Susquehanna Fishing Magazine

Transcription

Susquehanna Fishing
Magazine
December 2010
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SusquehannaFishing.com
Contents
December 2010
Susquehanna Fishing Magazine, LLC
13 York Road
Bloomsburg, PA 17815
Phone:
570-441-4606
On the web:
http://susquehannafishing.com/
Email:
[email protected]
Publisher: John King Oast, Jr.
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.
Monthly Sections
4
Special Interest.....................Lynda Morris
Bass Fishing: More than just...
13
November Report.............Lance Dunham
The Month...
16
Cool Stuff.......................................Various
23
Photo of the Month / Hints & Tips
Feature Articles
5
Feature Article....................Bryan Wilhelm Making your own...
9
Feature Article...........................Matt Dotts
Jack of all Rods
11
Feature Article......................Juan Veruete
Slow your roll...
Cover: Mike Kurutz with a hefty walleye.
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.
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Susquehanna Fishing Magazine - December 2010
3
Special Interest...
Bass Fishing: More than just a rod, reel, and
bucket of bait
By Lynda Morris
When Rob Rosencrans took me for my
first ride in his bass boat this past June and
handed me a rod with a gooey plastic tube on
the end, I really didn't know what to expect,
much less what was expected of me. At that
time fishing was simply tossing out some bait
into the water and waiting for something to hit
the line. Never, in my wildest dreams, did I ever
expect there to be so much to learn about "fishing" and I've come to believe that this is likely
true for many other people out there.
Ten days later not only was I a member of
Suskie Bassmasters, one of the largest angling
clubs in Pennsylvania, I was fishing in their
Wednesday night series tournaments, handling
tournament registrations and learning the
weigh-in process all while learning the ins and
outs of angling and how to handle a bass boat.
The next thirteen weeks there was a
major learning curve. I discovered that weather
conditions, water temperature, water level,
moon phases, atmospheric conditions, and even
fish temperament and biology, not to mention
presentation (type and color of bait) all played
major roles in a productive vs. a non-productive
evening on the river. I found myself watching (daily) the river gauge and reading reports
along with Rob as we attempted to figure out
from week to week what would attract the larger
smallmouth. The more I learned - the more I
wanted to learn. It was a whole new world and
much more than just tossing out a line of bait
and waiting for a hit.
During this time I was introduced to Lake
Wallenpaupack (where I fished one of their
tournaments), Harvey’s Lake, and Lake Henry and all came with a whole new set of techniques
to learn. Night fishing on the Pack is fantastic!
It was on the Pack where I first learned to pitch
docks.
Thirteen weeks later I found myself fishing both the Suskie Bassmasters Championship
(where I placed 7th) as well as the Monday night
series Championship (where Rob and I placed
4th). Since then, we’ve fished the Deaf Angler’s
Tournament and are currently fishing the fall
season (which is almost over). I can’t count how
many times I’ve heard comments about how bad
it is to fish the Susquehanna River and I can’t
express enough how wrong these feelings about
the river are. I was told that to learn angling on
the river is one of toughest places to learn, and
that actually is true, but it’s also the BEST place
to learn. I’ve been on the river in the best of conditions and the worst - and it all comes down to
how you look at it. I viewed each trip to the river
as an individual lesson in angling, because if I
can learn in the worst of conditions, I can aim to
be that much better in the more favored
conditions.
Of all the experiences I’ve had on the
river, there’s been one area of deficiency that I
hope to be instrumental in correcting - and that
is a serious lack of women anglers in our area.
Angling is not just a man’s world and there are
plenty of pro women anglers out there who’ve
made it all the way to the Women’s Bassmasters
Tournament Classic. There are many benefits
to angling, physically, mentally, and emotionally
and the health benefits are better than a month
at the gym. When you’re out there fishing, you’re
using your mind (kind of like playing a chess
match with a fish) and your body - and from a
“Zen” point of view, angling is an excellent way
to just “get away from it all.” It is a mental and
physical vacation from the hustle and bustle of
daily life. Even during the high-energy levels of
tournament fishing, there’s a sense of relaxation
that goes along with it. And for those who have
a disability (as I do), it’s a way to participate in a
sport and regain that sense of self-esteem that
tends to easily get lost when the disability
becomes overwhelming.
Stated from someone who is a true newbie
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Feature Article...
Making your own solid body
diving crank baits…
By Bryan Wilhelm
Custom-made and custom-painted crank
baits are the hottest item with professional and
serious anglers alike. With a few evenings of
spare time, you too can have some very special
wooden lures, just like the pros.
Lynda Morris with a nice smallie.
on the water, there is so much more to angling
than just tossing a line out into the water if
you’re willing to open yourself to the experience.
