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You have to fish deeper for summertime bass

By Walt Young sports@altoonamirror.com Summertime bass fishing is popular with anglers throughout the country. Lake-dwelling largemouth bass are a great summer fish because they are usually receptive to a huge variety of baits, lures and angling techniques. But catching bass consistently during the summer presents its own special set of challenges during the frequent hot, bright days, because even largemouths can only take so much heat. Often, the bigger bass will move to deeper water during extended hot spells like we will continue to experience in the coming weeks. While ...

Cove duo bring home top-10 finish at tourney

By John Hartsock jhartsock@altoonamirror Last summer, the team of Jerry Brumbaugh, Jr. and Hunter Klotz, both of Central High School, won first place in the High School (Bass) Fishing National Championship event in South Carolina. So when Brumbaugh, Jr., a recent Central graduate, and ...

Climate change part of poor Yellowstone Park flood forecasts

The Associated Press BILLINGS, Mont. — The Yellowstone National Park area’s weather forecast the morning of June 12 seemed fairly tame: warmer temperatures and rain showers would accelerate mountain snow melt and could produce “minor flooding.” A National Weather Service bulletin recommended moving livestock from low-lying areas but made no mention of danger to people. By nightfall, after several inches of rain fell on a deep spring snowpack, there were record-shattering floods. Torrents of water poured off the mountains. Swollen rivers carrying boulders and trees smashed ...

Shuma family treats bass fishing with reverence

By John Hartsock jhartsock@altoonamirror.com The opening of trout season is a timeless fishing tradition that has been enjoyed by many families in this area across multiple generations. Although the opening day of bass season in Pennsylvania — which falls annually on the second Saturday each June — does not receive nearly as much fanfare as the trout season opener, the enjoyment of bass fishing is steeped in tradition for many families as well. Brothers Bob Shuma, 74, and John Shuma, 70, who both live in Altoona, have been fishing for smallmouth bass on the Juniata River in ...

Yellowstone ready to reopen

The Associated Press MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, Wyo. — Yellowstone National Park is reopening its flood-damaged north loop at noon on Saturday, in time for the Fourth of July holiday weekend, park officials said earlier this week. The announcement means most of the park will be open again after June 13 flooding closed America’s first national park and forced 10,000 visitors to leave as water, rocks and mud washed out roads and bridges. “We’re pleased to reopen the north loop of Yellowstone to the visiting public less than three weeks after this major flood event,” said ...

Summer offers challenges for hunters

By Shirley Grenoble For the Mirror Summer seemed to come on full force quickly this year. In the latter part of spring gobbler season, foliage was so lush it was hard to pick a spot that would afford a good look at an approaching gobbler. Summer means all sorts of fun and activities, but for outdoorsmen and women, it also presents various types of nuisances and dangers. First on the list, I suppose, is bears. The day before the gobbler season ended, my hunting buddy, Joanie Haidle, told me of the black bear that suddenly appeared less than 10 yards away from her in the woods. ...