Read the Water and Pick Your Weapon

As the sun sinks into the horizon earlier each day and the flaming foliage slowly alters the landscape, a welcomed change is in the crisp air.  As September ends the ecosystem is in full swing of preparation.  Not only are we as humans preparing for the winter season, but the plants, insects and animals are in full awareness of the need to survive. Although nature is not conscious as to the significance of the autumnal equinox, nature is keen to the change of temperature and solar illumination.

Many outdoorsmen see the fall season and dream of bows and bucks.  Anglers in PA, on the other

hand, salivate of monster wild browns and brilliant native brooks.  By far, there is no better season to trout fish, than the fall season.  A drop in water temperature is a signal to these fish that it is time to get fat.  The more a trout can eat during the fall, the more fat reserves are created and a better chance of survival through winter when food is limited.  This feeding frenzy can result in hooking into larger than average fish, as the older wiser trout are more interested in eating and willing to bite.

In order to give you the best chance at landing good fish, I have highlighted 4 key lures to have within your tackle box.  In fact, these are the only lures I ever carry with me in the fall. (Fly fisherman need not read any further.)  Along with highlighting the best lures, I have illustrated how to throw the bait.

 4) The Original Floating Rapala

It's the original because it is versatile.  Throw up or down steam with success. Limit use in shallow water and use in larger sections of stream.  Although this lure can be used in a multitude of locations, it may not be the be the best when encountering different stream dynamics. 

3) Rapala's Ultra Light Shad

The lip on this bait allows for use in only one area, deep pockets! This bait dives fast so be sure to reel

slow and add a couple twitches.  Utilize the ULS within an eddy or any slow channel that will harbor large fish down deep.

2) Rapala's Flat rap

This lure really puts on a show.  Throw in very slow moving water and add a fast (but not hard) twitching action with a slow retreavel.  This bait will dance, drive trout wild, and will seem irresistible as it will pull trout out from under logs and cover.

1) Rapala's Ultra Light Minnow

The ULM is the absolute bomb of a bait.  It will almost always produce a trout on the other end of your line. Toss upstream and allow to slowly sink as you reel and twitch. It will appear as though it is a dying fry drifting in the water and will attract trout of all size, especially the hogs.

To answer the question you may have...  No, I am not sponsored by Rapala, nor to I receive any benefits. From my personal experience and time on the water, these Rapala lures have out preformed every other option trout lure option. They work well for me, and the evidence provided should suffice.

Good luck and C&R Wild Trout!

Trout Week 2013 TECH FALL!

Massive amounts of apologies need to be made to all of you.  Due to highly unexpected technical fallout and difficulties, Trout Week 2013 was interrupted earlier this week.  Please excuse my errors.  Look for the additional Trout Week 2013 blogs to appear throughout next week.  I hope that you will continue to visit my blog, read my articles, remain entertained, and follow up with angling questions.  Have a great remainder of your weekend.  Fish On!

Trout Week 2013 Day 2

Trout Week
Day 2

Alright, it's time to finally get things right and set everything strait.  Nothing bothers me more than people wrongfully identifying trout or improperly calling a wild trout a "native".  So read this, learn this, and get it right!

Native Vs. Wild
Today, people are still confused with the difference in the classification of fish.  Often times anglers still misuse the proper description when speaking about a fish they caught or a stream they have fished.  So just to clarify things...

Wild Trout:  A trout that is the product of natural spawning in a stream from previously stocked fish.  An example of a wild trout stream is a stream that was previously stocked but is no longer stocked, allowing for the fish to naturally spawn and continue to live without any assistance.  Spring Creek is an example of a wild trout stream in Centre County.  Within this stream you catch WILD trout, not NATIVE trout.

Native Trout: A trout, (specifically brook trout only in PA), that has naturally lived and reproduced in a particular stream since the arrival of European settlement.  Native trout are often much smaller than stocked trout.  Native trout frequent smaller streams with class A water quality.

Stocked Trout:  Neither of the above.  Trout put in a stream through stocking.  These trout lack intelligence and are a great way to introduce children to fishing.  Many ignorant adults fight over their "spots" on stocked streams and often complain about the amount and size of these fish every year.

