time or
another has wanted what they perceive as their
ultimate fishing vessel for the water they fish in the
most. After 32 years as a fishing guide I decided
that now was finally the time to have one custom
made for me. I had started with a list of items that
I had personally wanted to see in a practical guide
boat. CALVERT COUNTY
Trophy rockfish season
kicks off Saturday, April 21!
Our knowledgeable captains
offer an experience you will
not forget as you fish for
rockfish, bluefish,
black drum, flounder,
perch and more.
www.ecalvert.com
800.331.9771
I had test driven several of the popular river
jet boats; all were fast and some were like
driving a corvette in the auto world, capable of
going 50mph with their 200hp motors up the river,
but they just were not what I was looking for. I
needed a boat big enough to take a small
family out fishing or at least the additional angler
that I’m always being asked to bring along, but
small enough to navigate around the river
boulders in super low water. A 20ft boat would do
this for me with a 6ft wide floor and a 7 1/2ft wide
beam. I wanted deep sides so young children and
older seniors would not fall out easily, also inside
step compartments for easy access to the bow
and stern decks with many storage compartments. I had the console installed in the center slightly
forward and the 30gal gas tank put in the front for
balance. The boat will float in 10” of water and
Susquehanna Fishing Magazine - May 2012
8
when up on plane go in 3” to 4” of skinny water. Even though I’ve never punched a hole in any of my
boats from not knowing the river channels, I know my day is coming, so a double thick metal bottom
on the keels, or ice cutters, were welded on. I call them rock bumpers.
Now I needed a motor big enough to quickly pick up this big boat, along with a big payload of
people. My choice was a 250hp Mercury Opti Max Pro LS motor. I requested extra metal in the
transom to support the 600lb motor. This boat and motor combination will go on plane in seconds
and push a speed up to 60MPH, which I wouldn’t like to do anyway. I’ve had the boat traveling at 55
mph so far with power left to go, but because you stand to drive it I was uncomfortable to do so. Just
because a boat will go fast doesn’t mean “Ya gotta do it.” Safety First! I’m perfectly fine going just
30 to 40mph in the river and I’m sure my clients will agree. Remember we’re not tournament fishing
here, it’s not how fast you go, it’s what you do once you arrive. The hull was made in Arkansas by
SeaArk. It’s one of their heavy duty bay boat hulls. The motor and boat customization was installed
by Ducky Boats in Middleton, PA. The electronics, trolling motor, fish finders, and battery charger
were installed by my sponsor, Snake Creek Marine in Montrose, Pa.
I had one last item installed. Probably the number one concern of any jet boat owner is hitting
their aluminum water intake on a rock. For you non-jet boaters this is where the water is sucked up
from the very bottom of the motor and is then pulled and pushed out a smaller outlet hole giving the
jet motor its propulsion. It’s the lowest item on your jet boat and may crack or break when struck hard
with a solid object. A fellow river guide, Chris Gorsuch, gave me his new extra large outboard jet poly
intake foot when he went to an inboard motor on his new jet boat. The new water intake is made at
Top Notch CBC in Beavertown, PA. This unit is CNC machined from a solid UHMW PE plastic block. Its unique shape not only gives you maximum
strength, but also helps in high-speed
steering. When the fine folks at Ducky’s Boats
were building this new boat, one of them
commented to me that this was one beast of a
boat, and thus the name “The Beast” was given
to it. I still have some personal tweaking to do
on The Beast, but now you know how it came
about.
Last April it was flooding; this year so far
it has been a drought. In the beginning of the
month the low river flow, with clear water, made
it easy to catch large quantities of fish every
day with a variety of lures, but lately the fishing
has been hampered by large quantities of rock
moss and floating algae making it very difficult
to properly present lures. We have been using
suspending jerk baits like the Rapala X-Rap and
plastic swim baits to help alleviate the problem,
presenting them correctly over the moss-covered river bottom. We have caught several big
20” plus smallies this month and have of course
released these 12 to 14 year old breeders for
the future of fishing. We also caught several
Susquehanna Fishing Magazine - May 2012
9
northern pike and musky which were also released.
