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Anthracite Outfitters August 22 & 23 2011 trip and report

2011-09-28T20:42:00.001-04:00

With recent weather in the Northeast and everything that has come with it, the reports have fallen behind, I appreciate your patience while I try and get caught up. Anthracite Outfitters attention has been directed towards those that were affected by Irene and then by the massive floods that recently happened from the remnants of TS Lee here in Northeastern PA.

Family friends and acquaintances have lost much from the flooding even with some friends having completely lost their homes, nowhere to be seen and washed away clean to the ground.

This report is from an overnight trip on the Susquehanna River on August 22 & 23. The second day of the trip was actually the day that the earthquake hit in Virginia. Just before lunch on that Tuesday we were slammed with phone calls from friends and family asking of we had felt the tremors while on the river, we didn’t and our trip finished up nicely.

Our trip started out with a mid-day start in order to get the most out of the weather and the river between our launch and campsite.

We stopped for lunch at the mouth of a feeder stream and the guys worked the structure while I prepared lunch so that we could fuel up for the afternoon bite.

The timing was going to place in the area called the “Boulder Garden” towards the late afternoon when the cloud cover was slated to move into the area. I wanted to be under the cloud cover as we drifted into and through the boulder strewn area of the river, hoping that the change would turn on the bite, it did just that.

The hits started out fast and furious for Tony, Carl and I with close to 40 smallmouth coming within an hour time frame and almost a fish on every cast. The average size was around 13” and we had some fish pushing 16”+, not huge, but an absolutely solid bite and hot action. The clouds, structure and fish all came together at the right time.

We finally made it to our island campsite and I set camp for the night and we settled in around the fire and then into our tents for a deserved nights rest on the river.

The next day started with pancake breakfast and then on the river we went. The day was clear, warm and the bite was a bit slower than the day before, but we managed to land fish and enjoy the day.

Right before we stooped for our hot chicken wrap lunch, Tony landed another nice smallmouth. Coincidentally the timing of this fish was right about the same time the earthquake hit Virginia and was felt all the way up here in Northeatsern PA. When we stopped for lunch right after the fish was released is exactly the time that all of our collective cell phones had begun to ring non-stop with the news about the quake.

This pic was taken in the wrong settings and was completely blown out, so this is the best I could get it.

The guys truly enjoyed their trip and will be making this an annual event for these fishing partners. The Susquehanna River never failed to provide a great angling experience accompanied by great vistas and good company.

The Hobie Quest’s shined again and as great river kayakfishing platforms, while the Ocean Trident 15 performed like the workhorse that it is, carrying all the gear that we needed to enjoy ourselves and then some.

This has been one of the toughest seasons that I have had on the Susquehanna River, muddy water, high water, record breaking floods and what has seemed like endless ran showers and thunder storms all season long.....

This trip was a great time, spent with great guys on an awesome river and really that is all that we could have asked for. Tight Lines!

Capt. Daniel Hubbard

Anthracite Outfitters

www.antoutfitters.com

Anthracite Outfitters 8-12-2011 Susquehanna River Kayakfishing Trip and Report

2011-08-27T21:54:00.003-04:00

This past weekend Anthracite Outfitters was lucky to get out on the river with a longtime friend for an overnight trip that we had planned for a year. My buddy Jason had flown in from Calif. to see family and decided to take an extra day from traveling to try out kayak fishing on the Susquehanna River on an overnight adventure that would take us down about 12 miles of river and camping under the full moon….

The bite has been tough with the water being stained and slightly dirty for pretty much the whole summer and free time coming at a premium this year has just stacked the deck against my personal angling time on the river this summer, so needless to say I was excited to see an old friend and hit the river…

We launched later in the day and traversed through the boulder strewn area that is called the “Boulder Garden”as the sun had begun to set. We managed to land a bunch of smallies in the 10” to 12” range and landed a few in the 16”+ range.

We pulled the Hobie’s up on the island and proceeded to make camp for the night. The Hobie Outback and Quest have really proven themselves over the last few seasons to be excellent fishing kayaks on the river, carrying more than enough gear and providing perfect angling platforms in the shallow and sometimes very rocky Susquehanna River.

Unfortunately one of the larger fish was mortally hooked by the stinger hook on the spinnerbait that he inhaled and was harvested. I practice C & R with all smallmouth, but just saw no sense in tossing him back only to die within minutes, he just wasn’t going to make it..

We used my favorite campsite on an island in the river that is below a high ridge line that shields the sun until about 11am in the morning and the moon as well until it is high in the sky at night. The full moon rose above the ridge around midnight and turned the river into an almost seemingly daylight fishing experience, but really shut the bite down in the same respect.

This image was captured at about 1am.

This image was captured at 2:30am from the campsite.

The following day we awoke to a pancake breakfast and really enjoyed our float down river to the vehicle enjoying the peace and quiet that only the river can give. Just before our exit point we ended up picking up a few more smallmouth in another larger boulder area with some deeper water.

Smaller swimbaits and white spinnerbaits were the ticket and the fish are holding tough in the ripples and rapids behind the rocks on the down river side looking for that oxygen rich water that is naturally being cooled through the elevation drops and rapids and waiting for the food that is being transported down river through the small current seams and food conveyor belts that snake through and around the rocks and boulders on the river bottom.

