Scene from last year’s jump!

In Wired Outdoors fashion, when we get involved in something we are all in!  So we will be filming this event and we will be taking the plunge with many of our Wired Outdoors fans!  So all you Wired Outdoors fans, band together and we are asking you to join us and have a great time for a great cause as we take the plunge into the Allegheny River in Parker, Pennsylvania.

• Event: 4th Annual Parker Polar Bear Plunge – “Freezin’ For A Reason!”
• When: January 1, 2010
  Registration 11:00am-1:30pm
  Safety meeting, at 1:45pm
  Plunge at 2:00pm
• Where: Parker City Boat Launch (311 North River Avenue, Parker, PA 16049)
• Who: Parker Polar Bear Club
• Why: Benefits Hunt of A Lifetime and Parker Parks and Recreation
• Cost: $10 registration fee (free t-shirt to all participants)

Additional Information:

• $50 prize for “Most Unique Plunging Attire”
• Chinese auction for items donated by local business.
• 50/50 raffle.

While the cost is only $10 a person, we are encouraging folks to go out there and get sponsors and help us raise as much as possible for our kids who we will be sending on their “Hunt of A Lifetime”.  Questions or comments should be directed to Tony Davenport at 724.659.5114 and we look forward to seeing you all very soon!

An all-star lineup featuring Michael Waddell, Lee & Tiffany Lakosky, Stan Potts, Ralph & Vicki Cianciarulo, Mark Menendez, Bob Clouser and many more will present seminars and meet those attending the 2010 Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show.

“Our 2010 lineup of seminar speakers is like a who’s who of hunting and fishing. The amount of experience, knowledge and skill that will be shared with attendees will be huge. If you want to be a better hunter or angler, the Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show is a must,” says Chris O’Hara, Event Director, Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show.

Michael Waddell– Appearing February 11-14

Through his Outdoor Channel shows Bone Collectors, Realtree Roadtrips with Michael Waddell, Hunt Masters, and Turkey Call, Waddell has become one of the most popular and entertaining personalities in hunting world. Waddell drives over 20,000 miles each year to hunt, and his real-life experiences make him a favorite on the outdoor show circuit.

“Michael Waddell was a huge success at last year’s show and a valued member of our Whitetail Deer Panel. We are thrilled to have him back at the 2010 Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show. He is just as knowledgeable and entertaining in person as he is on his television shows. He takes the time to personally speak with everyone that comes to the booth to meet him, so the visitors to our Show love him.” says O’Hara.

Michael Waddell will share his deer hunting experiences and tips and tricks during daily seminars during his appearance days, as well as participate on the Whitetail Deer Panel with other deer hunting experts.

Lee & Tiffany Lakosky–Appearing February 6-14

Husband and wife hunters, Lee and Tiffany Lakosky, are best known as stars of Getting’ Close–one of the highest-rated shows in outdoor television–and their newest show, The Crush with Lee & Tiffany.

“What can I say… people just love Lee and Tiffany,” says O’Hara.

In addition to being celebrities, the Lakoskys are very accomplished hunters. They spend countless hours sharpening their hunting skills and actively managing their land for trophy whitetails in eastern Iowa.

Many hunters recognize the couple from the widespread use of many of their trophy photos and magazine articles which have appeared in dozens of high profile publications and catalogs over the past few seasons.

Stan Potts–Appearing February 6-8

In 40 years of hunting, Stan Potts has harvested numerous whitetail bucks with a bow, three of which scored over 200 inches. He also took another 200 incher with a TC muzzleloader.

Potts gives hunting seminars all across North America and has been the subject of many feature magazine articles. His hunting successes have been featured in North American Whitetail magazine and several other media sources. He has appeared in several hunting videos and television shows, including Realtree Outdoors and Hunter’s Specialties Prime Time series. He is a co-host of North American Whitetail Television on the Outdoor Channel. He is also featured on Whitetail Country on ESPN and Hunt Masters on the Outdoor Channel. Pots hunts 100% wild whitetails on public and private property and is well known for his expertise in treestand placement and patterning bigger, mature bucks.

