Features from July 2018
Opportunities abound in the Magnolia State for busting bass. Mississippi is full of time-proven lakes of the highest rank. Whether it’s lily pads in a cove, stands of cypress trees, flooded, dying timber, deep creek channels, grass beds, submerged trees or fields of stumps — we have it all.
Doreen Conner sat in the shade of a big pine, about 30 feet from the bank of Simpson Legion Lake, with her two sons, ages 7 and 9, sitting on overturned 5-gallon buckets, fishing poles in hand.
It’s true that subtle, patient presentations can prove very valuable to fishermen. We’re often told that “Slow-and-steady wins the race.”
Look for contrast when targeting Biloxi Marsh speckled trout during the hot months. They’re usually near a change: current, bottom, color, depth.
The hottest months may not be the best time to target trophy cats, but numbers of smaller fish are available for the taking across Mississippi.
Look well at the face of a coyote. It seemingly has on its lips a sly smile, a blatant smirk suggesting confidence that it possesses superior woodscraft, patience and talent than a human hunter, and that cynical superiority carries over into its fiendish, yellowish, eyes.
Columns - July 2018
- July is when bass in Ross Barnett go to the lily pads that are plentiful in the reservoir, which is a relatively shallow lake, holding numbers of 5- to 6-pound fish.
A veteran saltwater fishing guide out of Sarasota, Florida, has an artificial bait that looks so much like the real thing, it’s irresistible to speckled trout, redfish and snook in the shallow waters he fishes along the coast.
- If you haven't been outside for a while, let me warn you, the temperature is leaning heavily toward the hot side. Cool days are in the mid-80s, and hot days steam into the 90s, with humidity numbers almost as high. Still, it's comfortable most evenings to cook on your deck or patio.
- A question I was asked by a deer hunter the first week of June stands out as July rolls around. He wanted to know in what stage bucks’ antler growth would be, but the big question was, “Would it be worth it to put cameras up?”
- Each year at the Archery Trade Association’s trade show, there’s usually one new product that has the most “buzz” around the show.
- Mississippi’s flood-control reservoirs — Arkabutla, Enid, Grenada and Sardis — are regarded by many anglers as the best in the country for big white crappies.
Outdoor Updates - July 2018
- The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks took the first steps to legalize the trapping of feral hogs on some of its wildlife management areas when the Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks approved the concept at its May meeting.
- Mississippi wildlife officials are hoping to announce soon a closing of the deal that could be the state’s last chance of obtaining a big block of prime Delta hunting land for public access.
- It's less than 90 days until the opening of archery deer season in most areas of Mississippi and 140 days before the opening of the gun season statewide.
Field Notes - July 2018
- Devin Denman shares his favorite swimbait to catch redfish across the coast: Berkley's 5-inch Grass Pig in swamp gas color.
- Skin-hooking is advantageous because it allows you to cast alongside and across thick grass, effectively presenting the lure to fish — but without getting hung up.
- If Chas Champagne, the owner Matrix Shad lures is cruising through marsh and duck ponds sight-fishing for reds — but doesn’t actually spot any fish — he’s typically keeping a close eye out for two other reliable indicators of reds in the neighborhood.
- Capt. Kris Robert targets tripletail around crab trap buoys. He shared three great tips to catch more fish this summer.
- There are a lot of concepts I learned during my time in Marine Reconnaissance that I still use today. In this article, I am going to share a favorite you can use to go fishing safely.