Features from December 2018

Columns - December 2018

  • Basic venison summer sausage

    Fall is a special time for sportsmen in the Carolinas, and it has managed to shine through all the weather we’ve had this year, including two hurricanes. Fish are biting, and most hunting seasons are open. There were repairs this year that had to be placed in front of the honey-do list, but occasionally sportsmen need a break — even in the worst of times — and the fish and game cooperated. 

  • Catch more Carolina winter trout with these tips
    The key to successful winter trout fishing is to use more nymphs and fewer dry flies.
  • Christmas gifts for anglers
    What do anglers want for Christmas? Fishing gear, of course!
  • Code-Red VibraWedge spinnerbait
    Give Texas angler William Flournoy a spinnerbait with a red head and he'll catch bass.
  • December: It’s all about bait
    As water temperatures dip in December, with frequent cold fronts blasting through South Carolina, the fishing on the Santee Cooper lakes, Marion and Moultrie, seem to defy logic and actually improves instead of slowing.
  • Don’t let wheel lean hurt your shooting
    The advent of the compound bow changed archery for the better.  The addition of wheels allows more people to participate in our sport by making it easier to draw and hold heavier draw weights. 
  • Double down on stripers and largemouth in December
    David Fritts has had some of his best days ever fishing in December, when stripers and largemouth can be caught in the same places and on the same lures.
  • Food plots shine as winter arrives
    Deer and other wildlife demand rich nutrient sources throughout the year to fuel their daily requirements. For most of the Carolinas, Mother Nature provides adequate groceries in areas where wildlife populations are balanced. 
  • Paddle up some public puddle ducks
    One of the biggest problems with public duck hunting in the Carolinas is an overabundance of people who want to hunt and a limited amount of public water. Tales of getting to the best spots at 2 a.m. and sleeping in the boat until legal shooting light make the prospect of public duck hunting even less palatable. 

Outdoor Updates - December 2018

  • Huntress arrows big buck, wins October Bag-a-Buck contest
    When Kristin Montgomery of Greensboro, N.C., spied a buck she’d never before seen in a round of trail-camera photos in late October, she laid claim to it.
  • Upstate hunter kills 504-pound bear

    Jeff Kay of Travelers Rest, SC killed his first bear last Wednesday, Oct. 17 in Greenville County, and it was a whopper. The bear weighed 504 pounds. With cool and clear weather, it was a nice opening day for Upstate bear hunters.

Hot Spots - December 2018