April 2012 Archives - Page 3 of 6

Capt. David Cutler loves to fish for early-spring wahoo in the bluewater off Little River. He looks for color and temperature changes to hold wahoo.

Get an early start

Whether inshore, offshore or in a freshwater environment, 90 percent of fish become more active as dark turns to daylight, and seas. […]

A trout fisherman works catch-and-release trophy waters under the management of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

Cherokee waters on mend

Robert Satterwhite

About midnight on July 15, 2011, a flash-flood sent a 10-foot wall of water through the Cherokee Indian Tribal Hatchery, washing away or killing 435,000 trout and leaving raceways buried in silt. […]

This trolling plug bears scars from dozens of wahoo. Plugs are often more effective than ballyhoo, especially trolled at high speeds.

Rigging a lure cures ballyhoo blowouts

Mike Marsh

Rigging ballyhoo on trolling skirts takes lots of time and money. Blown-out ballyhoo bellies from high-speed trolling and cut-off tails from short strikes are two types of bait failures. […]

A big wahoo can knock a lure several feet up the line, away from the hook. Keeping the lure closer to the hook often prevents biteoffs.

The sound of a big reel burning off drag will quickly energize a crew on a bluewater excursion, but the instantaneous pressure release and a limp rod will discourage even the most-patient angler when the line is severed for one reason or another. […]

Backlashes

Plovers, sea bass show public’s plight

Craig Holt

Multiple-choice quiz: What are true statements about black sea bass and coastal piping plovers? […]

Proper rigging of a ballyhoo behind a trolling lure like this Pirate Plug can help cut down on breakoffs and missed strikes from wahoo.

Many paths to perfect ballyhoo rigging

Mike Marsh

Washed-out or twisting ballyhoo baits are some examples of trolling bait failures that can cost fishing time for re-rigging or while dragging useless baits. […]

Shallow water, oysters and grass equal a good redfish flat.

Good ‘flat characteristics’

John Gribb

After a few years searching for redfish, experienced fishermen intuitively figure out what a good redfish flat looks like, but keeping a journal and cataloging their characteristics shortens the learning curve. […]

Bass fishing in North Carolina doesn’t get any finer than here in April.

Lake of the Month: Jordan Lake

Craig Holt

The glory days of largemouth bass fishing at Jordan Lake are long gone. […]

The new StructureMap feature on Lowrance Gen2 HDS units can overlay sonar readings on charts to give you incredibly accurate mapping information you can view in real time as you record it or later, off the water, as you plan your next fishing trip.

Seat-of-your-pants orientation rules

Allan Tarvid

Once upon a time, one of the most tedious things we boaters and fishermen attempted was to figure out exactly where we were on a lake map or chart. […]

Keeping the slack out of your fly line increases chances of a good hookset.

Get the slack out

John Gribb

Blind casting has its hang-ups, literally. A jig and trailer tossed near oyster shells or grass will often get stuck, but you have to get the lure close to structure or you won’t catch many fish. […]