Catch redfish on a drop-shot rig
In October 2005, fishing pros Andre Moore and Kim Bain – both of Alabaster, Ala., and both of whom fish the Wal-Mart FLW Tour bass circuit – arrived in Orange Beach, Ala., for the annual Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series Championship.

Ledges offer year-round untapped fishing for inshore anglers
The notion that ledges are fish havens is nothing new. In fact, offshore anglers targeting grouper, snapper, kingfish, and even billfish and tuna have successfully fished them for decades. Knowledgeable inshore fishermen have long scored on ledges as well. But often there are small, overlooked, fish-filled ledges that many inshore anglers fail to notice.

Using lead-core line to troll for ’eyes
Some anglers never get the lead out. They’d rather use standard trolling tools like monofilament line and snap weights than learn something new. Others prefer lead-core line over anything else.

Family values turned family boat business into pioneering leader in the industry
A walk through a museum says a lot about the history of things. In the small town of Flippin, Ark., a unique museum, the Forrest L. Wood Outdoor Sports Gallery, tells the history and tale of hard work and family.

Going deep with big swimbaits
Many anglers think swimbaits are only topwater lures. Sure, that’s the most exhilarating way to catch them. But for some reason, they only envision it on lakes in California, Texas and Mexico. Yet, there are lakes nationwide that have been hiding big fish because no one has ever tempted them with truly oversized offerings.

Redfish pros spill their secrets on fishing lipless crankbaits
As dawn broke at the day-one launch of the Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series event in Fernandina Beach, Fla., last May, I began to busily nose my way through the lures redfish pros had tied to their rods. I quickly fumbled for my notepad like an overzealous law officer who had witnessed a minor traffic violation. I frantically scribbled: Rat-L-Trap – McKenzie-Bertha.

Lake Erie walleyes can be caught in more than just the middle of the water column
Things sure seem to change awfully fast. Back in the late 1990s, most of the guys in the know on the Great Lakes trolled their lures in the middle of the water column and had success catching large walleyes. Fast-forward a decade or so, and the number of Shad Raps I run in the middle of the column (15 to 17 feet) is equal to the number of times I’ve been to the moon.

Walleye hot spots to consider in 2008
There’s one common thread to most of walleye country this time of year – it’s really, really cold. But, is there a better time to be thinking of getting on the water than late winter and early spring while gathered around a warm fireplace?

In recent months, the editors of FLW Outdoors Magazine discovered bass anglers in Texas, Southern California and the Great Lakes region may be the luckiest folks in the fishing world. During that time, we assembled our list of the top bass-fishing destinations for 2008, and those regions of the country stole the show.

FLW Outdoors Magazine editors give holiday buyers a leg up on list making
That little span between the end of fall fishing and the beginning of spring fishing could be a depressing period of time if not for the winter holidays. Not only is Christmas a time to rejoice and celebrate with family and friends – it’s a time to rack up on great new fishing gear.

Where and how to catch trophy walleyes in the fall
Nothing makes the heart beat faster than the feel of a trophy walleye vibrating through a rod. A 10-pound walleye thrashing in the net is usually the result of good research and planning as much as it is fishing technique. Whether river, lake or reservoir, the key is to be on spots that host high concentrations of trophy fish at the times they are most apt to be there.

Suspended summer bass make $1 million payday
Earning a membership to the posh brotherhood of million-dollar anglers is a career goal only a handful of professional bass anglers have been fortunate enough to achieve. Some pros have been knocking at the golden gate for decades but have never managed to crack the code to open it.

Diving deep for walleyes
Some may wonder why anyone would bother using a diver. The answer is simple: to run your lures deeper than they are able to dive on their own. The advanced answer is some divers run your baits out to the side, float at rest, trip their triggers on demand to rise toward the surface, and perform a few other maneuvers. They don’t just dive; they thrive in the wide-open spaces of offshore walleye-trolling adventures.

Banging bottom is not just a largemouth technique anymore
Rock ’n’ roll fans always want to “crank up” the music. NASCAR drivers are always telling their mechanics to “crank up” the power in their cars. But “cranking up” bass means something entirely different in fishing circles.

Lace up the wading boots during this special September season
Captain Larry Miniard stood, a slight bend in his knees, on the casting platform of his Ranger Ghost, eyeing new water trickling into the spartina grass flat. His hand blocked the last of the day’s glare creeping through the corner of his glasses as the St. Augustine sun dipped below the treeline on the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) behind us. “It’s just about getting right,” Miniard said. “Just a little higher.”

Wal-Mart FLW Series National Guard Western Division, California Delta
When you’re hot, you’re hot. Two tournament wins in the Stren Series Western Division in 2006, along with fifth- and 14th-place finishes led to Jimmy Reese handedly winning the division points title.

How to succeed in the toughest walleye weather
Chevy pro Tom Keenan of Hatley, Wis., the 2006 Land O’Lakes Angler of the Year on the Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, heard all kinds of stories when he was growing up as to why anglers in the old days thought walleye fishing got tough in summer.

A fish with a bad reputation is a good fish to chase
Toothy loners, wahoo spend most of their days miles offshore in blue water, cruising around with a mind full of anger, just waiting to ravage an unsuspecting baitfish and strip some gears from a fine new fishing reel. They’re also incredibly fast, strong creatures, and they require a generous increase in the beefiness of a trolling spread. When it comes to beating man at the angling game, the odds are stacked in a wahoo’s favor.

Secrets for lure selection and boat control on the Great Lakes
What looks like a Mardi Gras necklace, is really sharp and has a little vibration and flash mixed in? Why, only the deadliest walleye bait on the market right now – a spinner!

How pros catch bass swimming metal
Though swimming a spoon through grass has been catching bass for generations, it has taken a backseat to new lures and techniques. But, spoon swimming is making a comeback thanks to new models introduced by Stanley and Berkley that mold a jighead to a spoon blade.

Trolling slack river pools can pay big in the spring
Current, as every good angler knows, plays a strong hand in how walleyes set up on cover and structure to rest and feed. In a large river system, such as the Mississippi River, anglers deal with an array of variables, from weather conditions to angling pressure, each time they hit the water. Current, however, is one of the few constants.

With so many to choose from and so many applications, you can’t go wrong
Occasionally, a bass lure comes along that is hard to describe without sounding like a late-night TV ad: A lure so effective it knows no regional or seasonal boundaries … so effective it catches not only largemouth bass, but spotted bass and smallmouths as well … but wait, there’s more …

Finding redfish opportunities in slack water
Redfish populations that are strongly influenced by tides know what the dinner bell at the local diner sounds like – it’s the sound of moving water. Whether the tide is filling a grass flat with new water, ripping out of a tidal creek, flooding a shoreline or hustling out of a pass, tidal redfish are all about water movement.

Bumping and bashing shallow crankbaits for prespawn bass
During early spring, when surface temperatures on lakes across the South begin creeping upward of 55 degrees, bass of all sizes are beckoned toward the shallows to carry out their paternal duties. The gradual transition known as the prespawn is inherently routine for largemouth bass, but it can be a bewitching period for the crowds that chase them.

Is the Gulf really that good?
There was a wonderful sense of adventure that had invaded our spirits as we headed for the mecca of king mackerel fishing, Louisiana’s famed West Delta, for the first time.