 This chunky bass was caught on a swimbait at Ontelaunee Reservoir in Berks County. Photo by author As we’re in the dog days of summer, local fishing on streams and lakes is on the slow side. With high temperatures last week, stream waters were warm as were lake waters. But predicted cooler temperatures this week may perk things up. But according to Mike at Mike’s Bait and Tackle in Nazareth, a couple customers are doing good on the Bushkill Creek for trout using predominately minnows and crawlers, especially when the creek recedes and clears. And there’s no one else fishing so they have the stream to themselves. Same case for the Delaware River. Mike reports some regular customers are picking up stripers, smallmouth bass and channel cats there on live bait when the river calms down. Bob Danenhower of Bob’s Taxidermy and Bait Shop in Orefield, reports he’s selling lots of shiners, fatheads and crawlers for anglers hitting Leaser Lake for perch and nice largemouth bass. Muskie action has slowed as they likely went to deeper water. But a few are occasionally being picked up. As for the Little Lehigh, trout action is virtually nil except for the 42 golden rainbows that were stocked over a week ago in a portion of the stream. The trout came from Cabela’s in Hamburg and some were in the eight-pound category. On the Lehigh River, the only action seems to be coming from the northern section, said Danenhower, meaning up in the Walnutport area that was stocked some time ago by the Lehigh River Stocking Association. Those trout too are looking for meat, meaning live minnows and worms. Chris from Chris’ Bait & Tackle in Mertztown, said Ontelaunee Reservoir has slowed a bit but some regulars there are picking up nice largemouths on weedless lures and swim baits as the lily pads are quite thick and you have really have to work for them. Others are throwing shiners. Some snakeheads are being caught while fishing for bass. Over at Blue Marsh Lake, largemouth bass action has been good on plastic lures and bait. Up at Lake Wallenpaupack, Rick said smallmouth action there is phenomenal. He caught and released 25 smallmouths last week in one day alone from his boat. Striper action has slowed as they went deep, but some boat anglers are picking a few on live trout using downriggers. Back in spring Rick caught one weighing 18.7 pounds. Smallmouth fishing is good on the Schuylkill River from boat and from shore. One buddy had 27 smallies in one day on artificials. This river is underfished and is a gem for smallies in particular. SALTWATER ACTION If you’re planning a vacation trip to the Jersey shore, be advised the fluke action is doing good in the river and on the rocks and reefs. There are blues and bass to be had as well according to our reporters from On the Water Magazine. Here’s but a sampling of what’s hot at the shore. Rick Hebert, at Tackle World in Rochelle Park, said fluke are biting in all the usual spots but you have to weed through a lot of shorts. He has reports of bigger fish on the reefs farther south. Capt. Phil Sciortino, at the Tackle Box in Hazlet, said big fluke are on the bite. One customer hooked an 11-pounder off the rough bottom using Fishermen’s Choice salmon strips. There are also plenty of bluefish in Raritan Bay and from the Keansburg Pier. He added that crabbing is also good in the Naversink River.
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Without a doubt, cardinals are the most recognizable songbirds you’ll see in backyards, bird feeders, utility wires and they stand out when perched in a tree. And in the mornings their songs, even before daylight, announce their presence. And many cardinals stay around our area all year round since they don’t migrate and will stay in the same general area year-round. There are a multitude of facts about cardinals you may not know. For starters, and according to Bird Feeder Hub, cardinals are monogamous birds that mate for life. Both the female and male will work together during the mating season to build a nest that typically takes about 8-9 days. They’ll build their nests out of twigs, pieces of grass and other plant products. A pair was even taking some of the brown material from our hanging flower pot liners. They took so much that the potting soil started to fall out. Cardinals prefer building their nests in bushes, dense shrubbery or low branches that are normally less than 10 feet off the ground. And they do not use the same nest twice but will build a new nest each year possibly using pieces of old nest material. As they are open nesters and not cavity nesters, they will not use a birdhouse. As for the number of times cardinals have offspring, it’s normally two broods a year, some times three. The female will lay 2-5 eggs each time and the eggs will hatch in approximately 11-13 days. The baby cardinals will grow very fast and are usually out of the nest in just 9-11 days. The babies are on their own in less than four weeks. Once the fledglings leave the nest, the parents will teach them how to fend for themselves and find food. During this period, the male may take charge of the young birds while the female goes off to build a new nest for the next brood of the season. Cardinal diets consist of different type of seeds that include black oil sunflower seeds, safflower seeds as well as cracked corn, peanut hearts and some fruits such as fresh berries. When baby cardinals are born their skin is pink with a grayish scaling. When the fledglings grow their feathers in the fall, they will begin to look brown with some red undertones. But it won’t be until the males reach maturity and molt at around 12 months old, that they gain the beautiful red color. During the mating season, male cardinals can be very territorial when protecting their breeding grounds and their young. While the female incubates the eggs, it’s the male’s duty to protect both the female and the nest from any predators and intruders in the area. And they will do so very fiercely. Some may have heard a cardinal tapping or pecking on a window. Since they’re territorial and see another bird as a threat, their tapping or pecking on a window means it most likely that they see its own reflection and challenges itself. In the wild, the average lifespan of cardinals is only around three years but this isn’t due to old age. There are a number of predators and other things that can end a cardinal’s life. They have been known to live up to 15 years in the wild in some cases, and there is a report of one cardinal living 28 years in captivity. There’s also some lore related to cardinals that you may have heard. It’s been said that if you see a red cardinal in your dreams, it’s seen as a good omen and is usually associated with good fortune. It’s also thought to be good luck and associated with the number 12, which is considered good luck to native Americans. So the next time you see a cardinal, be a big red or a female, you’re being treated to nature’s iconic songbird.  