This was the best trip so far in 2011 for Anthracite Outfitters, shared with a great longtime friend over two spectacular days on the Susquehanna River here in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Capt. Dan Hubbard
Owner: Anthracite Outfitters LLC
www.antoutfitters.com

Anthracite Outfitters North Branch Susquehanna River Conditions and Catching Report for the week of 5/11/2011

2011-05-18T17:23:00.002-04:00

The river finally managed to drop to an acceptable level for the kayak, so I figured with the spring we have had it was time to get out while the getting was good. The day was warm, in the 70’s and partly sunny. I launched around mid-day and was surprised the find the launch ramps were still buried in mud from the previous high water events that we have had this spring.

Once I was done dragging the kayak and my gear over the slippery mud that was ankle to calf deep in spots I was off on the first kayak fishing trip this year due to the river levels and unfavorable weather.

Anglers need to be careful around the river during these conditions because even though the levels were down, the flow rate was not and the banks are extremely slippery and the water is still very cold. An angler falling into the river would be swept downstream fairly quickly in the colder water and would have a hard time getting back up the slippery bank, so caution needs to be taken when fishing the Susquehanna or any river in these conditions.

I quickly made it downstream to a feeder stream that was swollen; I set myself in the small eddie at the mouth so that I could easily swing the lure across the merging currents and the small seams that they were creating. First cast with a 6” Storm swimshad and I had a 30” Northern hit it just as it broke the current seam at the edge of the eddy pocket running tight to the bottom on a slow retrieve. Not a bad first fish for the first kayak trip this season. Several casts later I lost a musky at the side of the kayak and decided to move up into the feeder.
This ended up being my only fish for the afternoon, but not for a lack of trying. Some days are just better than others.

I was targeting Pike, Walleye or Musky, so I wasn’t looking for or even fishing for smallmouth, which are in their spawn time currently and are only a catch & immediate release fishery from mid-April through to father’s day. I like to give them a break this time of year and concentrate on the musky, Pike or walleye while they are still very active with the colder water temps.

The river was a work out to get back upstream with the increased flow rate and would have been a tough paddle, but this season I’m using a Hobie Outback and I have to say that the Mirage Drive System on the Hobie made heading back upstream against the current in that particular area much easier than it would have been by paddle.

The river is forecast to rise again to a level that I prefer not to kayakfish on, so as soon as I can I will get out there and catch up another report.

Capt. Daniel Hubbard

Anthracite Outfitters Owner/Operator
Pa Licensed & Insured Fishing Guide
www.antoutfitters.com
Tactical Anglers Pro-Staff
www.TacticalAnglers.com

Anthracite Outfitters Blast and Cast 2010 Vol.1

2010-11-10T21:38:00.001-05:00

Tactical Anglers Sniper Jacket & Seal Skin Shirt Review

2010-11-10T21:33:00.000-05:00

Recently we have become members of the Tactical Anglers family and Pro-Staff and a few weeks ago we received a nice box of goodies from them.

In this review I am going to be talking about their fleece jacket and seal skin shirt.

Lets start with the shirt. The seal skin shirt is considered a base layer or can be used as a rash guard under a wetsuit for an additional layer. The shirt is fitted and has stretch to it which makes a perfect skin tight base layer with a stretchy collar that fits nicely to your neck.

I have been ice climbing and mountaineering for the better part of my life and have used some of the finest outdoor gear from companies like The North Face, Marmot, Mountain Hardwear and I will put this shirt right up there with some of the biggest names in the outdoor industry, it works that well. It actually has a better fit then most traditional base layers that I have and that is due to the tight fit of the shirt in order to be used under a wetsuit without creating a pressure point from getting bunched up.

A lot of thought was put into this shirt and it use in the angling community, that is what separates from other base layers, it was designed with the angler in mind.

We spent Saturday on the river with a client with temps going from the low 40's up into the 60's, sun, rain and wind for the afternoon and I basically wore the Seal Skin shirt with a fleece vest for the better part of the day and not once was I cold or hot, it regulated my core temp all day and only when the rain started to come down heavy did I put on a jacket.

Bottom line this shirt works.

The fleece jacket is right up there with the shirt in quality and fit, with a bit of stretch to it, it has a more technical fit then most fleece jackets on the market and is "smooth fleece" on the outside with tight pile on the inside cutting down on bulk and adding some wind and water resistance to the jacket which is a nice feature. It has a pocket on each sleeve for small items, warmer pockets and inside pockets as well. Its not short on storage space for you items, either.

Again the design was with the angler in mind, it has great freedom of movement and is a little longer so it will not ride up while casting or kneeling down to deal with a fish.

We have used the jacket in cooler night temps during some rain while chasing trout and it performs as well as it fits, perfectly.

Anthracite Outfitters, Product Review: Tactical Anglers Fishing Clips for Sweet Water Application

2010-11-09T11:58:00.000-05:00

Confidence (from "New Oxford American Dictionary" on my computer): the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust.

Recently I have started using the Tactical Anglers "Tactical Fishing Clips". {as seen attached to the lure in the above image} My findings based on the performance of the clips and moreover, the performance of my lures attached to the clips, bring one word to mind... Confidence.

Before I ever fish a new lure or piece of terminal tackle I always watch its behavior in close. When I first received the Tactical Angler Fishing Clips I took them and my go to lures and for about 3 hours scrutinized the plug and clip combination's behavior in the water. The clip I focused on was the 50lbs. clip. This is the most practical size for my walleye and smallmouth lures. The first lure I attached to the clip was a 3/4oz bucktail jig. I was shocked to see that there was no restriction of the jigs movement akin to using a non-slip loop knot. The jig bounced through the column as if there was no clip there. The walleye also don't appear to notice the clip either fishing the jig as usual...

