Statewide MS Archives - Page 359 of 385

Cover: February 2009

February 3, 2009 Mississippi Sportsman

Deer season just ended, but we’re already counting the days until the turkey opener. Learn what you can expect this year in Part II of our forecast. […]

The Alpen Apex in 3.5-10x50 is only 12.5 inches in length, which allows it to fit well on new compact rifles designed to digest the short magnum cartridges that are all the rage.

Inexpensive scopes offer high quality

February 3, 2009 Gordon Hutchinson

If you shoot and hunt with one of the new compact magnum cartridges, smaller, lower-powered scopes cosmetically match your rifle better. […]

The Midnight Lump is one of the hotspots for tuna this month.

Mixed bag awaits out of Biloxi

February 3, 2009 John E. Phillips

Capt. Rimmer Covington of the Mexican Gulf Fishing Company, one of the new breed of offshore fishermen, runs a sleek, fast and powerful striker boat. Covington’s 39-foot custom SeaVee with three, 350-horsepower Yamaha engines on the back allows him to leave Biloxi and be 70 miles or more offshore in less than two hours under good weather and water conditions. […]

Paul Elias would love to be fishing a tournament on Ross Barnett this month.

Fish Barnett’s rocks, stems for bass

February 3, 2009 Paul Elias

This month, I’ll be fishing Ross Barnett Reservoir near Jackson. As the weather warms, and the bass are in their pre-spawn mode, the bass usually will be holding on riprap rock and lily-pad stems there. During February, if you get 10 bass to the boat, you’ve had a good day. On the best day I’ve ever had on Ross Barnett in February, I caught five bass that weighed a total of 20 pounds. Right now, most tournaments on the lake will be won with a 20-pound stringer or bigger. […]

Parallel, serial battery wiring basics

February 3, 2009 Allan Tarvid

If you look at the top of a plain old flooded-cell, 12-volt marine battery, you see two widely separated metal posts and plastic caps lined up to cover six holes. […]

The first dorsal spine is often overlooked by anglers.

Black, white crappie similar, different

February 3, 2009 Hal Schramm

Crappie, sac-a-lait, papermouth, white perch, specks or calico bass — call them what you will, the Magnolia State can rightfully boast some of the best crappie fishing in the U.S., and the best time for crappie fishing is nearly upon us. […]

Making sure everything’s in working order now will lead to plenty of smiles in the coming weeks and months.

It’s now or never for this checklist

February 3, 2009 John J. Woods

It may be hard to imagine it, but some outdoors folks are just tired of hunting by this time in the long Mississippi season of mega-options. They burned out on deer hunting a month ago, took in a dove hunt or two, shot at some ducks and took the kids on a squirrel hunt. […]

Three who are gone but not forgotten

February 3, 2009 Paul Johnson

Some of my favorite memories are about the people who became good friends and with whom I shared a passion for crappie fishing. I want to tell you a few “short stories” this month about three of my fishing buddies. All three are deceased — have been for a few years now — so you’ll just have to take my word that most of the following is true. […]

There’s no telling what sights you’ll see on a day at Bay Springs, but this one is Brad Whitehead’s favorite.

Spring-Loaded Crappie

February 3, 2009 Phillip Gentry

“On any given day, there’s just no telling what you might see out here,” said crappie guide Brad Whitehead, “I’ve seen all kinds of wildlife from deer to ducks and eagles. Then one day a few years back I was sitting out here with a client, and this huge barge comes by with something that looked like part of the space shuttle loaded on it.” […]

The silhouette of a flying snipe is unmistakable. Look for the stocky, short wings and long, slender bill. Snipe also make a screeching alarm call when flushed, which is sometimes the first clue a hunter has that a bird is nearby.

Snipe Hunting — For Real

February 3, 2009 Rob Heflin

Christmas has come and gone, and deer and duck seasons are coming to an end in Mississippi. Most of us have fattened up over the holidays, and the brutal, late-winter weather might have us spending a little too much time indoors munching on the candied pecans. […]

Coon hunting with hounds is a deep-rooted tradition all across the South, but especially in the Magnolia State.

Nighttime Bandits

February 3, 2009 Cliff Covington

“Load up, Music!”

The old blue tick coon hound did as Buddy Lisk commanded, leaping excitedly onto the tailgate of the pickup and settling in next to his litter mate, Blaze, for the short ride to Christian Bottom. […]

Usually the crappie will be ready by mid-February, but sometimes pre-spawn crappie fishing takes off early in the month.

Prime Meridian

February 3, 2009 Michael O. Giles

Joe Giles studied his LCR for a few minutes before pitching a couple of marker buoys out into the muddy waters of Okatibbee. Giles was scanning the bottom for the Gin Creek channel that cut through the Gin Creek Flats. […]