Ralph & Vicki Cianciarulo–Appearing February 6-9

Ralph and Vicki Cianciarulo, of Lanark, Illinois, are co-hosts of the award-winning Archer’s Choice and The Choice television shows.

Vicki Cianciarulo is credited with taking the largest wild white-tailed deer by a female on camera, with her Colorado buck scoring over 200 inches. She also has numerous black bear, caribou, moose, dall sheep, whitetail, mule deer, antelope, a turkey Grand Slam, and many different African species to her credit. Her history includes outfitting and guiding for both bear and deer, serving on conservation boards and editing and producing television shows.

Ralph Cianciarulo is a well-known international bowhunter, a noted videographer, a seminar speaker, and a TV personality for the Outdoor Channel.

“North America’s Favorite Hunting Couple,” the Cianciarulos have worked from the bottom up to earn a reputation that is second to none in the hunting industry.

Bob Clouser– Appearing February 12-13

Clouser’s love of the outdoors, especially fishing, led him into the fishing business. He continues to guide, teach and share his enjoyment with others. He will present casting demonstrations, using visual aids and casting weighted flies and lines, as well as lectures on “Fly Fishing for Smallmouth Bass” about catching smallmouth from top to bottom using flies and “Fly Fishing Adventures”, about various species that can be caught on fly rod and flies.

Clouser has received numerous awards for his strong conservation work including his induction into the national Fresh Water Fishing Hall of fame as Legendary Angler. In 2000, he was named National Angler of the Year by Fly Rod and Reel Magazine.

Mark Menendez– Appearing February 6-8

There are few bass fishing professionals on the national scene like Mark Menendez, who is currently ranked 17th in the world. On the water, the 44-year-old Paducah, Kentucky angler has spent the past 18 years earning the reputation of a warrior on tour. He finished fifth in the Angler-of-the-Year points, after winning the Lake Dardanelle tournament on the BASS Elite Series in 2009. His career earnings of more than $900,000 along with success in individual tournaments (three wins and 18 top-ten finishes) and season-long point standings are testament to his dedication and skill.

Menendez, who has fished the Bassmaster Tour since 1991, has held the record for the biggest bass, weighing 13-pounds, 9-ounces, ever caught in a bass tournament.

Cost
$32.49 online

Product features

• Patented, precision-engineered, multi-angle flip-over knife clamp
• Sharpening hones on color-coated, finger-grooved safety holders
• One guide rod for each honing stone
• Specially formulated honing oil
• Extra long knife clamp screws
• Custom molded storage/carrying case to hold all system components
• Complete easy-to-follow multi-lingual instructions

Lansky sharpening angles

• 17 degree – A severe angle recommended for razor blades, X-Acto blades, scalpels or similar tools.  Provides an extremely sharp but delicate edge.
• 20 degree – A commonly used angle for higher quality blades and provides an excellent edge for kitchen cutlery and filet knives
• 25 degree – The recommended angle for most knives that need a durable, sharp edge.  Ideal for hunting and outdoor knives
• 30 degree – An outstanding angle for knives that see the heavy use of cutting cardboard, wire or carpets.  Recommended for heavy duty use.

Personal Assessment of product

Until coming across the Lansky Sharpening System, I was never able to put a sharp durable edge on my knives.  I’ve tried whetstones and though I could put a serviceable edge on my knife, it was never truly sharp.  I had friends, and family who were willing to sharpen my knives for me, but I was always bothered by not being able to do it myself.  I came across the Lansky Sharpening System from a co-worker.  He was telling me about his knife sharpening kit and offered to let me try one of my knives on it.  After receiving the kit and a few instructions from my friend, I gave it a shot.  I took the system home that evening and brought my dull hunting knife to a razor sharp edge on my first try.  This was the first time I was able to get a truly sharp edge on my hunting knife.  I was amazed at how easy this system was to use and purchased a Lansky that night.  After receiving my system in the mail, I had all my hunting knives honed and ready for the upcoming hunting season.  The great thing about this sharpening system is that it takes the “art” out of sharpening knives.  Just put your knife in the clamp, decide what angle you want on your blade, attach the rods to the hones, and use the slots built into the clamp to bring you knife to a razor sharp finish.  Though I already had an idea how to use the sharpening kit, the instructions were thorough and easy to follow.