After I gained full confidence in the behavior of the jig attached to the clip, I switched to my swimming plugs. Those plugs being the standard balsa 4-3/8" rapala, a Shallow Shad X-rap XRSH-08, and a Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow in the 5 1/4" floating. I spent a good amount of time with short casts and varied retrieves so I could watch the plugs behavior. Again I was thrilled with what I saw. The XRSH-08 and the Crystal Minnow behaved as if I tied direct via a non-slip loop knot. The light balsa rapala was actually enhanced by the slight bit of weight the clip added to the lure. One of my favorite and often surprisingly effective techniques is to cast the rapala short, in the dark, no more than 20' off the river bank. Then as the mellow current grabs the lure, I just subtly twitch the rod tip so the rapala displaces as much surface water as possible in order to create rings in the surface. Walleye pound the snot out of it in inches of water. Well when I employed this technique with the TA 50lbs. clip attached I found the lure's behavior in this technique to be enhanced as well a slight audible click created between the clip and the lure eye. The head of the lure rides a bit lower in the surface so the same rod tip motion causes more water to be displaced. All of my standard techniques and lures produced as well as they have before I started using the TA 50lbs. clip...

One of the many functional aspects of the TA 50lbs. clip is the efficiency of changing lures. It took me 3 minutes with my eyes closed to get the feel for changing lures. In situations where the walleye are at your feet at night, the use of any light is ill advised. I would never in a million years trust that a duo-lock snap was fully closed unless turning my back to the water and using my red light on my head lamp to verify the plugs security. Anytime a lure isn't in the water it can't catch fish. Yeah, I know that's like saying the team that scores the most wins, but if you took and added up the seconds one looses changing plugs it would add up to hours a year. Once the TA clip is attached to the plug with an audible metal on metal "click" it's attached securely. Trust me, the lure aint going anywhere unless you break it off!!!

This leads me to the strength of the clip. Many a time smallmouth and larger walleye have mutilated duo-lock snaps on me. Many a time when locked up on sticky bottom I stretched out duo-lock snaps. Well that's the least of my concerns with the TA 50lbs. clip. Since using the TA clips I have brought back snagged jigs with the hook broken or straightened and the TA clip unscathed.

I began this piece with a definition of the word "confidence". When it comes to the security, and functionality of the Tactical Anglers Fishing Clips the definition I started with is what comes to mind for me. In my angling world every cast could produce a trophy. In my angling world trophies are just a cast away. In my angling world confidence is a must. The last thing that concerns me in my sweet water angling world is where my lure attaches to the Tactical Anglers Tactical Fishing Clip.

Speaking of fishing...I'm going fishing...

Hope this helps.

Hank

Rolling with the Kid: North Branch of the Susquehanna River condition and trip report 7/28/10 to 7/29...

2010-07-31T18:10:00.000-04:00

Dan and I took the opportunity to take his 11 year old son, Bryce, out on the river for his first overnight run. Bryce after helping man Anthracite Outfitter's "kayak fishing" booth at two river festivals this summer, expressed interest in running on his first overnight kayak fishing trip on our waters on the North Branch of the Susquehanna River. Neither Dan nor I wanted this request to get stale, so we worked out a Wednesday afternoon to Thursday afternoon trip. Bryce was gung-ho and we got after it.

Bryce learned to cast in the surf using a 2oz. hopkins spoon hanging from a Penn 4500ss on a G-Loomis 7'er seemingly at the same time he was learning to speak. Casting from the kayak was an easy transition for him.

The river this season is running low and warm. Consequently the smallmouth bass are congregated around moving, oxygenated water. With the low flow the insects that emerge to winged adults this time of year are being condensed en-mass, and are easy eats in dark time. Basically, we're finding the smallmouth need to be triggered with an explosive and equally abrupt stop and go retrieve with swim baits, crank baits, spinner baits, and even flies being presented with a big down current belly and 3' strips.

The smallies show no signs of feeding, as jigs and soft plastics presented slowly aren't getting touched. Shortly into the drift and coming through our cherished boulder field I was working a paddle tailed swim bait rigged on a weedless, weighted worm hook. I fished a handful of casts just keeping light contact with the boulder tops with a slow drive in the reel. After a few well placed casts didn't show any fish I let the swim bait get down and began working it back to the kayak with abrupt, yet smooth snaps of the rod tip every time I felt the bait contact the boulders on the bottom never taking drive out of the reel and only speeding up to take up slack. On the second cast employing this technique, when the bait was about 5' away from my yak I noticed a bulging V-wake and instantaneously my rod tip went down and my reel sang as the drag yield to the weight of the take. I instantly thought musky, however, after a number of surging runs, some under the yak, I brought a juiced up 5# channel cat to net. By far the best fight I've had on the river this season...

By the time I got the photo snapped and the fish back in the drink we had drifted up on our next slight, elevation change with decent moving water. It was hot, and wading with the fly rod was such an inviting thought that I indulged in it. I pulled up the yak and waded out to about mid-thigh depth. Again, by swinging clousers on a deep down current belly with a 3' long stripping retrieve I got the smallie's interest. If the fly was just allowed to come around on the swing there were no takers. As soon as I accelerated the fly along its path with the stripping retrieve they responded.

Dan and Bryce headed down river a bit and pulled up too. I eventually caught up and took Bryce out in the current to work with him on some technique. The boy was on point...

It was a good opportunity to work retrieve and current technique but unfortunately we were to far below the quick water where the congregation of smallies were. We got back on the paddle and made for camp.

