Thanks to cold, freezing temperatures, we now have an ice fishing report and information on lakes and ponds. 

Willie from Willie’s Bait & Tackle in Cementon reports several of his local customers took a trip to several Pocono lakes and found fishable ice on most of the waters they checked. 

According to Willie, Upper and Lower Promised Land lakes both are averaging at least 4 inches of ice as does Minisink, Mud Pond and Shohola. The exception was Tobyhanna who had 5 inches, however some spots had 2.5 inches. Anglers were hooking pickerel, perch and a couple sizable bass mostly on waxworms. 

Mike from Mike’s Bait & Tackle in Nazareth, also reported that both Promised Land lakes were holding about 6 inches of ice as did Tobyhanna. Shohola had 4 plus inches while Brady’s Lake had 4-4.5 inches. Per Mike, waxworms and shiners on tip-ups were the two most popular live baits that were attracting pickerel and panfish. With most snow cover gone from these lakes, ice formed quickly according to Mike. 

As for equipment, the toughest part of ice fishing is drilling holes. Some ice anglers still use manual ice augers. But they do take lots of muscle power and time to drill a hole. The trend for some time has been gasoline-powered drills but it seems they are on the wane. As Willie explained, anglers who have them find that over the summer and when not in use the carburetor’s often clog-up requiring maintenance or replacement. Plus, they’re heavy. 

Said Willie, many of his customers have switched to either propane powered ones or battery powered drills. But he believes the latter should be of the brushless kind and of enough torque and battery amps to drive an auger. 

The preferred portable drill batteries are of 9 Ah and 12 Ah power ratings. More amps means longer run time. And they should be able to last the day on ice but that’s dependent upon how thick the ice is and how many holes are drilled. Or you can simply carry along an extra battery.

Smaller drills that are common household tools, often referred to as “picture hanger” drills, won’t cut it and they’ll likely burn out. The drill should have a half-inch chuck to accommodate most auger adapters. High torque drills from DeWalt, Milwaukee and Rigid should work, but it’s wise to check the warranty in case ice drilling fry’s the motor. 

It’s also recommended the drill have an auxiliary handle so it doesn’t strain the wrist, or worse, get hit by the spinning drill if losing a grip on it. 

Additionally, augers are offered with shaver blades or chipper blades. Shaver blades are preferred as they consume less power and cut the ice quicker. 

Adapters can be purchased at Cabela’s and other sporting goods stores but they, says Willie, should have a cord or strap (life-line) that can be attached to the drill in case it comes lose from the drill chuck. You don’t want your investment falling into the drink. 

Lastly, and some anglers may not know it, but Berkley offers their 100 percent Fluorocarbon Ice fishing line specifically for ice fishing. From their press release it says the line is thinner diameter per test pound, more supple, low stretch, low memory, and remains limber during cold temperatures. May be worth a try.
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The recent blast of cold air (with more to come this week) is producing some ice on lakes and ponds, but mostly in the Pocono area. And it’s no secret that ice anglers are anxious to be able to walk on water for some early ice fishing. But early ice has its problems.

The Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission (PFBC) says that no ice is 100 percent safe, especially early ice. And with a blanket of snow on top of an ice-covered lake, it actually insulates the ice and slows the growth of ice plus hides potential hazards or weak spots. 

Signs to look for are ice with a bluish color that is safer than clear ice. Anglers should avoid slushy or honey-combed ice and it’s best to stay away from dark spots on the ice. The agency says don’t walk into areas where snow cover looks discolored. Any off-colored snow or ice is usually a sign of weakness. 

Here are some other ice fishing safety tips from the PFBC:

*Test ice thickness with an auger before going farther out onto a lake. Four inches of solid ice is the minimum recommended thickness for a single person. Seven inches is the minimum for a small group. 

*This last point brings up a suggestion to spread out. Concentrated crowds can put too much weight onto one area. 

*Be aware of ice thickness across a body of water. Check ice thickness frequently. Perimeter ice is weaker due to shifting, expansion and sunlight reflecting off the bottom. New ice is usually stronger than old ice. 

*Avoid areas with protruding logs, brush, plants and docks. These areas absorb heat, weakening the surrounding ice. 

*Avoid areas with multiple or intersecting cracks and standing water over ice. If the ice doesn’t look right, don’t go on it. 

*Always carry safety equipment such as ice picks, floatation device and safety rope, plus a whistle to call for help. A first aid kit wouldn’t be a bad idea as well. 

 *Let someone know where you are going and when you’ll return. 