Product Limitations

There are only a couple of things I could mention as “limitations” when using the Lansky Knife Sharpening Systems.  This system is used by running a hone over the knife as the fixed surface, as compared to running a knife over a whetstone as the fixed surface.  A little more care is needed when using the Lansky Sharpening System. The same friend, who introduced me to this kit, also cut himself bad when the hone slipped off the blade and ran his finger into the knife edge.  This is completely avoidable ,and the system is safe to use, but always use care when dealing with knives.  Also when doing large knives (above 6-7 inches) it is recommended to do ½ of the knife at a time.  When trying to sharpen the whole knife at once, the angle changes too much and the rods might not be long enough.  I have done our chef’s kitchen knife ½ at a time, and though it took a little longer, the end result was great.

Recommendation

The Lansky Sharpening System is easy to use and has brought out razor sharp edges on knives I have never been able to get sharp before.  The process of sharpening my knives before owning the Lansky Sharpening System had been frustrating and often times impossible.  After using this system, I believe this product would work great in any outdoorsmen’s home.

I would also like to tell everyone a very special story that happened to us a few days ago at the Clarion County Youth Field Day banquet.  Each year, Randy Culberson of Sportsman Outfitters and one of the organizers of the Clarion County Youth Field Day invites us to the annual event.  Initially I was not going to be able to attend the event due to a scheduled hunt that we were filming.  A phone call from the guide earlier in the week said he wanted to hold off that the birds just weren’t here yet.  So a phone call later and I was off to Clarion County for the banquet.

Our buddy Sawyer – He is WIRED!

Some More Wired Fans!

At the banquet each year, Kyle Schwabenbauer, Co-Host Wired Outdoors, presents the highlight Youth Field Day video to all the guests.  This year, Randy asked if we could also show our Hunt of A Lifetime videos that we did the past year.  Once Kyle was done showing the highlight video I would be showing the Arianna video and Michael Ciarlone clip. (You can see both those videos at the bottom of this story)  Before showing the videos Randy informed me that since we weren’t quite ready to begin our fund raising for this year’s Hunt of A Lifetime kids, he had come up with an idea just hours before.  He purchased a small Christmas tree about three feet high and hung lottery tickets and a couple of gift certificates on the tree for decorations. He informed me that he was going to sell raffle tickets for the tree and donate all the money for our “Hunt Of A Lifetime” kids.  I was very thankful and expressed my gratitude because any money we can raise is always appreciated it, but really didn’t know what to expect.

Amy Shoup from Strattanville, PA won the Hunt of a Lifetime raffle. It was a live Christmas tree filled with lottery tickets, $100 gift cert, $50 savings bond and a Traditions muzzleloader. Congrats Amy!!

After showing the Arianna video and the Michael Ciarlone clips there were a lot of folks who I could tell were really touched by our work.  Shortly after the presentation, I had to get on the road as I had a 4 hour car ride and had to be at the airport the following morning to fly out to Illinois.  About an hour down the road, I get a text from Kyle saying, “An anonymous donor just said they would match any money raised for the Hunt of A Lifetime kids.” About another hour down the road I get a call from Kyle saying, “How much money do you think they just raised for our kids?”, I replied, “I have no idea, maybe $500?”  Kyle said, “Try $3600.00!”  I was floored.  There are not many times in my life where I don’t have something to say, I was truly speechless.  In a year, when the economy is so bad to have folks open their hearts and wallets like that was truly humbling.

Clarion County Sportsmen for Youth raised over $3600 for Hunt of a Lifetime in less than two hours at their banquet. CCSFY President, Eric Black, presents Kyle with the money!! Thanks guys for everything!!!

