Chrenko wins Bassmaster Kayak Series event on Susquehanna River

WILKES-BARRE — Josh Chrenko said earlier this week that the Susquehanna River is as good as any smallmouth bass river he’s ever fished.

Then he went out and proved it.

Chrenko, 38, won the Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series powered by TourneyX last week in the center of the Keystone State.

He took the Day 1 lead with a five-bass limit that measured 96.25 inches and delivered again on the second and final day of the derby with another limit, this one measuring 97.75 inches.

That gave the Greenwood, Ind., resident a total of 194 inches, which was more than enough to claim the tournament’s $8,500 first prize. The Top 15 anglers and Big Bass Award winner split a cash purse of $30,200.

“I’m not a national tournament guy,” Chrenko said, shortly after receiving the championship trophy. I’m from Indiana and we don’t have anything like this at home. So, if I get a chance to fish here, I’m gonna go. And to be standing up here now (after winning the tournament), it’s just surreal.”

Chrenko fished an isolated spot of the river — a gamble, he said, because it was an effort to reach. But the chunky smallmouth bass feeding there, alongside big muskie and flatheads, made it worth the risk.

“I went there on Thursday for my first practice day and in 45 minutes, I had two 20s and two 19s,” Chrenko said. “So, I knew that was my spot. But (if the bite changed) there was nothing else I could fish around it. I would pretty much be stuck.”

Fortunately for Chrenko, no one was on his spot Saturday morning. He caught only eight fish, but they were the ones he needed.

“I only had four fish until about 1:30 that afternoon,” he said. “I had only one Bull Shad in my swimbait box, and I caught my first four keepers on that.”

After a giant muskie broke his bait off, Chrenko threw a Megabass Magslowl swimbait to finish his limit. He loaded up on swimbaits Saturday night, figuring he might need them after the front pushed through fully overnight.

“The water was like chocolate milk today,” he said. “But I put on a Z-Man JackHammer and I wound up catching nine fish. I only had 17 fish in two days, but they were the right ones.”

Rus Snyders of Pegram, Tenn., stormed from fifth place on Saturday into second on Sunday, courtesy of a limit that measured 97.25. That gave him a 191.25-inch total over the weekend — good enough not only for the second-place bounty of $3,800, but also to earn him the 2023 Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Kayak Series Angler of the Year title.

Snyders pocketed an additional $5,000 prize for winning the year’s points race.

“This is the best week of smallmouth fishing I’ve had in my life,” he said. “Every day they were just chewing. I saw what the forecast was doing over the weekend, and I found a few baits that were working. But over 50% of my time, I was on that Torqeedo and I would zig-zag back and forth all over the place.

“I marked everything I could — a shoal, a big boulder, a rockpile, a laydown.”

With more than 300 waypoints charted, Snyders was able to find fish despite the water dirtying following the front. His best bites on Saturday came on Neko rigs. On Sunday, he leaned on a variety of Megabass Magdraft swimbaits.

Snyders’ second-place finish this weekend capped a spectacular year, in which he won the Kayak Series Championship on Chickamauga Lake in his home state in March. He also had a second-place showing on the Mississippi River in Wisconsin, finished third at Alabama’s Lake Guntersville and 15th at Lake Hartwell in South Carolina.

“Everything this year has gone so smoothly,” Snyders said. “Not just with my fishing, but everything in general.”

Rounding out the Top 5 this weekend on the Susquehanna are Pennsylvania’s Jordan Welliver, third, 190.5, $2,700; Pennsylvania’s Jake Harshman, fourth, 187, $1,950; and West Virginia’s Mark Edwards, fifth, 186.75, $1,800.

Welliver also won the $500 Big Bass Award for the 21.5-inch smallmouth he caught Sunday.

A total of 146 anglers from across the U.S. competed in the derby.

The final berths in the 2024 Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series Championship powered by TourneyX will be announced later this week. The Top 5 anglers from each event this season, plus several dozen from the Angler of the Year standings, will be invited to the championship which is scheduled for March 20-21 on Oklahoma’s Lake Tenkiller. The kayak championship will be held in conjunction with the 2024 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota, which is scheduled for March 22-24 in Tulsa.

The tournament was sponsored by the Susquehanna River Valley Visitors Bureau.

DCNR celebrates Keystone State Park

as nation’s top fall foliage destination

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) State Parks Director John Hallas and State Forester Seth Cassell this week visited Keystone State Park in Westmoreland County to celebrate the park’s selection as USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards top fall foliage destination in the U.S.