My journey since June has taken me down
many roads to include recently being recognized
for my efforts by becoming a member of the
pro-staff of Backwater Custom Baits. Have I
learned a lot in the short six months I’ve been
on the water? Oh yes, most definitely- but, with
all that I have learned - there’s still a lot more to
learn!
Interested in learning more about the
Suskie Bassmasters? Just visit our website at:
http://www.suskiebassmasters.org/
Looking for some custom made baits, reasonable priced? Visit: Backwater Custom Baits at:
http://mysite.verizon.net/vzey34im/backwatercustombaits2/index.html
Fish for fun, fish for the challenge, fish for
health, but just fish! Tight Lines!!
Lynda Morris is on the Backwater Custom Baits
pro staff, has a joint affiliation with “Reels on
Wheels” based in the UK, http://www.reelson-wheels.org/index.htm and a member of
the Suskie Bassmasters. You can contact her
directly at [email protected].
This is another in the series of articles
about making your own fishing lures. From the
beginning of this series, SFM promised a
progression of more intricate projects using more
complex processes and requiring a greater level of
skill. This is the top of that progression.
This project will require more materials,
time and skill than the previous articles on
making lures. In this article we will make a solid
body diving crank baits using balsa wood. Balsa
wood has a unique quality that makes a great
lure. Most home made plugs will catch fish as well
or better than ones purchased. A few have the
unique quality when fished they travel in an
unpredictable track…self correcting as they run.
This is called “hunting”.
You will need to purchase Balsa wood,
0.031 stainless steel wire, hooks, diving bill, paints
epoxy and some other materials. The body, the
hook hangers and the preparation for finish will be
crafted and assembled by you.
Whatever comes out will be your own creation. Do not get discouraged. Many have made
very professional looking lures that get results
while fishing their very first time.
This project begins with a profile outline of a
lure body. I would suggest that you take a look at
the shapes of the lures in your tackle arsenal, and
make a pattern similar to something you already
have.
Select a 3/8 ounce size, alphabet style,
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crank bait (Big O, Little N, etc.) and develop
your outline pattern. Transfer that to a piece
of 1/16” ply wood. With a ball point pen, trace
the outline onto a piece of ½” balsa wood ten
or more times. Using a coping saw or jig saw
cut the pieces out leaving your lines. Sand the
bodies to profile. An oscillating spindle sander
makes quick work of this step.
Check the screw eye while the epoxy is
hardening to ensure alignment.
Next, drill the body cavity for a 1/8 ounce
bullet weight. Make a fixture or use a drill press
to get the hole centered and straight into the
body. The weight is cemented in the hole with
epoxy after installing a screw eye into the weight
(see photos below)
Low density balsa wood was used for
these lures. Mount your lure bodies on wood
skewers for ease of handling. Later you will
install the aft hook hanger in the hole made by
the skewer.
Draw a center line on your lure. Using
a sharp craft knife, start to taper and round the
edges of the body. Finish this step with sand
paper. Keep both sides of your lure symmetrical.
Your lures should look like this.
A second plywood template can be made
to trace the cut-out for the diving bill. Trace the
lines for the diving bill, and then cut the slot in
the body. The accuracy of this step makes the
lure track and run correctly. This step was cut
on a jig saw making sure the blade was
perpendicular to the table. You could cut the
slot on a table saw with a holding fixture. The
bill should fit snug in the cut.
The solid body baits get the diving bill
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installed after painting. Begin preparing the
wooden body with sanding sealer. Dip the lure
in Deft, let dry, then sand smooth. Repeat this
process four or five times. An alternate method
is to seal the body with epoxy and sanding it
smooth after it sets up. The lure is ready for
paint when all the grain is hidden and the lure is
finish-sanded with 400 grit paper.
Overcoat the painted lures with two ton
epoxy. Mix it, paint it on with a brush and then
rotate the lure to get a smooth all over clear
coat. Add treble hooks with snap rings.
The easy way to paint the lures is to dip
them into the paint. Enamel makes a fine finish
for dip and dunk.
The finished one piece custom painted bodies.
These lures were painted with the
dip and dunk process.
Install a stainless wire hook hanger to the
rear of the body with 2 Ton Epoxy.
Next, add eyes with craft paint using wood
dowels to dot the paint onto the lure.
Above are four examples of Tim Hughes
Custom Painted finishes. I sent Tim eight of
my lures to have him paint them. Tim Hughes
is the best in the world according to the many
professional anglers that use his services….and
I agree! www.hughescustombaits.com
There are many ways to paint and finish
your lures. Several of those methods of painting
and finishing will be covered in detail in a
separate article to follow. As time allows,
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I hope to answer your questions on our blog.
Tight lines.
Bryan Wilhelm is a multi-species light tackle
angler with many years experience both as
a professional and a sportsman on the lower
Susquehanna River. His zeal for fishing grows
each passing year. We look forward to him
sharing his experiences.