The Pennsylvania Game Commission is kicking off a new initiative to support and promote female participation in outdoor recreation be it hunting, trapping or shooting sports. Their effort comes in the form of an all-new PA Wild Women Facebook group. The group is intended for women who are experienced outdoorswomen or just getting started. “The new PA Wild Women Facebook Group is meant for you,” said Travis Lau, PGC Media Information Officer. PA Wild Women members will have access to online workshops, receive weekly tips and tactics, receive notifications of in-person events, and more importantly, women can connect with other outdoorswomen. Lau says that while PA Wild Women Facebook Group is open to all, most of the content provided will be created by women for women. To join go to http://www.facebook.com/groups/pawildwomen. SECOND ROUND OF ANTLERLES DEER LICENSES AVAILABLE The sale for the second round of antlerless deer hunting licenses went on sale July 24, and it has been reported that agency sales went off a lot faster than the first round of antlerless licenses and general hunting licenses. During that first day license buyers had up to a 10 hour wait to buy licenses. And according to the PGC, it wasn’t the fault of the license agencies but the system plus online sales became overwhelmed. PGC Executive Director Bryan Burhans admitted that no one knew how quickly licenses would sell out. The system saw more than five times the number of general licenses sold on the first day of license sales compared to 2022. Added to the situation, this was the first time antlerless deer licenses were available directly at issuing agent and online. So far general license sales are up by more than eight percent and antlerless licenses are up by more than 99 percent compared to last year at this time. Since the first day of sales, there have been more than 480,000 antlerless licenses and more than 490,000 general hunting licenses sold. For those who purchased their licenses online and haven’t as yet received them (a process that normally should take 10 business days), buyers should call the PGC at 717-787-2084. As of last Friday, antlerless licenses remain in all but one of Pennsylvania’s 22 WMUs. Only WMU 2G in northcentral Pennsylvania is sold out. Three WMUs – 1B, 3A and4C have fewer than 1,000 licenses left and it’s possible those will have sold out by now. Other WMUs according to the PGC, have more than 20,000, 30,000 even 50,000 licenses remaining. To check on antlerless license availability online, go to Antlerless Deer License Quote Page at HuntFishPA and click on the box titled “Antlerless Deer Quota” near the top of the home page at www.pgc.pa.gov. Cardinals are Pennsylvania's iconic songbird that come with some interesting native American lore7/15/2023 Without a doubt, cardinals are the most recognizable songbirds you’ll see in backyards, bird feeders, utility wires and they stand out when perched in a tree. And in the mornings their songs, even before daylight, announce their presence. And many cardinals stay around our area all year round since they don’t migrate and will stay in the same general area year-round. There are a multitude of facts about cardinals you may not know. For starters, and according to Bird Feeder Hub, cardinals are monogamous birds that mate for life. Both the female and male will work together during the mating season to build a nest that typically takes about 8-9 days. They’ll build their nests out of twigs, pieces of grass and other plant products. A pair was even taking some of the brown material from our hanging flower pot liners. They took so much that the potting soil started to fall out. Cardinals prefer building their nests in bushes, dense shrubbery or low branches that are normally less than 10 feet off the ground. And they do not use the same nest twice but will build a new nest each year possibly using pieces of old nest material. As they are open nesters and not cavity nesters, they will not use a birdhouse. As for the number of times cardinals have offspring, it’s normally two broods a year, some times three. The female will lay 2-5 eggs each time and the eggs will hatch in approximately 11-13 days. The baby cardinals will grow very fast and are usually out of the nest in just 9-11 days. The babies are on their own in less than four weeks. Once the fledglings leave the nest, the parents will teach them how to fend for themselves and find food. During this period, the male may take charge of the young birds while the female goes off to build a new nest for the next brood of the season. Cardinal diets consist of different type of seeds that include black oil sunflower seeds, safflower seeds as well as cracked corn, peanut hearts and some fruits such as fresh berries. When baby cardinals are born their skin is pink with a grayish scaling. When the fledglings grow their feathers in the fall, they will begin to look brown with some red undertones. But it won’t be until the males reach maturity and molt at around 12 months old, that they gain the beautiful red color. During the mating season, male cardinals can be very territorial when protecting their breeding grounds and their young. While the female incubates the eggs, it’s the male’s duty to protect both the female and the nest from any predators and intruders in the area. And they will do so very fiercely. Some may have heard a cardinal tapping or pecking on a window. Since they’re territorial and see another bird as a threat, their tapping or pecking on a window means it most likely that they see its own reflection and challenges itself. In the wild, the average lifespan of cardinals is only around three years but this isn’t due to old age. There are a number of predators and other things that can end a cardinal’s life. They have been known to live up to 15 years in the wild in some cases, and there is a report of one cardinal living 28 years in captivity. There’s also some lore related to cardinals that you may have heard. It’s been said that if you see a red cardinal in your dreams, it’s seen as a good omen and is usually associated with good fortune. It’s also thought to be good luck and associated with the number 12, which is considered good luck to native Americans. So the next time you see a cardinal, be a big red or a female, you’re being treated to nature’s iconic songbird.
