Sidebars Archives - Page 118 of 194

June 22, 2026

Applying sulfur to new food plots will unlock the soil’s potential to produce rich, lush crops for wildlife.

New plots need a little help right out of the gate

Landowners expanding their food-plot acreage are making a move into the right direction to get more wildlife using their properties on a regular basis. […]

Water temperature matters more to Rich Szczerbala than lure colors at Falls of Neuse, but he does like white/chartreuse and black/blue.

Colors are secondary at Falls Lake

Jason Hawkins

Former guide Richard Szczerbala said that finding the correct water temperature — 55 to 58 degrees in March — is the most-important factor in catching prespawn Falls of Neuse bass. […]

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. […]

Shallow, stained water is the ticket for catching Lake Wylie bass on spinnerbaits.

Go over to the dark side

Brian Cope

For many anglers, night time is the right time for catching bass, and March is a great time to doing it in the dark on Wylie. […]

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. […]

A flutter hook is a great way to rig a long, thin soft-plastic bait weedless.

Rigging a flutter hook

Phillip Gentry

A weighted hook, aka flutter hook, is a great way to rig any number of soft-plastic baits such as a Fluke, jerk shad, or trick work. A long, thin weight that is molded on the shank of the hook gives the rig weight and imparts action. […]

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. […]

Dressing in layers is the way to stay comfortable fishing in cold weather.

Dress for success

Phillip Gentry

Learning to be comfortable in the cold boils down to dressing appropriately and functionally. […]

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. […]

Terry Hiers and two very happy hunters pose with a trio of Blackwater gobblers. Hiers believes that overall woodsmanship is the most-important factor in hunting turkeys, but he’s not opposed to using some unique calls when the situation presents itself.

Unusual calls and fighting purrs

Terry Madewell

Terry Hiers is an expert with most any call made, but he does have some he saves for specific situations. […]