Now that we have cleared things up, here is a complete list of WILD TROUT STREAMS in Pennsylvania.  The Facebook page: PA's Wild Trout, often receives questions on "Where is a wild trout stream around me?"  If you have every asked this question or are wondering, be sure to view that complete list.  It is second to none.

Trout Week 2013 Day 1

Trout Week

Day 1

Welcome to Trout Week 2013!  Now that the Discovery Channel's "Shark Week" is finally over, we can get to some information that actually matters.  Every blog each day will focus on something trout and Pennsylvania related.  The blogs will also be specially designed as to not take up too much time out of your day, but still bring you pertinent information.  This is so all you trout bums can sneak a peek while at work and not get busted!

Today's Topic: Trout Lures

In March of this year, Outdoor Life came out with an article entitled "Top Trout Lures: 13 Best Trout Fishing Bates of All Time"  Click here to see the article.  This article had some good information, but was lacking substance for what it was worth.  To be honest, I don't understand why Outdoor Life chose the lures listed for their article as they are all generic lures that produce a limited amount of time.

Below I have compiled a list of the top go to trout lures that need to be in your everyday trout tackle box.  I have also narrowed the list down from 13 to 5.  Because, quite honestly, 13 is an unlucky number and too drawn out.

1) Rapala's - You can't go wrong with any Rapala while in search for big trout.  Any combination of these Rapala styles will catch you fish in any fishery.  Ultra Light Minnow.  X-Rap.  Original Floating.  Ultra Light Shad.

2) Rooster Tails - These spinners come in a wide range of colors, patterns, and sizes these days.  You can even find them in UV patterns.

3) Blue Fox Minnow Spin - This is the best of two worlds.  Combine a Rapala style body, with a spinner, and your left with this hot lure.

4) Woolly Buggers - These work all year, in every season, in just about every stream, in most conditions.  Providing a variation with your patterns can be crucial sometimes.  Leave a bit of a tail, mix up the colors, or add some extra flare.

5) Jigs - When all the above fails, and you're having problems catching trout, pull out the light finesse jigheads and throw on a soft plastic.  Worm bodies or tubes can both be effective when other baits are busted.

Catch & Release Providing Big Results

Everything has it's place.

There is a reason for the trees.  There is a reason for the butterflies.  There is a reason for illness.  And there is a reason for predators.  This is the same in the world of angling.  There is a reason to keep and there is a reason to release.

This past weekend presented an opportunity for myself to head back to "God's County" and fish a small lake that a friend had introduced me to last year.  Rose Lake.  Despite the distinction of being named a lake, this body of water is more of an oversized pond.  Though small, this prime fishing water provides some big catches, all of which is a direct result of Catch & Release practices.
(Pictured right, largest mouth of the weekend on a Livetarget trout jerkbait)

I fish this water for two reasons:
1) It is quite.  You do not often find many people at this location.  This area is peaceful and the wildlife is abundant.
2) The bass are big and abundant.  It's almost impossible to have a day without catching any fish.

I have read that there is a multitude of different species swimming within this warm water fishery.  Perch, crappie, and catfish round out the diversity.  I have not personally caught these species, but from hearsay, I can share that anglers can expect these catches.  My main pursuit lies within the lunker largemouth bass and pesky pickerel.  Both can be caught in good numbers, but the bass provide good size.


(<--Doubleheader caught on a Livetarget jerkbait)

Once entering the property of Rose Lake you will be met with a sign asking you to only keep the pickerel that you catch.  If you wish to keep them, of course.  All other species, specifically bass, are to be released back into their environment.  This is not a place to fish if you want a meal to take home, unless you are seeking pickerel.  This is a lake that is being preserved in a way that offers anglers with a relaxing afternoon of catching quality fish in the same way that parts of Penns Creek produces the same adventure.     (Pictured right, a hefty bass landed with the use of a Berkley Crazy Legs Chigger Craw on a football head jig)

By the catches provided within the article show, if people are willing to make the investment, catch and release will produce in the end.