We put a bit of a hustle on to get camp set so we could eat...

I should mention that we were pre-frontal and were on the edge of weather. After dinner the white mayflies (ephoron leukon) started to come up in good numbers. This could be a good thing if one is moderately well versed with a fly rod, and can be in slack water when the cats come up to vacuum the spent flies after they mate. These are dry fly caught channel cats from the week prior, I was hitting from 11pm to 2am...

It's a bad thing when there's lightning and being on the water is potentially deadly. It's bad because there is such a volume of insects that the fish get tunnel visioned and only key on the bugs. If one isn't dropping a good fly replica on the film leading the v-waking fish vacuuming the surface, they're going to have a hard time catching. I know, sight fishing with dry flies for channel cats from the kayak in the dark is as surreal as it sounds. Here's what the water surface looks like in the after math of a white mayfly hatch...

Every white mark is a spent mayfly. Here's some background on the E. Leukons. They look like a burrowing mayfly type nymph. They emerge in the thousands. Keep in mind that when a may fly hatches from a water born nymph to a winged fly, the first stage of its winged life is called a sub-imago or more commonly amongst fly anglers a dun. Most mayflies will spend about a day in the form of the dun eventually molting again into the imago or what fly casters call spinners. The spinner stage is the sexually mature adult fly. The Latin name for the mayfly order is Ephemeroptera, which translated to English means winged for a day, roughly. Matter of fact the mouth parts on a winged mayfly are vestigial rendering that organ as functional as the appendix in humans. Once mating has occurred, the females, lay the eggs and female and male alike die. When they die fly anglers call it a spinner fall and often get rightfully amped up because fish come up and gorge on the easy meal as referenced in the last image. A unique aspect of the E. Leukon is that they go from dun to spinner almost immediately after hatching, often molting on the wing. So when one sees the white mayflies coming off the water they should know that in less than 2 hours time the water will be blanketed with the spinners. Here's a sequence of what the dun to spinner transition looks like...

Given that a system was moving through and electricity was evident it would have been downright stupid to put ourselves on the water to get after the fish on top. Suffice it to say that all night long the sound of exploding water was echoing on the wind as fish were gorging on the spinner fall.

Throughout the course of the evening we got hit with three heavy thunderstorms. The first that came through caused me to have to lay diagonally in my tent as the walls were being collapsed by the 30mph + down draft coming over the mountain ridge to our Northeast. Once that blew through I reset my tent, andre-stoked the fire. Within a half hour of the first storm the second blew in but not as nasty as the first that came through. I bedded down for the night and was briefly awoken by the last of the showers that came through around first light.

I was extremely impressed by Bryce's resolve weathering the tumult of the night's weather. Given it was his first time ever afield over night in a tent he held it together and handled nature's strong arm like a man. Actually, he really must have been tired because he slept through the first storm.

When we got up in the morning Dan got the pancakes, breakfast sausage, and coffe on the flame and Bryce and I teamed up to catch. The backside of the island is more like a large trout stream at the current flow rate. I can easily cast to the far shore, but Bryce at his age doesn't have the torquing power in his hands to cast across the flow to the far shoreline. The fish were sitting on the edge of back current and were hitting a shallow crankbait on the stop after an explosive retrieve out of the slack water. I would get the fish hooked up and Bryce handled getting it in...

After we worked the oneside of the island, Bryce and I went to my pet eddy pocket on the other side. The water on the current flow isn't circulating enough to have a core of still water conducive to a spook. However, there are weed pockets there and they told me to throw a buzz bait. I got it cross current and made it make a bee line for the weeds. Sure enough, Bryce beached his best smallie of the trip...

After breakfast, Bryce had his fill of the river for this trip. Weathering the storm like the trooper he was and not getting the rest he could have he asked if we could not take all day fishing our way out. We obliged his request and fully understood. We had a downriver blow so we did some fishing on the way out and eventually got to the take out. Today he and dad are running around a water park with the under water camera and I eagerly await word of the stories Bryce told his cousins about the trip.

I would like to offer a huge thank-you to John Oast for allowing us to use his Ocean Kayak Malibu 2xl tandem. That kayak was everything we needed to bring the pup out and show him what kayak fishing life is like Anthracite Outfitters style...

Thanks again Mr. Toast!!!

Dan and I have a full plate of river trips for August and I hope to cash in on the Leukons while they last.

Stay tuned, tight lines, and as always... Safe Paddling!!!

Fish Tank

Countryside Conservancy Presents a Hellbender Exhibit at "Celebrate Our River Day"

2010-06-17T01:44:00.000-04:00

Dr. Peter Petrokas will be presenting a Hellbender Exhibit from 3 to 5:00pm in Riverfront park at "Celebrate Our River Day" on July 24th.

Here is a brief quote from his Hellbender brochure...

"The Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus
alleganiensis) is one of the largest salamanders in
North America, attaining lengths of up to 29 inches.
They require clear, fast-flowing streams with
abundant rocks large enough to hide under.
Hellbenders are totally aquatic, never leaving the
water,"

Celebrate Our River Day 2010 July 24, 2010 Live Music !!

2010-06-02T12:33:00.004-04:00

Celebrate Our River Day
Tunkhannock, PA

Join us as we celebrate and promote the value of one of our greatest resources, the Susquehanna River. Included in the day’s festivities will be live music, environmental activities for children and adults, a nature walk, a river float, food and more. Live music will be provided by Sadie Green Sales Jugband, the bluegrass group Hickory Project, and the George Wesley Band.

