Featured Story Archives - Page 7 of 22

Give bass pro Pete Ponds of Madison an overcast day in the summer and he'll give largemouth a taste of his favorite frog, the Mississippi-made Scum Dog.

Fishermen, like farmers, enjoying wet weather

July 13, 2012 Bobby Cleveland

Summer in Mississippi isn’t supposed to be like this. We went from torrid, record-breaking heat in June to an almost immediate change to wet and mild in July. […]

Surprising crappie slabs are being caught on Calling Panther Lake, and using patterns developed to beat the heat on Barnett Reservoir works on the lake near Crystal Springs.

Putting Rez patterns to work on Calling Panther crappie

July 3, 2012 Bobby Cleveland

Despite the torrid temperatures delivered by a rare June heat wave, fishermen were quick to hit the water last week after having to deal with the nearly week-long and statewide frustration of winds and pressure changes related to tropical storm Debby that slowly churned in the Gulf of Mexico.

The arrival of the heat told me it was time to fish for crappie, and to see if all the talk about a blossoming crappie population at Calling Panther Lake near Crystal Spring were true.

Huh, crappie in 100-degree heat? On unknown waters? […]

Once the sun is up, Vicksburg angler Tony Johnson will start pitching the piers and the trees for Eagle Lake bass.

Bass hiding under piers at Eagle Lake

July 3, 2012 Bobby Cleveland

Verifying reports of good bass fishing at Eagle Lake didn’t take long on a very warm, clear and windless summer morning.

First cast, first fish. […]

The author cranked this bass off deep structure this week with a Bandit 250 Ledge. Wear long sleeves for sun protection, make long casts for deep dives and hesitate when you hit the cover.

Testing the 250

June 21, 2012 Bobby Cleveland

Forecasts of the year’s first run on 100-degree heat, and Wednesday’s official arrival of summer, bass fishermen are moving deeper and deeper in their search of largemouth. […]

It took fishing around storms over five days, but Billy Thomas filled an ice chest with bedding bream in his subdivision lake near Hattiesburg. The fun was testing live vs. soft plastic crickets. Both produced, but Thomas said fake will never beat real when it comes to crickets.

Where there’s a will, there’s a way

June 15, 2012 Bobby Cleveland

Thunder, lightning, wind and, last but not least, rain tormented Mississippi fishermen statewide the past week. When the weather wasn’t the problem, its lasting effects — high, muddy and swift waters — were.

But at least a few fishermen were able to figure out an answer and beat the conditions. It was easy for some, not for others. […]

As many as 810 alligator hunters will be looking to take a giant gator like this 12-footer seen sunning on a bank behind a sandbar at Barnett Reservoir. The season, divided into six zones, will be Sept. 7-17, but the application process is underway and ends Friday (June 15).

Apply now for chance to hunt gators

June 11, 2012 Bobby Cleveland

More Mississippians than ever have an opportunity to hunt alligators in 2012, but it requires more than just a brave soul to be in that number. Right now, haste and good luck are more important traits. This is the final week of the application period. Friday (June 15) is the last day to apply for the 810 tags available for the expanded September season. […]

Ron Garavelli, chief of fisheries for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, got in on the hot bream action during last week's full moon. He found these on a private lake in Madison County.

Bream fishing getting insanely good

June 7, 2012 Bobby Cleveland

Changing weather patterns this week have played havoc with many fishermen, but there are a few exceptions. “I was disappointed that the cold fronts knocked the shad down off the surface and ruined the fishing for striped bass and hybrid bass this week, but oh buddy it sure hasn’t hurt the crappie fishing,” said William Thomas of Jackson, whose deeply-trolled crankbaits kept enticing slab crappie on Barnett Reservoir. […]

Dan Smith with his 8.2-pound bass caught on a deep crankbait over thick cover in Barnett Reservoir.

Deep cranking kicks in

May 31, 2012 Bobby Cleveland

Mississippi fishermen have spent weeks dealing with temperatures that felt a lot more like late July than late May, which is why they’ve concentrated their efforts on summer fishing patterns.

For bass and crappie fishermen, that means concentrating on deep structure and deep cover. […]

Catfish action is picking up for those wanting to hit the water this summer.

Catfishing picks up as summer heat sets in

May 23, 2012 Bobby Cleveland

If there is an upside to the onset of Mississippi’s brutal summer heat, it is that catfish seem to enjoy it. They get more active, and that can lead to their demise. As happens every year in mid to late May, the whiskered fish have turned on and are dominating the fishing reports throughout the Magnolia State. […]

Stripers are already on top of the humps in Ross Barnett.

Fishing explodes across the state

May 17, 2012 Bobby Cleveland

Further proof continues to arrive supporting the view that annual fishing conditions are ahead of schedule in 2012, and that includes the Gulf, rivers, lakes, reservoirs and even small ponds. […]

Calling Panther and Okhissa were two lakes that left Billy Thomas and his sons with ice chests overflowing with bream.

As good as it gets

May 7, 2012 Bobby Cleveland

Last weekend’s “super moon” — which involved the full moon phase coinciding with its closest proximity to Earth this year — led to incredible commentary and photography that filled social networking sites.

The phenomena also led to extraordinary catches of bedding beam that filled iceboxes and deep fryers across Mississippi.

From private lakes and farm ponds to river oxbows and public lakes, the panfish activity peaked, just as expected. […]

Huner Amanda Coutch killed her first turkey, this four-bearded gobbler, on the last day of the season.

Warren County hunter nabs four-bearded gobbler

May 3, 2012 John J. Woods

The outdoors was always where Amanda Brock Coutch would rather be. Working in the yard to deer hunting or fishing with her granddad were her favorite things to do. […]