Columns Archives - Carolina Sportsman

This 27 1/2-inch speckled trout fell to a Texas Custom Lures MirrOlure Double D, a new subsurface lure.

Near-surface baits for “almost topwater”

April 22, 2019 Chris Bush

Everyone loves catching speckled trout on topwater lures, but sometimes the fish just aren’t in the mood to feed on the surface. When that happens, try one of these lures that run just underneath. […]

Streams at lower elevations, with less gradient are perfectly suited to brown trout, which grow larger than their rainbow and brown trout cousins.

Looking for a brown-out

April 22, 2019 Robert Satterwhite

Brown trout aren’t native to the Carolinas, but they thrive throughout certain waters in both states. Anglers shouldn’t be afraid to upsize their lure offerings when targeting browns. […]

Shellcrackers are easy to identify by their markings; the ear flap will have a light-colored outline.

Target Santee’s April triumverate

April 19, 2019 Terry Madewell

If it swims, it’s biting right now on the Santee Cooper lakes. […]

North Carolina’s Lake Julian,which covers 300 acres in Arden, N.C., near Asheville, is a kayak bass fisherman’s dream.

Shallow-water bass is April’s paddling draw

April 16, 2019 Phillip Gentry

The fastest-growing segment of the kayak fishing industry is for bass, and kayak anglers in the Carolinas have a lot of options when it comes to bass fishing in April […]

Spring redfish are on the lookout for the baitfish and shrimp that are arriving in inshore waters, and they’ll be feeding aggressively, which makes a spoon a great lure to throw.

Spoon-feeding spring redfish

April 12, 2019 Brian Cope

Anglers are catching plenty of redfish in the inshore waters of the Carolinas, and the Johnson Silver Minnow is one of the most productive lures this time of year. […]

Flatten the turkey breast with a mallet to render it thin enough to roll it into a ball.

Turkey Cordon Bleu (almost)

April 9, 2019 Jerry Dilsaver

It’s turkey season, and don’t even think about putting that bird in the freezer. Breast it out and put this recipe to the test. […]

A great food plot of clover or another wildlife food crop needs to be located with the utmost care.

Plotting to plant a plot

April 5, 2019 Jeff Burleson

Location is the most important aspect of a food plot, but probably not for the reasons most landowners believe. Your location has to have the proper soil to make it worth the time, effor, and money. […]

Swim a worm with a big, ripple tail through shallow water and you’ll run into some bass that haven’t locked down on the bed yet.

An alternative to sight-fishing

April 2, 2019 David Fritts

Sight-fishing is a well-known way to catch largemouth bass in April, but it’s not the only way to catch them. Try these tips to catch bass that most sight-fishing anglers are missing out on. […]

Painting a crankbait, even with a state-of-the-art airbrush paint, is a process that takes many, many steps and coats of paint to give the bait a perfect finish.

Tie on a Black Label balsa crankbait

March 28, 2019 Don Shoopman

Mississippi pro’s hand-crafted balsa crankbaits are square-billed, bass-catching creations. […]

With bass moving into extremely shallow water for the spawn, stealth tactics like a push pole instead of a trolling motor can make a big difference.

Bless the Santee Cooper bass spawn

March 20, 2019 Terry Madewell

Experienced bass anglers at Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie begin looking for big bass moving into shallower water by late February. […]

Tiny, colorful brook trout are among the most beautiful of all trout in North America, and they aren’t even a true trout, but a member of the char family.

Enjoying those beautiful brookies

March 20, 2019 Robert Satterwhite

For thousands of years, brook trout had mountain streams to themselves. Around the turn of the century, however, brook populations began an irreversible decline as widespread logging, railroad construction, agriculture and unregulated fishing exacted heavy tolls on both numbers and habitat. […]

Jerkbaits will trigger strikes from speckled trout year-round, but they’re especially productive in cold weather.

Jerkbaits can give speckled trout fits

March 20, 2019 Chris Bush

Jerkbaits are great lures for catching speckled trout. Anglers should keep in mind that not all jerkbaits are created equal. […]