I have so many things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving and they just keep rolling in.  I would like to thank all the folks from the banquet who purchased tickets, to the anonymous donor, Randy Culberson and all the CCSFY committee members and the list goes on. Thank you again, I can’t say it enough and I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!!!

For those who haven’t seen the Arianna video and Michael Ciarlone clip, you can click on the videos below.  They both will make you truly thankful for all you have.

I won’t be redundant in the thanks to everyone involved with the September 19, 2009 3-D Benefit shoot. But as we know if it weren’t for those people that see the good in all people and the importance of God in our daily lives the world we live would be in worse condition.   Without our sponsors and those of you who want to make a difference none of this would of been possible.

The preparation for the day was very time consuming. Once you see the outcome and the day comes to an end you can feel the relief and sensation of a task well done.

Once again there were many firsts as are with the great outdoors we all cherish so much.  New friends, old acquaintances, first time shooters, young and old combating the same passion united as one, and smiles that will last a lifetime.  Being blessed with the presence of Tina Pattison, Hunt of a Lifetime Founder, Arianna Evans one of our Hunt of a Lifetime children. Allowing the unknown person to experience the wow factor.

As I listened to so many people comment about the day and ask how to “Get WIRED”.  They are pumped and now hopefully they ARE “WIRED”.

To those that weren’t able to attend you can still be apart of our wonderful family. Get involved, get “WIRED”, and continue your support.  Thank you all for your kindness.

Take time to take a friend, loved one or a first timer and introduce them to our wonderful sport.

Above, Pat Gonsman, United Bow Hunters of PA

Sportsman Portal Field Staff, (from left to right), Don Ott, Teresa Patterson, Kyle Schwabenbauer and Andy Traister with Arianna Evans in the center. Arianna was presented with a plaque made by Joanie Haidel, Joanie’s Beard Busting Calls.

Buying raffle tickets for prizes.

The “running deer crew”, Jimmy Patterson (Teresa’s son) and his good friend Nick Eberhardt.

Rex Fahr (right) Teresa’s dad organized the 3-D shoot, and Brenda Martz, President of the Loop Sportsman Club.

Tina Pattison’s son, Jaimie and his daughter shooting her bow.

The running deer target group effort

Arianna driving her chariot.

Wendy and Mark Blystone some of our “Wired Fans” from Facebook and My Space came out to join us for the shoot that day.

Rex, Jr. (Teresa’s brother) and his wife, Larissa Fahr enjoy the concession.

Thanks to all our sponsors.

Jimmy Young and crew came out to support the cause.

Is he milking that deer???

East Coast Archery Manager talking with John Ott.

The “gut gang”

Tanner enjoying the ride.

Ben Fahr (Teresa’s brother) and John Lubert out for the shoot.

Nice Sportsman Portal fan truck!

Cost
Drift sock  $19.99 – $44.99

Drift sock Harness $9.99 with purchase of sock

Product features

Fast drying 420 – denier oxford nylon
Weights and floats sewn in for easy opening
Recommended for winds up to 15 mph
Winds over 15 mph… add another drift sock to your setup
Extremely puncture resistant
Drift sock harness with float is $9.99 with purchase of drift sock

Personal Assessment

I have been using the Cabela’s Advanced Angler Pro Series drift sock for a couple years now, and I consider it a must have when drift fishing.  I position myself at the top of the area I want to drift and throw the sock into the water attaching it to a cleat on the boat.  The weights and floats, sewn into the sock allow it to open quickly and position the sock when in the water.  One of my favorite lakes to fish always seems to have a chop and blows up often.  Without the drift sock, fishing this lake would be difficult on most days and impossible on others.  As everyone knows, when drift fishing or trolling, presentation is what puts fish in the boat.  The drift sock greatly increases my odds by slowing my baits down and holding them in front of the fish longer.  I also purchased the harness with the float for $9.99 and found it well worth the price.  Attach the harness to your sock and you have the capability to disconnect the drift sock from your boat should you hook into a big fish and don’t want the sock in the way.   After landing the fish motor back to the float on the harness and recover your sock.  The Cabela’s Drift Sock is definitely a great product and well worth the price if you want controlled drifts in the wind.