Feature Article...
Jack of all Rods
By Matt Dotts
Did you ever try to remove an overly
tight hex nut with a pair of standard pliers?
Sometimes it works but most of the time the
pliers slip, and after a few tries all you’ve done
is stripped the nut. The most effective thing
to do is use the right tool for the job at hand
and get it done correctly the first time. Using
a properly sized wrench or a ratchet would
quickly and correctly remove the nut and save
you a lot of extra work down the road.
technique requires a rod with different qualities
and properties to maximize the effectiveness of
the bait and presentation.
An example is the difference between a
good tube bait rod and a good crankbait rod. An
excellent tube rod is a 7’ medium power fast action blank. The extra length with a faster action
provides the leverage to really throw lighter-weight
baits yet the medium power still allows enough
strength in the spine to really lay a good hook set.
Could you throw a big deep diving crankbait with
that rod? Certainly. You would probably even
catch a few fish, but you can be sure that you’ve
missed a bunch more because the stiff action of
that blank is moving the bait to quickly and literally
ripping the bait from the mouths of the fish. The
lack of flex in the blank is also going to translate
directly into pressure on your forearms and after
pulling that big resistant bait through the water for
a few hours you’re going to start to feel the fatigue.
Conversely, consider throwing that same crankbait
The same principle applies to fishing
rods. When you use the right rod for the technique you are plying you make yourself a better, more effective angler.
As a rod builder I am regularly engaged
in explaining this concept. I routinely get
requests for a custom built rod by those who
wish for a rod to cover the techniques of soft
plastics, hard jerk baits and crankbaits. The
most common request for smallmouth anglers
goes something like, “I throw a lot of tubes and
spinnerbaits”. My standard reply is usually
along the line, “Great options for smallies but
which one do you want the rod built for?”
Split Grip spinning rod designed for lighweight soft
plastics (above), and minimized handle spinning
rod designed for cold water jigging (below).
While you can certainly employ all the
mentioned techniques with one single rod, it’s
not going to do all of them very well. Each
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on a medium power slow action fiberglass blend
blank with a nice progressive action that flexes
into the butt. That flex is going to absorb the
stress from the resistance of the bait in the water and allow you to work the bait slower when
needed and help to prevent short strikes. I
won’t even go into the waste of effort that results
from trying to throw a light-weight tube bait on
that same crankbait rod.
The design and components of the rod
also need to be matched to the bait and technique. A split handle grip will allow you keep a
good portion of your hand directly on the blank
and feel that slight take as a smallie gently
sucks in a tube while a full grip allows you to get
a good firm grasp while ripping a hard jerk bait
in that fast jerk, jerk, pause pattern that smallies
find irresistible.
Consider the type of line you’ll be using
when choosing the guides. If you’re using braided line you want to use the hardest ceramic insert you can afford as microscopic dirt particles
will embed in the braid and work as sandpaper,
eventually eroding and grooving the ceramic insert. If you’re only using standard monofilament
line you can get away with most quality ceramic
inserts; however, lighter and harder is always
better.
You need to look no further than Saturday
morning television to see the theory and successes of technique specific rods. No group
of anglers has realized the value of using the
right rod for the job better than the tournament
anglers. Yes, I know it’s hard to take anyone
seriously who is wearing a motley-colored shirt
covered with logo patches and shouting war
whoops after landing every 12 inch bass, but
for the most part, tournament participants are
really good anglers. Pay attention to the front
deck of their boats and rod lockers. You’ll see
many different rods all pre-rigged for the specific
technique for which they were designed. Sometimes you may even see two or three rods just
for the various methods of fishing soft plastic
baits. Much of the drama instilled into professional angling television makes it comparable to
watching “The Jersey Shore” on MTV, but if you
can sit through an episode you’ll certainly learn
a thing or two. Those guys didn’t reach that
level by being mediocre.
I often hear the cliché that a fishing rod
doesn’t make the angler and to some degree
this is very true. A fishing rod will not help you
understand weather and water flow patterns, it
won’t help you read the water, and it certainly
won’t be able to pick out that sweet little eddy
seam on the back side of a hidden boulder. A
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good fishing rod will, however, help you make the
best use of your selected lure when you do put
everything else together and have the chance to
place the bait in front of the fish. Make the most of
your opportunity and have confidence that you’re
going to make that bait act as you want it to and
are going to feel the take when the fish strikes.
Use the right fishing rod for the technique of the
day and move beyond the world of stripped nuts.
about an hour with very limited success. When
I say limited, I do mean limited... We are talking
two fish between five anglers. The water
temperatures were right at 50 degrees. The
water was on a slow rise and getting even
colder. Most of us were tossing a lot of plastic.
Matt Dotts is a custom rod builder based in Central
Pennsylvania who sometimes gets to use a rod
himself. You can see his work at
www.rodtrader.net
Feature Article...
