Freshwater Fishing Archives - Page 133 of 292

July 9, 2026

Live minnows slow-trolled or fished vertically produce plenty of Jordan Lake crappie in December.

Jordan Lake slabs are on

Guide Freddie Sinclair won’t be hard to spot this month when he’s prowling Jordan Lake for crappie. […]

Guide Robbie Burr said big blue cats get active at Blewett Falls Lake when the water temperature breaks the 60-degree mark on the way down, usually in late November or early December.

Blewett Falls ‘logjam’ is winter hotspot for lake’s biggest blue catfish

Looking for fishing guide Robbie Burr in December? You’ll probably find him anchored near North Carolnia’s Blewett Falls Lake’s “logjam” — trying to catch huge blue catfish. […]

Productive fly patterns for late fall and early winter include (top, left to right) bead-head Prince, bead-head Pheastant Tail, bead-head Hare’s Ear, (bottom, left to right): brown Caddis, parachute Adams, parachute Blue-Winged Olive.

Cool weather is welcome

Robert Satterwhite

After a record dry and hot summer, fall has arrived in the mountains, bringing cooler weather and, hopefully, improved trout-fishing conditions. […]

Guide Gene Crawford netted this 76-pound blue catfish for a client last November.

How to catch your biggest catfish on Santee this month

Terry Madewell

November is special on the Santee Cooper lakes for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, the fishing is fantastic for multiple species. Striper fishing improves from the excellent, already strong October bite, with more big, keeper-sized stripers on both live bait and schooling patterns. […]

Pro angler Matt Arey fishes only suspending jerkbaits; to add weight to make them suspend, he’ll change out hooks for ones a size larger.

Suspending jerkbaits more common than in the past

Pete Anderson

Deep inside my tackle box, there is a Rapala floating minnow that’s a victim of a late 1980s how-to article. Above the front hook, I drilled three holes and inserted a split shot in each, then sealed the wounds with epoxy. At the time, it was one of only a few ways that anglers could make their jerkbaits suspend. […]

Bass pro Andy Montgomery catches his best jerkbait bass on the lower end of Lake Wylie, where the water is less stained.

Catch more bass by understanding Wylie’s shad

Pete Anderson

Find the shad, and you’ll find the bass. That well-worn wisdom is true on Lake Wylie, especially in the winter. But to find the shad, it helps to know a little about them. […]

Black nose crappie

Dusty Wilson

Without a doubt, the Eno River presents a unique crappie fishing experience, in part because it offers the opportunity to catch a unique crappie. […]

Tiny jigs with built-in spinner blades can make a big difference in the number of crappie going in your cooler.

Blades of glory

Dusty Wilson

Ask guide Eddie Moody what the difference is between a long-liner and a tight-liner, he’ll quickly tell you that a tight-liner is more of a finesse or presentation fisherman, while a long-liner is putting his money on a reaction strike. […]