Bluegills get more press, but the redear sunfish, commonly called a “shellcracker” in the South, is king of the sunfish clan. The world record, a 5-pound 7-ounce specimen, was hauled from Santee-Cooper,...View article
In some lakes and reservoirs across North America, riprap is the biggest draw for crappies during early season. Brad Whitehead, Muscle Shoals, Alabama, guides on Wilson and Pickwick reservoirs on the...View article
During the bygone years that consumed my occasionally misspent youth, idle hours often found friends and me slinking our way along the banks of local smallwaters—urban ponds, miniature water supply...View article
One concept we have long used to get anglers to consider what they’re doing when they’re fishing a lure or a bait is this: The presentation moves we make have two parts, each with different purposes....View article
Springtime is crappietime. From Florida to Ontario, anglers eagerly await the arrival of slabs in shallow water. As the spawn approaches, males don their dark courting colors. They bite like tigers,...View article
Perch location during early season is dependent on where they’re going to spawn. A few primary patterns are prevalent in most lakes and reservoirs. Perch run into marshes and sloughs often...View article
Electronic breakthroughs have enabled a greater understanding of the world of fish. Color sonars draw bottom contours and mark individual fish, while GPS allows anglers to electronically mark key spots,...View article
Livebait Probably accounts for more panfish than any other presentation. And among artificials, jigs sweetened with softbaits are king. But at certain times and places other methods rule, including...View article
Understanding biological basics fosters fishing success. That mantra was one of the cornerstones of In-Fisherman philosophy that changed the world of fishing in the late 1970s. This approach continues...View article
Growing up in Alaska and fishing for salmon all my life, I learned to fish with spoons around the same time I learned to ride a bike and read a book. Spoons are deadly against aggressive predators in...View article
Spoons fish well because they offer weight for casting, even into wind and on heavier tackle, and rarely, if ever, need tuning in spite of punishing abuse, though you might have to change hooks. Most...View article
In muskie fishing on busy waters, the fish-to-angler ratio shrinks to the narrowest of margins. We used to think it was us against the fish, but now most of us know we’re also competing with all those...View article
In certain trout-happy sections of North America, pike get as much respect as sea lampreys and bighead carp. In parts of Alaska, pike, though native, have been regarded as unfit for human consumption,...View article
One concept we have long used to get anglers to consider what they’re doing when they’re fishing a lure or a bait is this: The presentation moves we make have two parts, each with different purposes....View article
Most of us observe fishing history through the eyes of those who’ve recorded notable events for posterity, trusting their accounts to tell us what transpired. A lucky few view it through the prism...View article