Recommendation

The Cabela’s Advanced Angler Pro Series Drift Sock has helped me boat many fish by slowing up my presentation and allowing me the control I otherwise wouldn’t have on a windy day.  The durability and construction of this product is just as impressive as its benefits on the boat.  After two years of use, the Cablea’s drift sock looks as if I just took it out of the box.  Overall, I would consider the Cabela’s drift sock an essential item when tackling choppy waters while drift fishing or trolling.

My first fish of the day.  I would say a very good start!

Not knowing exactly where or what we were going to fish for, I knew I really wanted to show Shawn, a western PA guy, a good time in the Southeast part of the state, so the man to call was Eric Richards of Coveted Waters.  As usual Eric said lets play it by ear and we decided to wait and see what the weather was like before we determined if we were going to fish the river or go trout fishing.

Shawn’s First Fish Of The Day.

The day came for Shawn to get in town and Eric said that he thought a float trip down the Juniata was a good call, so like I say, “I learned a long time ago, always listen to your guide.”

Another nice smallie on the Clackacraft

Eric floats the Juniata in a unique way, on a clackacraft drift boat.  I have never fished from one of these boats before and they are awesome, lots of room, very stable and easy to steer.  You are talking about three pretty big guys between myself, Shawn and Eric and we had all the room we needed.

The day started out with optimal conditions, overcast and the water was just a little off color.  We weren’t even by the dock where we put in and we caught 5 smallmouth and had two others on.  The lure of the day was crankbaits and the color was white.  I used only two lures all day and caught fish continuously.

Very nice Juniata walleye

I know I always need to talk about the one that got away, but I wouldn’t be a true fisherman if  I didn’t, right?  We were catching smallmouths all day when I had a fish on that just felt and fought different than a smallmouth.  The fish came to the surface and did a roll, but we never were able to identify it, other than it was very big.  The very next cast I caught a beautiful 20 inch walleye.  So I am fairly certain that I had a monster walleye on, but he was the one that got away.

Just another smallie!

All in all we had a great day and timed it just right because the following day it was pouring rain.  It was nice to finally get to go fishing with Shawn and I wanted to thank Eric for taking us out and showing us some fantastic water.  If you are looking for a great trip on the Juniata or fishing the trout streams in central PA, give Eric a call, he WILL put you on fish, www.covetedwaters.net.

Every winter our rivers and the fish that reside in them go through many changes. We cannot predict the weather and water levels. However the predictable thing is that the walleye, musky and bass will be on the move. The transition to wintering pools and movement from there to suitable spawning habitat. During these migrations the need for energy is critical to the development of eggs and the necessary fuel to undergo the rigors of spawn itself. Winter fishing is the jig fisherman’s time and many of the largest fish of the year of all three species come during this time.

The art of jigging few master. There is more to it than just slowly bouncing the jig over the bottom. The jig must be manipulated to appear alive to the fish. I enjoy fishing jigs because it is fishing in a true form. The way fish want to see the retrieve will change through out the season. The skilled will pick up on these subtleties.

First we can all be better jig fisherman by understanding some basic principles. The diameter of your line used will affect many things. The friction of both water and air against heavier line will affect the action of the lure and your ability to stay in touch with your lure. You can effectively fish a lighter jig with lighter line. Many times the fish will prefer to see the jig falling slowly this can best be done with lighter heads and line weights.

