March 2016 Archives - Mississippi Sportsman

When Bassmaster Elite pro Brandon Palaniuk fishes the Classic at Grand Lake in Oklahoma this month he’ll have a box of Wiggle Warts with him.

Storm Wiggle Warts

March 24, 2016 Don Shoopman

The importance of realistic, crawfish patterns is well known to Bassmaster Elite pro, and Brandon Palaniuk proved it on his way to finishing second in the 2013 Bassmaster Classic on Grand Lake in Oklahoma. […]

ProNav Angler adds electronic super powers to a “dumb” trolling motor with electric steering and then lets you manually or automatically navigate and position your boat as you fish.

Phone-in boat control

March 21, 2016 Allan Tarvid

There seems to be no end to the number of ways smartphones and tablets can help us. Just about the time I thought I couldn’t be surprised by another smart-electronics revelation, I discovered that they can now operate a bow-mounted trolling motor. […]

The author’s son-in-law, Jody, reaping the fruits of
successful deer management in Mississippi.

The rest of the story – Improving deer hunting for all

March 17, 2016 Bill Garbo

Toward the end of last month’s installment of Happy Trails I began to opine and brag a little about the evolution of deer hunting in Mississippi during my 45-year tenure as a deer hunter, and about how much positive progress has been made over the past 10 or 15 years. […]

Vary your turkey call selection

March 15, 2016 Michael O. Giles

Collinsville’s Mark McPhail has been hunting turkey in Mississippi since he was 20, and has learned a few things in the process. […]

Gene Bishop took control of the 2015 Bassmaster Central Open in March when his second-day catch, including these two brutes, was a 26-pound, 2-ounce limit of five fish.

Water temperatures key to spring bass bite

March 15, 2016 Bobby Cleveland

Bass pros know surface temperatures play a key role in bass activity during the pre-spawn period, especially in March when instinct tells the big fish to move shallow. […]

Fishing Grenada Lake March is all about understanding water levels, which can vary widely, and how different levels impact fish behavior. Rising waters cover ideal crappie spawning habitat and fishermen follow the rise into the productive areas.

Flood-control lakes present crappie fishing challenge

March 15, 2016 Phillip Gentry

Dereck Redwine is an engineering technician who works at the dam on Grenada Lake. It’s his job to maintain proper water levels at the big U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood control project. […]

Getting ready to wade for crappie

March 15, 2016 Phillip Gentry

A good pair of waders, an 8- or 9-foot rod and a box of jigs is all that’s required to get on some big crappie at Grenada this month. […]

Decoys can entice a hesitant gobbler to come into range, but can also cause a tom to stop, expecting the hen to come to him. Veteran hunter Preston Pittman advises against using decoys early in the season.

Pro turkey tip: Start easy, call less

March 15, 2016 David Hawkins

When it comes to talking turkey, there’s no better resource than Mississippi turkey legend Preston Pittman, a native of Hattiesburg who now resides in Canton. […]

After fishing the grass, Elias will move into the timbered creeks, pockets and coves and fish the spinner bait.

Bay Springs is a sure fishing bet in March

March 14, 2016 Paul Elias

Bay Springs, located below Pickwick Lake between Tupelo and Corinth, was the first lake impounded to create the Tenn-Tom Waterway.

And in March it’s an awesome lake for bass fishing, with vegetation on its points, ledges and drop-offs. It’s been producing good numbers of big bass of all kinds. […]

March 2016