Slow your roll for late fall river smallmouth
By Juan Veruete
A recent fall trip with some fellow anglers
on the Susquehanna River reminded me just how
versatile a spinnerbait is. We had been fishing
Author with a nice smallie using the
described technique
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During the course of the morning, one
of our party decided to throw a spinnerbait. He
ended up sticking a nice 16 inch smallmouth
in fairly short order. That was good enough to
convince the rest of us to change things up a
bit. Soon we all had a spinnerbait tied on.
Armed with new baits and new found enthusiasm, we targeted ledge chutes and eddies
at the tail end of islands. At the close of the day,
almost everyone in our party had big fish to their
credit. We combined for 5 smallmouth over 19
inches! I ended up catching several fish over
17 inches with the largest being 20.5 inches.
The day was a great reminder of how versatile a
spinnerbait can be.
During late fall many anglers stuff their
spinnerbait box into the recesses of their boat or
garage in favor slower moving bottom-bouncing
lures like the tube. If your one of those anglers,
take a couple minutes, run to the garage, get
your spinnerbait box then read on. Spinnerbaits
catch smallmouth in late fall. More specifically,
spinnerbaits catch BIG fish in late fall. Even
when water temperatures fall to the low 50’s and
even high 40’s, don’t give up on them. A spinnerbait could catch you your next trophy smallmouth.
I’m a big believer in fishing “outside the
box”. I like to push the limits of lures to see if
I can find new situations in which baits can be
effective. For example, many anglers look at
the suspending jerkbait as a clear water bait.
I’ve found by adjusting color and increasing the
amount of time I let the lure suspend in place,
the bait can be fished in some low visibility situations. The spinnerbait is no different. Adjustments to the color, profile, and presentation
technique can extend the effectiveness of this
bait into cold water situations.
In cold water, I focus on two factors.
First, I change up the profile of the bait. I want
the bait to be compact but bulky. I typically toss
a compact 3/16 oz. spinnerbait and sometimes
bump up to ½ oz bait if I need more weight in
higher flows. I always add a swimming grub trailer. One of my favorites is the 3.5” Winco’s Swimming Grub. The grub adds bulk to the profile of
the bait. It also adds action because of the grub’s
tail movement. The bulk aspect also helps create
a slower fall rate. The importance of a slow fall
rate is critical to the success of many of my cold
water presentation.
The second important cold water factor to
consider is presentation technique. Slow rolling
spinnerbaits, keeping contact with the bottom, is
a great presentation, but there is a variation on
this that I’ve found can be even more effective
in cold water. The proof was in the pudding the
day we fished the Susquehanna. The technique I
used is what I call a “low angle Yo-Yo”. It’s really
a variation on a deep water Yo-Yo technique lake
anglers use.
The goal of my presentation is three fold;
first, I want as slow a presentation as possible;
second I want to have consistent contact with the
bottom; third, I want the bait to do a “true” vertical helicopter fall. Most anglers who helicopter
a spinnerbait do it by simply reeling then “killing”
the bait by stopping the retrieve. The bait does
fall but on a tight line it will pendulum toward the
boat. I want the bait to do a true vertical free fall.
Much the same as Senko style baits’ vertical fall
elicits strikes from smallmouth, so does the vertical fall of the spinnerbait.
The presentation is accomplished by
casting the spinnerbait at a likely target, such as
an eddy, then letting it flutter down ‘till it makes
contact with the bottom. Upon contact, instead
of reeling, I start with the rod out in front of me
then pull the bait off bottom by sweeping my rod
tip to about 2 o’clock off to one side. The upward
sweeping action should move the bait about a
foot or so. Once the first phase of the retrieve is
complete, I’ll then “recover” by moving the rod tip
forward again while slowly taking up the slack.
This allows the spinnerbait to helicopter strait
down on a “loose line” and also make brief contact with the bottom. I then repeat the sweep motion. I want to be sure to follow up quick enough
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during the “recovery” so that the bait is only
making momentary contact with the bottom.
There are two distinct times when hits
usually occur using this technique. Typically
smallmouth will hit when the spinnerbait is
helicoptering down, or just as you’re lifting it
off the bottom. You’ve got to be a line watcher
if the fish are hitting on the drop. You will see
your line careen off to one side or the other.
When you see this, set the hook! If smallmouth
are hitting on the sweep, your life is made a bit
easier. When you feel the weight of the fish, just
continue your sweep but at an accelerated hook
setting speed. Bingo! Fish on!
I’ve used this technique to catch some
really nice fall smallmouth. You can also experiment with the angle of your sweep. Making the
sweep higher or lower will change the angle at
which the bait comes off the bottom. I’ve used a
really low sweeping angle with a lot of success
off steep drops or along big chunk rock strewn
bottom. The low angle Yo-Yo technique been
a proven winner for me in cold water. Give it a
shot!
