>>116043>FrackvilleDamn. I'd offer to take you fishing since I'll be up in PA at the end of the month visiting my grandfather but he's closer to Altoona and Johnstown (about three hours away from you). When I'm up I usually fish the Juniata which runs through his back yard (Muskey, Smallmouth and Rock Bass mostly) or I'll go to Raystown (crappie, panfish, striper, largemouth and more) and Shawnee. You do have the Susquehanna just north of you. I'd recommend picking up a good pair of chest-waders. Be sure to take care of them and they'll last you for years. Also a dirt-cheap pair of shoes to put on over them if they don't have shoes built-in. In the water walk calm and feel out your steps, minding any rocks and the sort beneath the water.
I won't advise any fly fishing without somebody to help you learn. It's an art and takes a good bit of practice, preferably in an open area where you can build a feel for it without the threat of snags. I usually pack some medium to fast action rods with baitcaster reels for spinnerbaits, crank baits and the sort. Also for soft baits like worms or lizards which I rig weedless. They're great for fishing under brush and in thick grass where bass may be hiding. I also bring some light to medium spinning rods/reels and I use those the most. They always seem more sporting to me. A healthy bass at the end of some 6 pound mono on of a light-medium rod feels like a monster every time and you have to work to bring it in. Favorite lures on those are 5" single-tail grubs rigged weedless on 1/16 or 1/8 ounce jig heads for jigging along. I'll also use the same grubs and hooks with a jig spinner (pic related) and reel quick enough to keep them just below the water's surface. It's something you'll build a feel for but you can reel just a hair faster and cause the spinner-blade to flutter and disturb the surface of the water which sometimes triggers strikes.
