Sidebars Archives - Page 148 of 194

June 21, 2026

Big blue catfish are becoming more common on Lake Wylie, and the odds of catching them have increased tremendously, as Jeff and Rodger Taylor bear witness.

SCDNR perspective on blues, flatheads

With blue and flathead catfish frequently being caught at Lake Wylie, anglers are wondering how they got in the lake. […]

Jonathan Thompson leaves nothing to chance late in the season, altering his camouflage patterns, calling less frequently and letting gobblers do the work.

Make sure you know your shotgun

Bennett Kirkpatrick

If you don’t know your gun and its limits, you are asking for trouble. Pattern your gun to see where the densest part of the pattern hits. […]

Bigeyes caught off The Point are almost all bigger than the 27-inch size minimum.

Bigeye facts

Bob Goldstein

Dr. Craig Brown, chief of the highly migratory species branch of NOAA Fisheries in Miami is an expert on bigeye tuna biology. Here are some of his observations: […]

Make your own drift rig

Terry Madewell

Rodger Taylor said several key factors combine for a successful catfish trip, even when the fish are biting as well as they are during May. One is making his own drift rig. […]

Make sure when you set up on a bird, you don’t hurt your chances by making a gobbler walk through an obstacle.

Make sure your setup won’t doom you

Bennett Kirkpatrick

Choosing a poor setup is a common problem. Often, we doom a hunt because of the spot where we make a setup. […]

Big flathead catfish are found throughout Lake Wylie and can be specifically targeted by fishermen.

Targeting Lake Wylie’s flatheads

Terry Madewell

Completing the feat of catching all three of the major catfish species — channels, blues and flatheads — at one lake is quite a feat, but one that guide Rodger Taylor does frequently. […]

When putting out decoys, set them away from the direction you expect a gobbler to show up so you’re not in his line of sight as he looks at the decoy.

Be careful with decoy placements

Bennett Kirkpatrick

Improper placement of decoys can ruin a hunt. Never position your decoys directly between yourself and the direction you expect the tom to come from — for two reasons. […]

A good, low-tide flat will hold water on even the lowest of negative tides or redfish will not use it.

Some good spots for May redfish

John Gribb

Many of the most popular fish-holding spots are highlighted on the Top Spot map N233 covering Hilton Head to St. Helena Sound, a favorite tool of area fishermen. […]

Elite Series pro Cliff Crochet makes sure he has fresh hooks that he's sharpened.

Use fluorocarbon on prespawn bass

David A. Brown

With any prespawn bait, Bassmaster Elite Series pro Greg Hackney said fluorocarbon is essential during cold spells. […]

White crappie definitely act and locate differently from black crappie, according to a handful of crappie-fishing experts.

Public opinion

Phillip Gentry

Armed with the knowledge of how to tell them apart, take a look at what crappie pros and guides from across the country have to say about the differences between black and white crappie: […]