Susky River Rat

I give nobody information. You are on my boat or you aren’t. I also don’t ask for others info.

I fish the Susquehanna for smallies. River levels are a big key for finding them. After spawn the grass beds seem to come into play if the levels are right. I can tell you smallies do seem to move a lot but they also seem to school in the rivers. Most times you will find the same size fish in those schools.

This sounds like something I would do fingers crossed it does happen to me.

It so not legal here yet but, I assume it will be in the next 5 years or so. It is legal with a medical card. I smoked in my late teens early 20s realized It would be hard to get a good job. I stopped. I know plenty of people who burn one while fishing. I do not. Doesn’t even interest me. The susky is dangerous enough without changing your mental state. I also am not against it being legalized. I am against all the lies of someone functioning better on it. Or the it’s weed I can’t be addicted. I know people who would scrape pennies together to get a bag of weed but, not have money to buy a bag of senkos.

Couldn’t be more true.

@Darth-Baiter to me that did not look as if the river was recently flooded. It just looked like an odd ball tree. They are called accidents for a reason. In my opinion there was no reason for him not to run hard in those conditions. Little ripple no muddy water or other debris. He probably just went through that area a few hours before. I am all for safety but, some things are just in gods hands.

@12poundbass in shallow rivers using jets you run them up on plane and when you see it getting shallower give it more throttle. 1/4-1/2 more on out of the water can be the different of hitting or not. The other idea behind that is you just kind of deflect and slide across the bottom. If you back the throttle off you will hit. Running fiberglass bass boats seems insane where you could hit any floating debris is insane. @Tennessee Boy it’s easy to say slow down now. Unless he was at a crawl. I am willing to bet with the way the water looked lightly choppy and dark he would have never saw that log going 35mph. Add the fact he is more in a **** pit instead of standing up so he can have a better vantage point to read the water. A slower speed would have been less damage.

Man that is scary stuff. I’ve hit rocks and sunken trees in my boat going probably half the speed. Thank god for jets. I don’t even think having a center console where you can stand you would have saw that at speed quick enough to react. Rivers are ever changing scary places to run wide open.

@TnRiver46 the susky that works to a point. I’ve had some great days in slack pools of 5’ of water in late November.

I used to use the rule if my reels aren’t freezing no lightening and no super crazy rain. Now it needs to be a high of 45, very little chance of rain. If it’s going to be 85 plus I tend to sneak out early. As far as probability of catching fish? Well it always goes up when I’m out on the water vs at home. wind can be a factor for me but, it’s just just more pain then a danger factor where I am at. If it’s going to be really windy I will abandon the river and go to a lake. It’s near impossible to read the water to not hit rocks.

I don’t know if seadek is worth it when the deck is plywood. My 2019 tracker 160 has a plywood deck. I think yours would as well. The biggest thing you can do is wash wash wash and flush the motor. If you could find an aluminum trailer to fit the boat that would be best. Once Galvanized coating is off at a spot is useless. Which it’s very thin unless it’s a hot dip. It also depends on how long yoj plan to keep the boat. if it’s just a for now boat I’d do basic stuff. If it’s a forever boat do everything you can to make it as salt water friendly as possible.

I had shoulder and elbow issues to the point I couldn’t even hold a rod and reel. This was from musky fishing. I just couldn’t put the rods down. Do yourself a favor and take the break when it comes this fall. Your body and mind will thank you.

Batteries, electronics, TMs could easy add 15k plus to a boat just saying. 10 years ago high end trucks have the stuff low end trucks have now. It’s moving forward with technology.

Looks like you don’t have enough brownie points to cash in to get out of it. You should have asked what time you need to be home from fishing then ask if you had to go. Maybe you could have squeaked in sometime. That’s a game I play with my wife.

@Bankc it’s better to know nothing then think you know it all my motto is if I am not going to catch fish my equipment is going to look good while I don’t.

@TnRiver46 that pic looks circa 2002

I’m not a rookie. I am just terrible at fishing. I have a bunch of fun doing it though.

Personally like others have said I’d try the truck or if it’s that remote just have a little tent. I’d be way to scared to sleep on a bass boat.

@gimruis I take my drinking to seriously for fishing to get in the way. ? I would much rather be on my boat fishing sober not catching then at home drinking.

I go home and drink a beer. Kidding. I will change depth and speed first. Thay generally comes with a lure change. Then I change structure.

Glad I saw you guys posting just filled mine out

Welcome to PA and it’s over fished small lakes. You want to for sure hit the susky if you get the chance.

I never drink while fishing. It’s just plain stupid to do it on the susky. The river is down right dangerous on the best conditions. Most lakes here do not allow it because it’s some kind of park. I am usually on a major interstate to get home having any kind of alcohol in my system while towing a trailing it’s a recipe for disaster. I do love drinking. I want to enjoy my buzz/drunk in my home watching tv and eating pizza. Sitting on my deck or porch is a great way to enjoy it too. There is to many responsibilities for me to enjoy drinking while fishing.

@Captain Phil I do like the cable as far as feel goes. It is superior in that regard. I prefer the electric ones though for comfort.

@Stratocat_Joe mine doesn’t take off. It just can’t seem to find “home” it’s not as bad under bridges as it is heavy tree cover. So instead of the 3ft it says it will stay it it might be 6ft? I do know the windier and more current there is the better it seems to stay straight. Sometimes I do a get a case of the “rock” where it will keep over compensating till I manually get it back straight and spot lock it again. Is it perfect? No. I would never want to fish without it though. The pros outweigh the cons for me.