My "rigged to fish" kayak on the Juniata River, Pennsylvania
Starting on Monday, August 3rd I”ll be embarking on a Pennsylvania fishing adventure! I’ll be fishing some of the best lakes, rivers, and creeks in the state for smallmouth and largemouth bass. All of the fishing will be done from my trusty Kayak! I’m jokingly calling this my the “CentralPAfishing.com Fishapalooza Tour 2009″.
It should be a ton of fun! Like any serious river smallmouth fisherman would do, I’m starting my journey in South Central Pennsylvania at the smallmouth factory we call the Susquehanna River. I’ll be chasing some trophy smallies for sure! My plan from there?…well there is no plan. That’s the great thing! I’ll be fishing my way north relying on my Pennsylvania Fishing and Boating Map and the help of the the locals I encounter along the way. I’ll be doing my best to chronicle my travels on my website. That’s if I can find campgrounds with wireless? I’ve noticed quite a few do offer wireless Internet connections so this should work out! I’ll keep a running list of my Itinerary as it develops on this post. If you have any suggestions of where I should fish feel free to post them below! so far here’s what I go…
Monday, August 3, 2009
- Pinchot Lake, largemouth and smallmouth bass (Morning, I’ll be fishing with the owner of smallmouths.com)
- Bass Pro Shops, Harrisburg (Noon)
- Lower Juniata River, for smallmouth bass (Evening)
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
- Lower Juniata River 4 mile float for smallmouth bass (all day)
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
- Lower Juniata River 6 mile float for smallmouth bass (all day)
Thursday, August 6, 2009
- Colyer Lake, Centre County Pennsylvania (morning)
View CentralPAfishing.com Fishapalooza 2009 in a larger map
Walker Lake in Snyder County seems like it would fit in your itinerary. Lots of structure, weed beds and deep water, nice float on a kayak. I’ll be there on Saturday am and get ‘em ready for you!
Out of curiousity, did you try any other ‘yaks before you settled on your Ride? I’d like to move to a S-O-T and like the Ocean Prowler and a couple Native boats. Any advice??
Ramcat,
Walker Lake has been on my mind since you posted the results of your trip. I’m going to try to work that one in! Definitely let those fish know I’m on my way!!
I only paddled SOT’s because I feel like they are the better fishing machines. In particular, if you’re like me and want the ability to take a lot of gear and rods. I paddled kayaks by emotion and wilderness systems (no ocean prowlers).
I picked the ride 135 because it offered the best compromise in stability, space, and maneuverability. It is capable of maneuvering smaller rivers and tracks REALLY well on flat water (lakes). The design is superior. I was also very partial to the wilderness systems Tarpons. I paddled a tarpon 120 and it was great! If I get another Yak, it will definitely be a tarpon.
The only down side of the RIDE is the weight. It weighs 61 pounds so its better to trailer it rather than car top it. I am extremely happy with that kayak. I got mine from Tussey Mountain Outfitters in Bellefonte, PA. ( http://tusseymountainoutfitters.com/default.aspx ) The owner is great and I feel like I got a pretty good deal. Tell him that Juan referred you if you end up getting in touch with them…but by all means shop around. I certainly did. Also, paddle as many as you can. That is the only way to make a good decision. I got a lot of great feedback from folks and I wanted that but the proof was in the paddling.
P.S. I saw the Natives at the sportsmans show in Harrisburg this year. I was impressed but the price point was a little high. Wilderness Systems has just come out with a new kayak for 2010 called the “Camander” it is very much like the hybrid kayaks that Native sells. It’s at least worth taking a look at. It’s so new, I’m not sure what the retail is on it. The guys at Tussey Mountain might know.