May 2019 Archives - Mississippi Sportsman

Ott DeFoe, the 2019 Bassmaster Classic Champion and Major League Fishing pro angler, holds up a big bass caught on a Terminator Shuddering Bait.

Terminator’s Shuddering Bait

May 23, 2019 Don Shoopman

A new artificial lure on the shelves and in tackleboxes is doing more, much more, than giving lip service to the process of catching bass. […]

Never underestimate topwaters’ potential

May 22, 2019 Chris Bush

How to fish topwaters and truly understanding how their limitless upside allows you to fish them confidently for speckled trout. […]

Steamed in parchment paper with vegetables is a great way of cooking the mild fillets of bottomfish.

Parchment paper grilled fish

May 15, 2019 Jerry Dilsaver

This month’s recipe for Parchment paper grilled fish is based on a deep-water ocean bottomfish. Which is available from your favorite fish market. […]

Christopher Anderson . . . An Escambia River alligator gar. The broad, blunt, and relatively short snout distinguishes alligator gar from other gar species. (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)

Study alligator gar habitat use, movement

May 15, 2019 Hal Schramm

Alligator gar are long-lived, primitive fish that grow to sizes exceeding 7 feet and 200 pounds. Spawning occurs in May and June in Mississippi waters. […]

Alligator hunters will have 960 permits for the 2019 season, up from 930 in 2018.

Alligator season, regulations set

May 13, 2019 Bobby Cleveland

The application process for Mississippi’s 2019 alligator hunting season will begin May 31, with only electronic applications accepted through June 6. […]

At Ross Barnett Reservoir in May, fish a buzzbait around rocks, pier posts and pilings, trying to draw a reaction strike from a postspawn bass.

Ross Barnett’s topwater bass

May 12, 2019 Paul Elias

Ross Barnett is one of the best topwater lakes in Mississippi, especially in May. Bass will be in the postspawn mode on the 33,000-acre reservoir. […]

This photo shows 10 trail cameras — nine the author painted himself and one unpainted.

Use paint brushes to stealth up trail cameras

May 9, 2019 Joshua Chauvin

Unfortunately, many cameras on sale are often non-camouflaged. Well no need to spend more money. The cameras can be self-painted for only pennies in cost. […]

Spring squirrel season will open on May 15

May 6, 2019 Bobby Cleveland

Mississippi hunters will again have a chance to take squirrels this month when the statewide spring season opens May 15. It ends on June 1. […]

Species spotlight: Swordfish

May 3, 2019 Brian Cope

Swordfish (Xiphias gladius), often referred to as broadbills or broadbill swordfish, are highly sought-after by offshore anglers around the world. […]

Grabbing for big flathead and blue catfish begins May 1 in Mississippi.

Catfish, by hand, cranks up in May

May 2, 2019 Mississippi Sportsman

Mississippi’s hand-grabbing season opens May 1 and runs through July 15, which is timed to match the spawning season of flathead and blue catfish. […]

Catching bedding bream is as easy as swinging a cricket or worm into a pond.

Worms vs. crickets — or go for a fly

May 1, 2019 Bobby Cleveland

The cricket vs. worm argument is an old one. Live bait is a necessary evil of bream fishing, especially in the spring when bluegill are on their beds. […]

Working this KVD jig along a grass line resulted in a nice Tenn-Tom bass coming to the boat.

Bassin’ the Tenn-Tom

May 1, 2019 David Hawkins

These four lakes on the famed Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway are worth the attention of any Mississippi bass fisherman. Try one out soon. […]