4-10-10 Anthracite Outfitters Report "Fishing with Toast"

2010-04-10T22:39:00.003-04:00

Today myself and John "Toast" Oast, both guides for Anthracite Outfitters, did double duty. We ran to Tunkhannock Pa. on a distribution run for Susquehanna Fishing Magazine,and after the magazines were dropped off we threw the kayaks in to the Susquehanna River to get after some early spring smallmouth bass, kayak fishing. This was my first kayak fishing trip of 2010 and the maiden voyage for Toast's new Ocean Kayak Trident13.

The river level has finally gotten down enough to be able to put in and take out at the same launch, which allowed us to paddle a good ways down river and still be able to paddle against the current to get back to the put in.

Shortly after launching Toast drew first blood with a nice healthy smallmouth bass...

After hitting that fish we continued down river to the confluence of the river and a feeder stream. That's where I hit my first kayak fishing smallie of 2010 on a muddler style jig with a 3" pumpkinseed grub threaded on the hook.

Both Toast and I were hitting decent smallies to about 13". That's when I switched over to a larger 1/4oz hair and feather craw jig. It's basically a muddler head with long india hen feathers tied splayed at the hook bend to mimic a crayfish. It's just down right buggy looking in the water. That's what I landed my pig o' the day on...

I estimated it to be between 18"-20".

After I hit that fish I gave Toast one to use. He wasted no time at all making good with that jig...

A few casts later I hear, "Oh my God!!! This is BIG!!!". I spun my yak to see Toast battling a sizeable fish. I paddled closer, camera ready, and sure enough he hoists his pig 'o the day...

His expression in that image doesn't do justice to his exitement!!! That fish was easy 20"...

Part of the effectiveness of our approach is that we were on a mud line seam...

The river is still a bit turbid, but the feeder creek is running clear blue-ish water. So by getting the right drift and cast as well the jig down, we hit where we expected to. Toast at one point made the remark, "This is awesome. The fish are right where you'd expect them to be." They truly were today.

So we worked that water hard and decided to pull. Right before we hit the launch I took one last opportunity to turn the camera on and capture an image that brings home the real reason I kayak fish the Susquehanna river...

So the river is fishable by kayak, and we're catch'n!!!

Tight Lines and Safe Paddlin'!!!
Fish Tank

Sculpin jigs and Susquehanna River Smallmouth Bass...

2010-03-25T12:13:00.005-04:00

Hank Hewitt a kayak fishing guide on the Susquehanna River for Anthracite Outfitters put these jigs together to present a juicy profile as well keep the ball head from rolling and the jig from either digging into vegetation cause it's too heavy, or being swept into snags because it's too light. They have a super attractive undulating look when just twitched across the bottom. Any bit of motion or current brings them to life.

Tightlines !!!

Twisted Tree Furniture Fish and Trophy Plaques

2010-03-09T08:03:00.004-05:00

"These fish and trophy plaques are a perfect marriage between my love of unique grain patterns and showcasing your catch! Each is made from woods with distinctive grains replicating the undulating movement of water."

The woods that are used to make these awesome products are great and can be used with a variety of different types of mounts whether fiberglass or replacing the back boards on your older skinned mounts. I encourage everybody to really take a look at the website and the woods they offer, truly pieces of art...

Click this link:
Twisted Tree Furniture Fish and Trophy Plaques

Sportsmansliquidation.com at the Philly Outdoor Expo

2010-03-04T08:07:00.003-05:00

These guys have some great deals at the show series for any angler looking to get some discounted rods, reels, tackle and hunting supplies. Anthracite Outfitters picked up a few rods for the rack for our clients and couldn't be happier with the products and service that we received at the show.

Susquehanna Fishing Magazine on Delaware Valley Outdoors TV

2010-03-01T09:40:00.002-05:00

John Oast of Susquehanna Fishing Magazine and Kayak Fishing Guide for Anthracite Outfitters discusses the fishing opportunities along the Susquehanna River, kayak fishing, and Susquehanna Fishing Magazine. Filmed on Friday during the Greater Philadelphia Outdoor Sportshow.

Visit Delaware Valley Outdoors on the web:
http://www.delawarevalleyoutdoors.com/

Greater Philadelphia Outdor Show Day 1 Feburary 25th

2010-02-25T17:22:00.002-05:00

Anthracite Outfitters, Osprey Outdoor Adventures and Susquehanna Fishing magazine have their booth up and running at the show. Both locations 1439/1440. Stop in and see the Feburary issue of the magazine and check out the fully rigged Ocean kayak Trident 11 from Anthracite Outfitters compliments of John Oast.

Stop in the www.ourincrediblefoods.com booth next door in 1438, their crab cakes are awesome, they ship and are a local Gouldsboro, PA business. Day one has gone off with out hitch and we are looking forward to the next 3 days here at the Greater Philiadelphia Outdoor Show in Oaks Pa.

Greater Philadelphia Outdoor Sportshow, February 25-28, 2010

2010-02-20T23:52:00.002-05:00

Susquehanna Fishing Magazine and Anthracite Outfitters along with Osprey Outdoor Adventures will be at the Greater Philadelphia Outdoor Sportshow from February 25th through 28th. The event will be held at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA.

Stop by, say hello, and get your free copy of SFM and see some of the premiere Susquehanna River and New Jersey Shore Kayak Fishing guides in the region. We will be one aisle over from the casting area, booth locations 1439/1440.

http://www.sportshows.com/Philly_Main.html

Get a copy of SFM from Robbins Marine at the Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show!

