Columns
Managing crappie is often a water issue
Reservoir crappie populations are notoriously cyclic. A strong year-class is produced once every few years and is usually followed by one or more weak year-classes. […]
Freshwater Fishing
Crappie/Bream
Slab-Slammin’ time
Every spring, an eons-old phenomenon takes place in the lakes and streams of southeastern states: the waters warm, crappie move shallow and become active, and fishermen rejoice. They reap the bounty brought on by the predictable behavior of the fair-fleshed fish.
Crappie/Bream
Crappie on a different plane
Guides like Brad Taylor are using planer boards to spread baits out even farther from the boat and access territory otherwise out of reach. […]
Features
Shellcracker fever is heating up
May is widely considered to be the best month for chasing bream, but die-hard panfisher anglers know that redear sunfish — aka chinquapin, shellcracker or just redear — move into their prespawn and spawning patterns much sooner than bluegill and other sunfish species that fall under the general colloquialism of “bream.”
Crappie/Bream
When to tip a jig with a minnow
No discussion about jigs is complete without a discussion of how and when to pair live minnows with jigs for crappie. […]
Freshwater Fishing
B’n’M offers catfish gear
Several years ago, West Point-based B’n’M Poles, famous for crappie rods, entered the catfishing market with their own line of catfish rods for serious catfish anglers. The lineup includes the Silver Cat and the Silver Cat Magnum in longer sizes, as well as its new Bumping rod. […]
Freshwater Fishing
Strong design solves anchor problem
Steve Strong, a veteran catfish angler, has lost count of the anchors he has sacrificed to the Mississippi River. With its myriad of rocks, logs and debris, the river bottom is tough on anchors. […]
Freshwater Fishing
Thoroughly work each spot
Fan-casting to tempt winter catfish is more than just a random presentation of baits. Once the boat has been anchored, catfish anglers must target specific features within reach of the boat. […]
Crappie/Bream
Top prespawn lure picks
We polled several successful crappie fishermen, and these products were among their recommendations for cold-water crappie in the prespawn mode. […]
Crappie/Bream
Prespawn crappie in the grass
During high-water years when lake levels rise into the grass and brush, you can also find prespawn crappie in the grass. […]
Columns
Mississippi’s oldest fish
The Mississippi waters of the Mississippi River are home to pallid sturgeon and shovelnose sturgeon. Unlike many other sturgeon in North America and worldwide that migrate between the ocean and freshwater to complete their life cycle, the pallid and shovelnose sturgeon complete their life cycles entirely in rivers. […]
Features
Catch more cold-water kitties
February is one of the toughest months of the year to be outdoors. On the hunting side, many seasons are finished, and what big and small game that is available has seen a lot of traffic in the woods. […]