Freshwater Fishing Archives - Page 128 of 290

May 6, 2026

Get the drop (shot) on winter bass on the Catawba River lakes in the Carolinas.

Get the drop (shot) on winter bass – Winter bass are suckers for a drop-shot rig, especially in the Carolinas

The air is biting cold, and the sky is the purest shade of blue. Glenn Grindstaff of Marion, N.C., is huddled inside his thick coat. The hood is pulled well past the top of his head. […]

Frigid crappie frenzy – Lake Tillery crappie fishing can be a frigid frenzy in Febuary

Dusty Wilson

Under normal circumstances, February is likely to remain a relatively cold, winter month, with only premonitions of spring peeking through its icy exterior. […]

Lake Tillery can spit out some quality blue catfish, especially during the winter when they congregate in the lake’s upper section.

Run Tillery’s river for big blue catfish in dead of winter

Tony Garitta

When Kevin Custer of the N.C. Catfish Tournament Association Series was asked to name a productive lake for big blue catfish in the winter, he didn’t say Lake Norman or Badin Lake as many people might expect. […]

Guide Rob Bennett likes to toss tiny jigs on light tackle to shad on their run up the Cooper River and the Rediversion Canal this month.

SC’s shad run gives February anglers some real hope

Brian Cope

One of South Carolina’s hottest-biting February fish is typically referred to as “bait” the rest of the year. It’s time for the shad run, which gives anglers tired of waiting for warm weather an excuse to get on the water for the first time of the year. […]

Fishermen can employ slow-trolling or anchoring tactics in February, depending on where they’re fishing.

Lake Gaston catfish don’t mind cold

Dusty Wilson

February can be a dicey month for anglers in North Carolina. It will feature some of the coldest temperatures of the winter, but it will usually greet the first warmth of the oncoming spring. […]

Summer and fall drought conditions have left a lot of mountain streams at lower levels, but fishing hasn’t suffered.

Dry weather is a variable

Robert Satterwhite

Western North Carolina and South Carolina’s Upstate had the driest summer and fall on record, seasons marked by scores of wildfires, closures of state parks, burning bans and water restrictions. […]

When the temperature drops and shuts down stripers, big blue catfish become a great option on Lakes Marion and Moultrie.

Forage is key to January

Terry Madewell

January’s unpredictable weather, along with cold water temperatures, is a given, and it makes targeting a single species of fish on the Santee Cooper lakes risky in terms of enjoying good action — but fast action and quality fish are available. A key is to allow the weather and water conditions to dictate what’s best at any given time. […]

Lake Wylie often produces chunky white perch up to 2 pounds, but most are far smaller.

A vote for white perch

Dan Kibler

Plenty of fishermen in North Carolina and South Carolina haven’t been exactly excited about the proliferation of white perch, morone americana, in many reservoirs, Anglers targeting catfish love them for cut bait, but many bemoan the loss of white bass fisheries that are common where white perch have taken over. […]

Cold weather forces guide Wendell Wilson to downsize his baits to get bites from Lake Russell stripers.

When it’s tough, think small for huge fish

Terry Madewell

During January, the water temperature at Lake Russell typically dips close to its lowest level of the year. When it does — and the big striper bite slows — guides Wendell Wilson and Jerry Kotal have found that thinking small can yield big results. […]

Heavy tackle is required to battle the big stripers that swim in Lake Russell’s 26,650 acres.

Beef up bass tackle for big stripers

Terry Madewell

Guide Jerry Kotal ‘s affinity for black bass fishing bleeds over to his striper fishing, at times with excellent success. […]