ISOutdoors | May 2016

ISOutdoors enjoying the outdoors and sharing it with you

MAY 2016

Spring’s Topside Striper Bonanza! www.isoutdoors.com

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volume 3, issue 5

CONTENT hunting tennesee russians with a bow spring’s topside striper bonanza avoid the deadly 10

COLUMNS hitchhiker publisher Brock RAY

The Electro Mundo Gruppe 202 1st Avenue East Oneonta, AL 35121 205-625-5473 reproduction, in whole or part, retransmission, redirection or linked display is prohibited without written permission from the publisher

The Electro Mundo Gruppe

big game bass fishing destination nation women outdoors featured outfitter

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THE ADVENTURE

Let me tell you this story about a very interesting thing that has happened to me. For years and years I have been promoting fishing, big game fishing as well as hunting to ladies but we don’t get a lot of followers. One of the greatest is Nancy Adams, probably one of the best and most famous well known hunters, and not as much a fisherman but a great hunter. Nancy and I have been friends for years and years and she and her husband hunt everything from turkey to African animals. Nancy is a wonderful woman. However, I am also the co-host on Fish Talk Radio and almost a year ago I had an interview with a lady that most of you know from her tv shows Larysa Switlyk from Larysa Unleashed. She has shows on The Sportsman Channel, the Outdoor Channel and has been on Animal Planet. She wanted to come down and fish with Charles and I. She had never fished Baja California Sur so it was going to be an experience for us both. Normally when you take someone new out that you don’t know too much about you are always a little cautious especially a woman –will she be able to handle the sea, if it’s rough will she get seasick, will she be able to handle the marlin, will she need help- these are all things you have to take into consideration before you go.

First we had an interview on the telephone after the radio interview and we decided to talk about a trip to Cabo San Lucas and La Paz. The idea would be for her to fly into Cabo San Lucas and we would fish for Marlin which she has never caught before and we would fish one day on the great boat Blue Skies and then we would drive north to La Paz and fish on my boat there for three days for Roosterfish. This was the plan. I decided to invest in her because we really want women to take up the sport. So we flew here down to see what she could do.

When we had our telephone conversation we were kind of feeling each other out. She said she had watched my shows and read my articles and wanted to fish with me. Then she said that she had some rules. She would not fish in a bikini which I said that was perfect for me because I have a family show and I don’t want a woman in a bikini on my boat-not that I don’t want it but with a family show we respect all members of the family.

So I replied no problem and asked what the second rule is and she replied “I don’t drink alcohol on the boat when I’m fishing.” I said that’s great because I don’t drink on the boat either, no one on my boat drinks on the boat because you have to be safe. Her third request was she not be around anyone smoking so I said perfect.

So we fly her down and I am waiting in Cabo not knowing what to expect-she has seen me in my shows- but I didn’t know what to expect. It was very interesting to sit and wait and wonder what to expect. Well we waited and waited and then this beautiful blonde lady walks out exactly what we expected in her fishing jersey. We said our

hellos, got in the suburban and settled in her in her hotel The Finistera and us in our condominium and we agreed to meet at the hotel the first thing in the morning. Well at 7 am the next morning there she was dressed and ready to fight a big fish. I’m looking at her arms and wondering my gosh we are going after big marlins-will she hold up?

Well we got into the boat, the Blue Sky, a beautiful 43 foot Riviera all set up, air conditioned cabin, beautiful boat. John Henigin, host of Fish Talk Radio joined us as well. It wasn’t about an hour until the reel goes off zzzzzzzz the sound I love to hear. I look up and that young lady is sitting in the chair and this lady is fighting. I go up to the chair like I do with most men to help them along but I’m looking at her but she does not need coaching.

She knows how to pump the rod, how to level wind the reel, I mean this young lady knows what she is doing. She’s catching a marlin that is probably 250 pounds and its jumping and screaming and we’re turning the chair and she’s fighting and she is smiling and she’s laughing and she’s not getting tired. This is incredible her first big marlin.

We get it in the boat, we get a good picture of it, she kisses it good bye and jumps in my arms and kisses me on the cheek (which was actually wonderful) and we let it go home and she called me daddy and I called her my little girl.

That day she caught 3 marlin by herself. I asked her if she was tired and she said no she could go another round. I smiled and looked at her and knew she could. I was never so proud to see that lady catch 3

UNTIL THE NEXT ADVENTURE WITH THE GRIZ! marlin all by herself proving to me if you have the heart and the guts to do it is wonderful and we would like to get that message out to more.