A Sunday In Central PA

The weather was perfect this past weekend to hit some of the C&R streams in central PA.  With temperatures not getting higher than 38 on average so far, the 56 degree days were more than welcomed.  The macros also took advantage of the warmer weather.  A black cloud of Blue Winged Olive's hovered above Spring Creek.  While the water was a bit colder, there was still a descent hatch of BWO's on Penn's Creek that my friend, Corbin, and I spotted on Sunday.  We also saw a couple Black Caddis' emerging from the very clear water.

Although the surge of the BWO hatch has came and went on Spring Creek, expect to see them hatching throughout the rest of March.  The Penn's Creek BWO hatch will continue to be gradual as the weather temperatures will drop again this week.  The water temps on Penn's are still pretty cold.  Much cooler, of course, than Spring Creek.  Hatches on Spring Creek are generally a couple weeks earlier due to the amount of springs that feed the stream, keeping the water temps generally a consistent temperature all year.

Corbin is a fly fisherman whereas I am a spin fisherman.  We both had good luck yesterday.  There were some trout that would occasionally feed on top, but the dry fly catch was not to be apart of our day.  Corbin's success came while nymphing.  I stuck to my usual guns; jerk baits.  I threw on a couple different patterns and shapes and caught fish on 3 out of the 4 lures I used.  Within the 4 hours we fished I was able to land 6 nice fish, and Corbin 3.

For the fly-fishermen:  Below are a couple fly charts.  Obviously the times and dates are relative to how the season is running.  Rain, sun, cooler/warmer temps, and clouds could easily affect the hatch patterns.  Regardless, these links should give you a good idea of what to use when headed out.

PAFlyFish.com Chart
Keystone Anglers Chart
Central PA Fly Fishing Chart





Land Them Safely...

Fly Fishing

Be sure to check out my buddy's blog, http://sulphursalvation.blogspot.com/, for all things fly fishing for trout!

Friday Fillet

Species: Largemouth Bass


I have never kept a largemouth bass to eat.  There's no reason why I never have, it's just the way I've been.  Even though I never have saved my catch of largemouth to cook I know plenty of fisherman who swear by their taste and ability to cook many different ways.  Honestly, I have never even thought of how I would even prepare a largemouth if for some reason I kept one.  This got me thinking and interested today, so all of you benefit today as my curiosity is peaked to the maximum!

Since today is March 1st, and pre-spawn conditions here in PA and the northeast region inch ever closer, you get a double bonus Friday Fillet.  Not only will you learn just how to properly fillet a largemouth but I have also picked out a video that will help you to cook in a way that is different from the usual batter and fry.  Enjoy!

The first two videos give you a detailed play by play of how to properly execute the perfect fillet.

Now here is an easy and cheap, but tasty, way to cook your catch.

2013 Winter Wild Trout Music Video

Here it is!  The finished product.  Nothing fancy, but I hope it entertains all of you.  Look for more in the future for each different season!

Friday Fillet

Species: Crappie


One fun fish to catch and one tasty fish to eat!  Today felt like the quintessential spring day.  The sun was out.  The temperature was in the mid 50's.  There was a slight wind.  And the ground was soft with snow melt.  It's getting close to spring time in PA, so in anticipation of the spring spawn and crappie fishing paradise, here is the best way to fillet a crappie.

Getting Off the Beaten Stream

The storms last week that brought long periods of heavy rains to the Central Pennsylvania area were devastating for the trout fishing.  The combination of the rain mixed with the remaining snow led to the streams to quickly rise almost 3 1/2 feet above normal flow.  Since last weeks storms the streams continue to be turbid and have not yet receded to an easily fish-able level.  It was almost a week since my last trip to the streams and I was really starting to feel the fishin' itch getting to my nerves.  Reluctantly I headed back out to my usual spots on Spring Creek, but this time I found myself on a new kind of adventure! 

The water was still 2 feet higher than average flow, making the fishing very challenging.  After a failed attempt at my usual spots I dedicated the rest of the afternoon to the small "cricks" in the area.  You all know of them.  Small, seemingly useless little drainage flows for small springs in the summertime, that eventually lead to the productive streams.  These little streams can't possibly hold fish, right?  You may be surprised.  Follow one of these small streams the next time your regular fishing waters are blown out with high water.  You may find a couple deeper pockets that hold wild trout or even natives.

