Fall archery season

Well the early archery season for does started off this past Saturday. I had several stands set up for me to hunt with my two daughters. We all were very excited and were looking forward to some early action this year.

As with most years, we stated off on Saturday evening with a buck sighting. It was a nice 6 pointer but, as I said, it is doe season, so all bucks get a pass. We tried my other spots in the New Hope area and we spotted several deer but none were closer than 75 yards. Each of the deer we have seen traveled nearly the same route so I made the decision to move our ladder stand to intercept them.

I like to start out hunting the outside edges and slowly move into an area as I discover the precise travel routes. This can be done early with trail cameras, but if you do not have quick and easy access to your hunting area, this can be a chore. I like to hunt with a climbing stand and stay mobile, watching what the deer are doing and adjusting on a day to day basis. This always allows you to choose a new tree based on wind direction and expected deer location.

Now with my daughters, I am using a ladder stand so moving the stand is more of an issue. Ideally, you want to move a stand around lunch-time on a day when rain is in the forecast so your scent will soon be washed away. If this is not an option, I recommend moving the stand and hunting it right away. This way you have an opportunity to take a deer before it gets wise to your stand.

I will have more updates and tips for you as the season goes on. Good luck and let DVO know how your season is going.

John Hawthorne

Follow me on Twitter @DVOfisherman

June Lake Arthur

The last weekend of June was my annual trip to Lake Arthur in western PA. We had a below average trip but still had a great time. I am usually able to find some schools of fish and put some real good numbers in the boat. But this year I was a bit late and they had already moved out of the coves and bays.

I went hunting for them on main lake lay-downs and weedlines. We put 66 fish in the boat over 3 days. That may sound good but we have hit 100 before on this trip. And we usually average about 80-90. Most all of the fish were caught on wacky rigged senkos in melon seed. I like to use an o-ring on the worm and then hook the o-ring with a weedless 1.0 worm hook. We would pitch this around any cover we could find and let it sink to the bottom.

When the line twitches, SET THE HOOK! Our best fish was a 3 pounder.

May Smallmouth

A few weeks after the striper trip, Brian called us to let us know that he had a cancellation for a small mouth trip. Dad and I jumped at the chance. We fished the Muddy Run area of the Susquehanna River around the 2^nd week of May. We had an outstanding trip. We lost count of the fish caught but it was somewhere around 40. Dad caught one 4 ½ pounds and I got one just shy of 4. We caught most on tubes and a bait I had never used or even seen before. I believe it was called a smallmouth beaver. And the color we were using was melon seed. Again, I cannot say enough about Brians skill and professionalism as a guide. He barely fished all day, enjoying more to watch us catch them. I have been with guides that fished as much (and caught as much) as we did, which I think is terrible for a guide!

These fish are unbelievable fighters, especially on a spinning rod rigged with 8 pound test. This is a trip that most of us can make on our own. Brian used a prop boat as the depth of the water here is very deep. My previous Susquehanna experience was above Harrisburg where jet boats are the rule. I would never take a prop boat there! This fishing occurs in the spring time only when the fish are spawning. April and May are the best.

April Striper's

In late April, I took a trip with Brians Guide Service. Bob had recommended him from a trip they took the previous year. We originally planned to fish one day of stripers and one day of smallies. The weather kept our trip down to only one day so we took Brians suggestion and went with stripers.

We had to endure some very cool weather as you can tell from the pictures but it was worth it!! We landed 7 fish and had several more hooked. The one my dad is holding weighed 22 pounds!!

My biggest was 18 pounds. All were caught on cut herring. We were fishing in Havre de Grace, MD. Brian is an awesome guide and a great guy to spend a day with. I highly recommend him!