Freshwater Fishing Archives - Page 195 of 290

May 8, 2026

Crappie fishermen who tight-line need special equipment — rods and rod-holder systems that will hold them.

Tools of the tight-line trade

Getting started tight-lining for crappie requires advanced preparation. Admittedly, that also means a moderate investment. […]

Georgia and South Carolina have different size and creel limits for crappie on the Savannah River lakes.

SC has size limit; Georgia does not

Pat Robertson

The Savannah River lakes, including Thurmond, are unique in that there are differences in the size limits for crappie depending on whether you bring your fish out on the South Carolina side or the Georgia side. […]

These 7 tips will improve your long-line trolling

Phillip Gentry

Like spider-rigging, having success in long-line trolling takes dedication in order to get a system that works for your boat and your setup. Try these seven tips will help you become a better long liner. […]

Small, live minnow, hooked through the back, are deadly on Clarks Hill crappie.

Small minnows key for springtime crappie

Pat Robertson

Small minnows are the best bait for springtime crappie fishing, according to veteran Clarks Hill crappie fisherman and fishing guide William Sasser. […]

Eric Fincher’s 89-pound blue catfish, caught Nov. 25, 2006 from Badin Lake, is the reigning state record for the species.

Badin produced state-record blue catfish

Jerry Dilsaver

North Carolina’s state-record blue catfish weighed 89 pounds and was caught in Badin Lake on Nov. 25, 2006, by Eric Fincher. It replaced an 85-pound fish that had been caught in Lake Norman in 2004. […]

Guide Chris Hammill concentrates on big blue catfish on several reservoirs on the Yadkin system, including Badin Lake.

Badin Lake and the Yadkin River system

Jerry Dilsaver

Badin Lake is part of the Yadkin River system that was formed by impounding sections of the river to support an aluminum-smelting plant in the town of Badin operated by Alcoa. […]

Blue catfish, native to the Mississippi River drainage, have been stocked and moved to river systems and reservoirs across the Southeast, where they have become a popular target for anglers.

Blue catfish in North Carolina

Jerry Dilsaver

The blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus, is the largest species of North American catfish and has potential to reach 150 pounds. […]

Tight-lining, or fishing with lures dropped straight down, is a favorite of spring crappie anglers.

Any color is good — as long as it’s blue

Craig Holt

Successful crappie fishing at Jordan Lake in March can hinge on having a jig in the color fish prefer that day. […]

Bridge pilings, expecially those supporting railroad trestles, are great early Spring spots to catch crappie on Lake Greenwood.

Early spawning sites

Phillip Gentry

When it comes to prespawn migrations on Lake Greenwood, there are two schools of thought. One is that crappie move horizontally from the main lake to the backs of creeks and coves. […]

Black crappie in Jordan Lake have rebounded after a 2011 die-off and should offer fishermen a great spring this year.

Net survey shows Jordan’s crappie on the rebound

Craig Holt

Biologists Jessica Baumann and Corey Oakley of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission conducted crappie surveys using trap and gill nets in October and November 2012 after a 2011 shad die-off and resulting crappie mortality. […]