Juan Veruete is owner and operator of Kayak
Fish PA, LLC (KayakFishPA.com) and offers
Guided Kayak Fishing Classes on the Juniata
River and various other waters of central
Pennsylvania. He has nearly 40 years of fishing experience on the waters of Pennsylvania
and is on the pro-staff of Temple Fork Outfitters,
Winco’s Custom Lures, and
Kayakbassfishing.com.
November Report...
The Month with a Susquehanna
Fishing Guide
By Lance Dunham
November is that month that gives you
a feeling of transition between the easy, warm
fishing in October and the tough fishing in the
Juan Veruete on his recent group outing on
the Susquehanna.
frosty ice of December that has yet to come. We
got a few days of beautiful warm sunshine but for
the most part that’s gone now. In the crisp morning air your breath is like puffs of moist smoke
signals telegraphing the message “It’s good to be
here” or “What the heck am I doing here in this
boat in this cold morning air”, depending on how
well you read smoke signals. The water is clear
and you can see down 7ft in the water. It’s also
cold in the 40 to 44 degree range and getting
colder by the day. The main lures of choice for
me this month are hair jigs like the Mrs. Simpson
with rattles or the Susquehanna Seducer from JJ’s
Jigs, the 3” Trick Stick worm from Alluring Baits, or
the deep diving suspending jerk bait like Rapala’s
deep billed X-Raps. All are fished very slow with
long pauses.
Being on the river most every day I sometimes take for granted the beauty that nature has
put before me and it’s often my clients who remind
me of how great “my office” is and how truly lucky
I am to see it all the time. It’s times like this that I
wished I had taken even more photos of the scenery while guiding. A couple of weeks ago we were
out on the river early. The air was 29 degrees and
the water came in at 43 degrees which made for a
thick fog on the river. As the morning progressed
and the fog started to lift in the cold air, there were
places on the river where the sun didn’t get to until
late morning. The fog froze to the pines and hard
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woods giving them a glitzy glitter effect. It was
just beautiful. As I remembered to take photos
this time I thought “Man, I love this job”, not everyone gets to see this, but they can now. At the
same time on the water behind us a Loon gave
out that familiar loud distinctive call that is theirs
alone. Can it get any better than this?
All this nature around me got me to thinking that I’ve just got to get more of my charters
on video, and what better way to do it that with
a video recorder. I could put 30 second spots on
my web site, You Tube, Face Book, and all those
other countless places on the internet. But how?
I’ve got a very good camcorder, state of the art,
but I can’t just go along on a charter ignoring
my clients so I can video everything around us.
I need my hands free to handle the net, tie on
lures, taking the lure hooks out of the clients’
hands, and don’t forget the actual act of fishing,
after my clients, of course. But I also need to
be able to film in an instant when the opportunity arises. I was looking at those little hat cams
that screw on the bill of your hat. I had been
previously staying away from them because
they would run out of memory and battery before the end of the charter. And they didn’t have
a stabilizer in them like the better camcorders
to help eliminate that jerky filming effect. However, times have changed and improvements
have been made to these little camcorders and
I had to have one (yes, I’m a gadget junkie, I
may be going into rehab soon). They now have
a 3rd generation model that had everything that
I wanted. I bought it on-line and it came in about
a week ago just in time for my last customer
charter of the season. Of course I bought the
best they had for a little over a couple hundred
bucks -- did I mention the hat came with it? My
customer had been fishing with me for over 10
yrs so I knew that this would be a good time to
try it out. A new customer may have thought I
was a little off the wall, so to speak, but my old
customer knew it and we got along great.
were slow motoring down the river with my new
hat cam recording the adventure. I introduced my
long time customer on camera and kept it running
as we came upon the first area we were to fish.
As soon as I was done explaining and describing
the water that we were fishing and how to fish it
I reached up and pushed the little record button
in the back of the camera to pause it until we got
our first fish on. And then it happened, WHAM, my
first fish was on and it was a really big walleye. I
started to fight it and bring it in and then I remembered, “Turn on the video recorder, dummy”. Now
I’m right handed and I had the rod in my right hand
and I reel with my left. The fish is doing a classic walleye fight, staying down at the bottom and
shaking its head back and forth. So predictable, I
grinned, I have lots of time to land this fish. Just as
I was putting the rod in my left hand and reaching
for the little recorder camera that was on the bill of
my hat with my right hand, the walleye did the unpredictable and quickly came at the boat causing
slack line on my rod. What! They aren’t supposed
to do that! My instinct was to quickly lift and pull
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Specializing in Rods for Smallmouth Bass
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Before he got to the river I had already
tried it out and started to video the day’s fishing.
