Monday, April 17, 2023

How To Tie Knots

OH MY! Its knot time, the boy scouts are probably ready to jump out of their chairs

So, I am not good with tying knots. The only knot I've been successfully able to use year after year is the Fishermans knot. But I want everyone to know that there are so many different types of knots out there! Below are some reference videos. 






Thursday, April 13, 2023

Prince Gallitzin State Park - Glendale, PA

Prince Gallitzin, sounds fancy right?

The 1,635-acre Glendale Lake is a warmwater fishery. A fishing pier for people with disabilities is at Pickerel Pond. Glendale is rather large, and I would recommend looking at a map either online or a paper map from the park office. Plan out your trip to where you want to go fishing. I would suggest Pickerel Pond for the first time visiting here if you are fishing by bank. 

If you plan on boating here, just remember that Glendale has 20HPS motor restriction. For boating there is a map on the DCNR website that shows water depths. This will help you to target bass and know where you want to go. 

This is one of my favorite places to Bass fish. Go get you're self some lunch in the summertime and head down to the picnic areas and go fishing! You won't regret it.



Tuesday, April 11, 2023

Fish Identification: Largemouth, Smallmouth & Striped Bass

You mean there's more than one kind of Bass?

As we have went over previously the most common bass in PA are going to be your largemouth, smallmouth and striped bass. The striped bass is actually the easiest to identify as it is different from a largemouth and smallmouth. 

Largemouth Bass: They are known for their distinct green color distinction. This is typically an olive gray or dark gray. They have horizontal stripes. They are most distinctly known for their large jaw. Which is why they are called a largemouth.

Smallmouth Bass: Unlike the largemouth bass, smallmouth bass tend to have vertical stripes. They are typically a darker brown color. But colors can range from bronze, green, or lighter yellow variations. It is important to not confuse the smallmouth bass with a rock bass. Rock bass are known to have red eyes as well as some smallmouths do. The smallmouth eye variation in color is brown or a reddish brown that can appear like a rock bass. 




Striped Bass: Unlike the largemouth and smallmouth bass they striped bass is a silver color. It has a white/silver variation. It has a series of dotted horizontal lines that go from the gill plate to the base of the tail. Unlike the other bass species listed striped bass are typically much larger and on average are between 4-20lbs.



If you're interested in learning more about these fish species, please check out Priemer Angler. All of which the above information is from. 


Monday, April 10, 2023

Yum's, Yamamoto's, KVD's

I'm sure you're thinking, what do all of these words mean?

If you didn't notice when you go to the store to purchase your equipment there is all sorts of plastic worms and brands and it can be very overwhelming. So, I wanted to go through with the 3 most popular and kind of give an overview. 

So it is important to know that most plastic worms are infused with salt. This helps them to sink. Salt (jethrobaits.com) this is a great website to check out for more information on the science of the plastic worms.

Yum's, Yamamoto's, & KVD's:

Let's start out with Yum brand worms. Yum's worms are called Dingers. These are the worms that I personally use, and I prefer. They are affordable and more durable than the other brands in my opinion. My only complaint with them is that they do not have as much salt as the Yamamoto's. 



Gary Yamamoto's are next. Yamamoto's are probably the least durable. You cannot use them more than one to two fish catches. BUT I think they work the best. The fall rate on them is great. The salt content is better than any other worm. My big issue with them is that they are quite a bit more expensive than the Yums. Going out and catching several fish, they are just destroyed so quickly. 



Lastly KVD worms are called Ocho's. I have used these before and they're about middle of the road both in price and quality. I think they are very comparable to the Yums. I just personally prefer the Yum Dingers to the other brands. 



Next, we will go over colors and knowing how to choose your color. But again, I would like to let everyone know that you cannot choose which one you want to use without trying each type. I strongly recommend getting a bag of each one to try it out. Try them out for yourself and see which one you like the best. They are all good brands and all catch Bass!

Thursday, April 6, 2023

Shaggers Inn - Clearfield County, PA

What is Shaggers Inn you may ask?

Shaggers Inn is located in the Quehanna Wild Area in Clearfield County, PA. It is the largest of the Moshannon State Forest operated dams. It is considered a shallow water fishery. Honestly, it's one of my favorite places to Bass fish. There is a boat launch to launch kayaks and other non-motored boats as well. Check it out below. For more information you can also visit SHAGGERS INN Visit Clearfield : Visit Clearfield 2021 Visitors Guide (lunarcow.com) 

10/10 if you have a kayak or want to bank fish check this place out. I caught my largest largemouth bass of the year here last year!

Tuesday, April 4, 2023

What Do I Fill My Tackle Box With?

What a great question right? If you were just looking at tackles boxes and you were overwhelmed with it, well sorry. There's way more stuff that goes into them. BUT no need to panic. Here's a top 10 list of what I think is most important to have in your box as a beginner. We will get more into the baits later, but this is a good list for starting out. 

1. Plyers

2. Fingernail Clippers/Scissors

3. Hooks

4. Plastic Worms

5. Crankbait or two.. 

6. Scale

7. Tape Measure

8. Sinkers/Split shots

9. Bug Repellent Spray/Sunscreen (I know this sounds silly, but you'll thank me later)

10. Good luck charm (Yes! I said it! Find anything, something maybe you even value. My pap kept a picture of me in his box, and I keep his Dale Earnhardt Jr. #8 red toy car in mine)




Monday, April 3, 2023

How To Choose a Tackle Box

How do you choose a box?

Being Confident: I always say to be confident in something that you're doing is half of mastering the skill. For me, being confident in bass fishing is having my tackle box in perfect order. Anyone who knows me, knows that I label everything and everything has be in perfect order. With that being said, lets talk tackle box.

Going Into The Store: choosing can be very overwhelming. There's SOOO many. How do you choose? Well first thing I look at is honestly price. You do not need a $300 tackle box. The twenty years of my life I used the same tackle box. It was a plastic Plano brand box and I do not have it anymore. But it was perfect for me. Once I really started getting into fishing, I bought several boxes. One for each type of fish. Let's all laugh, but it's true. 

When bass fishing, you don't have to have anything fancy. But I think it is very important to think about where you will primarily be fishing before buying a box.

Rivers: Get yourself a backpack or over the shoulder box. Almost every time I go river fishing for bass I wade in the water. This is so beneficial for that reason. You don't have to constantly walk back to the bank you get hooks or bait or anything you need really. It's all right there.

Kayak Fishing: You want to go with something small and compact. Regardless of how big your kayak is, it will never be big enough for everything you want to bring on board. I highly recommend a smaller plastic box. Or getting a larger box for bank fishing and taking out the inserts for in your kayak.

Bank & Boat Fishing: Get the big box. I have a big, huge honking thing that I carry all the time to the bank or in the boat. It has a lot of space. It was a hand-me-down from my stepfather (his bass box) and honestly you could probably fit a whole closet of clothes inside it. But it has a lot of room for all of my tackle, and I can change out the boxes, I can use different baits because I have space and I will never forget anything at home.

Below are some brands and some boxes that I have personally that I love. Click the pictures to take you to purchasing websites! Flambeau, Plano and Piscifun.








Bass Fishing Bliss: Unveiling the Top 5 Must-Fish Destinations in the US

Introduction: For bass anglers seeking the thrill of the catch amidst stunning landscapes, the United States offers an array of premier fish...