 Jim of Creekside Outfitters in Watertown, NJ caught this 8-pound, 12-ounce fluke last week. Contributed photo With Fourth of July week kicking off the vacation season for many people, this is the time many travel to the Jersey shore. And if you’re an angler, you can be treated to some good eating fluke as they’re being caught along with stripers and blues in the ocean, rivers and bays. According to On the Water Magazine, party boats report keeper fluke on the reefs and wrecks while surfcasters are nailing them in the wash on sand bugs. Gulp and bucktails are picking them up in the rivers and bays. And there are plenty of bass and blues in the same places. Capt. Phil Sciortino, at the Tackle Box in Hazlet, said fluking is on fire with good catches coming from the Rattlesnake and Shrewsbury Rocks. In addition, there are a lot of big blues being caught out front and folks are still catching bass on the New York side. Mike Pinto at Giglio’s Bait & Tackle in Sea Bright, said there are loads of big blues in the rivers and in the surf where they’re hitting top water plugs. A few bass up to 25 inches are being caught in the surf on poppers and bugs. It’s an early morning bite on the outgoing tide. Fluke also showed up in the surf but action cooled a bit as south winds chilled the water. Mike Gleason at TAK Waterman in Long Branch, reported good fluking off the beach and on the boats with Gulp and bucktails luring them to hook. Stripers there continue to eat sand crabs off the beach and a body of blues arrived that were falling for jigs. Bob Mathews at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar, said Shark River is yielding some nice fluke with a 25-incher caught earlier in the week. Kyle Tanger at Fishermen’s Supply in Point Pleasant Beach, reported fluking in the Manasquan River is crazy good on light jig heads and Gulp. Anglers are using 1/8 to 3/8-ounce jigs with 5-inch Gulp to catch loads of fish. Tanger said no weight or just a split shot is working best for folks fishing sand crabs for bass in the wash. There are also lots of blues around and a few bonito in with them out in the ocean. PGCs HUNTING LICENSE SALES Last Monday was no picnic for hunters attempting to purchase their general hunting license, antlerless deer license, archery and bear licenses. It seems the PGCs new online license system was overloaded and couldn’t handle the volume at 8 a.m. Monday when licenses could be purchased online or at a license agent. The stories ranged from a sportsman accessing the system online to be notified he was number 53,000 in the wait cycle. Then after a 10-minute wait, got booted off and had to refresh the system. Another was 43,000 in line and just gave up. License agency store sales were no different. The line of buyers at Coplay News Agency went back to the end of the block, then the system crashed at 8:20 a.m. those waiting were told. A buddy went there at 2:30 p.m. and only had a 20-minute wait as did another friend. Yet another had a two-and-a-half hour wait in line at Bucks Sporting Goods. Dick Sporting Goods and Walmart had similar lines and waits. The PGC acknowledged delays but said the system ran smoother in the afternoon and on Tuesday. They reported that as of 11:59 p.m. on Monday, the agency sold 165,503 hunting licenses and a little over 164,000 antlerless licenses. In comparison to the former way of issuing licenses, the PGC said last year 37,694 antlerless licenses were sold on the first day they were available. And as for as general hunting licenses sales in 2022, 140,600 were sold which went on sale 13 days before doe tags were offered. REMINDER: JULY 4 is a fish-for-free day in Pennsylvania when you don't need a fishing license to fish Commonwealth waters |
AuthorNick Hromiak has been an outdoors and automotive writer for over 30 years. He's been published in numerous national and state-wide outdoor magazines and newspapers.
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