I thought this is going to be great! Soon we
14
with my left hand that had the rod to take up the
slack and in doing so I hit myself right between
the eyes with the rod. Don’t worry folks, I’m ok,
the bill of the hat took the force of the blow. Oops!
Of course the new hat cam flew off my head, hit
the deck of the boat behind me and bounced
right into the river while I’m swinging wildly at it
with my free right hand and fighting the fish with
my left. My customer quickly started to rescue
my sinking hat and camera which took him all
of 30 seconds. He gave it to me as I watched
the little red light in the back of the camcorder
fade away. Well, the hat is still good but the camcorder is toast! I never got to video even one fish
catch with it! I now have a couple hundred dollar
hat only. Anyone want to buy it? Half price.
So after the charter while driving home I
remember that I promised my wife that I would
help her at her business for a bit. I was all depressed about losing my new toy and when I got
there I told her my sad story. I expected to get
at least a “poor baby” out of her because she
knows how I love my new gadgets. Instead she
starts laughing hysterically and says “When I first
saw the thing, I knew you’d lose it. Only I thought
it would fly off your head while you were running
the boat at some break neck speed.” OK, OK, so
I have lost more than a few hats on the boat but
that wasn’t the case this time. “Well dear, I guess
you’ll have something to write about this month”
she said while still trying to hide her delight at my
obvious pain. Then her face got kind of serious.
“You’re going to buy another one aren’t you.”
“You betcha, darlin’ and it’ll be here next week”.
Only this time I just got to figure out a way to
strap that hat to my head, maybe a chin strap. It
might look a little dorky, but I’ll bet it works. Oh,
and by the way, I caught that walleye.
Author, Lance Dunham, with a
quality smallmouth.
Well, that’s all I got room for this month. For
further reports, photos, and chartering information please visit me at my website at
www.ldguideservice.com. Fish safe and I’ll see
you on the river. Susquehanna Fishing Magazine - December 2010
15
Cool Stuff...
Kayak Fishing
Minn Kota’s New Talon
Minn Kota has recently released its new
shallow water anchor system, the Talon. The
Talon has received rave reviews during the recent
outdoor product show season. It is both durable
and environmentally friendly. This is a great way
to hold position in shallow environments.
To see Minn Kota’s Talon press release, click
HERE
J. Oast
Self published in 2009 by Jon Shein,
Kayak Fishing is a definite must-have for any
kayak angler or anyone interested in
investigating the sport. Shein guides the reader
from the point of choosing the ideal kayak to
discussing what the future of kayak fishing may
become. His photos and descriptive content will
give even the most veteran kayak angler new
ideas about how to rig such a platform for
fishing.
The new Talon.
For more information, or to order a copy, check
out http://www.kayakfishingbook.net/
J. Oast
16
Marsh Works Tackle
Ocean Kayak Trident Series
A few weeks ago I was sent a package
from my friends down south at Marsh Works.
While these baits were originally designed for
saltwater angling, they produce very well in a
variety of conditions, as well as for smallmouth
bass. My personal favorite for the Susquehanna is the Killa Squilla. Marsh Works manufactures their own plastics, and uses the highest
quality materials.
For more information:
http://www.marsh-works.com/
J. Oast
Ocean Kayak has revamped and
improved their Trident series of sit-on-top
kayaks. As in previous years, the Tridents are
available in 11, 13, and 15 foot models, but
now the Rod Pod storage hatch has been upgraded to easily be outfitted with various model
fishfinder units, rod holders, and accessories.
They have also added an upgraded seat and
keel skidplate.
http://www.oceankayak.com/
J. Oast
The Killa Squilla.
Pappy’s Hickory Smoked Turkey Jerky
Turkey World, LLC, located not far from
the banks of the Susquehanna River in
Pennsylvania, has introduced their own delicious turkey jerky. Visit their website to find a
store near you that carries Pappy’s.
http://turkeybitz.com/
J. Oast
17
YakAttack’s VisiCarbon Pro
YakAttack began as a company interested in the rigging of fishing kayaks with their
original VisiPole light, which set the industry
standard. They recently released their VisiCarbon Pro light, which is a more compact, lightweight version. These light poles collapse and
fit into a bag, which also acts as a safety flag.
Being a self-contained battery powered marine
light option, and not needing to be tied into a
vessel’s electrical system, these poles also
are a great option for powerboaters, or anyone
traveling on the water at night. They can either
slide into a vertical fishing rod holder, or into
one of the more popular turret style rod holder
bases.
http://yakattack.us/
The YakAttack VisiCarbon Pro.
