Freshwater Fishing Archives - Page 151 of 293

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August 28, 2026

Bass fishing in February often improves later in the day after the sun has a chance to warm the water.

How timing plays into February bass at Santee Cooper

Guides Kevin Davis and Linwood Thornhill agree that the better bass fishing in February will be later in the day, but that’s not always when they start. […]

Work the edges of creeks and channels that cut through shallow flats to find February largemouths.

Think shallow in February for Santee Cooper bass

Terry Madewell

Linwood Thornhill said that in most years — 2015 being an exception because it was so cold — largemouth will make a move toward the shallows late in the month. […]

Shooting a jig back under a dock and letting it fall slowly to the bottom is a great winter technique for finding and catching slab crappie.

Shoot winter boat docks for South Carolina crappie

Phillip Gentry

As they do in spring and summer, boat docks provide structure, cover, food and a variety of water depths so crappie can find comfortable water temperatures during the winter. […]

Crappie congregate in deep water in the winter, often around changes in the bottom contour.

Winter crappie fishing hotspots

Phillip Gentry

Crappie are well-established in their winter pattern during the month of January until mid-February, when they begin to move. Typically, this means they are oriented to structure in water depths ranging from 15 to 35 feet in many South Carolina reservoirs. […]

While fishing with Capt. Robbie Burr of Pee Dee Fishing Adventures, Craig Bennett caught and released this 70-pound blue catfish at Blewett Falls Lake.

N. Wilkesboro angler catches 70-pound catfish at Blewett Falls

Dusty Wilson

When guide Robbie Burr of Wadesboro prepares for a catfish charter, he gives his clients the choice of filling their coolers with eating-size fish or spending the day chasing trophies, and that decision tells him where they’re fishing. […]

Kephart Creek in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a challenge for any fly fisher when the water is at full stage.

A fisher’s primer on flies

Robert Satterwhite

Fishers have been fooling trout into taking artificial flies since the days of ancient Macedonia — and probably much longer — and that practice has changed very little in the intervening years. […]

Walleye are biting well on Fontana, but that's not the only species anglers are catching.

Catch a variety of species on Fontana with these tips

Brian Cope

The fishing is good on Lake Fontana, and one of the best reasons to fish there now is that everything in the lake is biting. […]

Sumter's Jeff Sanford caught this 4-pound crappie on a recent trip to the Santee River.

Sumter angler catches 4-pound crappie from Santee River

Dusty Wilson

While the Santee Cooper lakes might be the crown jewels of the South when it comes to catching slab crappie, it was the Santee River that gave up a 4-pound trophy to Jeff Sanford of Sumter last Thursday, Jan. 28. […]

Bass in the Santee Cooper lakes start to move shallow this month, and anglers should follow.

Movers and shakers – Santee Cooper bass are on the move in February

Terry Madewell

The vast amount of shallow water in the Santee Cooper lakes has distinct advantages for early season largemouth bass fishing. Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie have experienced a strong revival in recent years, thanks to abundant natural vegetation and productive bass recruitment, including multiple vigorous year-classes. […]

Guide Doug Youngblood doesn’t put away his fishing tackle just because it’s cold; he’s learned a few tricks for catching winter crappie in deep water.

Drop deep for winter crappie in South Carolina reservoirs

Phillip Gentry

It may seem like the dead of winter to most anglers as January slowly rolls over into February, but in the deep depths of most lakes and reservoirs across the Palmetto State, the first urges of spring spawning are beginning to bloom, which means crappie, which never go completely inactive in the winter, begin to stir. […]