The Adventurous Angler’s Guide to Fishing Basic tips for five commonly found fish near you Over a lifetime of fishing, I have learned a few basic tactics and strategies for…
Original Article Written by Dan Johnson in Our Fall/Winter 2019 Union Sportsmen’s Journal Quick-trips Can Still Produce Big Fish When hard-working union members dream of fishing, many envision epic getaways spanning a weekend…
As we rounded the bend into the wide open water, I eased the throttle forward on the 20-year-old fiberglass boat. We cruised quickly and smoothly across the flat water on…
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…
USA Staff When tying any knot always wet your line so as not to damage the line, like the Orvis Generation 3 Clear Intermediate Fly line pictured above. This will…
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…
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…
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…
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 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 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…
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…
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 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 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 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 Over time, your jacket absorbs dirt and pollutants reducing its ability to shed water. The jacket then starts absorbing moisture, preventing it from breathing. Although it may…
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 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…
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…
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…