So we head up to La Paz, the capital of roosterfish of the world. My biggest roosterfish there is 124 pounds and every year Charles and I catch about 20-25 roosterfish over 80 pounds. Well Larysa now wants to get a roosterfish. We get to the hotel, the beautiful Costa Baja Resort in La Paz, where she is staying. (And a special thank you to them!)

We picked her up at 5:30am and headed out to Punta Arena which is one of my favorite places for roosters.

We got in the panga and headed out. She caught 5 roosters by herself and she was the happiest lady I had ever met. Let me tell you guys, she can kick your butt. She’s one of the best fishing people I’ve ever seen. If you want a good fishing partner or you want to see a good show look her up. She is a great fisherman and I am proud to call her my stepdaughter and she calls me daddy. If you want the experience to catch marlin or catch roosterfish look us up on our website and you can catch big fish and lots of them-marlin, roosters or dorado and tuna. Get ahold of us and we will be happy to help. www.ASOBonline.com or follow us on facebook. Watch our adventures on Roku on The Griz Open Air Adventures Channel.

Spring’s Top Side

“The Redfin Season is now and red hot to boot.”

by Don Kirk

Few fish found in lakes have more pronounced season behavior than does the striped bass. Where these saltwater transplants have been established in freshwater reservoirs, anglers who follow these fish know their season movements and feeding patterns just the same as a watchmaker knows the guts of a pocket watch. This month early spring spawning has concluded.

Stripers which sought reaches of rivers upstream from lakes are now back in lakes where they are hungrier than at any time of the year.

The striped bass’ return to lakes coin-

cides with the spawn of gizzard and threadfin shad as well as other open water dwelling baitfish. These algae/ zooplankton eating forage fish spawn along the shallow shoreline where they race in great schools along shallow reaches randomly scattering their eggs.

Shad are a year round staple for the stripers which must now locate closer to the shallow shoreline where their favorite meals are most available. Depending on the lake and location, this window of opportunity for anglers typically lasts most of this month.

Striper Bonanza

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This special time to catch striped bass so near the surface on topwater jerk baits has long been called the “Redfin Season,” in reference to the Cordell Redfin bait which is the hands down favorite top side offering this month. With the possible exception of a musky or a huge northern pike, no freshwater fish attack a surface lure as viciously as the striped bass. When attacking a surface lure from below, 40-pound striper often erupt completely from its watery world. It is even more common for these aggressive fish to launch into the air first so they can to come down to pound bait before actually grasping it in its jaws. However it might happen, when a big stripers wolfs down a surface lure, anglers experience a wild rush of adrenaline.

Armed with the correct surface lures, sturdy tackle, and know-how, this is www.isoutdoors.com

regarded by many as the best of all times to cast for striped bass. Catching 20 to 40 pound stripers is great fun, but it often requires hard work and persistence not typical to live bait fishing for these gamesters. When using artificial lures, dedication and hundreds of casts often are required to get a single heartstopping strike. But once you experience this thrill, you are hooked and know it is worth all the effort.

When late spring, post-spawn striped bass congregate in the shallow, shoreline water, one of the top techniques for them is slowly working large minnowtype topwater lures near points or underwater islands. Topwater lures such as the Cordell Redfin are retrieved very slowly. When the water is glassy smooth, the goal is to produce a steady “V” wake as you crank in the bait. It is vital that the lure remains on the surface while wig-

gling its way back during the retrieve.

In lieu of the larger bait casting rods and reels and heavy, 14 to 20 pound monofilament line preferred by many striper fishermen who troll or fish live bait most of the time, lighter tackle setups are recommended during the Redfin Season.

Medium action spinning, bait casting, spin casting rods and reels spooled with 10 to 12 pound line are the best choice.

The same tackle set up for casting spinner baits or jigs for black bass is perfectly suited. When topwater striper fishing lots of casting often is require to get strikes.

The lighter rods and reels are less physically taxing for casting the larger 6 to 7

long topwater lures than is heavy action tackle.

Which time of day is the best fishing is a matter of heated debate. As a general rule when using artificial lures, most stripers are caught during periods of lower light such as nighttime early morning, late evening and over overcast days.

