Redfish
Don’t make this mistake
We anglers are creatures of habit. We use the same tackle trip after trip. We use the same lures time and again.[…]
Sidebars
Redfish
Intersect incoming trout
The cool thing about September is that as reds move outside, hordes of speckled trout start their fall migration into the coastal marshes.[…]
Redfish
‘Yak tournament tactics
Clayton Shilling is no stranger to the podium when it comes to kayak fishing tournaments. He has won several and regularly finds himself in the money.[…]
Redfish
September’s best kayak fishing
September’s best kayak fishing[…]
Fishing
Tippets
School is back in session: Not just for humans, but also for fish. As water temperatures begin to drop during the month, look for various predatory species to school up as the fall feeding frenzy begins. […]
Crappie/Bream
How to clean bream the Francois way
This is one of the coolest bream cleaning methods around. It gets rid of all the small bones of the fish, but keeps its flavorful skin and tail fin intact.[…]
Crappie/Bream
Little things
Like any dedicated fishing specialist, Padra Francois has twists on how she likes to do things, beginning with the crickets she always uses for bait. She inserts the tip of the long shank No. 6 cricket hook into the butt of the insect, and then threads it onto the hook.[…]
Crappie/Bream
Old River rafts and raft courtesy
Rafts is the local term for well, rafts — essentially floating platforms that people fish from. […]
Crappie/Bream
A crappie hot dog
Very few people can tell you the exact day they got serious about fishing, especially one with 70 years tucked under his belt.[…]
Crappie/Bream
Tip of the day
Dave Pizzolato discards the plastic pegs that come with his corks and replaces them with the tapered tips of wooden chopsticks. “If the peg comes out, plastic sinks but wood floats,” he grinned.[…]
Crappie/Bream
Pizzolato’s Top 7 tips for Old River
1) Learn to tight-line. Using a cork doesn’t allow fishing to be done deep enough to fish the 12 to 14 feet needed on the most important fish-holding structure — piers and pilings in front of camps.[…]
Bass Fishing
Tackle organization bolsters efficiency
Wherever you hunt largemouth bass, opportunities can rise and fall quickly, so preparation is paramount. An important element of your readiness is the organization of, and easy access to, your terminal tackle. Hooks, weights, swivels, etc. all need to remain conveniently reachable, lest you miss your chance.[…]
Sidebars
Pogy prudence
Prior to a recent mangrove snapper trip, Capt. Ross Montet loaded up with fresh pogies he cast-netted in the West Delta. He started in open water, but found he was chasing fast-moving schools that were outrunning his net in the 10- to 12-foot depths.[…]
Bass Fishing
Keep the party going
Spotted bass are an aggressive, competitive lot; but even a robust school sees peaks and valleys in its feeding. When this happens, you certainly have the option of giving them a rest and returning later. However, Bassmaster Elite pro Gerald Swindle would first try a little spot stimulation strategy.[…]
Bass Fishing
Frog follow-ups
Frogs can’t do it all by themselves. But fishing frogs in combination with other lures is the most productive plan of attack. That’s especially true when a bass blows up on a frog, but misses it. When that happens, Tyler Stewart has three very specific baits he follows up with.[…]
Bass Fishing
They built a better frog
Frogs are becoming more popular fishing lures because they are a more realistic representation of a real frog, said professional fisheries biologist Mike Wood. In other words, they’re building a better frog.[…]