Mad about May fishing

Learn all the tricks to catching plenty of tasty fish this month

I was working a shallow water ledge along the bank searching for hungry post-spawn bass with my fishing partner, Kyle Gowens. We were casting swimbaits and getting bit pretty frequently. Gowens was working the swimbait just fast enough to make that tail vibrate and I was doing the same thing. I made a loop cast and dropped a Bass Pro Shops Sassy Sally right under an overhanging bush when a bass smashed it and dove for deep water like a lightning bolt! My first post-spawn lunker was landed, admired and quickly released. The sow bass weighed in at 8 pounds, 1 ounce and really paid my price for admission that day.

We continued catching bass in the 2 ½- to 3 ½-pound range throughout the morning and Gowens also caught a 5-pounder for good measure. He kept pace with me and had a great time doing so. It was great to feel the thrill again and again.

While most bass and crappie have spawned out over the state, catfish are just getting started. Their spawn is every bit as prolific, as thousands of catfish anglers will hit the water looking for the scrumptious catfish to fill their freezers. From channel cat, blue cats and flathead cats they’ll all be biting and providing fun, food and exciting action for everyone.

The May issue of Mississippi Sportsman

In ‘Finding flatheads,’ Phillip Gentry focuses on the prolific catfish in our state and specifically the pre-spawn pattern for flathead catfish. He reveals two locations that are red hot this month. If you are looking for some fantastic fishing action and scrumptious table fare, then look no further than Gentry’s feature article this month.

In his feature article ‘Get jacked up!’ John N. Felsher covers the stubborn and stout amberjack and how they’ve earned their “reef donkey” reputation. Amberjack are a sure bet for a day of fun and exciting saltwater adventure.

Kinny Haddox’s feature ‘Mow the Grass’ gives angler’s insight on how Todd Risinger brings big May bass out of their hiding places. It may just be the ticket to your next big bass fishing trip.

In ‘Chock full of crappie,’ I talk to Tim Howell on some of his favorite fish catching tips and techniques for Enid Lake, an often-overlooked crappie hotspot. Howell also gives us a glimpse at how the professional guides stay on the crappie in the Big 4 lakes in north Mississippi.

If you’re looking for big trout, then you have to target them specifically. John Felsher’s ‘Give ‘em big bites’ feature will help you form a game plan. He’ll cover how to locate and catch big specks.

Whether you want to catch big fish in saltwater, or big catfish, crappie or bass in freshwater, our expert anglers can point you in the right direction and give you the knowledge of how to locate and catch those big fish.