Sidebars Archives - Page 2 of 194

June 1, 2026

Find the forage, and you’ll find winter catfish

A recurring theme among all the catfish guides is that winter catfishing is all about the forage; you fish close to forage or you don’t catch fish.

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Plenty of fish species, like this red, migrate up and down the Cape Fear River depending on where the freshwater-saltwater edge is located.

Fish that edge

Jerry Dilsaver

The Northeast Cape Fear joins the Cape Fear River beside the Battleship North Carolina near downtown Wilmington, and the Black River flows into it about 10 miles upstream. The rivers combine to drain much of central North Carolina. There is also the Brunswick River, but it is basically a thoroughfare that branches off the Cape Fear just upriver from Wilmington and rejoins it across from the N.C. State Ports facility. […]

Although fish kills followed hurricanes Florence and Michael, a number of species appeared to rebound very quickly.

Will hurricanes’ effects on fishing be long-lasting?

Jerry Dilsaver

The Cape Fear area was hit hard by Hurricane Florence this fall, and then the remnants of Hurricane Michael added plenty of runoff a few weeks later. The full assessment of the damage and how these storms will affect fishing is ongoing, but one positive was that redfish and specks were feeding within weeks. Another is that no fish-consumption advisories have been issued. […]

Some cover and a comfortable spot to sit can turn into an excellent place for a ground blind for bow or gun.

Try a ground level approach to deer hunting

Jeff Burleson

Hunting from a tree stand offers many advantages to deer hunters. But it isn’t always the best option to get a shot at a mysterious wall-hanger. […]

The Hunter Safety Systems harness was designed after a close call involving a collapsed deer stand.

Be safe with a system

Phillip Gentry

Hunter Safety System, Inc. was born out of a love for hunting and a desire to keep safe all hunters who use tree stands. Even so, it took a near-death experience to provide the impetus for the creation of the HSS harness. […]

A plastic worm on a drop-shot rig produces plenty of nice spotted bass for guide Jerry Kotal, especially in the fall when spots are schooling.

Double-timing bass

Terry Madewell

Guide Jerry Kotal said that most of the time, Lake Russell bass will orient to a small, specific target on the bottom, and a school of fish is very concentrated in a small area, but that’s not always the case. […]

Trout will hit a variety of nymph patterns if the weighted flies are kept near the bottom of a stream.

“High stick” technique

L. Woodrow Ross

“High stick” technique for nymphing […]

Learning how to locate and recognize parts of a stream or pool that, because of a change in bottom contour, will hold trout is a key to catching more fish.

Recognizing productive water

L. Woodrow Ross

Choosing where to fish is as important as your fly selection; fishermen need to learn to “read the water.” […]

Duck-banding info essential to managing waterfowl

Jeff Burleson

Since 1940, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has managed national fish and wildlife populations and their habitat to protect and promote the resources. As part of those efforts, USFWS manages migratory birds jointly with Canada and Mexico, and to make educated, informed decisions, hunter input and band data must be included. […]

New kayak gear reviews

Phillip Gentry

BOOYAH’s Pond Magic spinnerbaits are specialized in color and blade combinations, hand-selected to match the forage base in smaller waters. Small by spinnerbait standards, they feature BOOYAH’s premium components and 60-strand silicone skirts. […]