Freshwater Fishing Archives - Page 150 of 290

May 7, 2026

Stripers are well-known as fish who will come to noise.

Don’t be quiet – making noise attracts fish

For a lot of anglers, our first fishing memories involve being scolded for making too much noise, whether we were dropping something in the bottom of the boat or just talking. […]

Crappie and bream can often be caught together when fishing shallow cover in January.

Don’t give up on January

Terry Madewell

January may be the coldest month, but it does put some fish into definable patterns that enable anglers make the most of the cold weather that usually greets the new year. […]

The catfish graph shows all

Terry Madewell

Dieter Melhorn said the above graph represents 13-pound and larger catfish caught each year, depicted in different colors. […]

Lake Wylie’s population of blue catfish is expanding in terms of numbers and the size of fish being caught.

Lake Wylie’s catfish from a biological perspective

Terry Madewell

It’s one thing to have fishermen tout a lake as being great for a certain species, but taking a look from a scientific and biological perspective adds depth to that analysis. […]

Using planer boards allows fishermen trolling lures or slow-trolling live baits to cover a much wider area on either side of the boat.

Planer boards adapt well for striped bass

Craig Holt

Maynard Edwards is one of North Carolina’s supreme tinkerers when it comes to discovering new and effective fishing techniques. […]

Warmer weather might move crappie up and into brush piles, where deep-jigging with a single curlytail is productive.

In January, think cold for long-lining Badin Lake crappie

Dusty Wilson

Although long-line trolling is the goal when suspended crappie are the target, it is always possible that a mild December or a series of warm fronts could cause crappie to hang up in the deep brush they’ve been calling home rather than transitioning to open water. […]

Vertically tight-lining minnows and jigs from the bow of the boat allows anglers to target in extremely deep water.

Tight-line for tough Badin Lake crappie

Dusty Wilson

“l’ll do whatever I need to do to catch crappie in winter,” said guide Maynard Edwards, and if January turns off bitter cold, that might just mean chasing them all the way to the bottom of Badin Lake. […]

Guide Joe Dennis seines shallow water on Lake Moultrie for big crappie, paying close attention to cover that may hold fish.

Not all shallow water is created equal

Terry Madewell

Guide Joe Dennis consistently catches crappies in shallow water in January, but he said not all shallow water is productive. […]

Tagging fish helps Jeff Manning and other fishermen follow the growth and movement of catfish.

Tag big catfish for tell-tail information

Terry Madewell

Jeff Manning and Dieter Melhorn are staunch believers in tagging and releasing their larger catfish. The tags, obtained through the Catawba Catfish Club, are numbered to identify the fish and have contact info to report recaptures to share information. […]

Lake Wylie’s catfish from a biological perspective

Terry Madewell

It’s one thing to have fishermen tout a lake as being great for a certain species, but taking a look from a scientific and biological perspective adds depth to that analysis. […]