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 !!!
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
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
