May 2018

A summer Saturday with a nice weather forecast finds nearly every lake in North Carolina packed with anglers; arriving before daybreak is a prerequisite to having a place to park a boat trailer and tow vehicle at most public ramps.

South Carolina is known for its fantastic fishing, from 40-pound bull reds and gator speckled trout along its salty shores to world-record catfish and slab crappie from its notable reservoirs, Anglers don’t have to trailer far to locate a super-productive fishery. 

Tactics for tagging a gobbler in the waning days of the season is often dramatically different than strategies for early season success. Late-season hunting typically requires a diverse skill set that includes patience, stealth, diversity in calling capabilities and mental toughness to commit to strategy.

Late this past December, the coastal regions of both Carolinas experienced some of the coldest weather in recent years, with water temperatures plummeting into the low 40s. Then, on Jan. 3, a winter ice and snow storm blasted the coast again, complete with snow and ice.

One of the signs that spring has returned to the Carolinas is the arrival of Spanish mackerel in coastal waters. These little mackerel are targeted by fishermen from Hilton Head to Nags Head, and rightfully so.

When most people smack their lips thinking about a recipe for blackened fish, red drum most often spring to mind. But anglers who fish the waters in and around Surf City are as likely to run across of another color.

Flounder are arguably the most-recognizable inshore fish on the east coast. For die-hard anglers, they can be targeted every month of the year in the waters of both Carolinas, from brackish ecosystems to nearshore ocean reefs.

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

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. 

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.

Lots of natural food sources are available for wildlife this time of year, but food plots will still bring them in by the herd.

Walk into a restaurant across most of the Carolinas, ask for a Coke, and you might be asked “What kind of Coke?”

Regular readers of this column know there is always one turkey recipe each spring to go with the turkey season. Only once before have I added a second turkey recipe, but I’m going to do it again. It’s a turkey pie, cooked in a cast-iron pan, that can be cooked in the oven or taken outside to the grill in the warming May weather. It makes a lot, too, so there will be plenty for lunches for a few days.

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.

Slip corks aren't just for bream fishing. They're good for saltwater fishing too, even for big fish.

I am a Taurus bull, so I really love to get on the water in May and chase bass. It is a great fishing month, because there are a lot of fish on the bank that are easy to catch. We’ve finally got stable weather across the Carolinas, and even though some of the months earlier in the year might  be better for catching your personal biggest fish, May is probably the most fun for me to go fishing.