This is because striped bass have large eyes that cause them to avoid strong sunlight. The theory is that lower intensity of light beacons these predators into the shallows lairs where they are most easily caught. While in shallow water, however, they tend to be very spooky.

Too much noise will make them vacate an area in a hurry.

Those very likely are the optimal times for catching stripers on the surface. However, it has been my experience on many occasions to experience great top side striped bass action at midday when the overhead sun burns in a cloudless sky.

My personal theory is that post-spawn stripers are exceedingly hungry, almost to the point of wreck less abandonment.

The easiest meals are shallow water spawning shad. While stripers might otherwise shun well-lighted shallows, they must go there to eat. Of course you have www.isoutdoors.com

isOutdoors to be quiet to avoid spooking them, but during the Redfin Season striped bass do not appear to have the luxury of eating where they choose.

The key to finding topwater striper in the spring time is to find where the gizzard and threadfin shad are spawning along the shore. This shad activity is easy to find by looking for blue and white herons wading along the bank. Next try to locate a spot you can observe where the wind is blowing the shad up against a point, rocky bank or sand flat. When you spot herons wading along such shoreline area, carefully ease up to them to avoid spooking these birds to flight. When you are close enough, cast your bait right at the edge of the water.

If the herons spook easily there is probably not much in that area, but if they stay and you see them catching shad you are right where you need to be. If the fish are really active you cannot miss but sometimes you will have to figure out what lure and action works best. Sometimes they want you to stop and just let the lure set still. If a fish strikes your lure don’t set the hook until you feel the fish because they will often swat at a lure several times www.isoutdoors.com

before eating it and if you set the hook too early you will just pull the bait away from a striper. When a big lineside first hits your bait, stop the retrieve. Next lightly twitch the lure a little to draw another strike.

When topside feeding is hot, a variety of surface baits work well. I like the Cordell Redfin and similarly sized Rebel and Rapala topwater plugs in the 8 to 10 inches long category. When it is windy I like to throw a 6” Pencil Popper because it is heavy, you can make long casts and it works well in a heavy chop. Other good choices for striper surface action is a Mirror Lure Top Dog or Top Dog Jr. the Storm Rattling Chug Bug in the 3 1/2” and 4 1/2” size.

If you have not experienced late spring surface action for striped bass, you will not be sorry if you a plan a trip to your favorite striper lake this month.

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Avoid The Deadl “Hunt by the numbers to take a long beard this spring”

by Brock Ray

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Here’s ten solid tips which I guarantee will up your odds for wild turkey hunting success.

Set Up For Success When walking and you strike a gobbler, identify the direction the approach of the tom. Then find a good site where you can get comfortable on the ground to continue to call. Make sure the site has a clear unobstructed view to the direction of the bird and breaks up your outline.

Leaning against a large tree or rock is recommended.

Let It Happen Impatient hunters to give up, get up to leave and

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5 3 6 4 scare away a shy tom. One good rule to follow is to stay there for at least 30 minutes.

Remaining patient and staying put longer is always better, and it requires discipline.

Hunting The Roost If you are fortunate enough to roost a bird in the evening, the last you want to do is blow your chances the next morning. Be sure to mark the site so you can find it the next day. Return to the spot very early in the morning. Make a slow, silent approach without the aid of a flashlight. Set up a healthy distance from the roost; about 100 yards. This is the perfect distance to avoid being detected.

Quitting Don’t do like most hunters who walk the woods until mid-morning and call it quits. Whenever possible plan to hunt all day (some states have laws that you must stop hunting at a certain time, usually noon). At midday hens have left the tom to attend to their nests, but eager to breed toms stay on the prowl. www.isoutdoors.com

Stop Jerking Around Many opportunities to shoot are lost by hunters who make sudden, jerky movements. As the bird comes near, slowly raise your gun up and have it ready. You should get your gun ready long before you actually see the bird.

Choose a site that requires a minimum amount of movement to prepare for a shot. You should always make slow and deliberate movements - even if you think nothing is around.

Know The Lay of the Land Turkeys do not like to cross a bunch of cover and other barriers to respond to calls. These include but are not limited to streams, creeks, steep hills and gulley, fences, or thick brush and forest. When hunting, be sure to learn the lay of the land where you are hunting. It is smart to make a trip before a hunt and visit the area to identify possible hunting sites and potential barriers. When it happens that tom is on the other side of an obstacle, quietly move to the side it even it means making a lengthy retreat and return.

