In flowing water, summertime smallmouths pull out all the stops. A 2-pound, current-pumped smallie makes you think you’ve tagged a 4-pounder. And their aerial acrobatics leave me shaking my head,...View article
“It’s too high and dirty,” complains an angler. Six months later we hear: “It’s too low and way too clear.” Frustrated river fishermen always find excuses for slow fishing. In...View article
The seeds of a good fishing technique can take root in more than one place. They sprout quietly in the dark and when the time is right, suddenly blossom and then bear fruit for anglers everywhere. That’s...View article
I live within a 45-minute drive of arguably the best smallmouth fishery in the world—Lake Erie. I fish Erie for smallies from early April to late June when 4- to 6-pound bass roam shallow flats and...View article
A recent phone conversation with Roger Stegall, top-notch smallmouth guide on Pickwick, the smallmouth mecca on the Tennessee River: “I’m doing an article comparing early-spring smallmouth movements...View article
This was a BIG smallmouth. Just how big, we didn’t know. “Do you think it’s over 7 pounds?” asked my fishing partner, Mark Davis, for the third time. “Yes, I believe it’s 7-plus,” I replied—again. Mark...View article
Boondoggling Chris Gulstad grew up in Elk River, Minnesota, where he learned the art of smallmouth fishing on the Mississippi River. When his job as Public Relations Manager for PRADCO...View article
A stone’s throw from my childhood home in northwestern Pennsylvania, the Shenango River meanders though bottomland. The occasional rocky riffle or fast-water chute punctuates long quiet stretches....View article
Among the most impressive learning experiences for someone like me, who has been writing about catch-and-release fishing for more than 20 years, was hands-on instruction in how easily and effectively...View article
Can black bass displaced from their home ranges find their way home? How long does it take? Or do bass get lost? These are some of most persistent questions concerning the health and catchability of...View article
The swimmin' worm is an oldie, a real forgotten goodie, that kicks fish butt. It's especially effective for largemouths and smallmouths, but also at times for walleyes. With a reduction in armaments...View article
A study by biologists from New Zealand* indicates how the magnetic sense in fish, which is used for homing and long-distance migrations, is organized. Particles of magnetite, an iron-containing substance,...View article
Many veteran anglers note that fishing today, particularly for bass and walleye, hasn’t been better in our lifetimes, thanks to a variety of factors. First, angler willingness to release large fish...View article