Sidebars Archives - Page 114 of 194

June 22, 2026

Cobia can put a strain on tackle that’s not up to the task, but for making long casts, anglers have to give up some heft for action.

Rigging for cobia

When cobia fishing, you need to use the proper gear. But that doesn’t mean the biggest rod is best. Lighter rods allow anglers to fish all day without getting tired, and it also gives them better casting distance. […]

Guide Buster Rush will hook live minnows twice — once through the eyes and then out the body — to help make the bait weedless when fishing around brush.

Minnows can be the key

Terry Madewell

Guide Buster Rush of Camden said that despite the typical success he has trolling on Fishing Creek Lake, fishing minnows vertically over and into brush will often be the key to success. […]

Cobia have mouths big enough to swallow a whole crab, so make sure your live or cut bait is big enough to really entice a big, hungry fish.

Orange you gonna use this color?

Dan Kibler

Guide Joe Ward said fishermen can get away with bright, almost unnatural colors on baits destined for a cobia’s jaw because of the gregarious nature of the fish. […]

Pump-back operations between Jocassee, Keowee, and Bad Creek are often blamed for unstable water levels and poor spawning results at Jocassee.

Will fluctuating water levels doom Jocassee’s bass populations?

Phillip Gentry

While the history of Lake Jocassee’s trophy bass fishery is bright, many fishermen, including Monty McGuffin, are concerned with two factors that threaten to diminish its luster. […]

Lake Jocassee holds fishable populations of four black-bass species and produces trophy-sized fish for each, like this redeye, aka shoal bass.

Which bass is which?

Phillip Gentry

Largemouths are not the only black bass that call Lake Jocassee home. The smallmouth, redeye and spotted bass that live in the lake frequently grow to phenomenal sizes. […]

The float rig is a key to success when fishing offshore humps to reduce snagging and hook more shellcrackers.

Special rigs for rock piles

Terry Madewell

Fishing the high spots of rock piles that are abundant in Lake Murray is a key to shellcracker success from May through the fall. Guide Brad Taylor uses a special rig to fish these places most effectively. […]

Shellcrackers may be the target, but Lake Murray fishermen will likely wind up with a mixed bag that includes bluegill, largemouth bass, white perch, striped bass and catfish.

Shellcrackers are the rule, but a mixed creel is likely

Terry Madewell

Retired guide Doug Lown said that when fishing for shellcrackers around high spots that drop into deep water, catching multiple species is pretty common. […]

Rigging for deep-hole trout

John Gribb

Most anglers who fish baits or lures under corks or floats think of them as primarily used in relatively shallow water. […]

Speckled trout, like this one caught by Ralph Davis, are actually members of the drum family; they make drumming noises as the spawn approaches.

Trout talk

John Gribb

Did you know that trout talk?

Speckled trout are not a member of the trout family (salmonidae), but of the drum family (sciaenidae), and they make drumming noises just like red drum and black drum. […]

When gobblers are ganged up early in the season, the bird not doing the aggressive strutting and gobbling is often the dominant bird.

Shoot the lookers

Jeff Burleson

Early in the season, gobblers will often be grouped in pairs or larger groups. Seeing several toms coming into decoys gobbling every step can be one of the most exciting sights of any hunter’s season. […]