So far, the only lakes reporting any ice are the Tobyhanna with three inches as of last week and Promised Land Lake. Shohola too has some ice but no promising reports have surfaced as yet.
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I took a ride to Leaser Lake in upper Lehigh County on Saturday and found that there’s only skim ice in the North cove. 

The three Pocono waters mentioned and a few others should have more ice as forecasts are for below freezing temperatures for several says in the row. At that time, there should be some additional reports.

​The  numbers are in and the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the firearm industry trade association, has revealed that the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) processed 687,788 background checks during the week leading up to and including Black Friday. FBI’s NICS recorded 187,585 on Black Friday alone, ranking it among the Top 10 Highest Days for NICS checks and a .50 percent increase from Black Friday 2020 (186,645). The NICS checks are unadjusted, representing raw data from the FBI and are inclusive of all background checks related to firearms.

 “This figure of over 687,000 background checks is truly remarkable,” said Joe Bartozzi, NSSF President and CEO. “2021 has already been shaping up to be the second strongest year for firearm sales on record, second only to 2020’s record-breaking number of 21 million background checks for a firearm sale. When tallied, we anticipate, based on annual data, that firearm sales will have increased in December 2021, coinciding with hunting seasons and holiday sales. This figure, though, underscores the appetite for lawful firearm ownership in America and the resilience of the firearm and ammunition industry to meet that demand.”

Attached are the breakout tables for each day of unadjusted FBI NICS background checks and The Top 10 Highest Days of FBI Background Checks.

ICE FISHING

So far Mother Nature has not been cooperating with ice anglers. Temperatures have been too warm to form safe ice on popular area lakes and ponds. There is only an inch or two of ice being reported on a couple of Pocono Mountain area lakes. This may change though as night temperatures this week are being forecasted to be below freezing. This may produce thicker ice conditions up north. but still may not be enough to produce safe ice for local Leaser Lake or Ontelaunee Reservoir in Berks County. This pair traditionally requires at least two weeks of continued below freezing temperatures for ice fishing conditions. Stay tuned for updates. 

WATERFOWL STUDY

Attention waterfowl hunters: the Pennsylvania Game Commission is seeking your cooperation in a study that will evaluate to what extent contaminants such as PCBs, dioxins and heavy metals are affecting ducks and geese.

According to the PGC, waterfowl, like fish, can store contaminants at levels that affect their own health and pose a risk to hunters who harvest and consume them. The agency says that existing statewide guidelines recommend mergansers should not be eaten; other diving ducks, if properly prepared, should be eaten only occasionally; however dabbling ducks and geese can safely be eaten if properly prepared. 

Information from this study will help determine if the existing health advisory is still warranted, or should it be updated in any way. PGC assures hunters that results of the study will not impact hunting regulations. 

Hunters wishing to participate in this study should be willing to donate mallards, black ducks, wood ducks, green-winged teal and Canada geese upon request. Participants will be asked to provide information on where and when the bird was harvested and provide a photo or two of the bird’s wing. The bird must then be stored frozen. The PGC will contact the hunter within 48 hours if the bird will be collected for testing. After which, the PGC will send a biologist to collect the sample. 

Interested hunters should register at http://cwhl.vet.cornell.edu/webform/contaminants-in-waerfowl. 
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The Pennsylvania Game Commission has announced that Pennsylvania’s furtakers will play a critical role in a study to determine the extent to which mouse and rat poisons might be affecting the state’s bobcats, fishers and otter populations. As such, hunters and trappers are being asked to participate in the study by submitting carcasses from these species to the PGC.
 
For those who harvest a bobcat, fisher or otter and who want to submit the carcass for the study are asked to contact the Game Commission by email at furbearers@pa.gov or call the Game Commission region office serving the county where the animal was taken. The email should note which species was harvested and include the trapper’s: first/last name; CID number; address or pick-up location; phone number; and email address. The most local locations are as follows:

Northeast Region: Bradford, Carbon, Columbia, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Montour, Northumberland, Pike, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties – 570-675-1143.

Southeast Region: Berks, Bucks, Chester, Dauphin, Delaware, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia and Schuylkill counties – 610-926-3136.

The study is being conducted by the Game Commission in partnership with PennVet’s “Wildlife Futures ProgramOpens In A NEW Window,” an organization whose mission is to increase disease surveillance, management and research to better protect wildlife across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and beyond.

Those conducting the study hope to collect over 100 carcasses each of bobcats, fishers and otters harvested this season.

Submitted carcasses can be skinned, but must have all organs and the skull intact. Furtakers should freeze the carcass until it can be collected by the Game Commission or Wildlife Futures Program.

