May 2018 Archives - Carolina Sportsman

Rapala’s Scatter Rap Glass Shad

Some anglers refer to the plastic lip recently added to the Rapala Glass Shad crankbait as a “potato chip lip,” which is what it closely resembles. […]

The late Gene Sutherland loved the woods and whitetails in a life that spanned almost 70 years.

A life well lived: Remembering a hunter and friend

Sammy Romano

This month, I am stepping a bit outside of this column’s normal subject matter, but I feel strongly about this message. […]

Rainbow trout have a varied diet and will eat anything they can capture. They routinely eat the larval, pupal and adult forms of aquatic insects, plus terrestrials that fall into the water. They will eat fish eggs, shrimp, crawfish and small fish up to one-third of their length.

Four-of-a-kind basic trout flies for fly fishermen

Robert Satterwhite

Fly fishers need to know the four basic types of flies, including how to tie them and present them, before heading out in search of trout. […]

Striper fishermen on the Santee Cooper lakes catch plenty of nice fish in May using live shad or herring, but drifting cut baits can also put some nice blue catfish in your cooler at the end of the day.

Everything is biting at Santee right now

Terry Madewell

May is one of my favorite months to fish the Santee Cooper reservoirs, and while it’s mostly because of the great fishing, it’s also because of the typically great weather. […]

Unhooking Spanish mackerel doesn’t have to come with a cut

Jerry Dilsaver

Follow these tips to avoid getting your fingers sliced while removing Spanish mackerel from your hook. […]

Yak Attack Hawg Trough Mounting Kit

Phillip Gentry

One of the biggest differences between a powerboat and a kayak when it comes to entering fish in a tournament is the use of a livewell. Since paddlers use cameras to capture photos of caught fish, having a handy measuring tool at your fingertips is a must. […]

Mike Eady has plenty of places to target Spanish mackerel within kayak range of his home port of Murrells Inlet, S.C.

Fishing for Spanish mackerel in North Carolina vs. South Carolina

Jerry Dilsaver

Fishermen in North Carolina and South Carolina generally look for baitfish, structure and water flow when fishing for Spanish mackerel. The primary places to find concentrations of the small mackerel are around inlets, in close proximity to wrecks and artificial reefs, and harassing schools of bait around natural structure. […]

Scotty fly-rod holder with side/deck mount

Phillip Gentry

When it comes to bream fishing from a paddlecraft, especially with fly tackle, having a secure place to store your rod is critical. The problem is that while most fishing kayaks come with rod holders, they typically only fit spinning or baitcasting rods. Fortunately, you can buy aftermarket rod holders designed specifically for fly rods. […]

The flier

Phillip Gentry

The first thing most anglers who catch their first flier think is that they’ve caught a hybrid bream/crappie. The flier, Centrarchus macropterus, is a sunfish native to muddy-bottomed swamps, ponds, weedy lakes and backwaters, mostly in the coastal planes in both Carolinas. The biggest fliers, which can live up to five years, get to about 12 inches and a pound. […]

Jigheads are much better terminal tackle for flounder fishermen who are partial to using live mud minnows.

Carolina rig or jigheads for flounder?

Jeff Burleson

Few fishermen will argue that flounder prefer to feed in the lower third of the water column. Their body shape suggests that they spend most of their time along the bottom. As a result, lures and baits should stay on or near the bottom to capture a flounder’s attention. When using live bait, the choice of terminal tackle can make a big different in presentation. […]