Sidebars Archives - Page 38 of 194

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October 23, 2026

Does the moon trigger the whitetail rut?

It’s an age-old, chicken-and-egg question with an answer that seems important because it’s generally accepted by old-time hunters. But likely it’s meaningless. […]

Don’t overshoot your best duck-hunting areas; hunting pressure will cause ducks of every species to pick up and move.

Hunting pressure is kiss of death for waterfowl success

Jeff Burleson

For diehard duck hunters, every hour of the season is an opportunity to fill a limit. However, too much pressure on the same flocks of wood ducks and other species can lead to zeros on successive hunts. […]

The decreasing amount of daylight in a 24-hour period, aka, the photoperiod, has a big impact on the timing of waterfowl migration, even among homebodies like wood ducks.

Know what affects duck migrations

Jeff Burleson

Duck season that come in before December are often overlooked by many hunters because of other hunt seasons, warm weather or just waiting for the big push of migratory ducks after Christmas. […]

Pro angler Matt Arey fishes only suspending jerkbaits; to add weight to make them suspend, he’ll change out hooks for ones a size larger.

Suspending jerkbaits more common than in the past

Pete Anderson

Deep inside my tackle box, there is a Rapala floating minnow that’s a victim of a late 1980s how-to article. Above the front hook, I drilled three holes and inserted a split shot in each, then sealed the wounds with epoxy. At the time, it was one of only a few ways that anglers could make their jerkbaits suspend. […]

Bass pro Andy Montgomery catches his best jerkbait bass on the lower end of Lake Wylie, where the water is less stained.

Catch more bass by understanding Wylie’s shad

Pete Anderson

Find the shad, and you’ll find the bass. That well-worn wisdom is true on Lake Wylie, especially in the winter. But to find the shad, it helps to know a little about them. […]

Black nose crappie

Dusty Wilson

Without a doubt, the Eno River presents a unique crappie fishing experience, in part because it offers the opportunity to catch a unique crappie. […]

Tiny jigs with built-in spinner blades can make a big difference in the number of crappie going in your cooler.

Blades of glory

Dusty Wilson

Ask guide Eddie Moody what the difference is between a long-liner and a tight-liner, he’ll quickly tell you that a tight-liner is more of a finesse or presentation fisherman, while a long-liner is putting his money on a reaction strike. […]

Lee Lakosky erects a “fake” rubbed tree to attract the attention of wandering bucks.

Plant a rub tree to draw in big bucks

Pete Rogers

Lee Lakosky, co-host with his wife, Tiffany, of The Crush television show, has developed a way to hunt rubs that is unique and very beneficial, particularly for bow hunters. […]

Guide Ricky Kellum likes to fish a topwater bait along crab-pot lines for New River speckled trout.

Topwater is nothing New in NC

Phillip Gentry

Guide Ricky Kellum points to his home waters, the New River in Onslow County, N.C., as his go-to spot for targeting topwater trout in October. His favorite bait is a Super Spook Jr. with a chartreuse head and white body, a bait that fooled an 8-pound trout in the New last year. […]