Jeff puts a lot of work into his videos, and he has a lot to share. Sometimes you just enjoy his approach, and he makes you think. I like the range of his videos, from rigging a kayak, gear, to reading structure. It would be nice if some of us that watch,,, show a little appreciation with that thanks button. He is in a transition and whatever comes next he deserves some gratitude. I am old, and at my last shot at kayak fishing. My boat is rigged with a lot of Jeff's ideas. Real benefits! He also is a great example of a steward of our fishing waters. I appreciate that!
Thank you for the acknowledgment and gratitude! I miss going out, fishing, finding moments to teach a concept, finding some trash to take home to the dumpster and the editing process that follows. I can’t say when I will be back at it. I’ve turned down five different podcasts too. My focus and my dwindling finances need to be turned towards securing employment. My single trip in the last month and a half was to produce content for a client, Innovative Sportsman. It hit the mark and provided a real data set of social media reach 77.5K views and resulting sales growth as a direct result of that content campaign - 684% increase in weekly sales compared to the four week average leading into that campaign. Those metrics are helping me sell my expertise and time. But going to the river to produce an episode is usually a net financial loss - the income from an episode does not usually cover my gas. So I’ve been staying home, learning several AI tools, learning CapCut editing and talking with lots of potential clients.
I’ve been watching your video over and over and can’t get over how amazing it is learning from you! The way you breakdown the river so eloquently and precise! I feel that people who have the ability to strategic look at a river like you are critical thinkers/ engineers! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and skills to properly fish these water sources and doing it correctly the first time! Tight lines take care and God bless!
Thank you for watching. I’ve been fishing for river smallmouth a long time. There’s still so much that I don’t know yet about them. The learning and then turning around and teaching is fun to me.
Great video as always. I don’t kayak fish much anymore with a bad back, but your concepts on boat position work for kayaks or jet boats. I’m 49 and have fished the river since I was a young boy. I always take something of valve away from your videos to make me a better fisherman. Thanks Jeff!
Enjoyed as always, continue to learn from you.That one release was great,that fish loved rhe camera. Thanks fo all the time put into making these videos
Great day Jeff , you found a good eat spot! I think it helped that you were on shore and retrieving the fish to the bank,so the wolf pack fish don’t follow your fish to the kayak and spook. I find fish sometimes and catch one and it always seems to be the smallest fish in the pack! Lol and they spook , thanks for sharing!!!
Moving them away from the eat spot is critical for continued catching. I agree that not being pulled into that spot because I was locked onto shore helped. Leaving it for about 90 minutes also let it reset.
@ great job Brother! I envy you! I need to get out to the Susquehanna! The Delaware is so close and convenient but I need to explore the Susquehanna. Thanks Jeff
Those underwater shots are so great especially when you followed the fish. Thanks so much for bringing us along and thank you for all you do for kayak fishing. Hope you new endeavor is working out great for you
What a great day! Would a Carolina rig with a 3 or 4” leader on a jerk shad speed up the bite time window? To me it would show the bait fish is just resting on the bottom and its movement would be seen faster by cruising smallies. Thanks for taking the time to do your illustrations.
I hope other subscribers appreciate how much work it takes to produce as much content as you are well known for. The benefits of watching your videos far outweigh a donation now and again. Hopefully, more subscribers will show some gratitude. We all realize you must focus on the future.
