Newsletter - Page 1157 of 2142 - Carolina Sportsman

A balloon rig is an effective way for an anchored angler to cover more water without moving.

Try a balloon rig for big catfish

Justin Whiteside said he can tap into the suspended catfish action even from an anchored position, as easy as blowing up a balloon. […]

The perfect pole for vertical jigging crappie is light, sensitive and has plenty of backbone.

How to make a good jigging rod for crappie? Sam Heaton asked B’n’M and got one.

Phillip Gentry

Legendary fisherman Sam Heaton once earned a living by guiding for crappie on Alabama’s Lake Weiss, a relatively shallow, lowland lake filled with stumps, logs and standing timber. He spent a lot of time fishing for crappie the old fashioned way: one pole, one hook. […]

Find the right pattern and load the boat with Cooper River bream

Terry Madewell

Wyn Mullins of North Charleston said the quickest way to limit out on bluegill in July is to find the right pattern quickly. […]

Spanish mackerel are fast swimmers with keen eyesight and sharp teeth, often requiring angler to trick them into a reaction bite.

Three trolling rigs for Spanish mackerel are popular among South Carolina fishermen

Phillip Gentry

Trolling for Spanish mackerel is a great way to locate fish when searching a large area. According to John Boy Koonce, a Charleston-area guide, you can make trolling as simple or as complex as you like; it’s a good way to fish with clients with children who aren’t as accomplished with tackle. […]

Make sure you can distinguish Spanish mackerel from king mackerel

Phillip Gentry

When the water temperature in nearshore waters reaches the upper 70s, it’s not uncommon to see a blending on the fishing grounds between Spanish mackerel and king mackerel. […]

Popping corks make enough noice to attract the attention of big, hungry trout.

Popping-cork rigs are just the start when targeting speckled trout

Brian Cope

Fishing with an artificial lure under a popping cork is a popular way of attracting and catching speckled trout. The noise created by the cork draws attention to its location, and once trout see it, they spot the lure. It adds the element of sound to a lure that primarily relies on sight. […]

Making noise is a key for speckled trout lures

Brian Cope

Noise — at least the right noise — can attract speckled trout and give your bait or lure a better chance at being eaten. Popping corks are great noisemakers, and they add an extra or sound to live bait or artificial lures equally, as long as they are used as more than just strike indicators. […]

Topwater baits, spoons and soft plastics all have their place in a trout fisherman’s tackle box.

Carry a big variety of lures when targeting speckled trout

Brian Cope

Any time you’re going trout fishing at daybreak, you need to bring a collection of topwater lures. Nothing is more exciting, heart-stopping and on certain days as effective as working topwater lures through likely speckled trout holes. […]

The lure or bait on the end of your line makes a difference on how fast you set the hook after a flounder bites.

How long should you wait before setting the hook on a flounder?

Jeff Burleson

For years, fishermen have debated how long they should wait before setting the hook on a flounder. Some support a 10-second count after the fish takes a live bait, but when anglers are using artificials, there never seems to be any lag time between the bite and hookset. […]

Putting a lure or bait right in front of a flounder matters more than putting the correct bait close to him.

The Jim Caudle Reef off Little River is tops for summer flounder

Jeff Burleson

Over the summer, the flounder fishery runs strong inside the estuaries and around the inlets close to Little River. Anglers get plenty of opportunities to reach their limit with a bucketful of mud minnows or their favorite soft-plastic bait, but the inshore lairs aren’t the only places to load up on a limit of flounder either. […]