Durell took a solo trip out with Legends Outdoors in late March. Typically he is accompanied by Bev and Steve, but not on this blue sky spring day. The water would range from 38-40 frigid degrees at scenic Lake Wallenpaupack. The main goal was to pursue big fish and that he did. Durell stuck with it and got about six bites on the day with two nice specimens that posed for photos before being released. A nice 10 pound striped bass and a northern pike that was a "fierce hit" according to the long-time client. Both of these fish gave quite a battle on 10# test as Durell worked the drag to precision. He took some time to do a little bit of light line fishing and did catch a couple perch during the day also. He had hoagies and pizza for nourishment to keep up his energy during the outing. The signs of spring were surely abundant as many waterfowl and other birds were in attendance for Durell's outing. We look forward to seeing him back several more times in 2023!
Wild Bill and his friend Joe were back at it with Legends Outdoors for yet another season. These two veteran anglers and hunters have been out with us numerous times and they were chomping at the bit to get out for some early season action. Their March day had blue bird skies and moderate winds with air temperatures that made it into the higher 40's on the day. The water was still very frigid as the boat had to actually break through a thin layer of ice as they were launching to get out onto Lake Wallenpaupack. With this brutally cold water, bites would be very hard to come by as the anglers picked and pecked at the depths trying to entice strikes from this legendary waterway. The men had Joe's homemade beef jerky and sandwiches for nourishment during the trip to keep their energy up on this chilly day. They pair would get nine strikes on the day which included a few smallmouth bass, some perch and a huge walleye by Wild Bill that tipped the scales at an incredible 11.30# after a long battle on 4# test! Wow what a fish! She was released healthy and unscathed. Often in cold water the bites are few and far in-between, but the rewards such as this lunker walleye can be the result. It was great having Bill and Joe back out again with Legends Outdoors and we look forward to seeing them several more times in the 2023 season!
Charlie and Jack were back again with Legends Outdoors for another adventure in lake February. The waning ice was still a good 6-7" for their partly cloudy to sunny day adventure. They would have air temps in the mid 30's with winds that did get in the 10-15 MPH range. They would use both jigging and tip-ups in their approach on this Pennsylvania waterway. The jigging would be a bit on the slow side, but they did have some good tip-up action with about two dozen flags. They lost a few nice fish at the hole including some pickerel and even a bullhead, but did land some really nice pickerel with one reaching the 25" mark along with a few nice perch. The fish were harvested for some future tasty fish meals. Legends Outdoors prepared venison sausage on fresh buns and also some venison jalapeno hot dogs for the avid anglers on this day. Charlie and Jack have been clients for several years and once again enjoyed their day out together in this serene setting. They seen fox tracks, some deer on the way to the lake and soaked in the peace and tranquility of the day. This adventure would wrap up the ice-fishing season for Legends Outdoors.
Four friends of Eric, Lew, Mike and Mike are Legends Outdoors returning clients from ice-fishing in past years and open water on the pontoon boat on scenic Lake Wallenpaupack. This year they returned for another ice-fishing adventure, but the lack of safe ice called for a shift in plans. The group of four stayed at Gresham's and had a nice dinner their the evening before their outing. This season they would tackle the Susquehanna River from the banks. They arrived at their area and used a variety of baits including live bait and artificials. They listened to music and had some refreshing beverages as they hammered away at the river. They seen bald eagles soaring and had plenty of great conversations on this frigid day as they tried and tried to entice strikes from the cold water fish. They rummaged up a pair of walleyes which both took their Keitech offerings and even had one grilled fresh for them by the Legends Outdoors staff. All in all it was a fun day and a different experience for the group and we look forward seeing them back again in the near future for another Legends Outdoors adventure.
Returning client Chris was back out with Legends Outdoors for yet another adventure. On the slate was February ice-fishing. Originally slated for Lake Wallenpaupack, the venue was changed due to the ice conditions. They did stay at Lake Wallenpaupack as the six people prepared for a winter day in Northeast Pennsylvania. A few of the anglers would be first timers to ice fishing. The weather wold be in the mid-30's with light winds to start but increasing as the day progressed. The action would be moderate as they used both tip-ups and jigging during their outing. They were treated to venison jalapeno hot dogs, homemade sauerkraut, and some pickled pickerel for nourishment. They caught a brown bullhead, a few pickerel, and panfish consisting of perch and bluegill. Some were harvested for a nice fish dinner. We look forward to seeing Chris and his crew back again for another Legends Outdoors adventure.
