Established in 2023
Ahoy! My name is Mike Deming. I began RIVERUSH Outdoors as a Youtube channel in 2015 and evolved it into a river fishing guide service in 2023. The North Branch Susquehanna and Chemung Rivers are a world class fishery that provide ample opportunity for a variety of species including Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Musky, Pike, Catfish and Carp throughout the year. Along with the amazing fishing, the rivers provide stunning scenery around every bend and a plethora of wildlife to see, including Bald Eagles, Black Bear and Whitetail Deer, to name just a few. Allow me the privilege to take you on an exciting jet boat fishing adventure that I guarantee will be full of fish, wildlife and a RUSH of adrenaline.
The boat -
"REEL WORK"
REEL WORK is a custom jet boat made by River Raptor Jet Boats located in Belleville, PA. This is the XR-8 model and is the XR-8 featured on their website. She is 22' feet long, has an 8' beam, and is powered by a 2.3 liter, 310 hp, Indmar Echoboost engine. This is a massive fishing platform that can comfortably accommodate up to three fishers. The bottom and sides are covered in UHMW material to protect her from the bottom, and she'll run in mere inches of water to get us to those honey holes - IN A HURRY!! Equipped with the latest Garmin electronics to help us find fish, you will agree that half the adventure is the boat ride!
Our Fishing Destinations
The Chemung River is a tributary to the North Branch of the Susquehanna River, and these two rivers, which confluence in nearby Athens, PA, will be our primary fishing spots. Nestled in the Appalachian mountains on the border of New York and Pennsylvania, there are over a dozen launches from Big Flats, NY east to Apalachin, NY and south to Wysox, PA on over 50 miles of these two amazing rivers. We are also a stone's throw away from the world famous Finger Lakes wine region and the glass capital of the USA - Corning, NY, and if you would rather fish one of the finger lakes, that is always an option too!
Allow me to introduce myself...
Mike Deming
I was born and raised on the Chemung River in Elmira, NY, and still live nearby in Lowman, NY. I am married to my amazing and wonderful wife, JoAnne, and have an incredibly talented daughter and son-in-law, Grace and Brandon. The Chemung River is located right across the road from my childhood home and I have fished it for as long as I can remember, usually targeting the abundant Smally population that still thrives there along side one of the greatest fisherman I've ever known, Dan Tacka. For a week during the summer, my family would stay in a cottage on the St. Lawrence River, and still do to this day. Although I now target the giant Smally's of this world class fishery, the St. Lawrence is where I learned how to fish for the toothy Northern Pike with my mother and father, Peggy and Rex, my brothers, Scott and Mark, sisters, Roxanne and Carrie and brother-in-law, Frank Pirkheim, who is also one of my greatest fishing mentors. I have fished all over USA including living in Kenai, AK and catching all 5 pacific Salmon species; fly fishing the West Branch of the Delaware and Beaverkill Rivers and many of the limestone streams of Pennsylvania; salt water fishing in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico; and fishing in bass tournaments all around the Finger Lakes in NY. Although bass is certainly at the top of my target list, I have a strong passion for seeking out Walleye's and Musky's on the rivers. The bottom line for me is, if it has fins and swims, I'm fishing for it!