One small 38” musky comes to mind that I had caught on a jerk bait. We had been fishing
along and as I was bringing in the lure close to the boat I noticed a musky following it in. I was
already at the end of the cast so I did the classic figure eight move and as I came around at the end
of the move the musky hit the lure hard and took off tail walking up the river. The initial splash and
noise always gets my heart thumping and with the light tackle I use it was a great fight! The water
has warmed up enough to do some top water fishing with the Hubs Chubs lure now and just recently
I had a grandfather and grandson on board. They were using 6lb test line, which is too light for
river fishing in my opinion. I use 10lb Stren Magnathin line; it’s thin and tough enough for the river. Gramps had just brought in a 14” smallie caught on the Hubs Chub, but made the common mistake
of grabbing the line when the fish got to the boat. With no rod to give and bend, the struggling fish
broke the weak line. We always feel bad when a fish has to get away with a lure in its mouth. The
grandson had his lure out already when this happened and also got a hit. When he brought in the
fish we were amazed to see that his lure had snagged his granddad’s lure and we got both the fish
and the lure back! What are the odds of that happening! It was a first for me with a surface lure. Photos of both of the fish are on my web site.
I’ve been seeing the young ones now of the Canada geese, along with plenty of beaver and
mink. I got a photo of a female beaver with one of its young sleeping on top of their lodge as my boat
drifted within 10 feet of them, which was a first for me. Also a big male mink kept us entertained close
by for a half hour while I took photos of him. He has a white spot under his chin that I’ve never seen
before.
Well that’s all for this month. For further daily reports, photos, and charter information visit me
on my web site at www.ldguideservice.com. Remember to practice catch and release for the future of
fishing, boat safe, and I’ll see you on the river.
In the News...
MSSA Legislative Committee Update -
The MSSA Legislative Committee, made up from MSSA Chapter members, met on April 22, 2012 in
Annapolis MD to develop strategies, formulate responses and promulgate legislation to ensure a
continued recreational striped bass fishery for all.
They are gathering information and support by aligning with other organizations with similar
recreational fishery and conservation goals.
Members of this committee are taking their own personal time and paying their own travel expenses
to work for all of us. This work is essential to all fishermen. They can, do and will need the continued support of
recreational anglers in the USA to accomplish their goals. Please support MSSA by joining
(regardless of where you live). I'm sure you will find it is money well spent.
To join or for more information of what MSSA is doing through legislation contact Dave Smith at
MSSA.org
Bryan Wilhelm
SFM Staff Writer and member of MSSA Legislative Committee
Susquehanna Fishing Magazine - May 2012
10
Fly Fishing...
The Wonderful Month of May
By Jim Misiura
May is, in my opinion, the best month of the year to be a fly fisherman. There is only one
problem – deciding what species to fish for.
Every fish species seems to be gorging after the long winter in preparation for the spawn. Of
course, trout did their spawning in the fall but still fatten up in the month of May. I love to fish for wild
brown trout, and you probably do, too. The hatches of May are diverse, you can be fishing a pale
morning dun or caddis in the morning and by noon you might find the fish switched their feeding
habits to a Grey Fox, or Blue Wing Olive. When it is time for dinner the fish could be eating March
Brown and Sulphurs. I love the Sulphur hatch, because in the waters I fish they are the prevalent
mayfly species. When the trout are taking Sulphurs on or near the surface you are only seeing 10%
to 20% of the feeding activity. The sulphur nymphs have a slow assent to the surface, so the trout
take many more under the water than on top as duns.
Being a dry fly fanatic, I prefer to use the dry or Klinkhammer style emerger. The emerger is
particularly vulnerable to trout. As I heard it stated before, a mayfly breaking the surface tension of
the water is like a man trying to swim out of ten feet of snow. That takes some real effort. Of course,
many insects do break the surface and float down drying their wings. This again puts them on the
trout’s menu in yet another stage of the life cycle. Then again right before dark the sulphurs that
hatched two or three days earlier become rusty spinners. After mating over the faster ripples, the
female will lay her eggs and die. The male will die shortly after doing the deed. This spinner fall can
last well into the darkest hours of the evening. If you plan on fishing a spinner fall you should have a
headlamp or flashlight to find your way out of the river when it is time to go home.
