Freshwater Fishing Archives - Page 45 of 86

July 22, 2026

April usually brings redear, a.k.a. chinquapin or shellcracker, bream to the beds. On light tackle, these delicious fish can be as fun to catch as they are to eat.

Top 5 April fishing trips

April 15, 2015 Bobby Cleveland

Obviously, crappie would dominate this month’s recommended fishing trips in Mississippi. Instead, let’s concentrate on another panfish species popular in the Magnolia State that gets hot in April. […]

Taylor Pratt of Canton strains to hold some of the bluegill that were biting on a trip with his grandfather on April 1.

Bluegill, not chinquapins, were hot

April 6, 2015 Bobby Cleveland

The moon’s reflection in the water was nearly full circle, which is why the plan was to find an active bed of redear bream, a.k.a. chinquapin or shellcracker. […]

Steve Coleman loves fishing at Grenada Lake, where he often fills his stringer with 2- and 3-pound slabs.

Slab state — Mississippi’s top crappie hotspots

April 1, 2015 John J. Woods

When it comes to crappie fishing, Mississippi takes a backseat to no other.

Just look at Fishhound.com, a popular industry website. On its latest list of the Top 50 crappie lakes, the Magnolia State has the No. 1 hotspot, Grenada Lake, and two others in the Top 10, No. 5 Sardis Lake and No. 6 Barnett Reservoir. […]

A distinguishing red ear patch identifies the shellcracker, aka chinquapin.

Cracking the code — Expert tips for catching chinquapin

April 1, 2015 David A. Brown

It’s a well-founded piscatorial propensity: Tell someone you’re heading off for a panfish mission and you’ll typically hear some bluegill-related reply.

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Anglers can really stack up crappie when they head to the banks for spawn by using a single rod.

Go old-school for shallow crappie

March 20, 2015 Dan Kibler

Melvin Cummings explains why the best way to present a bait to a shallow crappie this month is jigging up close with a single pole. […]

With a full moon set on April 4, it will be a perfect day for the spring ritual of seeking redear — a.k.a. chinquapins or shellcrackers — on the bed.

Spring panfish ritual

March 19, 2015 Bobby Cleveland

For 25 years, it has been a spring ritual for one of my favorite fishing partners, Li’l Joe, and me. Sure, we may get together a few times earlier in the year and try to catch a hybrid or two, or maybe a bass and a crappie. […]

Finding egg-filled female slab crappie on Barnett in March means fishing the first drop out from the spawning area. Keith Partridge found this one in 6 feet of water as it waited to move up to the shallow grass (in the background) to spawn.

March = pre-spawn crappie

March 15, 2015 Bobby Cleveland

In most of Mississippi, the peak of the crappie spawn, that magical time of spring when the popular fish move shallow and are vulnerable, happens in April, but veteran crappie fishermen love March just as much. […]

Bluegills vs. redear

March 15, 2015 Phillip Gentry

Commonly lumped together in many circumstances under the handle bream, the bluegill and redear sunfish share many common characteristics. […]

Although fishing is best on the bottom, a slip cork without the peg is a great strike indicator when fishing for chinquapins.

Lynch’s fool-proof rig for bank fishing

March 15, 2015 Phillip Gentry

Tackle and rigging for chinquapins can be as simple as a No. 2 hook on monofilament line with a couple of split shot for weight. […]

Crappie fishing is also good at Lake Claude Bennett, where trolling deep water produces the best action in March prior to the spawn. Young Drew Carmical caught this 2-pound crappie at Lake Claude Bennett.

Everything you need to know about Lake Claude Bennett

March 15, 2015 Phillip Gentry

How to get there

Lake Claude Bennett is a 71-acre lake located in Jasper County, 20 miles east of Bay Springs off Mississippi Highway 18. Lake Claude Bennett is open year round and provides great boating, skiing, fishing, and also supports a well maintained camp ground. The street address is 100 Wells St., Bay Springs, MS 39422. GPS: N32 06.010 — W89 02.060 […]

The Magnolia Crappie gets its signature racing stripe from the male black crappie used to mate with a white crappie female.

Magnolia crappie perfect for State Lakes

March 15, 2015 Bobby Cleveland

For decades, any crappie caught in one of the 36 State Lakes and State Park lakes managed by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks was not of the agency’s doing. […]

The beauty of Mississippi’s State Lake system is that places like Calling Panther Lake in Crystal Springs, best known for its bass fishing, produces other fish like big bluegill and catfish.

State Lake system creates trip opportunities

March 15, 2015 Bobby Cleveland

When planning an angling schedule for 2015, the 36 fishing holes that make up Mississippi’s wonderful State Lake and State Park system should be considered. […]