Susky River Rat

@T.J. unless you are going to run a jet like a jet I highly advise against one. Don’t get me wrong I love my boat and having a jet for what I do. Plain and simple jets suck. They suck to steer they suck gas they suck for speed they suck for comfort they suck grass and leafs making you dead in the water. Again I would still not change back to a prop I love my jet it’s just the stuff people never tell you about them. I think the reason the guides survive as well as they do on the susky is most people who use them do not have the equipment to run it themselves. Just like I do not have the equipment to run a big lake.

Glad to hear them standing behind their stuff. I can’t ever tell if my stuff is leaking due to quality or the fact I destroy it off rocks all the time. This goes for any brand not just 6th sense.

These guides need to get out of my honey holes 😂😂

Yeah, I’m big on the used what has always worked for you. I run ethanol free with marine 360. That’s just me never had issues. If you aren’t having issues don’t change it.

It’s illegal in PA to make multiple casts at a visible bed. I will fish creek mouths a lot.

When I worked second shift I used to musky fish 40 hours a week. I barely slept. Some days I’d fish 12 hours. Now that I bass fish I am completely happy with 3-5 hour trips. I get on them or I don’t. Fishing became a job to me when I was putting in that time. It wasn’t fun it’s just “what I did and who I am”. I do love fishing. I need it as my therapy. Don’t let it over run your life or you will end up unhappy with it.

Welcome to the boating world! Sounds like you have a great rig. Like anything you will be constantly tweaking it till you get it to right where you want it. take some time to just cruise in the boat. Learn what it will do in situations don’t just fish out of it and never learn it.

You should be looking Harrisburg and north. I have heard great things about Jason and Mike from here http://www.susquehannasmallmouthsolutions.com/guides-test.html When Ike goes with a guide he generally goes with those guys https://www.gratefulguides.com/about-us.php personally I would probably go with Joe from here. http://www.susquehannasmallmouthguides.com I have never been with a guide. I do see them out quite often. I have no affiliation to them or even talk to them. This is all just word of mouth from around here. I am sure there are other quality guides. One of my biggest suggestions is whoever you choose make sure they have an inboard tunnel hull jet(rock proof, alumaryder, river raptor etc) This will be the safest, comfortable and best experience to fish out of. water level is going to be the biggest factor of where, when and how they will get you on fish. If you have any other general questions about the susky please ask.

Welcome! One of these days I hope to put in the upper Potomac! Just never get down there.

I try to cover water till I find fish. Then if I find them I will beat that area up UNLESSS I know there are multiple spots very similar to that. The. I stop catching in that area I will run to the next and the next and the next. If there are none get me some graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows I am going to be camping.

It’s interesting how everyone has their own tick with bass fishing. Some want DD. Some like the simple serentiy of untouched water(cough @ol'crickety). Some just like breaking down water. Others like getting people on fish. Some fish tournaments. Some just like having their rod bent. i wish you luck on this endeavor but, do not get to caught up you forget to have fun fishing.

The pattern for me has been roughly the same cranking creek mouths hard and fast. However my last time out I was having to drop shot and be very slow. Been averaging 2-4 fish an hour most trips. Nothing remarkable size or numbers wise. I do expect this pattern to go away very soon.

Social media makes DD bass look like they jump in the boat. What you never see is the hours it takes behind that picture, story 20 minute video to get that DD. Lot’s of time on the “right” water. Even with FFS it comes down to time on the water. From what I gather a lot of the DD hunters that catch them on a some on regular basis are trying to catch just DD and will skunk themselves in hopes of a DD. It doesn’t mean fishing the most productive bodies of water. It means fishing the ones with the highest output of DD. You are trying to catch the lowest percentage of bass in a body of water. I will more than likely never see a DD. That doesn’t bother me. There are some on here that can really point you in the right direction as far as presentations for them.

Not really a leave the house thing but when I get to the boat ramp I send my wife the GPS coordinates. That way if something would possibly happen there is a starting point

It’s amazing how when you back it down a little mph wise how much MPG you can start to save. Most highways here are 65 I’ll run 62 towing I’ll gain 2-3 mpg. Less wear and tear on the truck and a couple more pennys saved is a win win. It won’t afford me a new house but, I’ll be able to get a soda on the way home 😂😂

Sounds like great weather to call of work and get on the boat.

Advil and monster. usually I eat some form of dry cereal with chocolate milk on the side. If the wife goes and it applicable we will stop at Chick-fil-A. I am usually up at 3:30-4am everyday breakfast really isn’t my thing ever. I try to leave at a certain time but if I don’t make that time no biggie. I hate running on any kind of schedule to much like work. I get there when I get there I leave when I leave. It’s much more enjoyable for me that way.

That’s just insanely ignorant that someone would do that. I’ve got into it with some kayakers on lakes. Anymore I just shake my head and be on my way. No need to argue. Not worth it I’ll go catch the fish they are ticked they aren’t catching. living in PA and fishing the river I just assume everyone I meet has a gun on them. I think most others do too and that’s why there are few arguments on the river.

River level seems to be the single most important thing this time of year for me on the river. Spring time is a mix of weather I don’t put my head into any of it generally

I know with maps, google earth, FFS side scan, down scan all help in finding fish and structure to develop repeatable patterns. How have you found some of your milk run spots? Was it using technology? Word of mouth? Electronics? Nature? I was an exclusive musky fishermen before I started bass fishing. A majority of where I bass fish now came from musky fishing. Not that I ever caught a ton of bass musky fishing but, I made notes of everything mental and written down. I use mainly nature and reading water in my river. Electronics help make some of the areas repeatable and everyone talks. I just found it interesting how I used a completely different species to find the bass I catch now.

I have the terrova quest and have had no issues with this. Ironically if I was standing in the back of my old boat with my terrova that was not a quest it would do this.

Kayaks have that little waddle to them to begin with. I look at where that bow is pointing on them. If someone starts changing course drastically I am backing off the throttle and changing mine as well. Staying your course as the head on boat makes it much easier for the give way boat to know what you’re doing. I know I’ll hear “not everyone knows the rules of the water” you can’t you blame just boaters when most of the kayakers here have no clue when it’s mandatory life jacket season. That’s even posted at almost all the ramps.

@Dwight Hottle yes, it was great for both of us. Weather was awesome got on some fish and got home safe. Can’t ask for much more.

I headed out on the susky both days this weekend. On Saturday I went with my dad who is recovering from kidney cancer. It was the first time I got to fish with him this year. Actually ahead of schedule. Sunday I went with a buddy. the pattern for both days was pretty much the same. Burning crank baits smashing them into rocks. My dad did get some on ned rigs too. Both trips were about 3-4 hours. I’d say for the weekend a total of 40ish fish were boated. Nothing crazy. My buddy did however get a rare large mouth.

River has been pretty good. Getting them on cranks.