Christian M

I read this article earlier this week ...It's a catch that would make any angler gasp -- and not with pride. A smallmouth bass that was pulled out of the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania had a large cancerous tumor protruding from its jaw. The fish was caught back in November, northwest of Harrisburg, and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission announced this week that independent laboratory tests had confirmed that the tumor was malignant -- an unusual and worrisome development. "Cancerous growths and tumors on fish are extremely rare in Pennsylvania and throughout the U.S., but they do occur," the commission said in a statement, noting that this was the only documented case of a tumor found on a smallmouth bass in Pennsylvania. Fishery at riskOfficials said the discovery, although a one-off at this stage, tapped into broader concerns about the health of fish in the Susquehanna. "As we continue to study the river, we find young-of-year and now adult bass with sores, lesions and more recently a cancerous tumor, all of which continue to negatively impact population levels and recreational fishing," said John Arway, the executive director of the commission. "If we do not act to address the water quality issues in the Susquehanna River, Pennsylvania risks losing what is left of what was once considered a world-class smallmouth bass fishery," he warned. Health warning over fish with sores, lesionsThe commission said it is working with state and federal agencies, as well as other organizations, to try to get to the bottom of what's affecting the smallmouth bass in the middle Susquehanna and lower Juniata rivers. Dr. Karen Murphy, the acting secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, said there was no evidence that cancerous growths in fish are a health hazard to humans. But she warned that people should avoid eating "fish that have visible signs of sores and lesions." Arway said it was up to individual anglers to decide whether to eat the fish they catch. But he noted that catch-and-release regulations for smallmouth bass are in effect for a 98-mile stretch of the Susquehanna, including the area where the cancerous fish was caught. For anyone that has followed the process known as "fracking", or hydraulic fracturing for natural gas, knows that this is an area that has had a tremendous amount fracking activity. The fracking started in 2005, that same year anglers began reporting fish with sores, legions, black spots, and now malignant cancer has been confirmed...any thoughts?

X2, 2 Ton Devcon 30min is the way to go

Toms River Ocean County here

Ive never fished duck island in the winter but ive fished the power plant in Lacey late in the season. Ive always had success but recently they blocked off access to the best area. Id say its worth a shot.

I catch most of my Carp on a 10# braid with a 12# flouro leader, you just have to just let them run then gain line when you can. Eventually you'll get them in, but if you try to horse them in they'll break your line, snap your rod, or straighten your hook out. I usually back way off my drag and use my hand on the spool.

Carp put up a saltwater fight in fresh water. I love yaking for carp, nice fish!

A quality dry bag, CB radio, Air horn, flare gun, safety whistle, magnesium fire starter, tinder, good aluminum pliers, multitool, small bolt cutters (tin snips)...a good SHARP knife (I carry a Gerber pocket knife on my vest & a machete that has a razor sharp blade on one side & a saw on the other)...toilet paper, insect repellant, mosquito net, disinfectant, antiseptic, antibiotic, pain reliever, bandages, medical tape, gauze, suture kit, water purifier tabs, canteen, at least 30' of paracord, rain gear, tarp, about 2' of small tubing...I carry all this and it fits in a drawstring backpack (except the machete) remember, its better to have it & not need it.

Thank God everyone is OK.

Are you leaning toward a glass or aluminum boat? That should be one of the first things you address. I'm guessing from the HP you are looking for you're leaning toward a glass boat. If you fish smaller, more shallow waters then you might want to go tin. If you're fishing bigger, deeper waters then glass is a good choice...just my 2 pennies

Hey Guys, I was out on the water 2 weeks ago when my trolling motor blew out. Its a 12v 55lb Minn-Kota Powerdrive that's going on 12 years old. Last season the lower unit got water in it and burned out the circuit board out. I had it resealed and repaired, but I've reached the point where I'm not willing to put anymore money into fixing it and would rather just buy a new one. When I bought the Powerdrive I liked the idea of electric steer, but now I'm on the fence about going back to cable steer. The thing is I already have the mounting bracket for a Powerdrive model installed and I'm not sure I want to drill anymore holes in the bow of my Tracker. I found a few 12v 45-55lb Powerdrive v2 models in my budget ($500-$700), that will fit in the mounting bracket. My question is are there any 12v MinnKota cable steer motors that fit into the same mounting bracket? Or am I going to have to drill more holes if I wanna go back to cable steer? Any advice and/or suggestions?? Thanks

