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!

With all the traveling I have had to do over the past couple of months, it has been hard to spend some real quality time with my son Colin.  So since summer has rolled around and things have slowed down a little, I have really been itching to get him out fishing.

Gary Robson, Colin and Me

I have had the privilege to fish with good friend Gary Robson, RodGun from the forum board, on several occasions in one of his secret spots and I knew that this would be a great place to take Colin.  I made a call to Gary and he was more than happy to meet us for a little fishing.

Colin Reeling In His First Fish

Colin was really excited, but I don’t think he really knew what was in store.  Colin is now 7 and I think the most fish he has ever caught in an outing is 3 and I was anticipating catching more than that as well as some bigger fish.

Colin’s First Fish of The Night

It was important to explain catch and release to Colin and get these fish back in the water as soon as possible.

As I anticipated, Gary’s spot didn’t let us down, we were immediately into nice fish and Colin reeled in his first one of the evening.  As a father, there is nothing better than watching that smile as he was reeling in his first fish.

Colin insisted on holding the fish.

All in all, Colin caught about 8 trout this evening in about an hour and we had to go.  I usually only plan outings with Colin for about an hour because he has the attention span of an ant.  I was very happy to see that he didn’t want to leave, but I guess when you are catching lots of fish, who would want to leave.

Based on this smile, I would say he had a good time!

Colin has asked me everyday since then when we are going fishing again and I tell him very soon.  As many of my friends know, I am a pretty sentimental guy, so I won’t try and sound too sappy here.  I find myself, as a father, in awe and appreciation at watching Colin develop.  I know that it is important to me, just like it was important to my father, and his father, to pass down our outdoor lifestyle and traditions to my children.  This is the first year that I have really seen Colin want to hunt and fish with me and I look forward to many years in the outdoors with what I think is going to be my best fishin buddy!

Thanks again Gary for taking us fishing.  I know Colin will remember that night for a long time!

Last year while I was fishing Penns Creek I had the good fortune of meeting Bruce Fisher of Penns Creek Angler in Millmont, PA. I have been watching his posts on the forum regarding the great fishing and conditions on Penns the past couple of weeks and an email and phone call later, I was on my way to fish the stream with Bruce.

Myself and Bruce Fisher of Penns Creek Angler Fly Shop

Bruce donated his only day off to take me fishing and I really appreciate it.  It was a beautiful day with temps of 82 degrees and a lot of sunshine.  I arrived at Bruce’s fly shop at 1:00 pm where he and his friend Ken from Landisville, PA were ready to go.  Bruce had tied some special flies and leaders for me and we were off to go fishing.

If you read my journal from last year you could see that Penns wasn’t kind to me, but I had the fishing of my life on Penns 5 years ago, so I know what she has to offer!  Needless to say, I was very excited to get on the stream.

First Fish of the Day

The best part about fishing with guys like Bruce is learning new and different techniques, not to mention he knows the stream like the back of his hand.  We would start out the day swinging flies and this is a technique that I have seen, but never done before.  After a few practice rounds Bruce felt I was ready to go and it wasn’t long before I tied into my first Penns brown.  I really enjoyed this technique, I guess mainly because I caught so many fish, but it was rewarding to learn a new style.

Bruce picked up this nice brookie in the afternoon

Nice little brown (I know, Nice Glasses)

I will admit, I am far from an expert at swinging flies, if I would have caught all the fish I missed because I didn’t have my rod tip up, I would have caught over 30 fish that day.  All in all, I picked up about 8 or nine throughout the afternoon and missed countless others.  I was really looking forward to the evening and hopefully some dry fly fishing you hear so much about on Penns.

Picked up a nice brown in the fast water swinging wets

The one thing that I always tend to forget about Penns Creek is the treacherous conditions.  You should always come to this stream with a wading staff.  As you can see from the photo above, some of the biggest fish in the stream lay in the fastest current and all it takes is one misstep on the rocky bottom of this stream and you are going for a swim.  Fortunately I didn’t fall, but I came real close of several occasions.