You can start seeing the duns appear on the water as early as four or five in the afternoon, so
a good supply of sulphur duns is advisable. When the trout start to take the sulphurs take several
minutes to observe their feeding habit. Pick an individual fish and watch him time his feeding rhythm. Susquehanna Fishing Magazine - May 2012
11
Look close – that rise you see may be a purposing rise, meaning he is taking emergers just under the
surface. The purposing rise can be identified by seeing first a nose, then a dorsal fin, followed by the
tail. If you see this he may take your dun, but more likely will take the emerger or a floating nymph. Using the dry/wet dropper rig can be very successful. Here you are presenting both a dry dun and
an under the surface emerger. An orange and partridge soft hackle is a good choice. You are also
doubling your percentages of getting the trout to take.
The sulphur, as with many mayflies, prefers to live their life as a nymph in faster water that
provides a high amount of oxygen. So when they hatch it will be from the faster water. This doesn’t
mean rapids, but faster runs and ripple-ly water is where it starts its assent to the surface. The fly can
be in calmer water by the time it makes it there. Fishing a nymph in faster water and moving up in the
water column as you move downstream is a good idea. Finally, reach the point where you will see
the duns on slow pools drying their wings.
Let’s take a look at two stages of the sulphur patterns that I have the most success with - the
Dry/Wet Emerger (klinkhammer style), the Cripple Dun, and the CDC Dun for really picky dun
feeders.
Susquehanna Fishing Magazine - May 2012
12
The Dry Sulphur Emerger: Size 12 - 18
Hook: Tiemco 2457 scud hook or equivalent
Thread : Cream
Abdomen : Natural Pheasant Tail
Wing Post : Snowshoe Foot or Polly Yarn
Thorax : Sulphur Orange Dubbing
Hackle : Cream
Sulphur Cripple : Size 12 - 18
Hook : Mustad 94840 or R50
Thread : Cream
Tail : Rusty Polly Yarn ( Bootlace)
Body : Sulphur Orange Dubbing
Wing : Light Elk or Deer Hair Hackle : Cream
Susquehanna Fishing Magazine - May 2012
13
CDC Dun : Size 12 - 18
Hook : Mustad 94840 or R50
Thread : Cream
Tail : Cream Micro Fibbets
Wing : Cream CDC (four floats it well)
Body : Sulphur Orange
Visit Jim Misiura’s website at:
http://theflymanjim.com/
Win free stuff on the
SFM Facebook Page!
Susquehanna Fishing Magazine - May 2012
14
Feature Article...
Smallmouth vs. Largemouth
By Bill Milheim
Other than sharing the genus name Micropterus, the largemouth and smallmouth are two
completely different fish; having said that, it would make sense that we need to fish them completely
different as well. Understanding smallmouth bass habits will certainly make your time on the water
far more productive. I can see where some fishermen are confused and don’t have good smallmouth
methods, because not much is written about river smallmouth fishing. Other than this fine magazine,
you will be hard pressed to find in-depth methods for fishing river smallmouth.
As the water warms to forty degrees smallmouth move out of their winter haunts. Mother
Nature tells them to feed in preparation for the spawn. When the water reaches sixty degrees the
spawn will start. Within this temperature range is pre-spawn. During this time fishing is easy. To
maximize fishing potential, understanding easy techniques will certainly put more fish in the boat.
Unlike their cousin the largemouth, smallmouth often key more on color than action. Selecting
a good color is the key. A good rule to follow is on dark days use a dark color and on bright days use
a bright color. If you have a fishing partner use two different colors to see what color the smallmouth
are keying on. Don’t be afraid to select strange colors or combos of color. On bright days
smallmouth can become very sensitive too color. Shaded areas should be fished with a slightly
darker color, while in brightly lit sections try using extremely bright baits. On cloudy days start by
throwing the lightest shade of dark color, change to darker shades if you’re not getting hits. Just
because a color works for one section of river at a given time doesn’t mean that color will be
successful all day long. If fishing has slowed down, change color; seldom do I fish the same color for
long periods of time.
