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Over the last ten years, I have increased my fishing time annually. In the spring, I fish for striped, white, and quality largemouth and smallmouth bass with friends on the lakes. In the summer, I enjoy fishing a variety of small rivers or creeks for smallmouth bass. However, my biggest bass catches always occur while fishing small community lakes and local farm ponds. It is easy for fishermen to forget about fishing small lakes and ponds when they have a bass boat sitting in the garage, ready

I have never met an angler for any species of fish that didn’t want some sort of advantage to help them catch more fish. That advantage could come in the form of a faster boat, more rods, custom baits, power poles or now, bigger and better graphs. Bass boats with 3-5 graphs are the norm with multiple brands of electronics in use at the bow and console. These setups can range from $15,000-$30,000 depending on what the angler wants. It sounds crazy, but take a look at any of the professional level

TROTLINE FISHING TIPS AND TRICKS WHERE AND WHEN TO SET OUT TROTLINES Catching catfish with trotlines is very fun and a great way to provide family and friends with some of the best table fare there is. While many anglers have their go-to ways of catching catfish, there are several timeless tips and tricks out there that may lead to many more fish on your trotline than the next angler. The first tip to catching catfish on a trotline would be to identify raises in the waterways you’re fishing. The

One of the most common mistakes in food plot plantings and farming for wildlife is improper timing relative to the crop and the region. For example the growing period for warm season annuals can vary pretty widely across the nation. The northernmost part of the states and on into Canada could have as little as 4-5 months of temperatures conducive to growing spring/summer crops. This is all dependent on how quickly the winter snow melts and soil temperatures rise as well as when the first hard

One thing we all do as archers is aim. Some do this differently than others, but to shoot with any consistency we must incorporate some form of aiming into our shot. Several factors, including breathing, heart rate and focus, affect aiming. In one of my previous articles, I talked about aiming drills, but here I am talking about actual things that help or hurt how well you aim. Breathing techniques are used quite often in archery competition but are normally overlooked while bowhunting

If you’ve shot a bow long enough, you’ve probably heard about – or experienced for yourself – the demon we call “target panic.” The main form of target panic is best described as the inability to hold your pin on the target and squeeze the release slowly enough to cause surprise when it fires. Essentially, you punch the release prematurely. While there are many forms of target panic, and just as many ways to cure it, there are a few things you can do to prevent or beat this horrible condition

A main dish, a side and even a dessert – here are 3 recipes you should try for this year’s Fourth of July gathering. VENISON CAPRESE STEAKS Ingredients: 4-6 Venison steaks 2 tsp garlic powder 1 tbsp cracked pepper 1 tsp salt 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp dried rosemary 1 tsp dried thyme 1 large tomato Fresh basil leaves Fresh mozzarella sliced Glaze: 1 cup balsamic vinegar ½ cup honey 2 tbsp brown sugar Directions: In a heavy bottom saucepan add balsamic vinegar, honey, and brown sugar. Bring to a

As the buck that I had set my eyes on, a hit-list buck, had maneuvered himself into archery range, I knew this was it. All the time I had spent practicing and improving my shot during the hot summer months was about to be tested. As the buck made it to the 25-yard mark, I drew back my Bear Archery Redemption EKO bow and settled myself to make a good shot. When the buck turned broadside, I squeezed my shoulder blades together while simultaneously pulling on my Apex Gear Surge release with my

There are many newer, modern forms of machinery that can really help on many gamekeepers’ projects. I recently witnessed what a Caterpillar skid-steer mulcher could accomplish in a couple of days. It was nothing short of amazing. This machine helped me reclaim what I assume was an old pasture that had grown up into privet, sweet gum, and elm. It was thick and hairy to say the least, decent bedding for deer and there was a browse line on the privet…but I wanted to create a food plot. The area

1. WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF MANAGING A POND THAT YOU SEE OVERLOOKED? Harvest of bass and crappie is the most important, and often overlooked aspect of pond management. An owner can spend thousands of dollars stocking, fertilizing, liming, and feeding without any positive results if the predator population is too dense. The best, most productive ponds that I have the opportunity to manage are heavily used ponds that encourage harvest. Bass under 15 inches in length and all crappie should