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7 9 10 8 Avoid Over Calling When your’ calling gets a response from a gobbler bird avoid the mistake of over calling. Excessive calling can make bird you are hunting become shy and wary.

Stick to using a few simple chirps or yelps. Soft calling fires up the hormones of an old long beard. If this does not work, revive the tom’s interest by using gobbler call. When doing this, when the tom resumes his approach, you respond by toning down your calling a notch.

Make the gobbler look for you by using soft yelps and chirps. If the wind is blowing toward you and from the direction the bird is approaching, louder calling is needed.

Don’t Stand Out It is pretty much a pat rule to turkey hunt is head to toe camouflage wear. Avoid the mistake of thinking any old patter will work everywhere you hunt. Choose camo patterns and colorations which match the woods around you. Camouflage covers everything from your gun and face, to your hands and hat. During the early season when the forest floor is still brown, I like brown camo trousers and a leafy green top. www.isoutdoors.com

Don’t Overlook Toms Many gobblers avoid detection by hunters who fail to hear these birds. If you are a Baby Boomer, odds are that years of shooting and rock concerts have rendered you partially deaf. It is very easy not to hear mildly vocal gobbler. If you use an electronic hearing device, such as a Walker’s Game Ear, you might discover more birds in the process.

Don’t Blow the Shot Close the deal with a killing spray of lead shot. Always aim at the neck of the gobblers. This can be either the head or where neck meets breast. Hunters often miss a shot at 30 or less yard ranges and cannot understand why. Know your shot patterns at various ranges by practice shooting your shotgun. Don’t make the mistake of not knowing its kill zone at various distances. My four step solution for making a killing shot is to breathe, aim, hold and squeeze the trigger.

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Black Bear Bow Hunting

by Bob Foulkrod

Spring is not spring without a trip north to bow hunt for bear. Since the 1970s I have not missed a single season of hunting, even when one of the bears tried to gnaw my legs off that a client at my spring bear hunting camp in Ontario had

wounded. Bear is one of those rare quarries that Hemingway once wrote, had the option to run from or toward you when shot. I have experienced both, and prefer it when any bear I shoot runs from me.

North America has four species of bear. I have successfully hunted them all. Three

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“The popularity of spring season black bear hunting continues to attract bow hunters in big numbers. Here’s how to get the most out of your hunt.” decades ago you could hunt Polar bear from Alaska to Labrador, but now the only hunting available is at Canada’s Northwest Territories. Even then getting the hide of your trophy home takes an act of congress. Always poised to make a meal of a bow hunter, Polar bear are challenged in the most extreme conditions. The great white bear is a quarry only the most experienced bow hunter should ever consider. I was nearly killed on my Polar bear hunt.

Grizzly bear can be found from Rocky Mountains of Wyoming northward to the tundra of Canada and Alaska. These bruins average 600 to 800 pounds of lethal, are easily irritated, and often aggressive with muscle, teeth and claws. Bow hunting grizzly bear in Canada and Alaska is dicey business that is done from stands and by stalking. Until you have a lot of very successful bow hunting experience under your belt, mark the grizzly bear off your list of “must do” bow hunts.

Brown bear found along much of coastal Alaska and its islands like Kodak, are the largest of the continents members of the bear family. Often standing ten-feet tall, and weighing 1,000 pounds, brown bear are fearless, lightening fast, and unpredictable. Bow hunters must stalk within bow range, while most rifle hunters bag the brown bear at several hundred yards, and even that can be risky. Even if you take out both lungs, a brown bear can kill you and your guide before it expires.

I was nearly killed on both of my brown bear bow hunts.

Black bear prosper in pockets from Florida to Labrador in the East, and all through the Rocky Mountain states to Alaska in the West. All of Canada has lots of black bear. Most black bear are black, but in the West color phases varying from dark brown to a tawny tan are just as common. A big black bear weighs 450 pounds, but most average about half that weight. Fast, intelligent, and armed with sharp teeth and claws, these members of the bruin family usually are retiring and shy in regards to man. However, black bear are always unpredictable, and account for more attacks on humans

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than all other species of bear combined.

Black bear is the most common of North America’s bears. They are the quarry most bow hunters want to hunt. Spring black bear hunting is still allowed in most of Canada and Alaska, while fall hunting is allowed everywhere there as well as almost half of the states in the lower 48-states. Spring season hunting occurs when there is little conflict with other hunting seasons for popular quarries such as whitetail and elk. During the spring outfitters, whose skill at coaxing these hungry animals within shots of well-concealed blinds make this hunt where many bow hunters are successful, can bait black bear.

