Columns Archives - Page 94 of 130 - Mississippi Sportsman

May 27, 2026

Even one leaf from this hydrilla plant is capable of taking root and forming a new colony of the evasive, non-native vegetation that is considered a threat to Ross Barnett Reservoir.

Anglers asked to prevent spread of Barnett hydrilla

October 18, 2012 Bobby Cleveland

Fishermen are being urged to avoid spreading hydrilla at Ross Barnett Reservoir, not only from one place to another within the popular lake but also to other state waters. […]

King mackerel fishing is so good off the Mississippi coast that it attracts the Southern Kingfish Association on an annual basis.

October fishing at the Gulf Coast

October 15, 2012 John E. Phillips

This month fishing all along the coast really turns on as the temperatures drop. Here is a rundown of the options: […]

Bogue Homa Lake is known for a lot of smaller fish, but there are some big bass prowling about the reservoir.

Bet on Bogue Homa this month

October 15, 2012 Paul Elias

Restocked about four years ago, Bogue Homa Lake is really producing a lot of bass, with a few weighing 5 to 7 pounds. Bogue Homa is about 1,000 acres with plenty of grass, lily pads and cypress trees, as well as well-defined creek channels with stumps sitting in them. […]

Mark Beeson of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks gets ready to hand a child the first squirrel he'd ever shot on an agency-sponsored youth squirrel hunt earlier this year. Small game hunting is a great way to introduce children to hunting and to teach them woodsmanship.

Grandpa Willie passed on his small game passion

October 9, 2012 Bobby Cleveland

I guess I have my Grandpa Willie to thank for my love of the outdoors, as well as my enjoyment of hearing, telling and a career of writing stories about hunting and fishing. Grandpa Willie was a hunter, with a particular passion for chasing squirrels. […]

Self-processing saves money in the long run, but there are some start-up costs like a good smoker.

Processing your own deer meat

October 8, 2012 John J. Woods

This article is a precursor to the assumption of a successful deer-hunting season that is soon to commence. Bow hunting is just around the corner, and undoubtedly many adept deer hunters will be bringing in a doe or buck right off the bat. […]

Tim Taylor of Ridgeland took this photo right after taking a killing shot on this doe Tuesday morning in Holmes County.

Bow opener: Waiting a day makes big difference

October 2, 2012 Bobby Cleveland

On Monday, Jimmy Howell woke up three hours earlier than most workdays. He didn’t even need an alarm clock. […]

Lake turnover will shut down the bite for a few days, but eventually bass will have to feed.

The fall transition

October 1, 2012 Hal Schramm

Lakes and reservoirs go through annual cycles. Some of the changes are obvious; others are subtle, even invisible to the angler. These changes affect the distribution and feeding behavior of your favorite game fish. […]

Mike McMurtrey and Paul Johnson show off some Barnett crappie. No State or World Records here, but there is a box full of slab white crappie.

State and world records

October 1, 2012 Paul Johnson

When checking out at the Academy Sports & Outdoors store in Ridgeland recently, the cashier put a free copy of “Mississippi Outdoor Digest” magazine in my sack full of crankbaits. This magazine is produced by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks once a year. […]

Canadians Eric Halfnights (holding head) and Dave Novak, both of British Columbia, enjoyed a Mississippi trophy gator hunt, helping catch this 12-foot, 600-pound-plus gator in the lower Pearl River near Pearlington. Novak called it the only hunt that matches the adrenalin rush of chasing grizzly bears.

Mississippi’s giant gators match adrenalin rush of ‘Griz’

September 27, 2012 Bobby Cleveland

A conversation over drinks aboard an 80-foot luxury fishing boat off British Columbia led to a Mississippi adventure that landed a Canadian big game hunter one of his most exciting trophies — a 12-foot alligator that weighed over 600 pounds. […]

The guns might look dainty, but the North American Arms .22 Magnum revolver can serve as a great backup weapon.

Hideout guns

September 24, 2012 Gordon Hutchinson

A group of firearms instructors for the sheriff’s office was standing around, waiting for a meeting to begin. One of the guys, the best pistol shooter among that relatively talented group, pulled a little North American Arms .22 Magnum revolver out of his pocket, and began showing it around. […]

Minn Kota’s i-Pilot can hold a boat at a set distance from the bank or automatically hold the boat in one spot while the angler focuses on catching fish.

What the heck is trolling motor navigation?

September 24, 2012 Allan Tarvid

A July press release from Johnson Outdoors Marine Electronics begins, “Continuing the evolution of GPS trolling-motor navigation, Minn Kota’s i-Pilot Link utilizes GPS technology and ethernet connectivity to achieve new levels of boat control.”

Having attended a webinar on this new system, I was already thinking about how much that opening sentence is going to mean to fishermen. […]

Hunting and fishing in Mississippi generated more than $2.6 billion in 2011, which reflects a nearly 300-percent increase over 206.

Survey says outdoor spending is on the rise

September 20, 2012 Bobby Cleveland

The cost of hunting and fishing, and wildlife viewing, has gone up in Mississippi, according to an every-five-year survey conducted by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. […]