bass Archives - Page 46 of 58 - Mississippi Sportsman

The Yamamoto Chikara is designed to run true right out of the box, and the attention to details — right down to the eyes — is stunning.

Chikara crankbaits

March 28, 2014 Don Shoopman

Bass fishermen are tying on a hot product from Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits. Surprisingly, it isn’t a soft plastic like the ever-popular Senko. In fact, it’s a hard bait with an attitude. […]

Pete Ponds lands a big male bass in a shallow spawning area on one of his favorite pre-spawn weapons, a swimming jig.

Late pre-spawn tip: Start shallow and fish out

March 27, 2014 Bobby Cleveland

Bass pro angler Pete Ponds of Madison explains how he approaches the final stages of the bass prespawn this month in Mississippi. […]

Many anglers think fish lose pounds when they release their eggs, but that’s not backed up by the science.

Gonad weight

March 15, 2014 Hal Schramm

“If I’d caught her before she spawned, she would’ve weighed over 9 pounds,” proclaimed the enthused angler as he showed off his trophy 7-pound bass. […]

The swift waters near the Pickwick dam provide plenty of action this month.

Big bass and lots of them

March 14, 2014 Paul Elias

In late winter and early spring, I believe Pickwick Lake is the best bass fishing lake in the state. In March, water levels and the amount of rain received are the keys to where you’ll find bass. […]

Bass pro Pete Ponds knows the swimming lizard is deadly on pre-spawn buck bass when they move extremely shallow on vegetation.

Pre-spawn debate: Swimming jig vs. swimming lizard

March 5, 2014 Bobby Cleveland

Let’s get ready to caaaaassssssttttttttt!

In this corner, weighing in at roughly 3/16s of an ounce and wearing mostly natural colors, the long-time champion of pre-spawn bass baits, the soft-plastic swimming lizard. […]

Readying for a successful spawn

March 3, 2014 Hal Schramm

Have you heard the term “energy crises?” We are reminded of limits to energy when gas prices jump a quarter per gallon (energy for our vehicles) or grocery prices soar a couple hundred dollars a year above what we spent last year (energy for our bodies). […]

David Berry, the State Lakes program coordinator for the MDWFP, shows exactly the type of bass fishermen are encouraged to keep at many of the agency's lakes. This one was caught at Calling Panther Lake.

Keeping small bass urged on some State Lakes

February 25, 2014 Bobby Cleveland

Biologists are urging fishermen to catch and cook more of the bass that are being caught in some waters in the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks’ State Lake system. […]

Bobby Cleveland likes to hit the flats in the afternoon during a late winter warmup and cover as much water as possible with a lipless crankbait. The tactic was successful last spring on this bass at Lake Lincoln.

Ponds: Big fishing week ahead

February 15, 2014 Bobby Cleveland

With the long-term weather forecast calling for 70-degree, mostly sunny days all next week, Mississippi fishermen are ready to get on the water and start chasing bass. […]

Most Bogue Homa bass will be in the 1 1/2- to 2-pound range, but larger fish can be caught.

February is a great month to fish Bogue Homa

February 14, 2014 Paul Elias

Bogue Homa is a relatively-shallow lake that grasses up quickly, making getting a lure through to bass difficult later in the year. But that’s not a problem this month. […]

The renovation of the MDWFP's 99-acre Lake Monroe at Aberdeen should mean the return of outstanding bass fishing later this decade. Dan Smith caught this fat one on a summer trip in 2012.

Lake Monroe drained, closed to public

February 11, 2014 Bobby Cleveland

State officials said Tuesday that the process of draining Lake Monroe, a Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks state lake, has been completed and it is now closed to fishing. […]

Fisheries manager Todd Driscoll knows from first-hand experience the benefits of progressive bass management.

Advances in bass management

February 1, 2014 Hal Schramm

As I write this column, it’s late December. It’s been the coldest early winter I can remember, and the forecast doesn’t look any better. As much as I like winter fishing for the solitude and the chance for a big fish, it’s going to take a few more degrees and some sunshine to get me fired up about hitching the boat and heading out. Time to reflect. […]

While most of the fish caught this month will probably be smallies, there are opportunities to catch some lunker bass.

Icicle bass at Bay Springs

January 16, 2014 Paul Elias

We’re expecting some cold weather, and the bass that bite the best then are spotted bass. I don’t know why, but you often can catch bigger smallmouth, largemouth and spotted bass in January at Bay Springs, a 10-mile waterway. […]