Freshwater Fishing Archives - Page 76 of 86

Mississippi River flooding causing fish kills in Delta, MDWFP says

May 25, 2011 MDWFP news release

Several fish kills have been reported on lakes inundated by the rising Mississippi River and its tributaries, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks reported today (May 25).

“We have received reports from several conservation officers that fish kills have started in some of the flooded areas.” MDWFP’s Director of Fisheries Programs Ron Garavelli said.

The rising Mississippi River has redistributed debris, soils, chemicals, fuel, and other materials into lakes and rivers, to which state officials attribute the kills. […]

Crappie get to big sizes in lakes that aren’t overloaded with the notoriously cyclic fish.

Building better crappie fisheries, part III

April 29, 2011 Hal Schramm

Crappie are notoriously cyclic. A lake is producing fair to good numbers of slabs for a couple years and then, mysteriously, the big fish disappear and are replaced with abundant but small fish. […]

When the fish aren’t spawning, they’ll stage in certain areas. That pattern will be consistent around the whole lake.

A Day on Okatibbee Lake

April 28, 2011 Michael O. Giles

Joe Giles is an expert bass angler and crappie angler who has spent a lifetime fishing Okatibbee Lake. Though he fishes for bass during most of the year, he concentrates on catching the succulent slabs from late February during pre-spawn, into April and through the spawn. […]

Mississippi River levels play a deciding role in how far up on the bank bream will bed in oxbow lakes.

Filled to the Bream

April 28, 2011 Phillip Gentry

“The worst thing you could do in here is run the trolling motor,” quipped Grenada bream expert Brad Kilgore as he sculled with one hand and flipped his cork back into the hole from which he had just snatched a feisty hand-sized bream. […]

Like any hobby, as soon as the bug bites, bowfishermen begin to build more elaborate boat setups.

Hooked on Bowfishing

April 28, 2011 Phillip Gentry

For any casual archery fan who has ever considered giving the sport of bowfishing a try, participate at your own risk. Upon release of that first arrow — cowering over the front rail of the boat with bugs in your teeth, gas fumes in your nostrils and the roar of the generator ringing in your ears — odds are you’ll miss the fish but stick the arrow deep into your own heart.
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Brothers Jimmy and Ricky Smith of Brookhaven represented the Magnolia Crappie Club well by coming in second place in the Pro Division. Pictured here are some Lake Washington monsters! The Smith Brothers are expert crankbaiters.

Crappie anglers are going crankbait crazy

April 28, 2011 Paul Johnson

Seems impossible to me, but by the time you read this, the major annual crappie spawn for all of Mississippi will be, for all practical purposes, over. April is the one month where everyone and his brother hits their favorite crappie lake — all at the same time. […]

A good selection of crappie jigs is essential to successful white-perch fishing.

Jigs deliver the goods this time of year.

April 28, 2011 John J. Woods

The next best thing to live bait is the very best fake bait. For spring fishing, when most lake water at depth is still cool to cold, live bait is hard to beat for realistic look and action. A silver minnow is just about as good as it gets. Little wonder why crappie go after them with such energy. […]

One killed, six injured in Hancock County boating accident

April 4, 2011 From News Reports

A young boy died and six others suffered minor injuries after the boats in which they were riding collided head-on in Rotten Bayou near the Jourdan River, according to news reports. The accident occurred north of Interstate 10 in Hancock County, the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources reported. […]

Strong year-classes of crappie are often produced when spring temperatures are warm and stable.

Building better crappie fisheries, part II

March 29, 2011 Hal Schramm

Is there a crappie angler out there who doesn’t want to catch a lot of large crappie? […]

John Harrison believes the key to catching crappie like this one is to work cover from the outside to the inside to keep from spooking crappie in the heart of the cover.

Jump Start

March 29, 2011 Chris Ginn

In the same vein as wondering why somebody would want to jump out of a perfectly good airplane, I asked John Harrison why anybody would want to jump out of a perfectly good boat. […]

Larry Nipper of Chatham considers Washington his home lake, and he says the big ones burned it up very early this year.

Change up your tactics for spring crappie

March 29, 2011 Paul Johnson

Sometimes it seems impossible to report on crappie fishing here in Mississippi under the column heading of “As Big As They Grow.” I will admit it. For over a month now (at the time of this writing), crappie fishing in Mississippi has been kind of an “on again, off again” proposition. […]

Though small in comparison to its major impoundments, Mississippi’s state lakes offer plenty of great crappie fishing close to home.

Little Lake Crappie

March 29, 2011 Phillip Gentry

Even in a state as rich in crappie venues as Mississippi, small state lakes play an important role in providing quality fishing for residents who may not be able to regularly visit the big impoundments, or who feel more comfortable fishing smaller waters. […]