Black bear are a quarry I recommend to bow hunters who have at least a couple of seasons of experience in the woods after whitetail, and preferably who have made at least one long distance trip for big game such as caribou or pronghorn antelope. If when bow hunting you have trouble controlling your nerves when a buck is under your tree stand, odds are you do not have the emotional maturity to hunt for bear. You may, but if you are not certain, wait a year and work on conwww.isoutdoors.com

trolling your nerves, breathing and heart rate while whitetail hunting.

If it is your first time spring season hunt, then what I call a budget hunt is a good idea. Such hunts are found in New Brunswick and Quebec and a few western states. These are hunts where you can drive a family vehicle to, and the cost is not high. Success rates vary, but if you research your outfitter, talk to his past hunters and are confident you are booking into area where there is a good chance of success, odds are you will get an opportunity to bow kill a bear.

Of course a big bear can show up at any time, anywhere, but most so-called budget hunts are known for having black bear in the 125- to 250-pounds range.

If your budget can handle it, and you feel you are ready to go after jumbo-sized, trophy black bear, you significantly up your odds for success by booking a hunt where such bruins are most plentiful.

Generally, trophy bear hunting occurs in more remote areas where travel expenses add to the overall cost of the hunt, which average $1,200 to $1,500 more per hunt than budget hunts.

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Recommended places for a trophy black bear hunt include coastal Alaska, Canada’s western provinces of Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba, and in eastern Canada, the island of Newfoundland.

Again, carefully checking the credentials and references of potential outfitters is the first step. I personally recommend booking with outfitters that limit all hunting to bow and arrows. They understand the uniqueness of bow hunting for the animals and what is required to get you a shot.

When you book a black bear hunt, immediately begin preparation to make it as successful as your skills and participation are able to do. Failure to prepare properly for a bow hunt was one of my biggest complaints when I ran my spring bear hunting camp, although luckily I only occasionally had to deal with unprepared archery hunters. Bow hunting for bear is serious business, as you can get hurt if you wound an animal, which can run toward you as easily as it can from you.

I highly recommend practice shooting often to insure accuracy. The last thing you want is a wounded bear. Improve you odds for success by practice shootwww.isoutdoors.com

ing in the most realistic situations possible. Spring season black bear hunting is taught at my bow hunting school at my lodge in Pennsylvania. Students are placed in a tree stand while wearing a bug netting head covering and gloves.

Their target is a lifelike, 3-D target bear that moves from amidst brush in the direction of bait, but before reaching it, passes behind a big tree. The pressure factor is all of the other students at the school standing there watching and ready to take their turn. You would be surprised how many hunters miss their target under such a highly realistic practice shooting sessions. The anxiety shooters in the tree stand feel when these other students are around is only a fraction of the pressure you will feel when a bear arrive at bait beneath your tree stand.

Practice shooting is as much mental preparation as it is mechanical in nature.

When shooting, train your mind to envision shooting a bear--a feat that is easier if you use a 3-D target of a bear like the McKenzie targets I use. The only ethical shots you should consider are when a bear is broadside to you, or when it is quartering away. I highly recommend

against shooting bears that are laying on the ground, or those approaching you.

In recent seasons a growing number of outfitters have adopted policies that a wounded bear is “your� bear, and your hunt is over henceforth.

Prior to any other actual trip preparation, make a checklist. Most outfitters provide a recommended list. If your outfitter has sent you a list, follow it closely. Odds are the list represents years of experience and an understanding of what you are likely to encounter and need to make your bow hunting trip successful.

When driving to a spring black bear bow hunt, you have the luxury of taking along virtually anything you can wedge within the confines of your vehicle. If you fly it is doubly important that you follow the checklist provided by your outfitter.

There are two challenges. One is getting your gear there and the other is weight restriction each hunter is held to when bordering a bush plane. When it is possible, I UPS my clothing, equipment, and even bow and arrows ahead to the outfitter. This is done couple of weeks in advance of my hunting trip so I know for sure that my stuff is there in advance

of my arrival. This works well for me. I fly with a large Coleman cooler that is used either to carry home frozen fish filets I might get, or for containing the capped hide of my bear. Even if you do not fly, it is a good idea to invest in a quality bow case. I use an Americase, a brand I have used worldwide for many years without a single problem. A good bow case that is baggage handler proof is money well spent.

