Freshwater Fishing Archives - Page 70 of 86

Jeannie Leach (center) introduced daughter Morgan (left), 14, and friend Abby Winstead, 14, to hand-grabbing through Greg Parker.

Mentoring new hand-grabbers

June 1, 2012 David Hawkins

Over the years, Parker has been a teacher and guide for others wanting to feel the rush of pulling a big catfish from below the surface with nothing more than natural strength. […]

Jeannie Leach of Sebastopol had hand-grabbing on her “bucket list” and is now a fan of the sport. Here Jeannie holds her first grab while other members of Team Parker work another box in the background.

The hand-grabbing season coincides with the spawning period for blue cats and flatheads. In natural conditions, these fish will spawn in hollow logs, caves and recesses created by fallen trees or jammed debris. […]

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. […]

More than 70,000 white bass died recently in Sardis Lake, the MDWFP said.

Thousands of white bass die at Sardis Lake

May 30, 2012 MDWFP news release

More than 70,000 white bass turned belly up in Sardis Lake recently, and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks said the cause is believed to be a naturally occurring bacteria.

The total number of white bass — which composed more than 97 percent of the fish kill — was estimated at 73,510, the MDWFP reported on May 24. […]

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. […]

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. […]

With these 10 spots provided by guide Brad Whitehead, take your pick of how you want to catch Pickwick crappie.

Crappie Hotspot Series – Pickwick Lake

May 7, 2012 Phillip Gentry

In the early 1970s, a young bass angler by the name of Bill Dance, hosting his own TV show on national television, brought Pickwick Lake to the forefront of American anglers’ attention. Each week, his television audience tuned in to watch Dance battle huge smallmouth bass from the high-bluffed reservoir. Quickly […]

Although they aren’t all this big, Phil King is frequently able to put his anglers on big channel cats like this one during May when the fish are up shallow.

Cats in the cracks

May 2, 2012 Chris Ginn

As much as he likes to catch giant catfish, there’s not much that makes four-time national catfish champion angler Phil King from Corinth happier than watching a 7-foot Cabela’s Fish Eagle spinning rod double over under the weight of a feisty channel cat.

And to hear him tell it, his happiest months of the year are April, May and June because that’s when the channel cats start backing up into the myriad cracks and crevices along Pickwick’s multitude of craggy rock banks. […]

Trolling? Casting? Spider–rigging? The world of crappie fishing has more tactics than most. Learning where and when to use them is the name of the game.

Crappie tactics defined

May 1, 2012 Phillip Gentry

Maybe more so than any other species of fish, crappie anglers have a language all their own when it comes to how they fish for their favorite quarry. In fact, some tactics go by different names depending on what part of the state or what part of the country you’re standing in. […]

Where anglers can find a combination of a rock and wood, they also can find spawning catfish at Pickwick Lake.

Stump roots on gravel bar also ideal spawning spots

May 1, 2012 Chris Ginn

Although cracks and crevices along the craggy rock banks that line the shores of Pickwick Lake are great places to find spawning catfish this month, catfish guide Phil King says those aren’t the only places that attract fish this time of year. […]

With a fly rod, anglers can almost slip their night crawlers in the water with nary a ripple.

Fly rods provide pure entertainment value

May 1, 2012 Chris Ginn

Pickwick catfish guide and champion catfish angler Phil King loves using light tackle for battling feisty Pickwick channel cats. […]

Danny Burgess caught this craggy rock channel cat while fishing for spawning catfish with Phil King.

Artificial offerings look like real worms

May 1, 2012 Chris Ginn

One of the things that kids probably love most about catching catfish is pinching a big night crawler in half. While this gory little chore spurs their imaginations, most of us have something better to do than continually wipe worm guts off our hands. […]