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June 17, 2026

Jim Cobb said fishermen often need just about every kind of jig or trailer in multiple colors to get finicky crappie to bite.

Kitchen-sink fishery

There is no common denominator in what lure it takes to catch summer crappie at Randleman Regional Reservoir. […]

Blue catfish will migrate for many, many miles to and from their spawning areas in the Santee Cooper system.

Do blue cats wear track shoes?

Darryl Smith has a message for any fishermen who plan on keeping up with the movements of blue catfish on the Santee Cooper Lakes: Put on some track shoes. […]

Pinching off the tail or a soft-plastic crappie trailer will often take care of the problem of fish short-striking and missing the hook.

Make that jerk count!

Mike Marsh

Many anglers miss the strike of a crappie because they only feel a tap or hesitation as the lure falls. […]

SCDNR said that channel catfish numbers are up, while blue cat numbers are down, but sizes are up.

‘State of Santee’ message is good for catfish anglers

Larry Chesney

Biologist Scott Lamprecht of the S.C. Department of Natural Resources said fishermen will find fewer blue catfish in the Santee Cooper lakes than a decade ago, but their chances of getting a big fish are far greater. […]

Tripletail are a summertime fish in North Carolina waters; their dorsal and fins give it the illusion of having three tails.

Tripletail Fact Sheet

Jerry Dilsaver

Tripletail (lobotes surinamensis) is a warm-water fish, usually found in tropical regions, but scattered as far north as Massachusetts while drifting in the Gulf Stream or its eddies. […]

Bigger sheepshead can be boated by simply cradling and lifting them, so there’s no need for a net or mechanical device such as a Boga Grip.

Herding sheep

Phillip Gentry

Many anglers think nothing about reaching into the mouth of a fish and grabbing by the lower jaw — “lipping” the fish. […]

Thomas Cutler’s 27-pound, 7-ounce fish was the first tripletail recognized as North Carolina’s state record.

Making a (fishing) record

Jerry Dilsaver

As recently as September 2009, North Carolina did not recognize a state-record tripletail. None caught were large enough to meet the criteria for establishing a new state record. […]

Using a rig similar to freshwater panfishing is an option that allows an angler to stay off the rocks and have a strike indicator.

Keep it simple

Phillip Gentry

Marc Deschenes takes a decidedly freshwater-fishing approach to catching sheepshead on the Charleston Harbor jetties, and it’s no wonder. […]

Golden tilefish prefer muddy bottoms along the slopes into canyons where they can ambush passing prey.

Future of golden tilefish looks bright

Bob Goldstein

There appears to be no danger of golden tilefish being fished out under current management. The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s recently concluded stock assessment resulted in a doubling of the commercial allocation. Can expanded recreational fishing be far behind? […]

Frog baits come in several styles, from hollow-body (top) to keel-design (foreground).

Frogs and toads

Glenn Corley

Even though Ryan McMurtury only uses a soft-plastic green frog on Lake Russell, he has boxes of different types of frogs in various colors that he uses in different situations. […]