Gettin' Fresh Archives - Page 8 of 15

May 25, 2026

Big grins are what crappie fishing is all about.

Magnolia crappie update

October 5, 2015 Hal Schramm

Mississippi anglers love crappie. They love them so much, they want them everywhere — including the smaller state lakes and small private ponds.

That’s a problem. […]

The catch rate of trollers increases exponentially with the number of poles.

Keeping crappie fishing good

September 7, 2015 Hal Schramm

A new crappie regulation went into effect July 22 on all four flood-control reservoirs — Arkabutla, Enid, Sardis and Grenada […]

Some anglers swear downsizing is the way to go when the bite gets tough, but research indicates bigger lures might be a better approach.

Big baits are all the rage on the bass cast-for-cash circuits. But recreational bass anglers more into catching than casting also have learned the merits of big lures — giant worms, super-size swimbaits, oversize crankbaits, 8-inch flutter spoons — for triggering bass bites. […]

Catfish have an amazingly developed sense of smell, so stink baits definitely work. But how much should you use?

Do stink baits really catch more catfish?

July 6, 2015 Hal Schramm

For many catfish anglers, at least those pursuing channels and blues, success follows those in the right place at the right time with the right smell. […]

Resident anglers who pump millions into the local economy would go out of state to fish if state fisheries decline, a Mississippi State University study shows.

The value of fishing

June 4, 2015 Hal Schramm

My column this month is not about fish biology, fish habitat or how to catch fish. It is not about fishery management in the way you probably think of fishery management — topics like size limits and bag limits. […]

Old Muddy’s fish production is dependent upon the flooding of batture land each spring.

Fish need water

May 4, 2015 Hal Schramm

As I write this in late March, the Mississippi River is at flood stage, 12 feet above normal stage for this date, and rising. Hopefully this will not be a repeat of 2011, when the river reached a record high stage at Vicksburg and threatened to top or blow out levees. […]

Does bed fishing harm bass populations? The science doesn’t indicate there’s any harm.

Bass bed fishing

April 1, 2015 Hal Schramm

For some bass anglers, sight fishing for bedding bass is the ultimate rush. Other anglers consider bed fishing unsportsmanlike, with some asserting it adversely affects bass abundance.

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Catfishing has definitely become a more-popular part of the fishing scene, with tournaments popping up everywhere.

The changing face of catfish anglers

March 5, 2015 Hal Schramm

Interest in catfishing — particularly trophy catfish — appears to be growing. […]

Upping your chances for a trophy bass – Part II

February 4, 2015 Hal Schramm

The old saying “being in the right place at the right time” pertains to a lot of fortunate events, but it rings especially true for catching a trophy bass. […]

What can be learned from a trophy-bass program in Texas? Perhaps more than one would think.

Upping your chances for a trophy bass – Part I

January 5, 2015 Hal Schramm

Looking at catch records from individual lakes to try and identify some environmental cue that up chances of getting a big bass bite. […]

Alabama bass in Bay Springs Lake provide great winter action.

What’s with all these new bass?

December 1, 2014 Hal Schramm

One hundred years ago there were two black bass species: largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. In 1926, ichthyologists (scientists who study the classification of fishes) recognized the spotted bass as a separate species. […]

You have to count lateral line scales to tell this Choctaw bass from a spotted bass.

Choctaw bass or not?

November 6, 2014 Hal Schramm

In 2007, fishery researchers Brandon Barthel, John Knight and Mike Tringali at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute were conducting genetic analysis of black bass in Florida Panhandle rivers when they found a DNA profile from a Chipola River specimen that didn’t match any other known black bass. […]

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