Sidebars Archives - Page 28 of 68 - Mississippi Sportsman

May 31, 2026

It’s important to choose high-quality foods for your plot that deer love, and protein is obviously beneficial to antler growth.

Plots: Consider all factors or pay a price

July 15, 2015 John J. Woods

Sometimes ideas that sound pretty good don’t work out. What is it they say about “the best laid plans of mice and men?” […]

Food plots don’t have to cover acres to be effective, if they’re well-located and produce a good crop.

Get major results from micro plots

July 15, 2015 John J. Woods

Micro or mini wildlife food plots work well on hunting properties that are not really large enough to justify full-scale farming practices. […]

It’s all about speed control

July 15, 2015 David A. Brown

Spider-rigging requires a super-slow pace to slowly and methodically hang those baits in front of persnickety crappie. […]

According to Pete Ponds, these eight lures average about 40 years in age, and yet all are still very productive.

Old lures pros prefer

July 15, 2015 Bobby Cleveland

Ever wondered what old lures top bass pros carry in their boats? You know what, so do they. […]

Pete Ponds is hoping somebody recognizes the Top Striper Lure featured here and can help him find more. Originally made in Alabama in the 70s and 80s, Ponds uses the feathered plastic jig behind a popping cork to call bass to the top.

Ponds: Help me find Top-Stripers

July 15, 2015 Bobby Cleveland

Bass pro Pete Ponds of Madison has an urgent request for readers of Mississippi Sportsman magazine.

“Please, anybody, if you have any leads on an old lure made in Hueytown, Ala., back in the 80s called a Buck’s Top-Striper, I’ll buy every one you can find,” said Ponds. “I’m online (facebook.com/pondsbassman); just get in touch.” […]

Jaguars are the only known large cat species in North America to exhibit melanism, which produces black skin.

More on ‘black panthers’

July 15, 2015 Louisiana Sportsman

While reports of “black panther” sightings have persisted for years, there is no scientific evidence that such coloration exists in mountain lions.

In fact, most biologists dismiss the possibility. […]

Lake Mary Crawford’s overpopulation of bass makes fishing fairly simple, and working cover along the banks can produce the 30-fish daily limit.

Lake Mary Crawford trip info

July 15, 2015 Phillip Gentry

Getting there: Lake Mary Crawford is a 128-acre lake located in Lawrence County, 5 miles west of Monticello on U.S Highway 84. The street address is 293 Lake Mary Lane, Monticello, MS 39654. The GPS coordinates are N31 34.790, W90 09.353 […]

Perry Reed and his 14-pound 12-ounce record bass.

Tippah County Lake trip information

June 15, 2015 Phillip Gentry

Tippah County Lake Fishing Records

Species Weight Anglers Name

Bass 14 lbs. 12 oz. Perry Reed

Crappie 3 lbs. 5 oz. Mike Suitor

Redear 3.33 lbs.* Kenny Martin

Bluegill 1 lbs. 11 oz. J. Harrison

Catfish 42 lbs. T. Wilbanks

*Current state record

[…]

Learning to fish artificial structure will cut the learning curve on a new lake, keep rods bent and help fill the livewell faster.

Don’t overlook man-made fish cover

June 15, 2015 Phillip Gentry

Seasoned anglers frequently dismiss public fish attractors as amateur grounds, with the rationale being that because the locations are public knowledge, these spots get fished out. […]

Tip: Make a child’s fishing trip about him or her

June 15, 2015 Phillip Gentry

Popular Mississippi/Alabama guide Brad Whitehead provides great tips on why you should take a kid fishing, but also puts things in perspective, courtesy of his young son Nathan, on how to teach a new angler and have him coming back for more. […]

On Aliceville Lake, all bass fishermen agree that vegetation is the key, leading one local angler, Steven Fikes, to say “where there is grass, there are bass.”

Factoid for Aliceville bass

June 15, 2015 David Hawkins

Mississippi fishermen can fish the entire Aliceville Pool, a.k.a. Pickensville Lake, with a Mississippi fishing license, even though a lot of the lake is in the state of Alabama. Mississippi anglers can fish Columbus Lake then be locked down to fish the Aliceville pool. […]

Wesley Rushing took this bass from a shallow stand of up-and-coming lily pads.

Rigging and fishing a Speed worm

June 15, 2015 David Hawkins

A rig that Aliceville Lake fishermen love for fishing shallow vegetation is known locally as “the Speed worm.”

In this application, a Speed worm is any ribbed worm in the 4- to 6-inch range with a curly or flat tail. […]