2010-02-14T01:10:00.001-05:00

If heading to the Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show this week in Harrisburg, stop by Robbins Marine and pick up a copy of Susquehanna Fishing Magazine... FREE!!!

2010 TU River Conservation Banquet (Lackawanna Valley/Endless Mountains)

2010-02-14T00:52:00.002-05:00

Conservation Banquet

Host: Lackawanna Valley and Endless Mountains Chapters of Trout Unlimited
Date: Saturday March 27th
Time: 6pm till 10pm
Location: Amadeo’s Restaurant
4001 Birney Ave.
Moosic, Pa.
Price: $30 per person

Auctions and raffles including, Wildlife Art, Wildlife Photography, Outdoor Gear, and Fishing equipment. Proceeds go for River and Stream conservation projects and Youth Education.

Contact Info. Email: chaps2000@comcast.net
Telephone: 570-562-3383

Anthracite Outfitters 2009 season re-cap

2009-12-20T20:26:00.001-05:00

First and foremost to any who may be reading this, on behalf of Anthracite Outfitters LLC, Eddy Rider and I {Fish Tank} wish you and yours a safe, healthy, and Happy Holidays. May the ensuing new year prove to be fruitful, and may trophy fish grace your continued kayak fishing and angling pursuits!!! CHEERS!!!

As I type this inches of snow have fallen here in the past 8hrs. Many of you may be witnessing the snowfall measured in feet. Aside from our beloved , resident,"Southern Derelicts" , many of us have taken measures to ensure our kayaks enjoy a peaceful, and safe winter hibernation. Many of us have stowed the rods and sorted the lures, as well eagerly await the arrival of Santa Clauss and the accoutrements of the kayak angler he hopefully has placed on his reindeer driven platform, which are destined to be placed under our Christmas trees. For me, whom as Eddy Rider says; is afflicted by a "psycho fishing obsession" , this is a particularly restricting, and trying time of year. I am writing this at 2:40am and if the temps were above freezing I would either be flycasting to trout or targeting walleye in my riverine eddies. However, it's below freezing and I can't afford to destroy a fly line with ice, the eddies on the river where the walleye are, are shielded in ice from my column probing lures, and my lakes have yet to build an ice sheet that would support my 265# petiteness. Given this seasonal weather induced condition I have no other recourse than to reflect upon the past angling year. This reflection always sees me delving into my angling archive of photos, captured for this occasion, whereby I may escape winter's angling prison.

The embedded video is a collection of Anthracite Outfitters' finest times upon the water this past season. I took all the captures and highlights of the past season and created a slide show whereby one, who shares my "psycho fishing obsession", may briefly be removed from the throngs of our winter encapsulation and be reminded that winter, like time, continues to move along and before we know it our kayaks will be wakened from their hopefully brief slumber.

I hope you enjoy this piece and may winter be swift, and our ice encrusted waters soon be accessible by kayak!!!

Tight Lines and Enjoy!!!

Fish Tank

Anthracite Outfitters prefrontal walleye bite 12-08-09

2009-12-11T00:25:00.004-05:00

Anthracite Outfitters prefrontal walleye bite 12-08-09

I hit my pet winter eddy again today. Here in Northeast Pa we are prefrontal. The weather all week has been cool, with daytimes hi's barely above freezing if that. There is a major system baring down on us, and as I type at 11:15pm the wind is howling. That means one thing, the walleye will eat. Today the air temp. by the water was 38degF. That's a perfect temp because when the air gets to 32deg the eyes on the rod, and the braid on the reel ice up and fishing becomes a chore.

The area I was fishing had a moderate main river flow, with a long, barely noticeable eddy and back flow. I can't emphasize enough how valuable it is to locate these eddies for winter time walleye success. Not only do these offer the prey the ability to conserve energy, it also offers the prey, the walleye, the perfect vantage point to ambush forage which also seek the eddies to escape the main flow. The rule of real estate is etched in stone, Location, Location, Location.

TODAY'S HOT LURE

The Rapala xrsh08 in olive. The walleye were all over this lure today, and it was the only one they would touch. I did have a couple twister tails bitten off earlier in the day, but once the sun got behind the mountain this Rap bait was gold!!!

TODAY'S TECHNIQUE

The xrap shallow shad can cast. I was throwing a cast as far as I could. I varied the direction of the cast from quartering upstream, to straight out, and then quartering downstream. All three directions proved effective, as that varied the approach or drift of the lure into the seam areas of the contrasting flows of the main current and eddy. In all cases the technique remained the same:

1- after the cast, get tight to the lure with the rod tip pointing straight at the lure.

2- sweep the rod tip approx 135 degrees across the body in an upstream arc.

3- without causing the lure to resist the current, or in other words, letting the nuetrally boyant lure fall back, let the rod tip fall back to the starting position while taking up slack.{stay in touch with the lure}

4- Repeat steps 2-3 one more time{at the end of step 3 pause, staying tight for 5 sconds approx}

5- At this point the tension on the lure lets off because the lure had come through the main flow and was now in the outer edge of the eddy. From here on in it was one or two light pumps on the rod tip with varying lengths of pauses until the lure was retrieved all the way in. This lure swims and rattles with the lightest amount of retrieve.

The hits came as a THUMP. For a split second one may have thought they hit a snag. Then the rod came to life. Every walleye I caught over the course of 4hrs hit either on the pause, or right as the lure started back up after a pause. Not one fish or hit on a steady retrieve of any speed.{I tried that too, NADA!}

THE SCORE:

13 fish hooked

8 landed, four fell off because they were only about 16" and I was horsing them in. The last fish of the day rivaled the second fish of the day, approx 28" and I lost it and the lure because I was on a mud bank that was soggy, sloped off into 5' of water with muddy bedrock on the bottom, and it turned when I went to swing it out of the water. I am using 10#tensile Power Pro leader to 18" of 12#floro.

