Turkey Hunting
Turkey hunting warm up
It was nearly dark when the black ghost finally materialized around from the back of a big oak. We had been working that gobbler one of many ways since early afternoon. […]
Columns
Inshore Fishing
The Egret Wedgetail Eel
When Cowboy Outdoors decided to make a big, wedge-tailed soft-plastic artificial lure strictly a saltwater bait, speckled trout fishermen along the country’s coast benefitted big time. […]
Fishing
Understanding Navspeak
Looking through an owner’s manual for a new GPS navigation unit, I was surprised at how much the manual assumed I already knew. Some of the terminology was so poorly explained I don’t know how a newcomer to GPS navigation would figure it all out. […]
Deer Hunting
Thoughts from the deer stand
As I collected my thoughts for this month’s installment of Happy Trails, the deer season had transitioned into its final phase. […]
Bass Fishing
Big bass bite in February at Ross Barnett
February’s the best month to fish Ross Barnett Reservoir just outside Jackson because it warms up quickly. Bass always pull into shallow water there in February to prepare for the spawn. […]
Sheepshead
Winter sheepshead
“How’s the snapper?” I asked.
“It’s OK, but it could use some garlic,” Uncle Topper replied. […]
As Big As they Grow
Pre-spawn fishing strategies
Believe it or not, we’re quickly leaving winter fishing patterns and looking at those annual pre-spawn crappie catching patterns.
Yes, it has been a weird winter. We had the warmest December on record for Mississippi. I swear the pear trees around my house were budding on Christmas Day. […]
Fishing
Recognizing and dealing with barotrauma
You might know barotrauma by a different name, like “hyperbuoyancy” or “overinflated swim bladder.”
You might have even seen pictures of deepwater marine fish with bug eyes or their stomachs pushed out their mouths. Maybe you have witnessed it yourself. […]
Rabbit
Squirrel and rabbit hunting, one more time
It is definitely not time to put away your shotgun or .22 rimfire rifle.
Hunters these days tend to wrap things up after deer season is over. It’s like they never look at the hunting season schedule to see that small-game hunting is still open until the end of February. […]
Bass Fishing
Mister Twister BUZZ Bug
Mister Twister’s BUZZ Bug, which the Louisiana company plans to introduce at the beginning of 2016, was in the right place at the right time to make a name for itself before it ever hit the market. […]
Fishing
New Garmin combo units CHIRP and draw their own maps
Garmin bills its new echoMAP CHIRP models as a series of “entry-level” combination sonar/GPS units with built-in CHIRP sonar technology, but I think the term “affordable” fits better. […]
Deer Hunting
Late-season scrapes and rubs
As we transition from the holiday season into the New Year, we deer hunters find ourselves entering the fourth quarter, so to speak, of the 2015/2016 season.
According to where you are geographically, the rut is either full on or is just beginning to wind down. […]