Kayak Bass Fishing
J. Oast
Engel Portable Fridge-Freezers
Engel is an international company which
builds the highest quality portable 12 volt
refrigerator and freezer units. These units are
perfect for the outdoorsman or traveler. From
compact, to dual-voltage systems, they have a
product to fit any application.
http://www.engel-usa.com/ J. Oast
Old Town Camden Kayaks
Old Town has recently introduced its new
Camden series of kayaks. Available in 10’6” and
12’6” models, the Camden offers an outstanding
recreational and sit-inside kayak, with an
excellent hull design and cockpit layout.
http://www.oldtowncanoe.com/
Chad Hoover has written a book unlike
any other kayak fishing book. Kayak Bass Fishing is an awesome resource for kayak anglers
who are interested in learning more about not
only equipment, but the technique involved in
fishing from a kayak.
http://www.kayakbassfishingstore.com/BooksVideos-Magazines_c_9.html
J. Oast
Old Town Camden.
J. Oast
18
Kayak Fishing; The Complete Guide
Veteran professional kayak angler Cory
Routh recently released the second edition of his
popular book. This is a great resource for kayak
fishing techniques and guides new kayak fishermen through various gear and rigging options.
http://ruthlessfishing.com/Order-My-Book-andDVD.php
J. Oast
New Malone MicroSport XT Trailer
The NEW MicroSport XT is an upgraded
version of the popular MicroSport Base Trailer
that includes the three top selling accessories
at a reduced bundle price. The MicroSport XT
has custom 12” aluminum spoke wheels and
diamond plate aluminum fenders for a great look
while you are traveling AND a removable/retractable tongue for easy storage. Within seconds,
the 8’ tongue can be removed or pushed back
under the trailer body allowing you to store the
trailer against a wall taking up less than 20
square feet of floor space. Like the base model,
the XT has DOT approved lighting and bearings,
pre-tested electrical system, pre-fitted chassis
components, 65” coated steel load bars, and assembles in less than three hours. You can customize your trailer to meet your specific needs
with a variety of kayak and canoe carriers, a
trailer storage trunk, and a tray style bike rack.
The Malone MircroSport Trailer MPG460XT
retails for $1,499.00. Check it out at
www.maloneautoracks.com.
J. Oast
New Powell Endurance Series Rods
This is a new series of 16 rod models
that bear distinctive graphics with a purple
water spot pattern, matching thread wraps with
black and silver trim, purple galvanized aluminum non corrosive trim rings on a matte black
blank.
All of the rods are constructed on Powell’s proprietary Maxumfiber blank technology,
a special blend of fibers that reduces weight
without sacrificing strength. The new rods will
still feature Fuji reel seats and Fuji Alconite
guides; however, the guides on these new rods
will begin with a smaller first guide, yet large
enough for knots to pass through. Fuji Alconite
guides are a standard setting guide in the rod
building community.
For you river fishermen, the Powell
Endurance 6101L is a light action 6’10” extra
fast spinning rod that gives plenty of balance in
action versus sensitivity and is a new favorite
of drop-shotting and shakyhead fishermen.
The complete line of Powell rods can be
viewed on line at
www.easternshoreangling.com.
Dave Perrego
Malone’s MicroSport XT Trailer.
19
Jackall Cross Tail Shad
Cablz Eyewear Retention System
The Jackall Cross Tail Shad has become my new “go to” tough bite finesse application. The three fins on the tail of this simplistic creature give the bait an unprecedented
wiggle and shimmy when used as a drop shot
bait. Typically, I nose hook the bait with a 1/0
Gamakatsu drop shot hook, weighted with
anywhere from a 1/8 oz. to a ¼ oz. drop shot
weight.
I‘ve recently had the pleasure to come
across the Cablz eyewear retention system. I
was turned on to the Cablz system by my good
friend Josh Wich, who is the Northeast rep for
Cablz. After speaking with Josh about the many
benefits to wearing the Cablz, he finally put a
pair on me and I have to say they are a really
decent product.
I fish the bait on a Powell 6101L Endurance series rod with 6lb Berkley 100% fluorocarbon line, and cast to rocky drops and ledges
for finicky largemouth and smallmouth in the
Lower Susky/Upper Chesapeake Bay region,
and the lower Eastern Shore’s Nanticoke and
Wicomico Rivers. Add to this, a clear plastic
swivel about 12 inches above the line to prevent line twist and an unnatural appearance of
the bait.
The Cross Tail shad is becoming very
popular with the small time hand pour guys
who are adding more color schemes to this
bait’s presentation, and for a tough bite, you
won’t find anything better than the smaller vertical presentation of the Jackall Cross Tail Shad
under tougher, heavily pressured conditions.
http://www.jackall-lures.com/
Dave Perrego
Cablz
The predominant feature of the Cablz
eyewear retention system is the surgical grade
cable used in the product. This cable, when attached to your favorite eye, or sun glasses, will
extend outward from your neck. This feature
allows the retention system to firmly hold your
glasses in place and prevent falling/dropping of
the glasses, but they WILL NOT rest uncomfortably on your neck. We all know that during the
hot summer months when fishing out on the water, the other sunglass retainers made of cloth or
other absorbent material will rest on your neck
and absorb sweat from your neck. The Cablz are
lightweight, won’t absorb moisture, and definitely
won’t retain any odors or corrosion.
