As cold weather rolls in along with other activities such as hunting season and football, fishing is no longer a priority for many anglers, and kayaks tend to be put to the side. But even though it’s out of sight and out of mind, it still requires care and maintenance.
If you’ve seen one soft plastic creature bait and you’ve seen them all. Right?
Owning a boat long enough to pay it off has a dark side. I usually own a fishing boat about 15 years — long enough to get it set up just right for me and, unfortunately, long enough to see electrical problems develop.
November is an overlooked and underappreciated time at the Santee Cooper lakes. As good as October was in terms of catching fish and seeing a lot of deer, the action improves this month with larger fish getting on a strong bite and big deer moving during the rut. It’s “go” time.
November in the Carolinas can provide some really good bass fishing, but it can also be a tad frustrating since fish can be doing so many things. The positives are obviously that decreased fishing pressure and cooling water have the fish much more active and moving to new areas.
Each year, thousands of migrating waterfowl show up in eastern North Carolina, which has plenty of beaver swamps, impounded grain fields, creeks, lakes and sprawling sounds where a duck can find a place to rest and eat.
Steve Cobb, a Hunter Specialties pro staffer from Union, S.C., said that the specific manner of grunts and bleats hinges on where he’s hunting. In the Carolinas, it’s the soft and subtle sounds that produce the most reaction from deer.
When deer season opens, once-desolate hunting grounds become overrun by hunters on a frequent basis. Whether checking trail cams, erecting tree stands, scouting or hunting, disturbances will quickly change the natural patterns of deer. Sometimes, the disturbance is just what the doctor ordered. Having the woods stirring by nosey hounds will set off a leery buck who wasn’t planning to leave his bed at all during daylight hours.
A couple of years ago, South Carolina Sportsman featured an incredible story about Bryson Longshore, a 13-year-old Newberry middle-school student who killed a 20-inch, 8-point buck at a cool 600 yards.
One of the first lessons hunters learn is how good a deer’s senses are. Their senses of smell, hearing and sight are what helps them get from place to place without getting into a dangerous situation.
South Carolina’s Lowcountry has the highest tides along the south Atlantic coast because of the shape of the coastline.
Some hunters don’t believe moon phases affect deer and fish movements, but with years of experience, deer hunters Jon Tilley and Steve Burnette are convinced the moon influences whitetail ramblings.
Public hunting preserves dot the South Carolina landscape, giving everyone access to quail hunts within reasonable driving distances. A list of more than 30 licensed preserves is available from SCDNR by calling 803-734-3940.
Veteran bass fisherman J.T. Palmore prefers to use a 7-foot-6 extra-heavy baitcasting rod with a fast, light tip when fishing an Alabama rig. A stout rod is required to handle the heavy, multi-rig baits that can easily weigh over 2 ounces. The lighter tip increases hookup chances by helping the bait to “load up” without pulling it away and missing the fish.
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