I keep a pin style key lock on my trailer all the time. Whe. Im in a shady area I put my bike lock through the tire & wrap it around the trailer. Its steel cable wrapped in Kevlar. I also use it when I cartop my kayak.

I don't see anything wrong with rivets, I think it's more an issue of how well the boat has been taken care of. I've fished from plenty of riveted brands mentioned above and they were all solid boats. My buddy has an old riveted 14' Landau and it doesn't leak a bit. As far as fishing 3 people out of one boat, you're going to want to go 16' and up. I have a 17' boat and its really tight with 3 people plus gear.

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/BPSIFrame?catalogId=10051&langId=-1&storeId=10151&targeturl=http://www.trackerboats.com/&tab=4 Which model were you looking at? Seems like any of the 17/18' models suit you're needs & then some.

An anchor trolley and canoe stabilizers are a couple of options that can put you in a position to deliver a more solid hookset. Using a longer rod is a great option along with using a heavier action rod. I recently started kayak fishing and I ran into this same issue, it's a lot different than standing on the deck of my boat.

I just got two of the soft plastic eels, I can't wait to go Pike & Musky fishing with them.

WOW! Nice find man!... you've got well over $30 worth of tackle there, I'm jealous lol!

That was my exact thought after it happened! I went into my swimbait box and tied on the biggest sunfish swimbait I had...no luck though

I've seen hammerheads chase & take tarpon plenty of times. IMHO I think this is something that happens much more frequently in salt water rather than fresh water. Either way its biter sweet lol...

Last week I was fishing a local reservoir around 6pm. The Bass weren't biting & I only had a short amount of time to fish. I decided to move into the standing timber and start tossing a roadrunner on my ultralight. I hooked into about my fifth bluegill when my rod doubled over and my drag started peeling. I thought the bluegill had wrapped itself around a tree, but as I got the fish closer to the boat, I saw a massive Largemouth. I got the fish right up to the side of the boat, but when the Bass saw me, it shook its head and spit the bluegill out. Judging by the size of the bluegill that it swallowed, and the look I got of it in the water, I estimated it at around 8#s. I've caught 6# bass out of this reservoir before, but this was the biggest bass I'd ever seen in this lake. I've only ever seen this happen one time on TV, have any of you guys ever had this happen & did you land the fish??

All due respect, not wearing a life jacket while fishing out of a kayak isn't the smartest thing to do. You can go to the sporting goods store and get one of the inflatable PFD's so that it doesnt feel like you're wearing a vest at all. I've been on the water all my life and the only time I dont wear my vest is when I'm on my trolling motor on my Boat. When I'm in my Kayak or Canoe, the vest never comes off. I made the mistake of leaving my vest in my Canoe instead of wearing it once, and all I can say is thank God I'm a good swimmer.

I fished off the bank for a LONG time before I got my first boat, and I caught my some of my best fish doing so. I would usually fish with a casting setup. I would go out with a 7' MHM rod and a 7.0:1 reel spooled up with 10lb powerpro. When I brought a spinning setup I would go with a 7'1" MF with a 6.4:1 reel spooled up with 8lb flouro.

Always follow up short strikes/missed blowups/ follows ups with a soft plastic bait...Senko, Berkley Powerworm, or whatever your choice may be

Thanks Flyfisher, the clips on the side are paddle holders. The anchor trolley is on the other side, heres a pic, the top rope is tucked under the tracks & can't be seen. Native sells a board for the Ultimate that slides into the tracks where I can mount a fish finder. I'm still debating whether I should buy a second base and transducer so that I can use my Humminbird 581HDi, or just buy another unit.