August 2014 Archives - Carolina Sportsman

Small topwater baits, prop- or popper-style, can be deadly on big fish in the shallows this month.

A surprise topwater time

August is not a month that most bass fishermen associate with a topwater bite, but a lot of our lakes in South Carolina have a pretty good one this month. […]

The lure of the Roanoke

Bill Howard

Seventeen rivers flow through North Carolina, and while each has its unique characteristics and attractions, for a paddler, the Roanoke has to be near the top of the list. […]

Bass may move closer to the surface in August on some lakes, but you’re more likely to have success fishing in deep water.

August has always been a tough month for bass fishermen, because the fish start getting spread out — there aren’t nearly as many grouped up — and because you might find them anywhere from around shallow docks to 25 feet deep. […]

Gonzales pro Greg Hackney placed sixth at the Bassmaster Elite Series stop at Lake Chickamauga using a Rage Blade.

The Rage Blade

Don Shoopman

An Edisto Island, S.C., artificial lure designer knows first-hand just how good the ChatterBait was when it was born and how good it is now, as it has won more money this year than ever before for pro bass anglers on the FLW and Bassmaster Elite series circuits across the United States. […]

If you hunt, the odds are your first shot was taken with a Daisy Red Ryder BB gun.

The Daisy BB gun

Gordon Hutchinson

I have no idea what happened to it, but the first honest-to-gosh gun I ever handled was a Daisy BB gun given to me by my dad on my sixth birthday. […]

High-tech smart chargers are smaller, lighter and take better care of our batteries, but sometimes it takes a boost from an old-tech transformer charger to save the day.

Old tech to the rescue

Allan Tarvid

My town doesn’t allow people to talk on a hand-held cell phone while driving, but hands-free talking is OK so I keep our phones paired through Bluetooth to our two vehicles. […]

Fishermen targeting bottomfish around nearshore wrecks and reefs will often come in contact with bigger targets like this cobia.

Safety first

Bill Howard

When fishing off the beach using a jet ski as a platform, remember these safety rules: […]

Setting buck limits would potentially allow more young deer to survive long enough to grow into trophy animals.

Deer limit in holding pattern but may change in 2015

Terry Madewell

Biologist Charles Ruth said that South Carolina’s season bag limits for deer have been on a holding pattern for several years, but there may be new signs of life in the next legislation session in 2015. […]

Needlenose pliers should always be used when removing a hook from the mouth of a bonnethead shark.

Handling bonnetheads without losing fingers

Jeff Burleson

Fishing for bonnethead sharks can be the perfect match for a hot, summer South Carolina day. During a good, half-day trip, anglers can expect to catch over a dozen fish without losing any rigs. However, handling and taking the hooks out of the beasts can still be worry some. […]

Herd management through doe harvests is becoming more important as the size of local herds and the statewide herd stabilizes.

Top counties for 2013 harvest

Terry Madewell

The attached graphs depict the top counties in 2013 for harvest by unit area (square mile) and by simple harvest without regard to size of county. This data depicts some of the potentially best areas for deer hunters to hunt based on what was productive last season. […]