1 fish kept. The fish in the top image and only because it inhaled the lure and tore a gill in the fight. I brought it home and ate one fillet for dinner and am saving the other for Christmas eve. The fish in the image above is 28" on the button and pulled the bogas to 7#'s even. The fish that took my lure was equal if not bigger. Of all the fish landed most were easily 18" with only one landed being 16".

NOTE:

I was on foot because I can not afford a dry suit. If I had a dry suit, given that there is a launch right across the river and a bridge just down stream, and not to mention the creek mouth where I hit a 40" musky in the summer, I would have caught a HECK of alot more fish today had I been able to safely paddle alone in the near freezing temps!!!

Tightlines, safe paddling, and if the river doesn't ice up the walleye will bite all winter.

Fish Tank

KayakFishingStuff.com Kayak Blowout Sale

2009-11-30T00:59:00.004-05:00

The guys at KayakFishingStuff.com are at it again with a Kayak Blow Out Sale.

The sale is for PHONE ORDERS ONLY and the ACTUAL SHIPPING COSTS WILL APPLY or you can stop in the retail store in Mine Hill, Nj and save BIG!

1-866-925-4537

Billy Bob's HillBilly BBQ.....

2009-11-10T22:04:00.004-05:00

Billy Bob's HillyBilly BBQ is a small unassuming shack that is located just over the Levee from the Sunbury Launch just below the fabridam. This is a family business that is run by some of the niciest people who take the time to make sure the food is perfect and the atomsphere is welcoming. Everything is basically served to go with some picnic tables right outside. The food is outstanding and slow cooked to perfection and followed up by a sauce that is out of this world.

After putting a full day in on Saturday with travel and kayakfishing in the susquehanna river below the fabridam we were hungry. When we arrived that morning we could smell the smoker/cooker going and saw the sign, we were having BBQ for dinner without having to do anything, but walk 50 yrds. We went over the hill around 6:30 to see what the BBQ shack was all about, right away we were welcomed by Ed jr and a friend who were ready to explain the menu and cooking process in a heartbeat, gave us some recommendations and we order basically everything they had between Hank, John Oast and myself.

While we sat at one of the picnic tables under the corrugated tin roof surrounded by hay bales and country music I was instantly relaxed and hughly surprised by the outstanding food that was in front me. Hank and I were not even done with our first order when we quickly placed another order to eat for later in the night while we fished......

I recommend this place to anyone who fishes that launch or lives in the Sunbury area. The food is great, the service is awesome and its homemade and run by a local family. What more could you ask for.

Located on the southside of Subury, PA on RT. 147

570-286-4BBQ (4227)

Open year round thursday thru Sunday

11am to 7pm

www.BBHBBQ.com

KayakFishingStuff.com

2009-10-30T08:15:00.004-04:00

KayakFishingStuff.com for those of you that are not familiar with the company is a total resource for the sport of kayakfishing. They have a retail store in Mine Hill, NJ and are the worlds largest online retailer of kayakfishing equipment on the web. The kayakfishingstuff.com web forum is a great resource for information from rigging and repairing a fishing kayak to where to fish. Its an international forum with posters from as far away as South Africa and covering the United States and Canada with active members provding information from top to bottom.

The staff at Kayakfishingstuff.com is the most knowledgable in the industry and will be able to help with any order or question that a customer might have regarding the sport of kayakfishing and its nuances. Kayakfishingstuff.com sells every product that would be needed to rig your kayak and again the forum members and the rigged kayak section are there to help with any ideas that you might have in rigging your kayak.

Check out Kayakfishngstuff.com for ALL of your kayakfishing needs.

Kayakfishingstuff.com
1-866-925-4537

Anthracite Outfitters trip summary and report: 10-18-09

2009-10-29T23:50:00.003-04:00

We had out clients, Wade and Tom for a day trip on the Susquehanna. The weather forecast was for inches of snow changing to rain with wind. Lo and behold we got a break, and the weather turned out like this...

It turned out to be sunny with a few hours of no wind. Eventually the wind kicked up sustained at about 5mph and gusting to about 20mph. It wasn't too bad because it was a Northerly and that doesn't stack the rapids. Up river blows are nightmares. Ask Eddy Rider!!!

Both Wade...

and Tom hit their fair share of nice smallmouths. Both stuck with swimming plugs all day. Tom was hitting on a traditional floating rapala in fire tiger, while Wade was hitting on a rapala x-rap suspending slash bait in the olive color scheme. The fish were in a 3'-8' column and hitting the plugs on the stop at about 4'. Both gentlemen did a dynamite job working this bite!!!

Thankfully they were able to get out with us when they did. The river today is at 18' and the level in these images is about 11'. Needless to say the past week's rain events may have ended our season. I am hoping that we have mild temps so if the river comes down we may get one or two more cracks at it before freezing temps halt everything.

Suffice it to say that the river doesn't look like this today...

That's an island in front of Tom and today it is most likely submerged.

Eddy Rider and I will most likely fish lakes now until ice starts forming which will halt any kayakfishing.

Stay tuned as Anthracite Outfitters will be doing video how to's and seminars on all facets of our genre of kayak angling in rivers and consequent angling techniques.