“I am very proud to be here today celebrating Keystone State Park’s selection as the top location to view fall foliage in the nation,” Hallas said. “We are happy to have this designation and look forward to seeing visitors, old and new alike, taking in the sights along the lake and trails at Keystone. Thank you to all of the voters who helped make this designation possible.”

USA Today wrote in its article announcing Keystone State Park as the nation’s top destination:

“Kayaking, wildlife watching, and hiking are all popular activities around Keystone State Park, a sprawling preserve that’s perfect for discovering the abundant beauty of Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands. Keystone Lake is certainly the main attraction around here, and autumn visitors can experience the water feature at its best during a stroll along the Lakeside Loop, a 2-mile trail that’s packed with pristine forest.”

Keystone State Park is a 1200-acre park that is great for day trips and family vacations year-round. Camping, modern cabins, many trails, and a lake are all within walking distance, providing an ideal setting for wildlife watching or outdoor adventures. The park is within easy driving distance from the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, the Laurel Highlands, and their many attractions.

Beyond the beauty Pennsylvania’s trees provide for annual fall foliage viewing, these trees are critical to providing clean air and water across the state. The commonsense 2023-24 bipartisan budget signed into law by Governor Josh Shapiro, provides $112 million to maintain and improve infrastructure in parks and forests, which will help enhance the experience of visiting public lands.

DCNR shares weekly fall foliage reports can be found on its website to help leaf-peeping enthusiasts find ideal spots for taking in seasonal views. Fall foliage typically peaks for several weeks throughout October across Pennsylvania.

“Keystone is a special place and I encourage fall foliage enthusiasts to check out this top destination,” Cassell said. “I also encourage folks to visit nearby areas in the Forbes State Forest District, in which Keystone sits, for great drives and hikes. There are more than 130 native tree species that give residents and tourists an abundance of opportunities to see a wide array of colors through October.”

Visitors can get suggestions about the best spots to view fall foliage on the Penn’s Woods Fall Foliage story map and on the Pennsylvania Tourism Office website.

North Branch Land Trust talks

planting and planning in Fall

From Karley Stasko, Director of Marketing & Development at North Branch Land Trust.

It is fall again!

And October brings crisp mornings, back to school, changing landscapes, and deer everywhere.

As you look around at the changing leaves and trees preparing for their dormant period, it is time we at North Branch Land Trust do the same.

With winter just around the corner, now is the perfect time to make final investments in our properties for this year.

You will notice your garden is all but finished for the year, maybe just some mums and asters blooming now as everything else dies back for winter. Appreciating all the flowers and fruits of your garden that this season brought you, consider what else can be added for the coming year. Consider a fall planting!

This is a wonderful time of year to add trees and shrubs to your garden. They will transplant into the dirt during their dormant phase stress free—and happily reawaken in the spring ready to grow in their new location. Be sure to water them appropriately until the ground freezes unless there is more rain!

Another option for the more venturesome of us is to plant a native pollinator garden. These can be very organized in a formal garden or completely mixed together for a natural colorful meadow.

As you think about where to plant your new garden or meadow, consider an area of your lawn that is hard to mow or one that you can see from your favorite spot. These would be great locations to transform into a little habitat for you and nature to enjoy together.

Next, determine whether the locations soil is wet (water pooling, squishy to step on) or more well drained like normal lawns. This will help you decide which species to plant for the best results. The Bureau of Forestry has some excellent seed mixes available on their website to function as a guide (but feel free to add in your own native favorites).

It is important to prep the area before planting by removing grass and the matted thatch below it to expose the soil before planting. This can be done manually or chemically. Native species are necessary to protect the ecosystem. Be sure to spread seeds before the ground freezes, ideally in the second or third week of October and work around the weather and rain. A nice rain shower after planting is great, but a deluge of rain may wash your seeds away.

When spreading the seeds in the fall be sure to include oats as a cover crop for the rest of this year. Once all of your seeds are spread be sure to walk around on top of them or have the kids play a game of tag on your planted area to press the seeds into the ground. You can then cover them with straw (not hay!) as well to help protect them. This process can mostly be done in a day or two. In the spring you can expect plenty of little green plants. Be patient with your seeds. You may not see larger plants until the second spring, but your hard work will be worth it!

Remember to only plant native species to ensure you are helping our native animals survive. And sit back and enjoy your hard work as it blooms.