Freshwater Fishing Archives - Page 173 of 293

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August 29, 2026

This 18-inch brown trout is eligible for a citation from the N.C. Angler Recognition Program and is common sight on the upper Catawba River.

Trophies galore

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission defines a trophy brown trout as any fish weighing 2 1/2 pounds or more or measuring 18 inches or longer — according to the N.C. Angler Recognition Program. […]

Neal Osteen of Hendersonville landed this 51-inch muskellunge, estimated at better than 40 pounds, while fishing in the French Broad River.

Hendersonville man’s French Broad muskie that might have challenged record

Phillip Gentry

Neal Osteen of Hendersonville wasn’t exactly surprised when he landed a monstrous, 51 inch muskie from the French Broad River on March 8, but was still overjoyed at landing his best muskie to date. […]

This beautiful brown trout was caught in Hazel Creek in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which has more than 1,000 miles of trout streams.

A trout angler’s paradise

Robert Satterwhite

It is possible to fish a different trout stream every day for a year and cover only a fraction of the streams in western North Carolina. […]

College student John Duarte caught an 8.6-pound bass and 63-pound flathead catfish on back-to-back trips on the Cooper River last weekend.

Cooper River makes Coastal Carolina angler’s weekend a great one

Justin Kiser

John Duarte, who represented Coastal Carolina University in the recent Bassmaster College Classic fishing tournament, was rewarded last weekend for turning down a chance to head for Florida for spring break. […]

Eddie Watford of Easley caught this monster 61-pound blue catfish from Lake Wateree on a March 7 trip.

Easley angler doubles his personal best with 61-pound Wateree blue cat

Phillip Gentry

Back when Eddie Watford was a magazine courier, he used to deliver South Carolina Sportsman magazine to outlets across Oconee and Pickens counties, but he never imagined he might one day wind up in the magazine. […]

Despite unusually cold weather and water, Matthew Outlaw has developed a winning pattern for catching crappie on Lake Marion.

Upper end of Lake Marion producing some championship crappie

Terry Madewell

Crappie fishing on Lake Marion was slowed a bit by the recent extreme cold weather, but as usual, some fishermen figured out how to catch them. […]

Danny Gunnells of Honea Path caught this 27-inch, 9-pound brown trout on a Feb. 28 trip to Lake Jocassee with guide Steve Pietrykowski.

Honea Path man decks 9-pound brown on Lake Jocassee trip

Phillip Gentry

First, Danny Gunnells and his wife Claudette caught several 3- to 4-pound trout on a Feb. 28 trip to Lake Jocassee. […]

Cody Gilliland's 32-pound, 4-ounce muskie, weighed on a set of hand scales before being released back into the Broad River, was almost 10 pounds larger than the existing state record.

Huge muskie surprises Broad River bass fisherman on kayak float

Scott Keepfer

When Cody Gilliland tossed his half-ounce football jig with a grub trailer toward a pile of submerged timber along the bank of the Broad River on Feb. 8, he was hoping to catch a hefty largemouth. […]

Rod King’s best Falls of Neuse crappie are usually caught in late February and March.

Spring slabs? Don’t be late! At Falls of Neuse Lake, it’s the early angler that catches the crappie. Don’t wait for April. March is madness!

Craig Holt

Popular opinion among many fishermen is that April is the best month to catch crappie because fish are heading for shorelines to spawn and are susceptible to jigs and live minnows. […]