Tightlines and Safe Paddling!!!

Fish Tank

River Levels Surge Again.....

2009-10-25T23:50:00.006-04:00

Well the rain came down in NEPA over the last few days leaving the river running high and fast. The gauge at Meshoppen was up and then had a brief down turn before being pushed up again to 16.65ft @ 33,200CFS at 8:00am on the 29th of October.

Susquehanna Fishing Magazine Out in 2010!!!

2009-10-25T09:15:00.002-04:00

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Saturday, October 24, 2009
NEW Susquehanna Fishing Magazine Out in 2010!!!

Susquehanna Fishing Magazine will be a free resource for anglers throughout the Susquehanna River regions of New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. This print publication will be released in early 2010, and will be available free at local retailers. Our goal is to inform the angling community of the most productive fishing techniques, while promoting responsible conservation of this vital resource.

Submit your photos, articles, and letters.

Now recruiting advertisers and distribution locations.

Join Susquehanna Fishing Magazine on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=susquehanna+fishing&init=quick#/group.php?gid=160020423025&ref=search&sid=1640042897.665935512..1
SusquehannaFishing.com Blog:
http://susquehannafishing.blogspot.com/

Susquehanna Fishing Forum:
http://z6.invisionfree.com/susquehannafishing/

Contact Email: susquehannafishingmagazine@gmail.com

Website: http://susquehannafishing.com/

Office: 570-441-4606

Mailing Address:

13 York Road
Bloomsburg, PA, 17815

Monthly Printing Objective: 30,000 copies

A day on the water with Anthracite Outfitters - 9/18/2009

2009-10-20T08:04:00.001-04:00

Highlights from a day trip on the North Branch of the Susquehanna River with Dan & Hank from Anthracite Outfitters (www.antoutfitters.com). Awesome fishing & a great shore lunch that consisted of chicken & spanish rice wraps, coffee, and...last but not least...some fresh walleye fillets. Footage was shot by Hank & I on our Olympus 1030 SW digital cameras. Music composed & recorded by my father, Stephen Adams.
(Footage by Jon Adams)

SusquehannaFishing.com Kayakfishing Video Report: 10-18-09 Shamokin Dam, PA

2009-10-18T19:44:00.002-04:00

SusquehannaFishing.com kayakfishing video report for October 18, 2009, from Shamokin Dam, Pennsylvania:

Antharcite Outfitters & Jon Adams Lackawanna River 10/14

2009-10-15T17:03:00.001-04:00

FishTank Hank from Anthracite Outfitters and Jon Adams hit the Lackawanna River for some trout. The bite is on and we are in full swing.

SusquehannaFishing.com 10/19 video report: Sunbury Walleye

2009-10-13T21:56:00.001-04:00

Pennsylvania Kayak Fishing Association

2009-10-13T17:15:00.002-04:00

Pennsylvania Kayak Fishing Association...

Check it out for updated launch spots and reports from around the state......

Anthracite Outfitters trip summary and report: 10-10-09 to 10-11-09

2009-10-13T08:01:00.009-04:00

You can read the Anthracite Outfitters report here at the Anthracite Outfitters KayakFishingStuff Blog.

Fishtank Hank wrote:

"The Fall bite is in full swing. We launched Saturday afternoon, fished, set camp, fished, and fished all day Sunday. We had our friend Jon Adams out with us as well.

The weather was cooler and we launched on the backside of the front that came through. The water is still crystal clear even with a slight bump in volume. I started off with a spook and stuck with it the whole trip. The trick was to get into current areas where the boulders and big rocks are in a 3' to 6' column, also the shoreline drops adjacent to deep water that have the longest sunlight exposure this time of year, and best of all the moving water tail outs where a cast almost onto the shore was employed. Once the spook hit it had to rest for 5 to 10 seconds. Then it was a 1-2-3 slash cadence to the spook with another pause. Usually the pause was short lived as an explosion usually occured. If the fish missed, just pause and start the spook up in a choppy walk and the fish was right back after it.

I can't stress enough the importance of letting it rest "til the rings clear" and the pausing the retrieve on the spook and just letting it drift or sit. 90% of the fish hit the spook while it just sat there. Keep in mind I was throwing a regular zara spook that has a loud rattle. So while it appears to be there quietly, when it is drumming on any semblance of chop, either created by wind or current action, the rattle is clunking, putting out the vibe. It's also a good sized meal for a smallie with fall inspired feed bag on. EddyRider saw this first hand when he missed a swipe from a BIG bass.

Jon was also putting fish in the yak. He was working his go to soft plastics, both finesse style and twister tails. He had his groove on by working low in the column.

All in all it was great fishing with some areas holding good concentrations of fish to the point you could have worked and reworked the area all day and caught, if you didn't need to pull 10 miles down stream.

The aesthetic of the season is in full swing as well. The mornings are cool and misty and envelope you in fog. Then the sun burns it off and the multi-hued leaves show a robust saturation of warm tones in the full sunlight.

The only drawback is the daylight is getting less and less.
The upside is that the walleye should get into full swing soon!!!"

Tight lines and safe paddlin'!!!

FishTank

Anthracite Outfitters Welcomes John Oast

2009-10-07T11:42:00.003-04:00

Anthracite Outfitters is proud to annouce that John "Toast" Oast of the Fishyaker.com fame has joined the line-up of guides for the Susquehanna river region. John brings a lifetime of fishing and kayakfishing knowledge to Anthracite Outfitters and will help to expand our area of operations to the Bloomsburg area. We look forward to the 2010 season with John on board.