Consumption of rodents that have been poisoned, known as secondary exposure, has been shown to negatively impact small- to medium sized mammals with diets primarily consisting of meat. Better understanding the effects on these species is a critical component of monitoring their populations in the Northeast according to the PGC.

Furtakers’ participation in this study will provide valuable data to continue to manage these species appropriately, says the PGC.

PENNSYLVANIA WATERFOWLERS EXPERIENCING FALL MIGRATION DELAY

Pennsylvania waterfowlers are in the same boat as many of their counterparts in other Atlantic Flyway states as mild weather has delayed the progress of fall migration, says the PA Game Commission. Hunters who scout and get access to places where ducks are congregating have enjoyed some success. For others, well, it’s a waiting game as the clock runs down on the final 30 days of the season (except for the South Zone, which s open through Jan 22). 

Nate Huck, waterfowl program specialist for the PGC, reports that the Keystone State’s North and South Zones have had decent wood duck numbers as well as a few local mallards. In addition, water levels are at average levels in most areas. 

DU Regional Biologist Jim Feaga adds that most of the Mid-Atlantic region has  experienced a warm dry fall. Moreover, waterfowl are concentrated on prime habitats that receive light hunting pressure. 

“Hunters in all four zones report very slow duck hunting with a few sporadic good hunts mixed in,” Huck says, adding that Pennsylvania’s Northwest Zone did have a fair amount of birds around that have generally become stale. 

As for locally, most of the mallards I’ve seen are floating in small streams like the Jordan Creek around the SGLs 205 off Route 100 and in Egypt at the Bridge Street bridge. There are also a few on some New Tripoli farm ponds.  

WORLD’S LARGEST OUTDOOR SHOW

With 2021 coming to a close, what better way to start 2022 than planning a trip to the Great American Outdoors Show held historically in the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg. And as many call it, “The Harrisburg Outdoor Show,” is scheduled to kick off Feb 5-13. 

Coined the World’s Largest Outdoor Show, it showcases most of the major outdoor companies and firearm manufacturer’s with over 1,100 exhibitors. 

There will be wild game cooking demonstrations, celebrity appearances, free seminars, DockDogs competition, kid’s activities, fishing boats, RVs, new trucks, NRA Country Music Concert and more. 
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Tickets are available online and recommended to avoid standing in a ticket line. Go to the “Great American Outdoor Show” to purchase them and for added information, show times and directions both driving and exhibitor locations within the complex. 

Snow geese have arrived. I spotted the first flock of the season this past Thursday as they joined a sizable flock of Canada geese in a cornfield at the junction of S. Church St. and Ruchsville Road in Egypt. 

These all white geese make a harvested cornfield look like a coating of snow covered a portion of a field. It’s possible these early arrivals put down on a mine hole on the outskirts of Northampton, a place they seem to favor every year they arrive here from the arctic tundra.  

There are a few things you may not know about these overwintering birds as they arrive in Pennsylvania annually around this time of year where early snowfalls in Canada and the tundra push them down to our state and beyond. 

For starters, snow geese are good swimmers but they normally don’t dive to find food. But they can submerge to evade predators. They walk readily on land and can run swiftly. They sleep floating on the water, or on land, sitting down or standing on one leg.

As strong fliers, snow geese can reach air speeds of 50 miles per hour. And they’re extremely vocal giving off a whouk or kowk sound repeatedly while in flight and on the ground. Their sound when flying differs from Canada geese somewhat and may take on the sound of a barking dog. 

When feeding, snow geese make quieter gah notes while parent birds utter uh-uh-uh sounds to their goslings. They feed on aquatic grasses, sedges, berries, corn, wheat, barley and other grains gleaned from harvested fields, pastures and leafy stems of crops such as winter wheat where they can decimate a complete newly planted field in a day or two. 

In winter, snows feed from two to seven hours a day. In spring, when building up fat reserves for their migration trip back to the arctic tundra, they may feed more than 12 hours a day. 

Males and females mate for life but will find a new mate if theirs is lost or dies. Most snows choose mates having the same color as the family in which they themselves were reared. Individuals pair up during their second winter or their second northward migration, when they’re  almost two years old. Generally, they first breed successfully at age three. 

During migration, snow geese fly both day and night and usually migrate along fairly narrow corridors. They take advantage of winds, good visibility and periods of no precipitation and can be seen in long diagonal lines and V-formations reaching altitudes of up to 7,500 feet. 

Snow geese can live for more than 26 years and can perish from avian cholera, hitting power lines in flight, hunting, predation by coyotes, foxes and eagles. 

As winter progresses, expect to see more snow geese feeding in harvested corn and newly planted winter wheat fields. Hunting them takes patience, work and large amounts of decoys. 