I fish a deeper river in the state and the fish migrate to the deeper pools as the water cools into the fall. Currently the water temps are warmer than normal around 54 degrees and the fish have not gone deep in the pools yet , but there are fish schooled up and some loners. Recently I found fish in large concentrations around 4 to 6 foot depths at the tail end of a long deep wintering pool. These fish were at times on the heavy feed, but other times they were shut down and you would never know they were there. It convinced me , perhaps this time of year that the concept of "Bite Windows" made all the difference. Also, when the bite windows would open the fishing was so good it allowed me to try different baits and techniques and see their reaction. By far the best offering was a lightly weighted small fluke dead drifted as apposed to dead sticked on the bottom. I would catch fish using other baits like a paddletail swimbait slow rolled, but at 1/4 the rate of the dead drifted fluke. Funny there were times when I did not get bit and was reeling up and I could see a fish chasing the fluke and as soon as I paused the bait and let it drift for a few seconds they would hammer it. I had several days of this same outstanding fishing and certainly the right bait and technique was critical , but my biggest takeaway was those even more critical "Bite Windows"
@@TheLittleStuff That's a legitimate question and I would like to offer my thoughts. The tail end of the large pool where I found the massive school/s of fish the water depth came up from around 16 feet of water to the top of a riffle around 2 feet. As the water got shallower and shallower the current was also picking up . There was no abrupt lip coming up out of deep water it was fairly gradual. The school of fish in 4-6 feet of water stretched across that tail end of the pool at least 50 yards. There were, I believe hundreds of fish over that distance. Those fish easily slide down the deeper end of the pool up into the shallower faster current and visa-versa . Fishing out of my boat I can drift down and spot lock at will and do that all the time. This allows me to find the water depths they are in and where and WHEN they are fired up.....or to say it another way the bite windows open. During the non bite window times I will be looking around in the depths from 16 feet up to the top of the lip in 2 feet and trying different baits including bottom contact baits in the deeper water and bites are few and far between in all depths. Being slow I would go fish other areas , two hours later I would come back and would and drift down and find the fsh all fired up in that 4-6 foot of water. For the next two hours it would be lights out, fish almost every cast. I fish bait finesse gear with 6lb line mostly and wow...a 3lb river smallmouth on light line is so so much fun!
Definitely agree on the “Bite Windows” I’ve been experiencing that on my river here in Illinois I wade and the fluke style baits have been the go to 👍👍👍👍
I’ve wondered about releasing fish where caught turning the rest of the fish off, but sometimes I wonder if that’s really what happens. As many times as I’ve witnessed several smallmouths chasing a hooked fish being fought if what’s actually happening is that the other smallmouth on that spot are being pulled off following the hooked fish or even shadowing the retrieved bait pulling them off the spot. This isn’t an original thought of my own it’s something I read in bill simentals book and also watching his big bass video where he fishes a canal and catches bass then reverses his boat into the canal casting out and catches fish he believes followed his previous presentations out of the canal.
I’m unemployed. I won’t purchase gas to get to the river and make a video. UA-cam income from a video doesn’t cover it. I’m also busy filling the funnel with my contract based services. Getting hired this time of year in this economy is difficult, but I have some movement on the contract side of things that will start in January. Thanks for checking in!
It’s a huge advantage in summer for sure. Last winter, I got several nice ones after dusk. It’s good to have a spot that is close to the access point, so you don’t have to navigate technical water in the dark.
I kayak fish also for smallies but, I've only had my bass boat out a few times at night since my spinal cord injury because of safety. The lake had both large and smallmouth. I caught only smallies each time. 😊
What’s your go to weight when fishing the jerk shads? Was it 1/16oz? Your video footage of the dead sticking looks like you have it perfectly balanced.
The weight of these keel weighted hooks is discussed in the video. I use 1/8th most of the time. 1/4 oz offers the ability to place the bait near stronger current, maintain greater distance from target areas and feel the bite better when it’s windy.
I saw on Instagram that this might be your last video for a little while? Bummer, there's always a lot of info in your videos. Good luck as you move onto other employment. Hope it happens for you soon.
Thanks Dave. I’m almost two weeks into unemployment right now. The path to employment might be self employment as a consultant for multiple companies. That’s what I am gearing up to do, as most companies in paddlesports and the outdoor industry are hurting financially and not able to bring on full time employees. I have a wide array of services to offer that impact sales in a tough economy.
Jeff puts a lot of work into his videos, and he has a lot to share. Sometimes you just enjoy his approach, and he makes you think. I like the range of his videos, from rigging a kayak, gear, to reading structure. It would be nice if some of us that watch,,, show a little appreciation with that thanks button. He is in a transition and whatever comes next he deserves some gratitude. I am old, and at my last shot at kayak fishing. My boat is rigged with a lot of Jeff's ideas. Real benefits! He also is a great example of a steward of our fishing waters. I appreciate that!
Thank you for the acknowledgment and gratitude! I miss going out, fishing, finding moments to teach a concept, finding some trash to take home to the dumpster and the editing process that follows. I can’t say when I will be back at it. I’ve turned down five different podcasts too. My focus and my dwindling finances need to be turned towards securing employment. My single trip in the last month and a half was to produce content for a client, Innovative Sportsman. It hit the mark and provided a real data set of social media reach 77.5K views and resulting sales growth as a direct result of that content campaign - 684% increase in weekly sales compared to the four week average leading into that campaign. Those metrics are helping me sell my expertise and time. But going to the river to produce an episode is usually a net financial loss - the income from an episode does not usually cover my gas. So I’ve been staying home, learning several AI tools, learning CapCut editing and talking with lots of potential clients.
