Field Notes

Top 3 surf-fishing mistakes

Plenty of speck anglers are very content to stay dry and comfortable in their boats to catch yellowmouths — but for those who really want to dive in and have more of a ‘hand-to-hand combat experience,’ nothing beats getting down and dirty with trout in the surf.[…]

Bass Fishing

Fish catchin’ stuff

This is tough fishing.

In the blink of an eye, an angler has to see the sweet spot in a pocket around structure, shoot a lure into it and immediately begin his retrieve, all while the current is trying to spin the boat one way or another and hustle it down river.[…]

Crappie/Bream

Adjusting on the fly is key

Earlier this year, Nick Young and father Jock beat 100 of the best crappie fishing teams in the South to claim the Crappie Masters Louisiana State Championship on Lake D’Arbonne with two seven-fish limits weighing 24.4 pounds.[…]

Sidebars

Want reds? Head here

One of the most underrated areas in the Lake Pontchartrain Basin is Lake Catherine. Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Borgne receive a lot more pressure throughout the year, but Lake Catherine produces a lot of redfish this time of year, according to Capt. John Falterman.[…]

Bass Fishing

Bird brain

So, you pull into a pocket and you want to see it empty, right? Well, if we’re talking other boats, then yes; solitude is golden. However, the right kind of company can be just what you want — and that means birds.[…]

Catfish

How to make your own catfishing bottles

Jeremy Gremillion and Ray Ramagos both make their catfishing bottles from emptied, metal, 30-pound R-22 refrigerant bottles. Gremillion gets his from friends who do residential cooling work. Ramagos noted that they can also be purchased from scrap yard dealers.[…]

Inshore Fishing

Just buy it

It’s tax refund time, and many anglers are thinking about buying their first kayak. If your budget allows, certainly consider purchasing a brand new kayak. Kayak fishing has continued to increase in popularity, and so have the prices for new kayaks.[…]

Inshore Fishing

New gear reviews

Invented years ago by the late Doug Hannon, “The Bass Professor,” Microwave fishing guides are a unique line-control system for spinning rods that reduces the line coiling effect, thereby increasing casting accuracy and distance. The initial stripper guide is where the magic happens. A cone shaped guide-within-a-guide knocks down the line coils that naturally come from casting a spinning reel.[…]