Black flies and mosquitoes are troublesome during the spring; so many smart outfitters anticipate the need for insect sprays by hunters that will tip off bears.

To get bears used to the smell of insect repellents, they spray it around bait stations in an effort to condition bears to this chemical odor. When booking a hunt, ask your outfitter if he does this, and what insect repellent he uses-match your insect repellent to his.

Three things that will lower your chances to arrow a black bear are noise, movement and odor. Noise usually occurs when a bow hunter moves or squirms in a tree. Bear have moderately poor vision, but they are quite able to discern movement like swatting bugs or scratching. www.isoutdoors.com

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When your movement creates even a little noise, it aids a black bear in determining its source. Sitting still is the best way to not make unnecessary noise that will tip of your quarry to your presence.

Concealment is further enhanced if you don head-to-toe camouflage. I wear ......

Realtree, including a bug-proof head net and gloves. This is perfect for chameleon like concealment in bear country and it serves me exceptionally well.

Fooling the nose of a black bear is just as, if not more difficult, than defeating the nose of a whitetail. Black bear have incredible odor discerning abilities, thanks to a labyrinth of olfactory receptors that line the inside of their long snouts. Savvy outfitters strive to locate stands downwind from their bait stations, but this is not fool proof since wind directions are not totally predictable.

In the old days, bow hunters relied on the wind and cleanliness when hunting these animals. However, today we can come pretty darn close to defeating the olfactory receptors of a black bear by using the new scent control product systems that are now available. I rely on the Hunter Specialties’ unique Scent-Awww.isoutdoors.com

Way system. I wash my hunting clothes in Scent-A-Way Laundry Detergent, a scent-free, concentrated liquid that does not have the ultraviolet brightening additives common to ordinary laundry detergents. After laundering, I place my scent-free hunting clothing in Hunter Specialties’ Storage bags, sealing them from desirable odors. Avoid storing your hunting clothing in plastic bags marketed for holding garbage. Garbage bags are treated with bacteria fighting chemicals that bear can detect.

Prior to going to my stand to bow hunt, I shower using Hunter Specialties’ Scent-A-Way Deodorizing Bar Soap, a scent-free soap that cleanses and neutralizes human odors. Next apply ScentA-Way Anti-Perspirant/Deordorant, a stick-style product that also keeps you scent free. Lastly, I spray my equipment and myself with Hunter Specialties’ Scent-A-Way Spray, a terrific product that eliminates all odors, including human scent, on contact. I also wear a suit made by W.L.Gore (makers of Gore-Tex and Windstopper) called Suppressant. It has human-scent absorbing, activated charcoal in its construction that is at least four times more affective in containing human scent than anything I have tried

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in the past.

When a bear comes in to the bait, your first job is to remain calm and relaxed.

Odds are your quarry will be there for a long time, so it is usually safe to presume that you will have all the time needed to execute a shot. When you are certain you are not shaking and will not rattle your arrow off of its rest, prepare for your shot. If you are not positioned for optimal accuracy, slowly adjust. Only move when the bear is facing away from you.

Your outfitter will have the bait station positioned so this will happen often.

Once you are positioned to shoot, it is time to draw your bow. Even if the bear has its head stuck in a barrel of bait, do this slowly and deliberately. Continuously monitor your emotions. If you are too excited to shoot, let off your draw. If you try to do it three times and you are still too wired to make an ethical shot, then pass on a shot that night. The next night you may have better control. When I operated a bear camp, I had grown men crying when I went to fetch them from a stand. Every one of them regained their composure and killed a bear before the end of their hunt. If you are new at bear www.isoutdoors.com

hunting, there is no shame in getting too emotional to kill a game animal that is capable of killing you. To pass on a shot is far better than making a shot that wounds a bear your outfitter will have to deal with the next day.

If you have never bow hunted for black bear, I encourage you to consider it.

These are one of the most magnificent of all big game animals roaming North America. It is a challenging hunt, but a hunt where most experienced bow hunters are successful. Although I have been on many, many black bear hunts, I still get pumped at the thought of taking just one more.

