Fishing

While most consumer dealings are relatively frictionless, there’s something about buying and selling a boat that turns people into lunatics. I’ve sold six fiberglass boats in my lifetime, and one Coleman Crawdad jon boat. I’ve also been on the buying end of an equal number of transactions, and I can...

There are two types of anglers. The first are those who spend occasional summer weekends out on the boat or wading around low, warm rivers. They catch a few fish but mostly they just enjoy the calm, quiet recreation of angling. They’re the type of anglers who say things like “I don’t care if I catch...

Whether you’re counting the Great Lakes’ lost souls or sunken ships, you’ll find no month more cruel or destructive than November. Of the 11 deadliest storms to strike the Great Lakes during the past two centuries, seven swept the region in November, and two others struck during the second half of...

There’s a certain prestige that comes with being a muskie angler. The title carries a lofty and somewhat dark mystique bestowed by other anglers. It’s hard to define, but if there was some sort of raucous saloon out there where all the types of fisherman of the world gathered, the muskie anglers...

In the age of super plastics and lifelike finishes, many anglers are turning their back on live bait. I’ll be the first one to say it: On many days, it’s not necessary. But a recent trip to Louisiana’s offshore oil rigs was a harsh reminder of why I don’t like to leave home without bait. The water...

This is one of the most effective lures for locating and targeting smallmouth—and just about any other predatory fish. A simple paddletail swimbait on a jighead produces a beautiful action all on its own, making it super easy to fish. Possibly the greatest value of this rig is its ability to cover a...

Did you know that if it wasn’t for the American shad, you might be flying a British flag on your lawn? Or that there might be no Super Bowl or Superman or super-sized Big Mac value meal? It’s not a stretch to say that you’re an American partially because of a lowly fish that miraculously ran up the...

Why bass? I felt a little bit dirty writing that, bordering on traitorous. After all, bass have been very good to me. They’re responsible for many of my greatest memories, they contribute to my income, and I’ve built a large part of my life around them. While they’ll occasionally disappear...

On October 28, Rick Nicholson went fishing with his son on the Youghiogheny River. A typical outing for the residents of Connellsville, Pennsylvania, quickly became a once-in-a-lifetime experience when he hooked into a fish that broke the state's walleye record that stood for 41 years. Nicholson...

While a lot of the basic lures and techniques we use in bass fishing have been around for decades, the vibrating jig is the new kid on the block. Also known as chatterbaits, these bladed lures throw off a lot of flash, pulse, and wiggle—all of which absolutely trigger fish. In this video, we got to...

There was a period of my life not so long ago when I was completely obsessed with big smallmouth bass. From about 14 years old until my early 20s, I would spend nearly every day of the summer pursuing them. My madness even led me to enter a few local bass tournaments around my family’s home near...