I have known about the stream in the video below for a couple years now.  I was finally able to take my rod out and throw a couple casts into one of the deeper pools upstream from where it enters into the Bald Eagle Creek.  This area was formally home to an Iron Furnace that produce pig iron during the 1800's.  The pool I landed the wild brown trout in was actually a swimming hole at one point for the families who worked and lived on the property of the iron furnace.  Take a look!

Winter Trout teaser vid

Bad News for PA Trout Fisherman

HARRISBURG, Pa. (Jan. 23) – The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) announced today that it plans to reduce operating costs by $9 million over the next four years in order to meet future health-care and retirement obligations for its employees and to fund infrastructure needs. A portion of this reduction will come from closing two trout hatcheries, a move that will reduce annual operating costs by approximately $2 million.

The two hatcheries include Oswayo in Potter County, which has nine employees, and Bellefonte in Centre County, which has nine employees. No furloughs are expected. The PFBC plans to offer affected employees jobs at other PFBC facilities.

“Fishing license sales have steadily declined since 1990, while at the same time operating costs have continued to increase, including the price of fish food,” said PFBC Executive Director John Arway.

“As a result, we must streamline our operations and reduce operating costs in order to maintain a sound financial condition while we attempt to secure long-term, dedicated alternative funding,” he added. “As part of this process, we evaluated our 14 production sites and determined that closing these two trout hatcheries would have the least impact on the number of trout stocked.”

Arway added that because of existing vacancies within the Commission, no employees are expected to be laid off.

“Over the last two years, a number of vacancies have been created from retirements and transfers,” he said. ”As a result, we plan to offer the employees at Oswayo and Bellefonte the opportunity to take these jobs at other facilities.”

Today’s decision is one part of a long-range strategy to reduce operating costs across all PFBC bureaus by a total of $9 million by the 2016-17 Fiscal Year, which begins July 1, 2016. Approximately $6.7 million is needed for employee health care and retirement benefits and $2.3 million is needed for infrastructure needs, such as maintenance and repairs, at remaining hatcheries, other facilities and boating access areas.

In addition to the $2 million the PFBC expects to save by closing the two hatcheries, it estimates saving another $1 million by not enrolling a new class of waterways conservation officers. Overall, the bureaus of Hatcheries and Law Enforcement account for approximately 27.6 percent and 22.6 percent, respectively, of the PFBC’s annual expenditures.

The PFBC Bureau of Hatcheries spends approximately $12.5 million annually to raise 3.2 million adult trout, 2 million fingerling trout and more than 30 million fry and fingerling warm/coolwater fish at its 14 hatcheries. Oswayo and Bellefonte annually produce approximately 245,000 and 540,000 adult trout, respectively, including brook, brown, rainbow and golden trout.

The Oswayo and Bellefonte hatcheries aren’t expected to be completely closed until the end of 2014. Fish are being raised at both facilities and won’t be ready to stock until the end of this year and spring of next year. Once the fish have been stocked, the facilities will be cleaned and then closed.



In light of this very recent news, I urge everyone who is willing to write our state senators and state reps. Mr. Arway was involved in this decision. People need to know about this and the word needs to get out.

Tackle Tips

A must have for your tackle box that could make all the difference in whether or not you have a successful day on the water!

BONUS FOOTAGE!

Below is some more footage that was lost from the first Tackle Tips filming segment.

Friday Fillet

Species: Northern Pike and Chain Pickerel
                                                 (A.K.A. The Slime Beasts!)

Congratulations.  Today your mind may be blown.  You're welcome.

Today is a two for one special.  I really love to pursue these two fish as much as possible.  Mostly because of the fight that is unleashed once hooking into one of these beasts, but also because of the reward that is received if you decide to keep your catch.

Northern Pike and Chain Pickerel are in the same family of fish.  The Esocidae family.  So what does that mean?  It means that they are relatives to one another and they are similar in many ways.  The most important similarity they posses to each other is their bone structure.  Both Northern Pike and Chain Pickerel are very bony fish.  If you were to take an x-ray of these to fish they would look almost identical.  In the video below you will learn how to make precision cuts to extract the most amount of meat from these two fish.