My first dry fly brown of the evening

Evening rolled around and we drove to a spot that Bruce felt would be good that night.  We sat on the shore for a while and just watched and sure enough, by about 7:30 pm we started to see some rises.  We watched one fish come up 3 times and Bruce and Ken said go get him.  They didn’t have to twist my arm.  I carefully approached, or as carefully as a clumsy 6′6″ giant can, and made a couple of casts and on the third cast I had my first dry fly brown of the day.  There is just something about catching fish on dry flies that  I can’t describe.  While I like catching fish with all different kinds of techniques, dry fly fishing is by far my favorite.

Bruce, myself and Ken at the end of the day!

We continued to fish until dark and each of us picked up several more before we had to pack it in.  All in all I ended up with about 12 or 13 fish for the day and had a blast.  I know Bruce was disappointed that we didn’t tie into that giant, but I wasn’t.  I had a blast on a beautiful stream, made some new friends and learned a new technique.  Doesn’t get much better than that.  If you are looking for a great guide to show you some of Penns Creek’s secrets, Bruce Fisher of Penns Creek Angler knows this stream inside and out and I can guarantee he is going to go out of his way to make sure you have a great time!  Thanks again Ken and Bruce for a great day.

]]> http://www.pasportsmenportal.com/2009/05/a-beautiful-day-on-penns-creek/feed/ 4 http://www.pasportsmenportal.com/2009/05/a-different-kind-of-night-on-oil-creek/ http://www.pasportsmenportal.com/2009/05/a-different-kind-of-night-on-oil-creek/#comments Mon, 04 May 2009 14:00:21 +0000 Jason Say http://www.pasportsmenportal.com/?p=5273 The past three weeks I have been trying to get out fishing and every time I plan a night, we get a bunch of rain. So needless to say, I haven't had the chance to fish as much as I like this Spring.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER PHOTO – You MUST REGISTER on our forum to participate

Each Category Winner Will Win All The Following Prizes:

• Sportsmen Portal “Team Angler” Shirt
• McConnells Country Store and Flyshop Fishing Hat
• Medalist Men’s Scent-Inhibitor™ Silkweight Short Sleeve Mock

Rules

• Contest begins April 4th, 2009 and runs through May 26th. Because April is notorious for bad weather and high water, this contest will run long.
• To be eligible for the contest, you must be registered on our forum boards with a valid user name and e-mail address. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
• The Deadline for entry is the same as the final day of the contest May 28, 2009.
• Participants will be randomly paired with one other participant when the contest is over. A point system will determine the score for each participant. The combined points for both participants will be entered as that teams score.
• The team with the highest combined score will be declared the winners. In the event of a tie the team with the most golden trout will be declared the winner. In the event of that tie, the team with the most trophy trout will be determined the winner.
• All photos must contain the 2009 PSP Trout contest identification tag. Click Here to download the ID Tag. Photos not displaying the id tag are not eligible.
• A best overall trout photo will be selected and the winner of that contest will also receive a prize!

Scoring for the contest will be as follows:

• Each participant can enter up to 5 fish in the contest. Only one trout from each species can be entered for each participant Fish will be scored according to type as well as size. All fish must meet the state minimum for length to be eligible. (If you catch a fish that is borderline, please include a measurement in the photo).
• Fish that have the entrails removed or have had the heads or tails removed are not eligible. Also, mounted fish and/or replicas are not eligible.
• All submitted pictures become the property of PSP and may be used for future promotional purposes.

Rainbow trout – 5 pts
Brown Trout – 5 pts
Brook Trout – 5 pts
Tiger Trout – 5 pts
Golden Trout – 10pts

Bonus Points

PSP Bonus
As usual, anyone displaying a PSP logo on their clothing or on their vehicle will receive 10 bonus points.

Trophy Trout Bonus
Any trout measuring over 16 inches will receive 10 bonus points. Please provide a clear picture displaying a measurement of the fish if it is over 16 inches. Fish that appear to be to close to call will be reviewed by the judges of the contest.
Tip: use a measuring device with large clear numbers on it. Display the entire fish in the picture.

Streamside Bonus
Pictures taken Streamside will receive 2 bonus points.

PA Trout Grand-slam Bonus
Participants that enter one of each species will receive 10 bonus points.

Winners will be announced on May 28, 2009

Click Here For Complete PSP Contest Rules