Featured Story Archives - Page 13 of 22

Young John Bryant Stewart of Canton bagged this No. 7 Madison County non-typical 15-point buck scoring 184 0/8 in the basin of the Big Black River.

The Big Black River mystique

August 23, 2011 John J. Woods

Virtually every state in the nation that offers white-tailed deer hunting has a river system or river basin region associated with its high-quality deer production. […]

September issue to hit mailboxes next week

August 18, 2011 Mississippi Sportsman

The September issue of Mississippi Sportsman is on its way to the printer, and will be mailed on Saturday. That means subscribers will start seeing the issue in their mailboxes beginning on Monday. […]

With recreational boaters concentrating on one section of the waterway, Tenn-Tom crappie anglers can have a summer fishing hole all to themselves.

Swim baits for crappie

August 16, 2011 Phillip Gentry

Emory, Texas-based Lake Fork Trophy Lures has been making top-of-the-line, tournament-winning bass baits for many years. One of the company’s top producers is their “Live” Magic Shad, a swim bait that has accounted for countless trophy largemouth bass in big-money tournaments. […]

While it’s not required by Mississippi law to put up signs on your property to make it legally posted, doing so will make your case that much more solid against trespassers.

Poacher proof your property for the upcoming season

August 12, 2011 Rob Heflin

As a landowner or leaseholder, you have the right to the peaceful enjoyment of your property. You have worked hard on your land and you have the right to invite or keep out anyone you wish, within the limits of the law. […]

Hauling a nice largemouth out of lily pads is akin to taking a trophy buck in thick cover.

Lily pad bass busting

August 9, 2011 John J. Woods

“Before you try to pull a largemouth out of lily pads, change out your fishing line to braided line in the 30-pound-test range,” advises Jeff Martella. “Use a high-quality stout rod in the medium-heavy to heavy category over 6 1/2 feet long. […]

MS-Sportsman.com user Troy Helwig landed this 114.2-pound AJ on March 8, 2011, and stands to have his name added to the Mississippi State Saltwater Fish Records.

Make your mark by catching record-breaking saltwater fish

August 8, 2011 Christopher L. Eger

Think you may have caught a record fish on your last trip to the coast? Looking to add your name to sport-fishing history? Well, the procedure to get a record certified in the Magnolia State is straightforward, as long as you follow a few rules and stick to a few tricks of the trade.

The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources has been the caretaker of state saltwater records since 1994. Previously records were kept by the MDWFP dating back nearly a hundred years. As of 2010, 122 species of saltwater fish are being tracked for conventional tackle. […]

Accomplished bowhunter Will Rives said patterning deer is impossible in the woods of Mississippi, so he moves often to put himself into position to score big.

Calling deer is no mystery, veteran hunter says

August 3, 2011 Andy Crawford

Pretty much every hunter has a grunt call whenever they sit on a stand, but using that tool effectively is a mystery to most of us. Natchez hunter Will Rives said he’s decoded that mystery. […]

Wildlife food plots left fallow all summer will need double disking and harrowing.

Think outside the box for fall food plots

July 28, 2011 John J. Woods

It’s never too early to plan ahead for fall wildlife food plots. It may be hot as a firecracker outside with sweltering humidity to match, but the universal targeted Labor Day planting date is fast approaching.

Start lining up your deer-camp work crews as soon as possible. Have a meeting to decide the best plan this year, get your planting equipment ready or call your food plot contractor, then set a date. Deer season will be on top of us before we know it. […]

Specks often prefer deeper pools in the main river, while white crappie are often found in oxbows off the river.

Current and crappie fishing

July 21, 2011 Phillip Gentry

Whether chasing crappie in a 100,000-acre reservoir or a slow-moving river, one of the prime keys is finding current breaks, according to crappie pro Kent Driscoll. […]

Although some of his buddies make fun of Maiolatesi for putting a bunch of silly stuff like lights and buzzers on his lines, he knows they help him catch big grouper like this one.

Circle hooks are perfect for grouper fishing

July 18, 2011 Chris Ginn

When Capt. Lenny Maiolatesi mentioned that circle hooks gave him a decided advantage over grouper when it came to getting them in the boat, I wondered why. I had seen other anglers using circle hooks even for inshore fish like speckled trout and redfish. […]

Netterville punches through the grass mats on the Bouie River, and usually catches lunker bass in the 3- to 6-pound range.

Bouie River lakes perfect for punching

July 14, 2011 Michael O. Giles

“The lakes on the Bouie are the only ones that I’ve consistently caught fish off of the mats,” he said. “I’ll take a ¾- to 1½-ounce bullet sinker pegged with a bobber stopper and add a large punching hook and Paca Craw, or some other creature bait, and punch through the matted grass when the bass are holding underneath. […]

What are deer doing in mid summer?

July 12, 2011 Cliff Covington

Just exactly what are whitetails doing this time of year? I presented Chad Dacus, statewide deer program coordinator with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, with this very question, and here is his biological perspective of what deer in the Magnolia State are up to during the miserably hot months of July and August. […]