And by the way.  If you think Chain Pickerel is just a waste fish, think again!  In my opinion the meat of the Chain Pickerel is comparable, if not better than the Northern Pike.  Some people find that Chain Pickerel has a sweeter taste.  Regardless, both fish have nice white meat that you will not be disappointed in.  So give it a try sometime!

Friday Fillet

Species: Trout


I love to fish.  You probably love to fish as well if you are reading this.  As an avid angler I preach and practice the method of "Catch and Release" for various reasons.  But, there are times where I get cravings for a fresh fish meal.  These circumstances find me along side a body of water with my measuring tape and stringer.  After I catch enough for myself I head home and begin the arduous process of cleaning and filleting.

Trout is one of my favorite fish to catch and eat.  Mostly as a result of the proximity of streams around me.  As fun as trout are to catch and eat, trout are not as fun to prepare.  Any person who has tried to fillet trout can tell you that the bones within the fish create a problem.  There are some people I know that will not even try to clean or eat trout because of the multitude of bones that can result in an unsatisfying meal.

Below is the a video of the best way I have found to fillet trout.  This is a little bit different than any other method that I have found.  If done correctly, you can remove all the bones from the meat!  Take a look!

Check back in every Friday to see what we are filleting next!

Ice, Ice, Baby.

Ice fishing season is finally here!




.....This weekends (general) weather forecast for most of the state:

           Wednesday: 43
           Thursday: 39
           Friday: 40
           Saturday: 54
           Sunday: 54

.....................

Just as soon as many lakes in PA froze safely enough ice to fish on, Mother Nature is playing her nasty Indian giving game with us again.  Last year was such a mild winter that the ice fishing season was nonexistent.  Let's just hope that she will not play the same card as she did last year and this weekend is the only warm spell.  A continuing pattern of cold to warm days like we had last year will not result in safe enough ice for the remainder of the winter.

Although the forecast will melt the ice, it has not deterred me to write the ice fishing article I had planed to release this week.  So in the hopes and prayers that the cold weather will return to the great state of Pennsylvania, let's continue with an opportunistic mindset of future slabs being pulled through some holes.

Truesdale's Top 5 Ice Fishing Rigs/Baits:

1) I Fish Pro: Taking the world of tip-ups to an entire new level.  I was turned onto this piece of equipment by the guys at Uncut Angling.  Being able to utilize your ice rod as a tip up will bring you ultimate control with fishing the tip-up technique.  What is also nice about this piece of equipment is the ease of set up.  And when the bite is slow, you can quickly undo the tip set to jig your bait in order to attract fish.

2) Minnows:  Because every fish eats minnows.  Slip the hook through the back dorsal fin to allow the minnow to swim when you put your line in the water.  An alive minnow is an active minnow, and an active minnow is an attractive minnow.  If you are fishing a lake with bigger species, be sure to grab some big shiners to throw in a mixture of different presentations.

3) The Swedish Pimple:  A unique style of spoon that offers a multitude of colors, patterns, etc.  This can be fished alone or tipped with a little extra bait of your choosing.

4) Perch Eye Jigs: You cannot mess with a classic.  Perch eye style jigs have been a staple in the ice fishing community for generations.  Combined with a tube jig or live bait, this rigging technique is deadly for pulling slab panfish through the ice when the bite is on. Entyzer Jigs (Facebook) offers quality custom perch eye jigs, and other custom ice jigs at a great price.

5) Hard Plastics:  A good alternative to minnows and one that could offer more action and sound in the water.  The Jiggin Rap, Jiggin Shad Rap, Snap Rap, or a rattle trap style are all good options when using hard plastics.  Being able to tie your line to the top of the bait will allow it to be jigged and lay flat in the strike zone in a normal suspended presentation position.

For all your ice fishing needs and for ice conditions throughout PA and the rest of the United States, check out www.iceshanty.com

Big Winter Trout

UPDATE:
I apologize for the lack of information regarding this pic post.  I was in a hurry at the time and left out some much needed info.

This fish was caught between Bellefonte and Milsburg and safely released.  (As is the regulations with this stream.)  I did not take any measurements or weights as I wanted to get the fish back in the water and healthy as soon as I could.  The lure I was using was my personal favorite and go to style from Rapala; the Ultra Light Minnow.  

.....DAMN!

Spring Creek, PA
1-2-2013