Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2019 i Game & Fish East

Game Commission Named QDMA’s Agency of the Year THE PENNSYLVANIA Game Commission has been named the Quality Deer Management Association’s Agency of the Year. Recognition was announced at QDMA’s 2018 National Convention held in New Orleans last summer. “A comparison to other states clearly shows how successful Pennsylvania’s deer management program is,” said Kip Adams, QDMA Director of Conservation. “The Pennsylvania Game Commission’s deer management plan and research program are based on science and public input and have consistently received high approval from the public and hunters in surveys.” In presenting the award, Adams referred to statistics from QDMA’s own 2018 Whitetail Report, an annual checkup of the status of whitetails and deer hunting in North America.media.pa.gov/Pages/Game-Commission-Details.aspx?newsid=231 Longhorned Tick Found In Centre County PENNSYLVANIA’S FIRST longhorned tick has turned up…

STARCRAFT RENEGADE 178 DC LENGTH 18 FT. 5 IN. BEAM 92 IN. DRY WEIGHT 1,176 LBS. FUEL CAPACITY 26 GAL. MAX HORSEPOWER 150 MSRP $20,521 WHILE MOST anglers love the idea of having a top-of-the-line tournament boat, the reality is that most of us can do without the top-of-the-line price tag that usually goes along with it. Starcraft certainly got that message when the company unveiled its Renegade 178 DC, a well-designed multi-species fishing boat that puts the best features of its high-end tournament boats into a package that’s both attractive and affordable. They really didn’t scrimp, either. With its .100 gauge bottom and hefty .080 gauge sides, the Renegade is built for serious fishing, and it can run from ice-out to freeze-up thanks to the protection of its dual…

FIRST ICE is prime time to target fish of all stripes — including walleyes, panfish, pike and trout. The first magical weeks of hardwater offer some of winter’s best fishing, often in surprisingly shallow water, before deepening snow, thickening ice and falling oxygen levels drive fish deep and dampen spirits in the underwater world. On the walleye front, veteran guide and Fish ED television host Jon Thelen says early ice is as good as it gets. “Walleyes are still in feeding mode from fall, gathered in easy-to-find spots and active at predictable times. What more could you ask?” Shallow structure and cover are where it’s at. Thelen likes rock piles, reefs, weedlines, points and bottom transitions in 10 feet of water or less. “Avoid areas with heavy fishing pressure,” he…

THE DIFFERENCES between smallmouth and largemouth bass extend beyond the size of their maws and what they prefer to put in them. Those disparities are never more apparent than in the bass’ pre-spawn behavior, and they must be recognized if you expect to fool early season bronzebacks on a regular basis. One of the biggest differences between the two species, and why smallmouth bass frustrate so many early season anglers, is the depth of water they frequent this time of year. While their bigger-mouthed brethren head shallow and cozy up to banks, docks and walls with warming waters in preparation for the spawn, smallmouths prefer to stay deep, often in 5 to 15 feet of water. Both bass species move out to deeper water when a cold front moves in,…

PENNSYLVANIA OFFERS anglers some pretty great walleye fishing for those willing to get out there and brave the conditions. While the traditional walleye fisheries continue to produce, there is a new one worth looking into this year. Here, we have a look at the best places to fish in Pennsylvania in February. Presque Isle Bay Presque Bay is the new addition to Pennsylvania’s walleye ice fishery. Last winter began a period of good walleye fishing in the bay that continues. Even during the heat of summer, walleye stayed in the bay. So far this has been lightly exploited. This winter on the ice will determine how well it has caught on. Maybe walleye in Lake Erie have become so numerous that they spread into Presque Isle Bay. They have always…

1 Minimum required weight in pounds for a bass to be considered legal in MLF/BPT competition 1.76 Average weight in pounds of all bass caught in MLF Cup competition between 2012-18 20.09 Average weight in pounds per round in MLF Cup competition 8.3 Weight of heaviest bass caught in MLF Cup competition (Bobby Lane) 22 Number of BPT anglers who’ve won the Bassmaster Classic or Forrest Wood Cup 32 Number of FLW Tour and Bassmaster Angler of the Year awards won by BPT anglers 42.65 Average age of the BPT field 130.2 Combined career earnings — in millions of dollars — of the 80 BPT anglers…

AN OPENING weekend gobbler had wandered down a pine ridge, out of range and ignoring my decoys, when he first had the chance to make a beeline at them. He gobbled at everything, though, including the usual assortment of yelps and clucks. This early in the year, my educated guess was he’d flocked-up with hens I either hadn’t noticed, or that he regularly bumped into hens nearby and was in a hurry to meet them. He lingered close by but out of sight, gobbling at crows, owls, tweety birds, and a distant truck horn on the highway. Desperate for a change in luck, I threw a kee-kee run cadence at him. Right on cue, a boss hen responded, topping the ridge in front of me within moments, her 20-hen entourage…