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Why Crankbaits?

by Johnnie Crain

At nearly every seminar I perform people ask me how I got the nickname-”Crankin’ Crain”. Fellow writer, Dan Galusha, stuck me this moniker, but the answer is simple and complicated at the same time. I love fishin’ crankbaits! I more or less grew up in the Ozarks and was taught to fish by my Grandpa who used old wooden crankbaits and since I mainly fished out of his “box” well, I learned to fish crankbaits.

We always caught fish whether from the massive White river lakes, Bull Shoals, Table Rock and Taneycomo or from streams I could jump across. Naturally I grew to love crankin’ as it is now called.

There’s been a lot of positive changes in tackle and lures over the years but I still ALWAYS start my fishing day with a crankbait. To me, there is no better tool to find out what the bottom is made of, how active and deep the fish are. I most likely have more crankbaits than most anglers. I am a lure field tester for several companies so I have the opportunity to www.isoutdoors.com

try many different types, styles and colors of crankbaits.

Crankbait Revelations As I said before, a crankbait is a great tool for determining the bottom makeup of a lake or river. I start casting a deep diver, usually a B&D Custom Lure’s Dredge’R. These baits really seek the bottom and dig into it. I can find out if the bottom is mud, gravel silt, rock or weedy. On my first cast I’ll really dig

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the bait down into the bottom. Then I look at the diving bill and hooks. If the bottom is rocky, you’ll be able to feel the bait hitting the rocks and bouncing off. If the bottom is mud or silt, there will be mud on the diving bill. Gravel will feel like gravel, simple as that and there will usually be some sand and gravel particles on the diving lip. It’s easy to tell if the bottom makeup is weedy. There will be weeds or moss on the diving bill and hooks.

Plastic or Wood Most bait today is made of plastic and www.isoutdoors.com

they are very good, but there are also times I prefer wood baits. In clear water or cold water I like wood. Most wooden crankbaits like my favorite Poe’s 300/400 series lures, don’t rattle. I don’t want them to. I believe a rattle in clear water can turn bass off. Besides, those treble hooks and hardware on wood bait make plenty of noise as they crash over rocks or careen through fallen trees. Wood cranks are denser so they’re movements are slower, they rise to top slower and this is an asset in cold water. Not enough anglers fish crankbaits in cold water. I

guess they believe the fish won’t be very active in cold water. I have taken limits of quality fish on crankbaits in 36 degree water. When the water’s that cold, I use the Poe’s 400 wood bait. It dives in excess of eighteen feet and will stay at that depth at a slow to medium retrieve. It’s hard to achieve that depth with a plastic lure. The plastic cranks have built-in air chambers that make them float; these same air chambers keep them from diving deeper.

When I encounter good looking chunk rock banks with a depth of ten feet or less I’ll throw a firetiger Model Fat A Bomber. These little fat baits do a great job of stirring up the bottom and act very much like a crawfish trying to hide under a rock. Bass can’t stand that.

Tools for Crankin’ I use long, sensitive and somewhat stiff rod so I can feel the vibrations of the bait, when a crankbait isn’t vibrating it’s either fouled by debris or a fish has it. When that bait stops wobbling then you set the hook.

I prefer 12 to 14 pound test line when crankin’. This allows the bait to achieve its maximum depth and has enough strength to haul in a hawg. I also always attach the

bait to the line with a bass snap. I never tie directly to the split ring. It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes a line tied to the split ring can wedge in between the coil of the ring and get cut just enough to weaken the line and its goodbye bass and lure.

Snaps also give the bait a little more freedom of motion.

Some “pro” anglers say you must have a slow speed retrieve reel. I use crankbaits with any reel. Most of my reels are high speed, so I simply slow down my retrieve.

I can’t afford to buy special occasion reels. Another thing I like to do is replace the front hook with a Tru-Turn Red treble hook. I truly believe this www.isoutdoors.com

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causes fish to strike the front of the bait more often resulting in a lot less lost fish.

A fish hooked on the front hook can’t use the lures weight for leverage making it harder for the fish to throw the bait.

Color Selections If you are casting straight into the bank, the two main colors the fish will likely see will be the belly and side of the lure. Shad patterns are great, fire tiger works anywhere and crawfish colors are good. If you’re fishing deep water the fish will see more of the belly of the bait,

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so throw bait with a good color on the belly. If the fish are suspended, the fish will probably see the side or back of the bait as they look down on it. Try to have colors that match the hatch on the back and top of the sides. In my opinion, it’s hard to beat a fire tiger color, followed by shad, bluegill, perch and crawfish.