POST CHRISTMAS HUNTING SEASONS

By traditions, deer hunting season re-opens for antlered and antlerless deer on Dec. 27- Jan. 17 for flintlock hunters. In WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D, the season runs from Dec. 27-Jan. 29. The extended firearms season for antlerless only runs from Dec. 27-Jan. 29 in WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D. 

There’s also the late elk season running from Jan. 1-8, 2022 and small game that includes squirrels, pheasant, rabbits, quail from Dec. 27-Feb. 28. Because of their limited numbers, a short snowshoe hare season runs Dec. 27-Jan. 1. 
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During these times, hunters will have the woodlands almost to themselves so it’s
an opportune time to be afield instead of watching re-runs on TV. 

Judging from what I saw during a recent visit to Bob Danenhower’s Wildlife Taxidermy Shop in Orefield, it appears the minimum antlered deer point regulation that former Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) bear, then deer biologist Gary Alt put in place some years ago, is working.  

What I saw was proof that the point regulation has resulted in the overwhelming majority of deer antlers Danenhower got it to mount were 8s and 10s. Just a year or two ago, most of the racks brought in were 6s and 8s. And Danenhower says he’s  receiving substantially more deer to mount than previous years. It appears avid deer hunters are hunting smarter and being selective.

But the more interesting and unique pre-mounts I saw were the pelts of two cinnamon bears. One taken with a crossbow in the Kempton area while the other was shot in the Leaser Lake area during the bear hunting seasons. Both had approximate live weights of 150 pounds and Danenhower thinks they could have been brothers since the Blue Mountain ridge runs from Berks to Lehigh County. 

Said Danenhower, “In my 35 years in the taxidermy business, I never got in a Pennsylvania cinnamon bear. And now, I got two, one of which has a nice and pronounced white “V” on its neck.” Both are going to be full mounts, so the lucky sportsmen will have trophies to admire year-round, and ones that are somewhat rare in Pennsylvania.

You may ask what is a cinnamon bear? According to the PGC, a cinnamon bear is not a subspecies of a black bear but merely that it has a reddish-brown coat from which its name is derived. In other parts of its range, bears may be brown, whitish, or bluish-gray, but the majority are black. The various color morphs can be frequently intermixed in the same family; hence, seeing either a black-colored female with brown or red cubs, a brown-colored female with black or red-brown cubs, or a female of any of the three colors with a black cub, a brown cub and a red-brown cub.

Cinnamon bears have the same diet as black bears and includes fruit, vegetation, nuts, honey, and occasionally insects and meat. They are said to be excellent climbers, good runners and powerful swimmers. And like their fellow black bears, they hibernate from late October or November to March or April, depending on the weather. They are just a color phase. 

LATE PHEASANT STOCKING

The PGC will stock over 41,000 pheasants statewide for the late small game season that got underway Dec. 13-24 and which reopens again Dec. 27-Feb. 28. 
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Here in the Southeast Region, there will be 5,590 male and 2,050 females stocked, mostly on state game lands and state parks. The PGC says that despite the dates, there is a two-four day window within the counties to be stocked. The agency says putting out the approximate dates takes some of the guesswork out of deciding when to go hunting and offers insurance that hunters will have improved opportunities. 
 

If you thought New Jersey striped bass fishing was good three weeks ago as we reported, well it was phenomenal last week says On the Water Magazine’s fishing reports. 

On the Water says Grumpy’s Bait and Tackle in Seaside Park, NJ reported striper fishing in the surf was just phenomenal as bass were packed in the surf and chowing down on loads of peanut bunker. The fish, they said, ranged in size from schoolies to 43 inches. There was also big bluefish mixed in with the bass. There were blitzes up and down the coast from Sandy Hook down to Island Beach State Park. And there’s no reason to believe the fall run is over. Grumpy’s suggests bringing shads, swimmers, poppers and bucktails for stripes. 

The boats fishing for stripers also did well in Raritan Bay and just off the beaches of Monmouth and Ocean counties throwing shads, flutter spoons and by trolling. 

Reported too was that the blackfish bite showed some good action on local reefs and bluefin tuna have reappeared offshore. 

Capt. Phil Sciortino, at the Tackle Box in Hazlet, continues to be astounded by the incredible striper fishing. “People are catching them everywhere on just about anything,” he said. It’s the best striper fishing he has ever seen. 

Rick Hebert, at Tackle World in Rochelle Park, reported excellent bass bites along the coast. He fished off Sandy Hook and on the Hyper Striper boat and quickly got his limits of stripers on shads, diamond jigs, flutter spoons and topwater plugs. Then he moved to his tog grounds for blackfishing and stripers were there as well. 