“WHAT happened to spontaneity?” I asked. “With you, spontaneity usually entails emergency room visits and insurance claims,” Dawn said. “At the very least your impromptu excursions mean substantial inconvenience and discomfort. This time it looks like we’ll be spending an unexpected night in the woods.” “Consider this but a small detour, a mere bump in the road,” I said. “Besides, I never spend an unexpected night in the woods. At this point in my life, having to spend the night in the woods is completely expected. Between vehicle breakdowns and the occasional wrong turn, the unexpected has become the routine. And that’s not counting the times you were really mad at me and I elected to remove myself from your immediate proximity.” “I am really mad,” she said. “It was…

Game & Fish readers are hardcore sportsmen, and don’t all sportsmen have an opinion? You bet. We want to hear your thoughts on our fishing and hunting stories, our gear coverage and how the magazine is laid out. Is there something we’re missing? Can we do a better job? We know you have an opinion. Let’s hear it... CONTACT US EMAIL: todd.kuhn@outdoorsg.com INSTAGRAM: @gameandfishmag FACEBOOK.com/gameandfish TEXT: 404-934-8928 MAIL: Todd Kuhn / GAME & FISH 3330 Chastain Meadows Pkwy., Ste. 200, Kennesaw, GA 30144…

MY ALL-TIME favorite waterfowl gun is now more than 40 years old. The Browning BPS is as relevant to the waterfowl market today as it was when it was released in the late 1970s. These shotguns are extremely durable and reliable thanks to a solid steel receiver and twin steel action bars, and the enclosed receiver prevents gunk and debris from jamming the action in the blind. That steel receiver makes the BPS a bit heavier than competing shotguns, but that’s not always a bad thing — extra weight makes the BPS a smooth-swinging scattergun and the added heft reduces recoil for fast follow-up shots. The bottom-feeding design and tang safety make this gun equally suited for both right- and left-handed shooters, and there’s even a 10-gauge model available if…

Dale Hollow Lake fishing guide Bob Coan concentrates his small-mouth fishing off steep bluffs in the early spring in that world-famous smallmouth factory. The veteran guide believes the bass suspend in places where the water drops to 50 feet or more off sharply angled shoreline where a combination of warmth and depth provides protection and comfort the smallmouths seek. Once he locates suspended fish, Coan puts his go-to bait just above their noses. Coan uses a small, lead-headed jig suspended under a slip bobber, which he can adjust to drop and hold the bait at the precise depth where he locates the bass. He drits over the area, dragging the tiny offering right in front of the suspended bronze-backs until one of them takes the bait, and then it’s “game…

There’s logic behind the premise that winter is the best time to catch lots of crappies. In the winter, crappies congregate in specific areas under the ice week after week, month after month, from freeze-up until ice-out. In a sense, it’s like fishing during the spawn, except the window of opportunity is months instead of weeks, and the attire is snowmobile suits and boots rather than cargo shorts and flip-flops. “Catching crappies through the ice is almost easier than during open water,” says Jeff Evans, professional open-water and ice-fishing guide (jeffevansfishing.com). “They’re in big schools that don’t move a lot, so all you have to do is find one of those schools. After that it’s just a matter of figuring out what they want and how to get them to…

DECEMBER 26 – FEBRUARY 28 WINTER COTTONTAILS Rabbit season continues statewide until Feb. 28. Hunters are allowed to harvest 4 daily (12 in possession). pgc.state.pa.us DECEMBER 26 – FEBRUARY 28 LATE-SEASON SQUIRRELS Hunters can take to the woods one last time for late-season squirrels. Red, Gray, Black and Fox squirrels (combined, 6 daily; 18 possession) are in season until Feb. 28. pgc.state.pa.us FEBRUARY 2-10 2019 GREAT AMERICAN OUTDOOR SHOW Great American Outdoor Show will be held at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg. The show features over 1,000 exhibitors ranging from shooting manufacturers to outfitters to fishing boats and RVs, and archery to art covering 650,000 square feet of exhibit hall space. Saturday 9:00 am to 7:00 pm, Sunday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday 10:00 am…

JANUARY YELLOW PERCH @ PRESQUE ISLE BAY Dip shiners tipped on jigs or suspended under tip-ups now. Look for other anglers for the best spots if new to area. FEBRUARY WALLEYES @ LOWER SUSQUEHANNA RIVER Look for fish in areas with reduced current protected from the main force of the current. MARCH TROUT @ SPRING CREEK Best fly patterns include tiny scuds, small nymphs and streamers like Wooly Buggers when the water is up. APRIL TROUT @ TIONESTA CREEK Ply the creek with live bait, spinners or fly tackle to creel your limit as stocking has fish hungry. MAY BASS @ RAYSTOWN Concentrate on coves in water up to 10-feet. Rocky points attract good numbers of smallmouths now. Senkos are tough to beat. JUNE WALLEYE @ PYMATUNING Spinner rigs tipped…