A few weeks late, but...

I promised to share some of my pics from my outdoorsy borthday getaway weekend, so here they are:

My Birthday

Today is my birthday, and although I don't believe that it's a national holiday (yet), I'm taking the remainder of the day off to enjoy some other aspects of life like trout fishing :)

A fishing weekend coming up!

Unfortunately, with so many outdoor projects at home (landscaped the front lawn, putting a deck around my pool, laying a paver stone walkway in the backyard, built a rock wall and a playground for the kids), I haven't had any time to really enjoy the great outdoors the way I'd like to. My outdoor experiences were limited to a fishing trip to Cape May, one camping trip, and a few mountain bike rides.

My birthday is Monday, and I'll turn 34. As part of my bday present, my wife reserved a weekend trip at Lake Wallenpaupack so I can do a few days of fishing, knowing full well that the only thing I cared to do for my birthday was to do something outdoorsy.

Hopefully, when I return, I'll have some great pictures to share with you all.

Archery season starts soon!

I don't know about you, but I'm gearing up for archery season. Like any avid hunter, I'm making sure that my bow is sighted properly so that there are no mistakes in firing that arrow. After sighting, I'll be practicing about a half an hour a day to make sure that my shots are accurate. The best rule in hunting is make sure of your shot - you always want a humane hunt.

Camping essentials: dryer lint

There are many fire starters to use when getting your campfire going. Some people prefer to have available some newspaper, toilet paper, or some other burnable material. Oh, and if you're not aware you can also use the bark from a birch tree.

One thing I like to take along with me is dryer lint (I store mine in a zip lock bag). It's extremely flammable.

Backpack essentials: pepper spray

I just finished reading last month's Field & Stream and found an interesting article on preventing bear attacks. One essential you'll need to have is pepper spray. Surprisingly, it has been proven to be more effective against bears than guns. Pepper spray was proven to be effective 92% of the time, when firearms only proved to be 66% effective. Personally, when I'm hunting I would prefer to have both available :)

How I surf fish

This post is for all you novices who aren't really sure how to fish from a shore line. Next time you visit the beach, try this technique and you might find yourself reeling in more fish than anyone else around you.

I took this approach by taking a mix of trout fishing using live bait and bay fishing (from a boat) techniques.

What you'll need:
3-way fishing swivel
Saltwater rod
Size 1 saltwater hooks
3 oz saltwater sinker
squid bait

First, cut the squid bait in a trapezoid shape similar to the way you see it below:

The trick is to cut the squid about 4" - 5" long, about 1/2" - 1" wide at one side and down to 1/4" - 1/2" on the other side.


Next, set up your rig as follows:

Note: the line from the swivel to the sinker should be between 8" - 18", and the line from the swivel to the hook should be between 12" - 18".

This rig works because when the sinker settles to the ground, the current will make the bait flap around in the water above the ground. I use a similar rig in freshwater areas like rivers and streams where the current is stronger than usual (like after rain).

When you bait the hook, you want to make sure that you put the thicker end of the cut squid through the hook. Put two pieces of squid on the hook!!!! Most fishermen put only one squid on the hook, but putting two pieces will make the fish more curious because the bait is presented differently. Plus, putting two pieces on the hook makes the bait look more realistic under water. Note: hooking on two wax worms in trout streams is just as effective, especially during the hot summer when the fish don't want to bite and near the opening day of trout season. But in trout waters, it's best to use a small treble hook. Last time I went trout fishing, I caught a 2 1/2 lb. trout near Tunkhannock, PA (most legal size trout are too small to weigh) using 2 wax worms on one hook.

When fishing the surf on the beach, I usually try to cast about 20 yards out and leave just enough slack for the line to settle. Count to 60 (slowly) and reel in a little bit of line (this best works by tipping the rod up and reeling in slack). Count to 20 (slowly) and reel in a little more line again. By the third or fourth time around if you have no bites, recast. Last time I used this rig, I caught 4 legal size flounder off the coast of Cape May in less than 30 minutes.