L.D.

Our North Branch Susquehanna River Smallies seldom get real big, but here are a few of last seasons.

Blue sunny sky, blue water, man, I don't know if I can make it through to open water again without going nuts! It snowed here today.

Nice pic. Great color on that bass. Good to get the wife fishing also.

3" *** Trick Sticks on a lead head jig, The LD Smallie Slammer in my waters ;D

Hail from New Albany. Pop 323. Full time fishing guide going on 29 years. North Branch Susky, 7 days a week. Still love it! Lance

Nope. Been a fishing guide now for 26 years. From ice out to ice in 7 days a week if I can. Never gets boring, why? Because I get to take out someone new every day. There is always something new in a way of a challenge to get each person to catch fish. I've even taken out combo fishing and bird watchers. Hook yourself up with an organized youth group, retirement home, veterns group, church group, so you take someone new out on your boat to keep it interesting. L.D.

I may be getting old, but naked men trying to sell bait to a mostly male customer base, I don't get it! YUK! Now if they were naked women, I'd cut out the ad and take it with me. Yup, I'm a dog. L.D.

From the North Branch of the Susquehanna here. Been a full time guide now going on 26 years. Just about got all the rocks named by now, I've probibly hit most of them with the boat at one time or another. L.D.

Smallmouth for me, however I've never caught a peacock bass before. I hear they are great on topwater lures. L.D.

Back in 2000, around noon, my client was eating lunch, I threw a top water rapala sputterbug over a big boulder in shallow water. A 16" smallie came up and took it back down to the boulder where a 19" smallie tried to take it away and got caught on the other hook. The photo is in my 2000 photo section of my web page. Last photo on the bottom. www.ldguideservice.com

Being a guide, I get to teach kids how to fish many times durring the season. They come with Mom, Dad, Gramps, or Uncle who do their own fishing and the youngster and I catch fish. Each child is unique in their learning ability and patience. But it's the greatest thing to watch them catch their first fish on their own. You,ve go to keep their interest up at all times. Even if it's a game you make up like how many casts you can do without getting caught on the bottom,(we fish in a river), they will eventually catch a fish with no assistance. Having fun is priority #1 so they will want to go again. L.D.

I agree, this is one of the most friendliest sites around. Even this old dog learns a trick or two around here. L.D.

1) The Linders, the only fishing show I care to watch L.D.

1) Get yourself a first class web site made and change the content often so the same people will come back to read what you have. Client photo's are more important than yours. Repete clients like to see themselves on line. Newsletters that are contantly updated are also important. And put all info on the site includeing your rates. Make the people want to book right on the spot by e-mail instead of having to wait to call you for more info. Check mine out at www.ldguideservice.com 2) the old broshure works to some extent at outdoor shows, also put them in tackle stores if they will let you 3) You've go to prove yourself that you can get the client fish. Gaurentee that they will catch a fish or they don't pay for the trip, or it can be rescheduled. If you can't do that, you shouldn't be guideing( I've been skunked twice in 25 years, and that was in floods) Clients will take a chance on a guide when they have nothing to loose. When you proove yourself to them, they will be back and bring friends. 4) After you start and need some advise, just PM me and we'll chat. L.D.

You betcha! L.D.

OK story time First week of November this year I had a client on board that wanted to ties his own jigs on. He broke off and I gave him a new one. As I was running the trolling motor back out away from shore, I hear,"Oh L.D. can you give me some help with this. I turned around and he had a round ball jig head through his bottom lip! That silver lead jig head with the red hook just sparkled in the sun and I asked him if he was makeing a new fashion statement. Since it was all the way through I just cut off the barb and backed it out. A little while later after he was calmer I asked him how he did it? Seems he can't see all that well and put the hook in his mouth and threaded the line through the hook eye with both hands, his rod was resting on his knee and it slipped off setting the hook. L.D.

Jigs! In either a tube or a Yum Dinger. Also grub spinners worked well in the summer. L.D.

Gee, I've been hired before but never rented(I feel so cheap) I suggest you also find out if they are a full time guide or part time. Often part time guides don't have insurance, up to date certification in CPR and First Aid, and haven't been following the daily movement of the bass. Fee's vary greatly. I give a 8 hr day, with my tackle, and can throw in a cottage on the river to stay for $210.00/day for two people. L.D.

Try a Boss Moss, or any topwater lure with the hooks turned up. L.D.

I fish with different people daily, some good, some more difficult. But my favorite fishing partner is my wife. She's good at it and really enjoys her time on the water. L.D.

Let the bass go, eat the walleye, more and better tasteing meat L.D.

I'm a full time fish guide, but I get great recreation from it. I must produce fish every day or I don't get paid. I have a policy, if you don't catch a fish, you don't pay for the charter so that part is much like being in a daily tournament.. L.D.

I was doing good until the high water hit last weekend and then a flood today . Chartering 6 to 7 days a week. It's a good job when the river lets you go :-/ L.D.

On my charters, we practice selective harvest. If someone wants to eat a few bass, on my boat they can keep the 12" to 14" and I will even clean the fish for them. However a 15" smallie in the river I fish are on average 8 years old and it's a shame to kill and old breeder like that to feed you for 10 minites. So any smallies 15" of bigger go back in the water. Just on my boat, we boat over 5500 fish a season. Less than 1% get harvested by choice. We could have an impact on the area we fish if we kept all that was legal to keep. Walleyes I allow them to keep 15" to 22" all others go back. L.D.

I'm below you in Pensylvania, so it can't be much different. Try a tube jig for big smallies. Dark color if the water is stained and green pumpkin if it's more clear. Want to catch more fish go down to a 3" tube. Also try a "do nothing worm on a round jig head like a 3" Case Magic stick, or a senko, or a good one is a Yum Dinger in green pumpkin w/chart tip. A no brainer is a reble crayfish crank bait, or a repala #7 Husky Jerk. Most of the time in the fall the smallies are feeding up for winter and will strike most anything. Want to have some fun? If you get mostly clear water on an overcast day try a topwater floater like a Chug Bug, or a Pop-R. Good fishing L.D.