Jerry Bush, Author at Outdoor News

Is a spring steelhead season to remember coming on Lake Erie tributaries?

Featured, Features, Fishing, Fishing, Home Page News, National Fishing, Ohio, Pennsylvania / Jerry Bush

The outlook for the spring 2025 steelhead fishery is mixed. My 40 years of experience fishing the tributaries signals that it could be exceptional. I believe the poor fishery experienced last autumn and winter should indicate there will be more leftover fish this spring, but a Lake Erie biologist believes I might be overly optimistic.
Steelhead were plenty, but Mother Nature had plans of her own. Steelheads usually run rampant in October, but last fall they were stacked up in the big lake, waiting for the tributaries to swell with water.

Is a spring steelhead season to remember coming on Lake Erie tributaries? Read More »

After the smoke clears, you’ll appreciate the challenge of hunting with a flintlock

Featured, Features, Home Page News, Hunting, National Hunting, Pennsylvania / Jerry Bush

Did you get your deer this year? Most years I can answer yes, but not always. I recall an occasion about 25 years ago when a well-meaning, elderly friend posed that question to me following the traditional, December rifle season in Pennsylvania.
Sheepishly, I replied that my tag was not yet filled.
“I’m not done yet,” I said. “I’ll be hunting with my bow during the primitive season, after the holidays.”

After the smoke clears, you’ll appreciate the challenge of hunting with a flintlock Read More »

Handloading for deer hunting: Great for accuracy, and can save you some money

Featured, Featured, Features, Home Page News, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, National Hunting, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin / Jerry Bush

“You won’t save much money,” advised an old friend, who long ago convinced me to hand load ammunition for fun and self-gratification. His comment regarding the activity’s economic benefit was correct then because factory ammunition was inexpensive and plentiful in the late 1980s.
Recently, another friend asked me to keep my eyes open for specific ammunition he struggled to find on retailer’s shelves. As I perused the inventories of several shops, I learned that many cartridges were in short supply, and the prices were higher than I expected. The discovery led me to investigate if hand-loading ammunition today provides significant cost savings. My suspicions proved correct, but what had changed?

Handloading for deer hunting: Great for accuracy, and can save you some money Read More »

Autumn trout fishing in Pennsylvania means colors galore… above and below the water

Featured, Features, Fishing, Home Page News, National Fishing, Pennsylvania / Jerry Bush

More than 130 tree species plus a mixture of shrubs, which grow from sea level to elevations several thousand feet above sea level, ensure that Pennsylvania’s landscape bursts with an assortment of vibrant colors each October.
Autumn anglers appreciate the scenic surroundings while seeking to hook the colorful, freshwater fish, and perhaps no fishermen find more satisfaction in catching and viewing their colorful quarry in this environment than the fly-fishermen who wade the Keystone State’s streams in search of trout.

Autumn trout fishing in Pennsylvania means colors galore… above and below the water Read More »

Preparing for a succesfull bowhunting season goes beyond target practice

Featured, Features, Hunting, Pennsylvania / Jerry Bush

I consider myself a graduate of the “University of Hard Knocks, and after logging more than 40 years of bowhunting experiences, I believe I have earned a master’s degree for opening-day regrets!
I would love to survey 1,000 bowhunters exiting Pennsylvania’s woods at the end of the opening day on Saturday, Oct. 5, to inquire about their mishaps. I bet their stories would align with mine, and the root cause of most of their woes would be due to insufficient, preseason preparation.

Preparing for a succesfull bowhunting season goes beyond target practice Read More »

Tips to make you a better walleye angler on Pennsylvania waters

Featured, Features, Fishing, National Fishing, Pennsylvania / Jerry Bush

To consistently catch walleyes, anglers must understand the characteristics of the particular body of water being fished. Many impoundments hold a decent number of these finicky fish in Pennsylvania, but often fishermen are unaware they inhabit the lake.
There are some legitimate reasons the anglers are oblivious, though a little research with area bait shops, residents, or the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission could enlighten them.

Tips to make you a better walleye angler on Pennsylvania waters Read More »

Fly-fishing for carp on Pennsylvania’s lower Shenango River? It’s fantastic fun

Featured, Features, Fishing, Home Page News, National Fishing, Pennsylvania / Jerry Bush

A friend promised me that we could catch a multitude of fish by wading into the lower Shenango River, just below the concrete structure that holds back the water that creates Shenango River Lake.
I’d fished portions of the lower river, but I was hesitant when he claimed we could wade to within 75 yards or closer to the dam itself. As we approached the dam, I noticed red danger signs at the riverbanks, which ironically gave me confidence. Their display meant officials had determined where deep water began, and that increased my confidence to move around in the waist-high water where my buddy had led me.

Fly-fishing for carp on Pennsylvania’s lower Shenango River? It’s fantastic fun Read More »

Pennsylvania’s Conneaut Lake a nice choice for late spring bass fishing

Featured, Features, Fishing, National Fishing, Pennsylvania / Jerry Bush

Fishing adventures are more fun when shared with a buddy, so I asked my friend, Mark, to accompany me for a bass fishing adventure at Conneaut Lake in Crawford County, Pa.
Mark readily accepted my invitation to fish in Pennsylvania’s largest, natural, inland lake, though he realized the hot temperatures and bright skies would present challenging conditions.

Pennsylvania’s Conneaut Lake a nice choice for late spring bass fishing Read More »

Jerry Bush: Being a hunting mentor to a child is a great honor, but it carries great responsibilities

Featured, Features, Home Page News, Hunting, National Hunting, Pennsylvania / Jerry Bush

In 1967, at the age of 12, I benefited from a rite of passage when my father purchased my first Pennsylvania hunting license. Dad taught me how to hunt and a few things that helped hone my shooting skills.
I’ll always remember my first firearm, which was a break-action, 16 gauge, that had to serve me for hunting big and small game.

Jerry Bush: Being a hunting mentor to a child is a great honor, but it carries great responsibilities Read More »

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Jerry Bush

Is a spring steelhead season to remember coming on Lake Erie tributaries?

After the smoke clears, you’ll appreciate the challenge of hunting with a flintlock

Handloading for deer hunting: Great for accuracy, and can save you some money

Autumn trout fishing in Pennsylvania means colors galore… above and below the water

Preparing for a succesfull bowhunting season goes beyond target practice

Tips to make you a better walleye angler on Pennsylvania waters

Fly-fishing for carp on Pennsylvania’s lower Shenango River? It’s fantastic fun

Pennsylvania’s Conneaut Lake a nice choice for late spring bass fishing

Jerry Bush: Being a hunting mentor to a child is a great honor, but it carries great responsibilities

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