I’ve been watching your video over and over and can’t get over how amazing it is learning from you! The way you breakdown the river so eloquently and precise! I feel that people who have the ability to strategic look at a river like you are critical thinkers/ engineers! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and skills to properly fish these water sources and doing it correctly the first time! Tight lines take care and God bless!
Thank you for watching. I’ve been fishing for river smallmouth a long time. There’s still so much that I don’t know yet about them. The learning and then turning around and teaching is fun to me.
The very best smallmouth and kayak teacher on the planet! Thanks Jeff….
High Noon
Thanks for the kind words.
What an amazing day of fishing! You put on a clinic! Thanks for putting such great content out there.
Thanks it was fun!
Another clinic put on. Great video as always Jeff
Great video as always. I don’t kayak fish much anymore with a bad back, but your concepts on boat position work for kayaks or jet boats. I’m 49 and have fished the river since I was a young boy. I always take something of valve away from your videos to make me a better fisherman. Thanks Jeff!
Enjoyed as always, continue to learn from you.That one release was great,that fish loved rhe camera.
Thanks fo all the time put into making these videos
Great day Jeff , you found a good eat spot! I think it helped that you were on shore and retrieving the fish to the bank,so the wolf pack fish don’t follow your fish to the kayak and spook. I find fish sometimes and catch one and it always seems to be the smallest fish in the pack! Lol and they spook , thanks for sharing!!!
Moving them away from the eat spot is critical for continued catching. I agree that not being pulled into that spot because I was locked onto shore helped. Leaving it for about 90 minutes also let it reset.
@ great job Brother! I envy you! I need to get out to the Susquehanna! The Delaware is so close and convenient but I need to explore the Susquehanna. Thanks Jeff
Those underwater shots are so great especially when you followed the fish. Thanks so much for bringing us along and thank you for all you do for kayak fishing. Hope you new endeavor is working out great for you
I plan on incorporating some of the underwater footage in the Reel editing class projects I’ve been practicing on.
What a great day! Would a Carolina rig with a 3 or 4” leader on a jerk shad speed up the bite time window? To me it would show the bait fish is just resting on the bottom and its movement would be seen faster by cruising smallies. Thanks for taking the time to do your illustrations.
Speeding up the bite time window isn’t a strategy that I’ve been able to force into success. Full speed or no speed accounts for most of my bites.
Thanks!
Thank you!!!
I hope other subscribers appreciate how much work it takes to produce as much content as you are well known for. The benefits of watching your videos far outweigh a donation now and again. Hopefully, more subscribers will show some gratitude. We all realize you must focus on the future.
I fish a deeper river in the state and the fish migrate to the deeper pools as the water cools into the fall. Currently the water temps are warmer than normal around 54 degrees and the fish have not gone deep in the pools yet , but there are fish schooled up and some loners. Recently I found fish in large concentrations around 4 to 6 foot depths at the tail end of a long deep wintering pool. These fish were at times on the heavy feed, but other times they were shut down and you would never know they were there. It convinced me , perhaps this time of year that the concept of "Bite Windows" made all the difference. Also, when the bite windows would open the fishing was so good it allowed me to try different baits and techniques and see their reaction. By far the best offering was a lightly weighted small fluke dead drifted as apposed to dead sticked on the bottom. I would catch fish using other baits like a paddletail swimbait slow rolled, but at 1/4 the rate of the dead drifted fluke. Funny there were times when I did not get bit and was reeling up and I could see a fish chasing the fluke and as soon as I paused the bait and let it drift for a few seconds they would hammer it.
I had several days of this same outstanding fishing and certainly the right bait and technique was critical , but my biggest takeaway was those even more critical "Bite Windows"
They certainly do fire up at times. Or is it that they keep moving around, and it seems like an active time when we intersect with the school?