The only disadvantage, I have found in
using this product is during the colder months
when fishing with my hooded sweatshirts. The
extended Cablz will rub against the hood when
it’s resting on my neck, thereby causing the
Cablz to effectively move the glasses with every
turn of my head. Not a great feature when driving the boat.
In all, the good certainly outweighs the
bad and I highly recommend using Cablz when
you’re fishing, engaged in any other outdoor
activity, or just looking for the best option to comfortably keep your glasses from falling off into
the water! The Cablz eyewear retention system
was voted best in class at ICast 2009. For a look
at the Cablz you can go to www.cablz.com, or
contact Josh at [email protected].
Dave Perrego
20
Hawk Lake Lodge
Hobie SEGUNDO Sunglasses
One of Ontario’s premier five-star
lodges in a beautiful setting coupled with trophy smallmouth fishing. Welcome to Hawk
Lake Lodge. Just 30 minutes from Kenora,
Ontario our guests have the opportunity to fish
on 19 private lakes and will be the only boat
on the water. A catch and release sanctuary
for 3 decades you will be exploring waters few
anglers have ever seen. With 5 species (lake
trout, northern pike, walleye, smallmouth and
crappie) to target our specialty is far and away
smallmouth. We currently hold 2 catch and
release world records for smallmouth (as well
as the world record for a 38 inch walleye) with
fish averaging 17 inches and 19+ inches common on many of our lakes. Numerous fish over
five pounds are caught every summer with
some fish a whopping 8 pounds. Come and
see why these lakes have been called “some
of the best Smallmouth Bass waters in North
America”. After a great day on the water and a
home cooked meal you will relax in the hot-tub,
play some billiards or cards in the game room
and kick back on your private deck overlooking
the lake. Truly a fisherman’s paradise.
http://hawk-lake.com/
Ted Putnam
Hobie Polarized is proud to announce the
release of the newest addition to the Heritage
Series, SEGUNDO. Exceeding the standards of
world champion watersport athletes, SEGUNDO
features our highest quality thin, lightweight and
durable Borosilicate Glass HydroClean polarized
lenses, set in carefully crafted frames of Grilamid
TR-90 and hand-finished Italian Zyl. SEGUNDO
also features precision flex hinges for a custom
fit and extra durability. SEGUNDO incorporates
co-molding technology into the frame, strategically placed to form a comfortable fit by supplying this rubber as padding for all the contact
points on the consumers face. SEGUNDO is
available in Shiny Black & Pacific Blue Frame
with Grey, Copper and Blue Mirror Lens. Visit
HobiePolarized.com to view the entire collection.
eyeking.com/
Our knowledgeable captains offer an experience
you will not forget as you fish for striped bass,
bluefish, black drum, flounder, perch and more.
www.ecalvert.com
800.331.8771
21
Hobie SEGUNDO sunglasses.
TM
Suspenz Fishing Kayak Stand
The new Fishing Kayak Stand from Suspenz is compact, lightweight and portable. A
great stand for getting your fishing kayak up
off the ground for rigging, during repairs, while
washing or between trips. With our sturdy, 4-leg,
yellow aluminum core this 24” stand is stable on
flat or uneven ground. Your kayaks rest on UVresistant webbing to protect the hull from damage and scratches. Two stands per kit fit into a
mesh bag with carry handles.
Check out the racks online:
http://www.suspenzkayakstorage.com/kayak_
fishing_stands
Use code SFM11 for your exclusive 10%
discount, for a limited time
Suspenz
Fishing Kayak Stands
Portable &
lightweight
rig your
kayak uP off
the ground
Keeping your boats action ready!
suspenz.com
866-787-7369
22
Hints & Tips...
Stop-and-Go Spinnering
By Kevin Meininger
Fishing with spinners is a very common
practice. Instead of using a steady retrieve, mix
up the speed. Fish are attracted to wounded
fish, so mixing up the speed of your bait can
give the appearance that it is having trouble
swimming, making your bait more attractive to
bass and other species.
(For more on the topic, see Juan Veruete’s
article on page 11)
Replace your Belly Hooks
By Nathan Follmer
Photo of the Month...
Replace the belly hooks on cranks with
a treble that is 1 to 2 sizes larger than "stock".
This can give you some additional depth, but
it also keeps the front end of the lure facing at
more of a downward angle. This helps eliminate
hang ups.
Visit Nate’s website, http://www.fishinginpa.com.
Boyd Martin with a nice reservoir largemouth!
Ads as low as
$15.00 per month!
23

Susquehanna Fishing Magazine

Transcription

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