Give these tips and techniques a try any time there’s open water, you’ll learn a lot about the area you are fishing and you will catch fish.

Article provided courtesy of www.crankbaitcentral.com

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World Class Fly Fishing: Bellefonte’s Little Secret “Fly fishing is never better than at this flow in Pennsylvania.”

Central Pennsylvania’s Bellefonte has been called a “Victorian Storybook Land Secret” with its charming homes in a modern world. However, the locals’ best secret is the great fly fishing for trout at Spring Creek and other nearby flows.

Nestled in the Nittany Valley, Bellefonte has been named the Best Fly Fishing

Town in Pennsylvania. Selected for not only the close proximity to great fly fishing, the town is known for hospitality, shops, dining and accommodations.

Bellefonte has all the amenities a fly fisherman could want from good restaurants and accommodations, to great fly shops and guides.

World-class fly-fishing waters of Spring Creek meanders through the quaint town. A short distance away are other prominent streams such as Penns Creek, Fishing Creek, Spruce Creek and the Little Juniata River. These mountain fed limestone streams provide cool productive waters throughout the year that are a delight to fly fishers.

Spring Creek is a large, limestone

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spring creek that has became well known for its large browns and great hatches of mayflies. Fisherman’s Paradise is a well-known section of this stream that once drew enormous numbers of anglers because it was heavily stocked with large trout and was easy to access.

This section runs for a one mile stretch between the lower boundary of Spring

Creek Fish Culture station to a point adjacent to the Stackhouse School Pistol Range. Stocking stopped in 1981 when the entire stream was designated as a No-Kill Zone. This stream has tremendous population reproducing wild brown trout. The average size brown caught here is 12-to-14 inches, and some up to 20 inches. The larger fish can be www.isoutdoors.com

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found near the hatchery at Fisherman’s Paradise and the hatchery at Bennar Springs.

After decades of unchecked pollution, aquatic insect hatches have made an impressive comeback throughout different sections of the river. While it is still quite rare to encounter really heavy hatches of classic mayfly such as the Drake hatch, other aquatic hatches have really grown impressively over the last ten years. During late spring and early summer there have been emergences of Sulphur, Trico, Caddis and Olive hatches along Spring

Creek. The eagerness of large brown trout to dimple the surface to eat these duns is what makes Spring Creek one of the best, large trout catching streams in Pennsylvania.

From its source to where it merges with Cedar Run downstream by Oak Hall, Spring Creek is a small stream that widens to about 15 feet and is heavily posted against trespassing. Continuing from the HRI Quarry at Oak Hall, past Route 26 to Houserville, you will find good hatches of Olives, Sulfurs, and Tricos. The flow from the Houserville area to the Benner Springs Hatchery, through to the upper portion of Fisherman’s Paradise receives the least fishing pressure.

Additional springs flow into Spring Creek near Benner Hatchery, and improve the fishing throughout Fisherman’s Paradise, down to the junction with Bald Eagle Creek at Milesburg. This stretch of Spring Creek runs

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past businesses, houses, patchy tree and wooded areas. Here, you’ll find some posted sections and an exhibition area that is closed to trout fishing in Bellefonte (from just above Talleyrand Park to the Lamb Street Bridge).

State conducted surveys have shown that the creek is one of the most densely populated wild brown trout streams in Pennsylvania. Excellent fishing can be

found from Houserville through to Bellefonte. Look for exceptional fishing at Benners Spring.

LOCAL INFORMATION: Starry Night Bed and Breakfast 170 West Branch Road State College, PA 16801 814-234-4466 The Barnard House 113 East Linn Street Bellefonte, PA 16823 814-353-8647 Restaurants Gamble Mill Restaurant Lamb Street Bellefonte, PA 16823 814-355-7764

Schnitzel’s Tavern 315 West High Street Bellefonte, PA 16823 814-355-4230

John’s Bait & Tackle 124 Baron Way Bellefonte, PA 16823 814-355-2265

La Bella Trattoria 116 East High Street Bellefonte, PA 16823 814-353-8808

The Feathered Hook Inn & Fly Shop Main St. Coburn, PA. 16832 814-349-8757

Tackle Shops & Guide Services Flyfisher’s Paradise 2603 East College Avenue State College, PA 16801 814-234-4189

Keystone Anglers 104 West Main St. Lock Haven, PA 17745 570-660-9602

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