Taking a Lunch Break

By Capt. Steve Chaconas Grandfather’s sandwiches highlighted our fishing trips. Old school fishermen would never think of hesitating to even take a bite out of a sandwich, or would they? Tournament anglers take time to pack rods, reels, and rations!…

They Beat The Drum for Freshwater Drum

Rick Towers of Rossville, Kan., can attest to the fun of catching big freshwater drum in Kansas. By Brent Frazee Don’t get Clyde Holscher wrong. He doesn’t want to be known as a drum guide. Holscher is a multispecies specialist…

Smokey Mountain National Park: An Outdoorsmen’s Appalachian Oasis

By Josh Boyd On the border of Tennessee and North Carolina sets a crowning jewel of our National Park System, displaying proudly the near limitless majestic qualities that the region has to offer. Towering peaks, meandering mountain streams, and a…

Staying Hydrated

By Capt. Steve Chaconas Increasing thirst, dry mouth, weakness or lightheadedness (particularly if worsening on standing), darkening urine, or decrease in urination are signs of dehydration!  Another sign may be your lack of fishing success!   Here’s where several ounces…

Fish in the Jungle for Bass

By Mark Fike The bait went zinging well back into the tall vegetation before landing with a resounding SPLAT. My brother let it sit for a moment and then began working the handle on his reel with an urgent tempo…

How to Skin a Catfish

By Jill J Easton Catfish are different from bass or panfish. They don’t have scales, the skin is virtually inedible and they are built differently.  Turning a hard-headed, thrashing fish into steaks and fillets can be challenging, but this step-by-step…

Troll on for Crappie

Using good rod holders and multiple rods, trolling puts your lures in the effective strike zone all the time. However trolling is most effective during the pre-spawn period, typically February through early April in much of the South. (Photo: Richard…

Deep Water Downrigging for Tennessee Lakers

Preparing to begin a fishing day, Scott Lillie’s Carolina Skiff looks like a porcupine. (Photo: Richard Simms) By Richard Simms “Fish, fish, fish,” screamed Scott Lillie, although it was hard to hear him over the driving rain & wind. Lillie…

Sluggish Bass Can’t Resist Suspending Jerkbaits

By Brent Frazee This was a fair-weather fisherman’s worst nightmare. On a miserable day in March, spring was coming in like a lion. The air temperature had plummeted to 30 degrees and a cold north wind was kicking up whitecaps…

Logging for Bass

Effective angling starts with gathering information. The internet, magazines, and classroom tutorials like Bass University yield details discovered well in advance of the waypoint generation. In the late 70s, angling pioneers took mental and written log notes, transforming them into…

Great American Wildlife

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