February 2018 Archives - Page 2 of 5

Monofilament and fluorocarbon lines each have their supporters, based on different tasks that the two lines perform better.

Fluoro vs. Mono. Who wins?

Fluorocarbon fishing line is relatively news. It was introduced in the 1970s compared to monofilament, which has been around since the 1930s. But which one is better? […]

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s decision to replace striped bass with hybrid bass in Lake Norman has paid off for guide Bob Curan.

Tagged hybrid program continues

Tony Garitta

Fishing for hybrid bass aka Bodie bass, at Lake Norman is not only rewarding in itself, but it could actually pay off in cash. […]

Spotted bass, white perch and hybrid bass often school together on Lake Norman during the winter and other, warmer months, because of their love of open, deeper water and current.

Norman’s striper fishery finally succumbed

Tony Garitta

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission put a great deal of effort into maintaining the put-and-take striped bass fishery in Lake Norman, but to no avail, finally giving up in 2012. […]

Regulations for an extended season for snow and other light geese are intended to encourage a large harvest and cut goose numbers.

Extend gunning for light goose conservation season

Jeff Burleson

Waterfowl hunting ranks high among hunter preferences across North America, and for hunters ready to extend their gunning after the end of the 60-day duck season, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s light goose conservation season, beginning in mid-February, is in order. […]

Packs of beagles have to work faster and cover more ground to flush rabbits living in cutovers and give hunters the chance for a shot.

As cutovers grow, slow packs fade

Craig Holt

Hunting with slow packs of beagles used to be the way to go for rabbit hunters, but thanks to changes in habitat, quicker packs of dogs are now preferred for chasing bunnies. […]

Rabbit numbers in the Carolinas rise and fall in cycles; predators aren’t a big factor; it’s habitat.

Rabbits by the numbers

Craig Holt

The most-recent small-game survey conducted by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (2015-16) revealed that the best rabbit hunting occurs in the Midlands (2.19 rabbits jumped per hour). […]

Stewart Venable’s best fishing day on a river came during the winter of 2016, after he pulled into the mouth of a tributary creek on the Catawba River to eat lunch and saw bait flipping.

February’s Best Bets

Phillip Gentry

What: Largemouth bass, striped bass

Where: Catawba River, upper end of Lake Norman. […]

New gear reviews

Phillip Gentry

The men’s GORE-TEX Meridian Drysuit from Kokatat is built to stand the test of any paddling adventure. Exclusive “full immersion” GORE-TEX Pro Shell fabric is tough as nails, yet quiet and comfortable. Latex neck and wrist gaskets, along with integrated GORE-TEX socks, keep you dry. The Competition Cut underarm maximizes range of motion. […]

In areas with current, fish will still hold in the lee of structure such as rocks or blowdowns even when water temperatures are low.

Shall we gather at the river?

Phillip Gentry

Many anglers find successful winter time fishing in rivers that don’t have a huge change of depth. This makes the fish easier to find and offers a more stable fishing outing, no matter the temperature. […]

Guide Jot Owens caught this nice American Shad during the winter/spring run in the Cape Fear River upstream from Wilmington, N.C.

Salute shad, the kickoff fish

Brian Cope

It’s been cold, and many anglers have been waiting for the slightest break in weather. And while many are looking forward to next month, plenty of others know that February is really the time to break out the ultralight gear and head to a handful of rivers across the Carolinas for the shad run. […]