Smallmouths rarely have huge reaction hits during pre-spawn. First of all the water is cool:
smallmouths aren’t lethargic, but they do react differently in pre-spawn. Most of their food source is
moving slowly as well. On the North Branch of the river the smallmouth’s main diet this time of year is
crayfish, along with whatever hatch is happening at the moment. So wasting energy for a meal isn’t
really what a smallmouth does in pre-spawn mode. So keep retrieves slow. Start out with as slow of
a presentation as possible. If you’re not receiving any strikes speed up, but speed up in increments. Keep in mind that current is already adding action, and retrieval speed only increases action and
speed. In my experience there is a time to fish spinner baits, but pre-spawn is not a productive time
to use them. Crank baits can be effective if they can be fished slowly. Plastics, such as tubes, grubs
and wacky worms can be fished slowly. They come in every color and then some and mimic cool
water food sources.
During the spring water temperatures are on the rise, which moves most food sources closer
to structure. On the North Branch most of the time they are keyed to the river’s edge where most of
the structure is located. Shallow water boulders and rocky areas hold crayfish and minnows. Fishing smallmouth spawning beds isn’t cool. Most of the time it isn’t a huge female that is on the
Susquehanna Fishing Magazine - May 2012
15
bed, but a smaller male that is guarding the bed. He isn’t hungry and most often he is trying to move
your bait away from the bed. Leave spawn beds alone. Smallmouths don’t all spawn at the same
time. If you see spawning beds move out into deeper water away from the spawn area where you’ll
find good numbers of smallmouth awaiting their turn to spawn.
Don’t over fish smallmouth. Make sure the camera is ready to take a photo and get the fish
back in the water. An overplayed smallmouth, coupled with too much time out of the water for a photo
can and will kill the fish. Catching good numbers requires a better understanding of the smallmouth. Hopefully these tips will put more fish in the boat.
Bill Milheim has been fishing and guiding the North Brach of the Susquehanna River for over 25
years.
Hints & Tips...
A Fishing Trip to Lake Champlain
By Bryan Wilhelm
A northern adventure trip is what Lake Champlain is all about. This lake has incredible fishing
with greater diversity than many others. You can stay a week renting a cottage on the lake or move
about while staying in motels. When traveling with pets, be sure to check in advance about whether
or not your accommodations accepts pets.
Many of the motels near the launch ramps are geared to competitive anglers. All have
facilities for charging boat batteries. Most have parking for trucks with boats. The closer, more
convenient they are, the higher price per night you will pay.
For anglers on a budget, I suggest looking a bit farther away. When fishing the south end of
Lake Champlain, find the Blue Ridge Motel www.blueridgemotel.com. Call Jerry at 518-532-7031 and
say you found them in Susquehanna Fishing Magazine. Jerry has spotless accommodations geared
to family vacations. There is excellent food, and many other lakes and streams are close by.
Two Ton Epoxy
By Bryan Wilhelm
Many anglers work through the winter, crafting their own lures. I make my own wooden body
crank baits. Many friends and fellow anglers ask me “what do you use for a clear coat? It is the best
I have seen.”
I use a Devcon product called Two Ton Epoxy. It comes in a blister pack that resembles two
hypodermic syringes side by side. The epoxy is dispensed in equal parts when the plunger is depressed. Devcon offers their product in large bottles as well.
I buy whatever I need at Ace Hardware, 10912 York Road, Cockeysville, MD 21030, email:
[email protected], website: www.suburbanacemd.com, telephone 410-785-1300.
Susquehanna Fishing Magazine - May 2012
16
Color Code Your Rods
By Bryan Wilhelm
Color codes make rod recognition easy.
For those fishermen who have several similar rods rigged for a different specific purpose or
technique, here is a suggestion that comes from a guide friend named Ken Penrod.
Ken uses a special grip tape that tennis and golfers use on their handles. It comes in a variety
of colors and creates a tacky cushioned grip once applied.
Ken applies the colored tape to his rod’s handles so that he can quickly identify one rod from another. He may rig one rod with a tube lure, another with a sinking worm, another with a grub, etc.
Throughout the day, picking the right rod is quick and easy.
You can find Ken on the internet (www.penrodsguides.com).
Fine Tune Your Presentations
By Bryan Wilhelm
Fine tuning your presentations is key.