Mike Gleason, at Tak Waterman in Long Branch, reported bass action on the beach was dynamite over the weekend. Stripers have been falling for the gamut of peanut bunker and shads, bucktails, swimmers and poppers. Gleason went on to say the night bite on the beach has also been pretty good and bluefin tuna are back in mid-shore waters where Madd Mantis poppers were taking fish in the 50-plus pound range. 

Linesiders have made appearances in Asbury Park, Ocean Grove and Bradley Beach surf over the weekend with shads and swimmers luring them to hook. 

Bob Matthews, at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar, reported to On the Water that the striper bite is still hot on the party boats with the Golden Eagle and Miss Belmar returning to the dock last Wednesday with a mix of keepers and bonus fish. The boats sailed south to fish off Seaside and Island Beach State Park with some big blues among the bass. Matthews opined that at this time of year timing is everything. “If you’re on the beach at the right time, it’s the best fishing you’ll ever see.” Barring any winter storms, he thinks the good fishing should hold up for a while. 

FRESH WATER ANGLING 
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Local action has been slow to non-existent. But a few avid anglers are braving the cold and wind and catching trout according to Willie from Willie’s Bait and Tackle in Cementon. Willie reports a couple customers were fishing Trout Creek in Slatington that was stocked by volunteers from nearby Spring Side Trout Nursery. One customer creeled an 18-inch tiger trout and recounted that he lost a sizable rainbow trout that spit the hook of his chartreuse Rapala. Another customer, using a Spinning Minnie, also managed some nice trout from there. One angler was seen with a pair of palomino’s in his creel from the same area. 

As we’re in the midst of the prime hunting seasons with pheasant, rabbit, grouse, squirrel and archery deer seasons underway, the latest opener is the statewide rifle bear season that runs Nov. 20; Sunday Nov. 21 and Nov. 22-23. 

The season reopens again on Nov. 27; Sunday, Nov. 28; Nov. 29-Dec. 4 in Wildlife Management Units 1B, 2C, 3A, 3B, 3C, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E and 5A. In WMU’s 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D, the season runs Nov. 27, Sunday, Nov. 28; Nov. 29-Dec. 11. 

While bears inhabit big Pocono Mountain woodlands, it’s not surprising that some drifted down to Lehigh County. 

During the 2020 bear seasons, Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) harvest records show that in Lehigh County the archery season showed that three bears were taken, the early season recorded two, the extended season had one and muzzleloader season resulted in one. 

Over in Northampton County, the archery season resulted in eight bears, the early season six, extended two, muzzleloader season six and the regular firearms season one. 

While these hunting seasons are ongoing, the fishing season has slowed in area streams but according to Willie’s Bait & Tackle in Whitehall, anglers have been doing well on catch-and-release largemouth bass at Leaser Lake. Anglers are throwing live shiners and Rapala crankbaits. Bass range from 2-4 pounds with some five pounders reported. 

Chris’s Outdoor Sports shop in Mertztown echoes Willie’s Leaser report by having customers telling him they’re hitting nice largemouths there, however no muskies. But Chris says that will change when we get colder temperatures and the toothy fish will go on the feed. 

Otherwise, Ontelaunee Reservoir has few reports but there is a Facebook posting of a nice buck swimming across a portion of  the lake last week. The hot spot though is Blue Marsh Lake in upper Berks County where largemouths, smallmouths, some stripers and dandy crappie action has been taking place. One customer said he caught 56 crappies one day last week on fatheads and crappie jigs. Stripers on the other hand are favoring shiners and large crankbaits. 

Down at the Jersey shore, enormous amounts of bunker are fueling striped bass action that has been epic, insane and historic says the fishing reporters from On the Water Magazine. 

Their reports include Tackle World in Rochelle Park who reported bass are everywhere with keepers mixed in with jumbos from Raritan Bay to Island Beach State Park. Capt. Phil Sciortino Jr. at the Tackle Box in Hazlet, said bass fishing is just nuts especially Raritan Reach around Buoy 19 that was loaded with bass. Stripers are hitting Mojos, flutter spoons, shads and live bunker. 

Tak Waterman shop in Long Branch said Raritan Bay is still lit up with linesiders that are chasing flutter spoons, Doc spoons, shads, livelining and trolling. The fish are between 20 inches to 50 pounds 

The Reel Seat Bait & Tackle in Brielle, reported striper fishing is pretty consistent. Boat anglers are getting fish in the 40-pounds class by jigging shads, livelining and trolling 
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As for beach action, it picked up especially at night for anglers throwing metal-lipped swimmer lures.