@@TheLittleStuff That's a legitimate question and I would like to offer my thoughts. The tail end of the large pool where I found the massive school/s of fish the water depth came up from around 16 feet of water to the top of a riffle around 2 feet. As the water got shallower and shallower the current was also picking up . There was no abrupt lip coming up out of deep water it was fairly gradual. The school of fish in 4-6 feet of water stretched across that tail end of the pool at least 50 yards. There were, I believe hundreds of fish over that distance. Those fish easily slide down the deeper end of the pool up into the shallower faster current and visa-versa . Fishing out of my boat I can drift down and spot lock at will and do that all the time. This allows me to find the water depths they are in and where and WHEN they are fired up.....or to say it another way the bite windows open. During the non bite window times I will be looking around in the depths from 16 feet up to the top of the lip in 2 feet and trying different baits including bottom contact baits in the deeper water and bites are few and far between in all depths. Being slow I would go fish other areas , two hours later I would come back and would and drift down and find the fsh all fired up in that 4-6 foot of water. For the next two hours it would be lights out, fish almost every cast. I fish bait finesse gear with 6lb line mostly and wow...a 3lb river smallmouth on light line is so so much fun!
Definitely agree on the “Bite Windows” I’ve been experiencing that on my river here in Illinois I wade and the fluke style baits have been the go to 👍👍👍👍
Great video! Those underwater shots were fantastic! Thank you.
Thanks. I had great conditions for it: bright sun and clear water.
Great tutorial on fall fishing!
I’ve wondered about releasing fish where caught turning the rest of the fish off, but sometimes I wonder if that’s really what happens. As many times as I’ve witnessed several smallmouths chasing a hooked fish being fought if what’s actually happening is that the other smallmouth on that spot are being pulled off following the hooked fish or even shadowing the retrieved bait pulling them off the spot. This isn’t an original thought of my own it’s something I read in bill simentals book and also watching his big bass video where he fishes a canal and catches bass then reverses his boat into the canal casting out and catches fish he believes followed his previous presentations out of the canal.
It’s 12-5-24, seems like a rather long hiatus for you Jeff. Hope everything is okay.
I’m unemployed. I won’t purchase gas to get to the river and make a video. UA-cam income from a video doesn’t cover it. I’m also busy filling the funnel with my contract based services. Getting hired this time of year in this economy is difficult, but I have some movement on the contract side of things that will start in January. Thanks for checking in!
Great info.!! Could u tell me what size is the Ryugi quad hook ? Thanx.
1/0
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From Sunbury to Harrisburg is there any part of that river stretch you have yet to fish yet? Good vid Jeff
Just that one side of that island. Won’t go near it.
@@TheLittleStuff Prob a Good idea.
Can you recommend a scent that you are adding to the finess fluke?
Liquid Mayhem.
It amazes me that more smallie fishermen don't fish at night while the crays are creeping? What's your take on this?
It’s a huge advantage in summer for sure. Last winter, I got several nice ones after dusk. It’s good to have a spot that is close to the access point, so you don’t have to navigate technical water in the dark.
Love night fishing swimbaits and craw trds
I kayak fish also for smallies but, I've only had my bass boat out a few times at night since my spinal cord injury because of safety. The lake had both large and smallmouth. I caught only smallies each time. 😊
What’s your go to weight when fishing the jerk shads? Was it 1/16oz? Your video footage of the dead sticking looks like you have it perfectly balanced.
The weight of these keel weighted hooks is discussed in the video. I use 1/8th most of the time. 1/4 oz offers the ability to place the bait near stronger current, maintain greater distance from target areas and feel the bite better when it’s windy.
Thanks. Just got there in the video. I should have waited 😆
I saw on Instagram that this might be your last video for a little while? Bummer, there's always a lot of info in your videos. Good luck as you move onto other employment. Hope it happens for you soon.
Thanks Dave. I’m almost two weeks into unemployment right now. The path to employment might be self employment as a consultant for multiple companies. That’s what I am gearing up to do, as most companies in paddlesports and the outdoor industry are hurting financially and not able to bring on full time employees. I have a wide array of services to offer that impact sales in a tough economy.
Are you using 2500 or 3500 size spinning reels?
It’s a mix. 3000’s are most common in my lineup. I have one 5000 for swimbaits.
Jeff, do you ever fish soft plastic craw baits on the Sus?
I throw finesse jigs that have the BatWingZ. That’s my craw presentation.
Please do the eyes!!
It’s the previous video.