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Bass Fishing

Fish stems and rocks

February 4, 2013 Paul Elias

This month, I’m picking Lake Ross Barnett, near Jackson. To find the bass, we’ve got to shrink the lake and concentrate on where they’re most likely to be and the lures they’re most likely to take. […]

Bass Fishing

A Day on Lake X

February 3, 2013 Michael O. Giles

Trolling over a submerged stump field, Jeff Collum pitched his jig-and-pig combo to a likely looking spot, and hesitated for just a second when a bass struck. Collum reared back, and drove the steel home, deep into the lip of a cold-weather lunker.

After a nip-and-tuck battle, the talented angler landed the lunker bass and quickly released him.

Collum, a Meridian resident, has been catching bass and lots of them since he was just a youngster tagging along with his dad Gordon Collum. The Collums are well known around the East Mississippi area for their bass-fishing expertise. Jeff has taken it a step further and become one of the anglers to beat in almost any tournament in which he competes. […]

Freshwater Fishing

Big Blues on the Big Muddy

February 2, 2013 John J. Woods

Fishing for catfish in the winter on the Mississippi River? OK, nobody in their right minds would go after trophy-class record-book blue catfish on the Mississippi River, especially in the winter.

No?

Well, you obviously have not been introduced to Bob Crosby of Madison and his catfishing buddy Bill Conlee of Pocahontas. And we’re not just talking about catching big catfish here either. These guys want the state-record catfish in the boat and in the record book. That’s a tall order indeed.

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Bass Fishing

The One-Two Punch

January 29, 2013 David A. Brown

It’s great when that first cast meets with aggressive reception, but often, it takes some dialing in to determine the fish’s preference. Notwithstanding the oft-proven merits of junk fishing, a handful of examples show us that certain lure pairings hold particularly strategic benefit. […]

General

Rusty gun syndrome

January 28, 2013 Gordon Hutchinson

We were swapping out units: I was getting a newer take-home unit from one of the other guys. He was getting another unit assigned to him by the chief in our small-town police department.

We had just been issued brand new riot guns, and I was pleased when I recommended to the chief we get Remington 870 12-gauge pumps, and he agreed.

They came to us brand-new in the box, black injection-molded stocks and pump forearms, extended magazine tubes, chambered for 2¾- or 3-inch shells.

They were “Parkerized” — a dark grey and coarse finish that is extremely wear resistant and used by the U.S. military for many decades. […]

Other Hunting

Nighttime Bandits

January 27, 2013 Cliff Covington

“Load up, Music!”

The old blue tick coon hound did as Buddy Lisk commanded, leaping excitedly onto the tailgate of the pickup and settling in next to his litter mate, Blaze, for the short ride to Christian Bottom. […]

Freshwater Fishing

Prime Meridian

January 25, 2013 Michael O. Giles

Joe Giles studied his LCR for a few minutes before pitching a couple of marker buoys out into the muddy waters of Okatibbee. Giles was scanning the bottom for the Gin Creek channel that cut through the Gin Creek Flats.

After fishing only about 30 yards, he caught his first keeper crappie, and threw yet another marker buoy out to mark the spot. He quickly put the perch in the “supper well,” and pitched his jig-and-spinner combo. Another fat one nailed it.

“I like to use a jig-and-spinner combo when searching for pre-spawn crappie,” Giles said. “I usually tie on a jig first and then put a small Beetle Spin-type spinner on the rear of the rig to slow my retrieve down and give me more feel and sensitivity at the same time.” […]