How to Fish a Finesse Swimbait on a Jighead

How to Whole-Fry a Fish

This preparation of a whole, crispy panfish riffs heavily off the concept of the bloomin’ onion. The fish is scaled and gutted, then the fillets are slightly cut away from the body (but make sure to leave them still attached). The goal here is to expose some of the flesh and create more surface area for breading. Check out the picture of the bluegill below to see what I mean. This eater-friendly version of the whole-fried fish is a favorite at my...

Video: How to Fish a Finesse Swimbait on a Jighead

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 lot of water quickly and efficiently as you try to decode where the fish are congregating. That’s assisted by a longer rod to make longer casts. I’m...

How to Safely Ice Fish on Rivers

It wasn’t like in the movies with a spiderweb of cracks slowly forming beneath my feet, but rather a sharp loud “CRACK!” like a pistol shot. I knew I was in trouble right away. I was 17 years old, playing hooky from school to go ice fishing on the Connecticut River, which flowed near my small Vermont hometown. The pictures of the absolute hog walleyes my buddies had pulled through the ice a couple days before had inspired me, but I had only just...