This gets us into presentation. If the fish want to see the jig falling then the more times you can make it fall during a retrieve the better. When the jig is allowed to fall to the bottom it is then retrieved with short hops by raising the rod tip or squeezing the rod. During real cold water temps it may be necessary to fish extremely slow. The jig stays on or near the bottom for the duration of the retrieve. Basically the size and speed of the hop is varied to determine which is best. The fish will decide. I remember one night in particular. The best jig man I know and I were out braving the cold and after two hours had nothing to show. I thought that maybe the fish needed enticed to bite. I made my cast and waited for it to make contact the bottom. I then ripped the bait hard and fast like I would a jerk bait. I was thrilled by a take on the third rip. The next cast was rewarded on the second rip. I told my friend what I had done and for the next 45 minutes we had constant action.

The last retrieve is what we call swimming. This is a slow steady retrieve, ticking the ledges and rocks from time to time. This is a very effective retrieve for walleye even in very cold temps.

The good jig fisherman is concentrating on his lures every move. When it hits a rock, he knows it’s a rock. Many times after plucking my jig off a rock I am rewarded with a strike. A jig jumping off the bottom imitates a fleeing bait fish or crayfish effectively. The takes vary from a good pluck of the line to just added weight but sometimes and the hardest to detect is the lack of weight or resistance. This happens when the fish takes coming towards you. The only way I know too detect this take consistently is to fish with a closed face reel. By holding your index finger in front of the reel while you cup the reel itself in your rod hand the line travels over your finger allowing you to feel this take. I can’t get that sensitivity with an open face reel. The bait caster is an alternative but an unnecessary one and at a cost. The retrieve rates are also faster than what I like for this type of fishing. I like simplicity. Much of the fishing done by the serious walleye fisherman is done in the dark as well. This is entirely all feel and you need every advantage for slow winter jig fishing.

I have heard nymph fisherman say that they must fish nymphs for weeks on end before they develop the feel. I believe that the jig fisherman is the same. I know a few old boys on the river and believe me, experience is hard to beat. . One last thought, keep track of where you find fish along with the current water level and cfs. I hope you find the enjoyment in winter jig fishing as I have.

With winter’s somewhat early arrival, it seems like I’ve been waiting a long time for safe ice in these parts of the state.  Thankfully, last week’s deep freeze has provided plenty!  My good friend, Chad,  has been wanting to take his son Skylar out for his first ice fishing trip, and despite the strong winds and driving snow last weekend, we were all too eager to stay home.

Skylar and Chad were all smiles on their first ice fishing trip.

Not wanting to miss a second of the Steelers playoff game that night (and we were glad we didn’t… what a game!), we opted for a short trip to a small private lake near my house.  We came close to getting the truck stuck on the way there, but my stellar driving skills kept us from being stranded.  Once we arrived, the ice was 7-8” thick, with about 18” of snow on top.  Skylar had a hard time maneuvering in the deep snow, but wasn’t about to let that stop him as he excitedly stumbled onto the ice.  After a bit of shoveling, we had the holes drilled and the shanty in place.

Skylar did the catching, Chad did the unhooking.

With the cold temperatures and deep snow, we decided to leave the tip-ups in the bucket and stick to jigging.  After baiting the hooks and explaining the basic workings of a spring bobber pole, we were fishing.  The bite was slow at first, but as the afternoon wore on, the fish began to cooperate.  Skylar was the first to score and hauled a fat bluegill through the ice.  His patented “4 turns off the bottom” technique seemed to do the trick and he had a second gill on the floor before either Chad or I had a nibble.

Skylar and Chad proudly show off their first gills through the ice.

In between fish, Skylar kept us entertained with a variety of questions and comments, including, “Let’s put the waxworms in the fire” and “How come you guys aren’t catching any fish?”
Skylar’s constant taunting prompted us to concentrate a little harder, and we finally redeemed ourselves with a couple of bluegill of our own.  After all, we couldn’t go home until everyone had caught a fish.

Although it wasn’t one of my best days from a numbers standpoint, it was great to introduce some new ice fishermen to the sport.  Nothing beats the enthusiasm that youngsters have during their first experiences afield.  It even reminded me of my first ice fishing trip when I was seven years old.  Of course, that was back when I was still wide-eyed and every trip outside held the promise of a new adventure.   I guess some things never change.  Good luck to all of the hardwater anglers!