M. D. Johnson Here is a trick for finding ruffed and blue grouse. In mountainous areas like Washington’s Cascade Range or Colorado’s Rockies, ruffed and blue grouse can be found…
M. D. Johnson Take a partner on your next squirrel hunt. Team up with a partner to make fox squirrels show themselves. With an unseen bushytail flattened against a trunk,…
M. D. Johnson Small ponds are great spots for mid-day puddle ducks. Small farm ponds are great mid-day loafing spots for puddle ducks, particularly if hunting pressure is heavy. A…
M. D. Johnson Try your hand at calling raccoons. Though primarily a target for trappers and houndsmen, raccoons can be suckers for mouth-operated or electronic calling. Avian sounds are most…
M. D. Johnson Leave the gang at home, work the cover and shoot a rooster. Hunting roosters solo? Take your time, and analyze the cover first. Try to work birds…
Bob McNally Catching oversize muskies isn’t easy anywhere, by anyone. But if you’re going to do it, autumn is the time, as the big toothy predators are on the prowl…
Jamie Olive, IAFF 4103 February is generally still cold but the fishing starts to heat up as the water begins to warm. When water temperatures crawl into the high 40s…
Capt. Gary Morin, IAFF 146 Chum is an effective and proven method of bringing in game or bait fish, but anyone who has paid for chum knows how expensive it…
Peter B. Mathiesen If you spend much time stream fishing, learn to move slow, stay in the shadows and wear drab colors. Staying out of the sun will keep smallmouth and…
Peter B. Mathiesen I used to let the extra spools that came with my new reels sit in the box unused. Now I take all the spare spools I can…
Peter B. Mathiesen Anglers argue about the best knots to catch fish from one pound to 100. Although choice is important, I’ll take a well-tied improved clinch knot 90 percent of…
Peter B. Mathiesen Take the guesswork out of which color and size crawfish to use with this inventive trick the bass pros won’t share by using a simple South Bend…
Peter B. Mathiesen Seasickness will turn a fun day on a boat into a miserable day of chumming your lunch into the water. Here are a few tricks to help…
Peter B. Mathiesen The next time you pick up a reel, ask yourself; How long has that line been there? Line that has been used regularly should be changed every…
Peter B. Mathiesen One of the best places to find big trout is where salmon are spawning. Trout or char will lay behind a spawning bed to voraciously consume eggs…
Peter B. Mathiesen One deadly summer and fall bass technique is to helicopter a spinnerbait against vertical structures like tall trees, bluffs walls, and bridge pylons. Bounce the bait off the…
Peter B. Mathiesen 1. Don’t dunk your reel in lake water. Even clear lakes have sand and other particulate matter floating in the water. 2. Use an approved reel oil…
Peter B. Mathiesen If your flies or bucktail jigs are looking tired and tattered, you can bring them back to their fluffy past with 212 degrees of steam. Just fire…
Peter B. Mathiesen If you wear glasses, there is one thing you can count on in the outdoors—they will fog up. Fishing is equally frustrating, just try looking through misty…
Peter B. Mathiesen If there’s one item that every boater, angler and human needs, it’s duct tape. Keep a roll in the garage, the truck and especially the boat. You…
USA Staff An organized tackle system, like the Plano Bill Dance 1234 tackle box pictured above, is the key to fishing success. Have the lures you plan to use readily…
USA Staff Keep your hooks sharpened for best results and fewer lost fish. Use an inexpensive hook file or an electric hook sharpener to touch up edges and points on…
