May 2014 Archives - Page 2 of 7 - Carolina Sportsman

Dennis Barbour has dozens of hooks and leaders ready because so many need to be replaced when flounder fishing around structure.

Hook holster

Capt. Dennis Barbour uses gold Kahle hooks when he fishes for flounder, and he makes up dozens of rigs before a trip. […]

Chartreuse is a lure color that is particularly effective under different circumstances.

Go chartreuse or go home

Jeff Burleson

For more than a century, lure manufacturers have tried to develop the perfect size, shape and action to get a fish’s attention. […]

Get away from it all, almost

Mike Marsh

Capt. Jamie Rushing uses his depth finder to locate isolated piece of concrete well away from the main masses of sunken structure at an artificial reef. […]

Be careful not to get too close before casting to spring reds.

Be stealthy and keep your distance

Jeff Burleson

During the spring, redfish, trout and flounder step up to the plate and really begin to gather up the groceries. […]

Big, spring bluefish show up off Cape Lookout in late April or early May and will usually hang around for a month to six weeks.

Bluefish basics

Jerry Dilsaver

Bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) are nearshore pelagic fish found around the world in temperate and subtropical waters, with the exception of the northern Pacific Ocean. […]

Fishermen targeting Spanish mackerel in May often run into a cobia or two that are shadowing schools of baitfish.

Nearshore waters fill up this month, with big pods of baitfish bringing in predators by the thousands. From bluefish to Spanish mackerel, the action can pick up in shallow-water places just outside of the breakers. […]

Aggressive cutting late in the season will often cause a turkey to shock-gobble, giving a hunter the chance to set up closer to the bird.

Two slam-dunk, late-season turkey calls

Jeff Burleson

Of all the game species with which North Carolina is blessed, wild turkeys are one of a very few that must be pulled into shooting range with a series of calls. […]

Jason Burton pays close attention to current and trolling direction, and it pays off with better catches of Spanish mackerel.

Following directions

Jeff Burleson

Catching Spanish mackerel can seem very easy during the spring and summer when fish are mauling a school of menhaden or glass minnows. […]

The length of a gobbler’s spurs are a better indication of his age than body size.

Judge a gobbler’s age in the field

Jeff Burleson

Hunters judge turkeys by a collection of characteristics, including weight, spur length, beard count and beard length. Every hunter wants to harvest an old, trophy gobbler, but, knowing a tom’s age is a tough task in the field — before and even after the kill. […]