Sidebars Archives - Page 50 of 68 - Mississippi Sportsman

July 22, 2026

Want to give a youngster a taste of fishing power? Turn him or her onto a hybrid striped bass bite on Barnett Reservoir. Wes Partridge was 8 when he caught this one.

Cooking striped and hybrid bass

June 15, 2013 Bobby Cleveland

One reason why stripers and hybrids have been slow to catch on with more fishermen is that people consider them poor table fare. […]

When the bite is on, stripers will take a Bandit 200 deep in their throats.

Best techniques for stripers and hybrid bass

June 15, 2013 Bobby Cleveland

There are two ways to catch stripers and hybrid bass. Here are the basics. […]

When the sun gets low, the surface action can explode. Sid Montgomery can certainly testify to that.

On top

June 15, 2013 Bobby Cleveland

When the big stripes or hybrids are schooling on top, it can get wild. They will hit most anything, including a crankbait because a lot of the fish in a school will be down under the surface action. […]

On ultra-lights, even the little stripers are a thrill, and where you catch one, you can catch and release a hundred.

Ultra-light fun

June 15, 2013 Bobby Cleveland

Many of the surface schools you find in late May or early June will be the fish stocked the previous year, and they will not have reached the legal size limit of 15 inches. […]

Dustin Frucci with a pair of Barnett hybrid striped bass.

Size limits

June 15, 2013 Bobby Cleveland

Striped bass and hybrid striped bass are counted together, with an aggregate limit of six per fishermen allowed each day. There is a 15-inch minimum length limit on both. […]

Bobber stoppers keep heavy weights in place for punching thick mats.

Heavy handed

May 31, 2013 David A. Brown

Similar to the jig approach, but tailored for reaching deeper into the slop, punching enables anglers to scare up some mean grass action. […]

Heavy jigs fall fast and any bass staking out the edge of a grass line will usually strike out of aggressive reaction.

The jig is up

May 31, 2013 David A. Brown

Hackney’s approach for warm-season grass jigging is all about forcing the issue: He’ll flip the ¾-ounce version of his signature Strike King Hack Attack jig with either a Rage Craw or Twin Tail Menace Grub trailer, targeting those edges, points and gaps where fish will be looking for easy meals that don’t require much effort. […]

Running squarebill crankbaits like the Strike King KVD 2.5 next to hydrilla edges is a good way to tempt any bass holding in the grass.

Getting cranky

May 31, 2013 David A. Brown

Now, tossing a hard bait with two exposed trebles into the middle of a topped-out hydrilla bed is little more than an exercise in futility. […]

When bass push deep under matted vegetation, punching is a good way to reach them.

Guided through the grass

May 31, 2013 David A. Brown

At the Bassmaster Classic in Tulsa, Okla., the Fan Expo saw TWA Sports introduce an interesting new product with strong potential to benefit anglers fishing grassy areas. […]

Hollow body frogs do a great job of sliding and walking across grass beds and tempting bass below.

Hop to it

May 31, 2013 David A. Brown

Is there anything more dazzling, spectacular or spellbinding in the bass fishing world than a big mossback monster blowing up on a topwater frog? It’s kind of like fishing’s Jack in the Box — can you hear that tune in your head? Da-da, da-da, da-da-da-da-da (“Pop Goes the Weasel,” if you need to Google it). […]

For extra motion, rig a swimming tail like the Gambler Big EZ for your chatterbait trailer.

Swimming plastics

May 31, 2013 David A. Brown

Streamlined swimbaits like the Berkley Havoc Grass Pig, Reaction Innovations Skinny Dipper, Yum Lil’ Suzee and Yamamoto Swim Senko offer a lot of versatility for grass fishing. […]

Flash and vibration — that’s why spinnerbaits are such productive offerings for bass in grass.

Spin cycle

May 31, 2013 David A. Brown

Combining flash, vibration and a large profile, spinnerbaits should always remain an active part of the grass angler’s lineup. […]