Kevin and his crew have been out ice-fishing with Legends Outdoors several times in the past. They returned in early February of 2023 for another group adventure. The nine anglers who are avid hunters and fishermen were greeted to brutal conditions with the high temperature for the day barely getting out of the single digits and wind chill below zero. Keeping warm would be crucial so the Legends Outdoors staff prepared large quantities of venison vegetable soup for the day which bowls and bowls of it would be consumed. They anglers used a combination of tip-ups and jigging in the frigid environment to try to entice strikes. The action would be fairly slow on the day as they did muster up a few pickerel and panfish totalling in the teens for the day. Kevin is into wood working as a hobby and made an engraved "Legends Outdoors" cutting board as a gift as seen in the group photo. The craftmanship is excellent and it is deeply appreciated! A great time was had by all and we look forward to seeing Kevin and his crew back again for another Legends Outdoors adventure.
Three friends from high school of Eric, Joe and Ben wanted to try ice-fishing for the first time, so they dialed up Legends Outdoors and scheduled a trip. Eric is a returning client from open water fishing. They were greeted with a cloudy day that had a high temperature around 30 with some persistent winds. They had about 5-6" of good ice to fish upon as we make sure always that there is enough for the anglers as safety is our top priority for our clients. The trio learned how to use tip-ups, do some jigging, and even drill holes as they wanted to indulge fully in the ice-fishing experience. They three men were also treated to a fresh fried perch meal as shown in the photo below. The action was good for the anglers as they had plenty of flags and caught well over two dozen fish on the day. Directly from the outing it was off to the Philadelphia Eagles playoff game against the New York Giants for the happy angler in the green and white winter cap. We appreciate Eric coming out with his two friends and look forward to seeing them back again for another Legends Outdoors adventure.
Returning clients of Mike along with his sons Alexander and Nikolai were out for some January ice-fishing with Legends Outdoors. A blue bird sky, temperatures in the low 30's, and light wind set the scene for this trio of anglers. The out of state residents used mostly tip-ups and also did some jigging on this Pennsylvania waterway. They had a good amount of action on the day and did plenty of running around as is well evident by Nikolai laying exhausted on the slick ice. They had plenty of fun together while catching a good amount of perch, a few pickerel and enjoying a nice shore lunch of venison sausage and hot dogs. They were also treated to a bald eagle soaring overhead for much of the day and then landing in a tree nearby to pose for a photo. An overall great family day out!
Legends Outdoors regulars of Mike and Kevin were back at it for some ice-fishing in Northeast Pennsylvania. Mike has caught many big fish in a variety of species with us throughout the years and the next species Mike was hankering to catch a big one of was a yellow perch. The day was a chilly one with temperatures at 13 degrees in the morning and increasing winds that would top out at about 15 MPH out of the north. The approximate 6" of smooth ice that the tip-ups were strewn out on made cleats a necessity on this outing. Mike's mother Janine also made the journey for a day out of ice-fishing as the flags were flying with great regularity. They caught about two dozen fish including two pickerel and the rest were jumbo yellow perch including a giant that Mike was looking for. It had tremendous girth and vibrant colors. The family enjoyed freshly cooked venison franks and beans on this chilly day to warm them up. An overall great day out and mission accomplished.
Typically the first Legends Outdoors outing of a new year is through the ice, but 2023 had an unseasonably warm spell at the onset leaving plenty of open water for some winter fishing from the boat. Long time client Jim, who adores fishing cold water took the opportunity to get in some chilly water action. The air temps were in the upper 40's for the day and actully reached the 50's while there were only light winds making this January day very comfortable. The day started off slow without a strike for a while before Jim settled in and dialed in the pattern for these cold water fish. He used a combination of hard baits and Keitech Baits to entice the strikes while capitilizing on the opportunuties en route to a solid day of five nice fall fish which are known as the "Tarpon of the Commonwealth" to many and four radiantly colored brown trout. What a nice winter day it was to get out and do some fishing, have some snacks, enjoy the sights and sounds of nature and start off 2023 on a postive note.
