April 2013 Archives - Carolina Sportsman

The Matrix Shad

There are sound reasons behind the growing success of one of the hottest soft plastics for saltwater and, even, freshwater fish. […]

Everything needed to make a cheap and effective cleaning solution likely can be found in your kitchen and bathroom.

Gun cleaning miracle home remedy

Gordon Hutchinson

This month, we’re supplying you with one of those tips you will wish you had discovered long ago. It’s a cleaning liquid so simple, so easily concocted, you’ll probably wonder why you never heard about it before. […]

There are many vacuum-sealing options to extend the shelf life of fish and game.

Vacuum sealer systems aren’t just for the kitchen anymore

Allan Tarvid

Eating dinner at a friend’s house almost 20 years ago, I mentioned how good fresh fish tastes compared to fish that was frozen. […]

The Bradley Fork is one of the top trout streams in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Spring is rebirth of trout

Robert Satterwhite

Spring is a magical time in the mountains, a time when dogwoods bud and the reddish-pink flowers of redbuds and white and pale pink flowers of serviceberry trees reach full bloom. […]

Shellcracker fishing picks up in April, and Kevin Davis has a great stringer to show off from the shallows of Lake Moultrie.

Fish shallow, young man!

Terry Madewell

There’s one time of the year when most species of gamefish — and most any fish species, in fact — are roaming the shallows of Santee Cooper’s Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie. […]

Stick with soft purrs when calling a gobbler headed your way; they can be made with a variety of calls.

How much to call, which sounds to use

Craig Holt

Guide Clark Purvis, who called 16 gobblers to hunters during the 2012 spring season, said he prefers a Don Carter double-reed mouth call, but the frequency and loudness of calls depends upon what a hunter hears before he makes the first sound. […]

Find an open ridge and take advantage of the terrain to get a gobbler within range before he sees you.

Terrain, terrain, terrain

Pete Rogers

Hunters who pursue turkeys in the mountains have one thing in their favor that’s not available to those in other areas of South Carolina: the terrain. […]

A 12-gauge shotgun is a common choice for turkey hunters, but use an extra-tight choke and pattern your gun and favorite load until you know exactly how it shoots.

Tight chokes, 12 gauges and No. 5 shot effective

Craig Holt

Although wild turkeys have been killed with many gauges of shotguns and pellet sizes, guide Clark Purvis said hunters can maximize their chances with a firearm specifically set up for gobblers. […]

Trumpets like these that Charles Hudson makes produce some of the best sounds of any turkey call — once you learn to master them.

Play that trumpet

Pete Rogers

Trumpet calls are often overlooked by turkey hunters. Also known as “artificial wing bones”, these calls are a bit more difficult to master than a box, slate or diaphragm call, but they produce the pure sounds that are difficult to mimic with other calls. […]

Hobie Kayak

Chris Holmes

As the inventor of the revolutionary Mirage Drive pedal propulsion system, Hobie is the leader in pedal-powered fishing kayaks. […]