I own and operate The Backwoods Angler, a professional smallmouth bass fishing guide service in Eastern, Pennsylvania. We outfit trips on three of the finest smallmouth bass fisheries in the northeast, the Delaware, Susquehanna and Schuylkill Rivers. This is the heart of Eastern smallmouth bass country.

My fishing career began on some of the most beautiful trout streams in the foothills of the Pocono Mountains of PA. In 1987, I took my first trip to the Delaware River. I hooked a 10-inch smallmouth with an ultralight rod and 1/8 ounce Roostertail spinner. That was my first river smallmouth, and it hooked me for a lifetime! I began pursuing these awesome creatures on a regular basis. I studied this river and her tendencies.

In 1999, while working in the Ophthalmology field, I found myself frequently thinking about fishing for smallmouth. This wasn’t a good deal while performing eye exams and diagnostic tests on patients! With the grace of God through the help and encouragement of two good friends, I decided to begin walking through my fears and doubts and pursue my dream of fishing for a living. I really had no idea how to pull this off though. I purchased my first jet boat and began learning the Delaware and Susquehanna Rivers. Within a year I was guiding clients on both rivers.

Today, I average more than 180 days per year on the water. I write freelance fishing articles for web sites and have recently been named fishing editor for The Outdoor Adventurer magazine. I have been lucky enough to have filmed a number of TV shows with Delaware Valley Outdoors, A Great Day Outdoors and PA Outdoor Life. I contribute weekly fishing reports to The Morning Call Newspaper in Allentown, PA. I am a contributing writer for The Reading Eagle Newspaper, Reading, PA and New Jersey Angler Magazine. Sponsorships include Odyssey Custom River Jet Boats through Pocono Boat House, McCoy Fishing Line, Mizmo Bait Co., Kistler Rods, Don’s Handcrafted Jigs, Johnson’s Spinnerbaits through Angler’s Paradise and Marine, and Case Plastics. I am on the Delaware Valley Outdoors Pro-Staff. I released my first book, "THE DELAWARE RIVER SMALLMOUTH BASS FISHING HANDBOOK" in January, 2004. I do speaking engagements/seminars on Delaware and Schuylkill River smallmouth bass fishing.

When not fishing or writing, I spend time coloring, playing games, singing and reading with my three young daughters.  I am also a member of a Contemporary Christian band named Cordis.  The smallmouth I pursue and my three girls teach me humility! I am a lucky man. God Bless!

Blaine Mengel, Jr

December, 2005