Successful fishing is sometimes a matter of tweaking your presentations to match what the fish
want. Last fall, my son found that the smallmouth bass we were catching wanted tube lures that
remained in contact with the bottom, yet bounced in the current naturally. His answer was to match
his methods and presentations with his jig head selection with weights that worked best in the size
tube lures he was using.
I found that I was limited in my selection of jigs at the time. To prevent this dilemma from
recurring, I went to the experts… Do-It Fishing (www.do-itfishing.com). There I found molds with jig
head sizes to compliment and fit the gaps present in my arsenal. Do-It offers ball head jig molds in
sizes from 1/16, 3/32, 1/8, 3/16, ¼ and much more. By getting molds for 1/16, 3/32, and 3/16 jigs I
was able to mold my own supply for the coming season.
Making your own lures is easy and fun. For more information, check out the videos at
youtube.com or contact Do-It through their web-site or call toll free at: 1-866-984-3648.
Susquehanna Fishing Magazine - May 2012
17
Mature your fishing processes!
By Bryan Wilhelm
Fishing success is founded on two important things:
First, knowledge of where to find fish, and second, having mature fishing processes to capture the
opportunities that unfold.
From the time you enter the sport until your last cast in life, you will be capturing a series of
things that work for you. It is an exciting and wonderful journey to wisdom. You can accelerate the
development by understanding how to manage time and decide what is important. Reliable, mature
processes are the result.
The Traveling Angler - when only the best will do…
By Bryan Wilhelm
I often travel and fish the best places visited by the pros. Whenever I hear a professional
angler’s response when answering the question: “If you had a chance to fish the best place, where
would that be?” I always add their response to my bucket list. One place that I have visited many times is Lake Champlain. While there, I have stayed in one
very special B&B Inn. That is the Silver Spruce Inn (www.silverspruce.com). Contact them via email
at: [email protected] or call 518-532-7031. It is a memorable occasion every time. They cater
to anglers with boats, have wonderful food and have the most pleasant, restful Inn in North America. Tell them you found them in Susquehanna Fishing Magazine.
Taping a Reel…
By Bryan Wilhelm
Another of Ken Penrod’s tricks is used when installing a reel with tape on a Tennessee grip rod
handle (a rod with a cork handle). He first secures the reel with filament boxing tape, then he goes
over that with colored electrician’s tape. The plastic electrician’s tape is easy on the hands even in
cold weather and the various colors identify the rods for a specific technique.
Kayak Fishing...
Susquehanna Flats Kayak Fishing Jamboree
By Rick Wolbert
Back in the beginning of April a great event took place… It was the SFKFJ. This was a charity
event with proceeds going to the Hero’s on The Water organization, put together by Bob Miller with
Susquehanna Fishing Magazine - May 2012
18
help from friends and family. Bob put his heart and soul into this production and it showed at the end. As Bob and I spoke on the phone he seemed so happy that the Jamboree came together the way it
did, and all the work was well worth it. Bob stated that $1,800 was the final total funds raised and a
check was being sent out to the Hero’s On the Water home office. Bob should be proud, as 58 kayak
fishermen from all over, and even Canada, showed up ready to fish and support the worthy cause.
With luck being with the kayak anglers as they paddled, casted, and trolled their lures side by
side, the striped bass showed up and were ready to rumble and tow the guys around the flats. There
were quite a few bass caught and released to fight another day. The camaraderie was so great, other
kayakers stopped fishing to shoot video and pictures of the guys hooked up and with their catch. How cool is that? To top it off the weather was great. Susquehanna State Park in Maryland was
home base and a perfect location, with camp sites and cabins with clean restrooms and showers.
Bob would like to say big “thank you” to all the sponsors and participants for helping the event
surpass his hopes and dreams.
Bob is now working on the 2013 SFKFJ!
I applaud you buddy! Glade we were there. Thank you. rw
The Winners:
Alex Sestokas - 1st Place Striped Bass
Anthony Glab - 1st Place Largemouth Bass
Bob and Dillon
TFO Rod Winners:
John Foley and George White
Susquehanna Fishing Magazine - May 2012
19
John “Toast” Oast and Rick
Wolbert from SFM with tourney
director Bob Miller.
Welcome to the
In the Frontier,
you can do things your way.
A better way.
www.nucanoe.com
888.226.6310
Susquehanna Fishing Magazine - May 2012
20