Articles
News, stories, and tips — the editorial pillar that keeps the site fresh for readers and crawlers.
Species & Places (44)
Where a species is, when it spawns, and how to catch it — one state at a time.
Bull Redfish: Why the Big Ones Go Back
A red drum can live past 40 years and matures at three to six — almost exactly when it grows out of the slot limit. That is not a coincidence, it is the design. Which means every bull red you hook in the autumn run is a breeding adult, and how you handle it matters more than with any other inshore fish.
The Florida Keys Grand Slam
A flats grand slam is tarpon, bonefish and permit in a single day. What nobody tells you is that the three fish are governed by three entirely different rulebooks, and in the Keys the best permit fishing of the year falls inside a closed season. Here is what FWC actually requires for each.
How to Catch Redfish in Texas
Find them tailing on shallow grass and oyster on a moving tide — the fish behaves the same across the Gulf. The rules do not. Texas runs a 20-28 inch slot with a three-fish daily bag and a tag system for oversized fish, where Florida allows one fish and nothing over 27 inches.
How to Catch Flounder in Florida
Flounder lie buried on sand next to structure and ambush upward, so the whole technique is keeping your bait on the bottom and moving slowly. The rule worth knowing before you plan an autumn trip: Florida closes flounder harvest from 15 October to 30 November, right when the fish are moving.
How to Catch Grouper in Florida
Grouper live in structure and run straight back into it, so the technique is heavy tackle and immediate pressure. The regulations are the hard part: Florida manages more than a dozen grouper species under aggregate bag limits that differ between the Atlantic and the Gulf, with closures that vary by species, by coast and even by depth.
How to Catch Redfish in Florida
Look for tailing fish on shallow grass and oyster on a moving tide. The rules are where most guides go wrong: the slot is 18-27 inches statewide and the bag is one fish, but the Indian River Lagoon is catch-and-release only for redfish, and the vessel limit is four fish in some regions and two in others.
How to Catch Salmon in Lake Michigan
Chinook are in catchable numbers by mid-August, and Michigan DNR does not take their eggs until the first two weeks of October. That seven-week gap between the run and the spawn is the thing most guides collapse into one date, and it is why anglers turn up weeks late.
How to Catch Snook in Florida
Find snook on structure in moving water — inlets and beaches through the warm months, backwaters and canals when it cools. The catch is that Florida manages snook in nine regions with different slot limits and different closed seasons on each coast, and most guides online give a single number for the whole state.
How to Catch Spanish Mackerel in Florida
Spanish mackerel chase down a fast bait and refuse a slow one, so the retrieve is the technique. Two details catch people out: they cut straight through mono leader, and Florida measures them by fork length rather than total length, which is not how most other species there are measured.
How to Catch Speckled Trout in Louisiana
Work grass edges, marsh drains on a falling tide, and deeper holes when it turns cold. Before you go, know that Louisiana's limits changed in November 2023 - the minimum went up, the creel came down from 25 to 15, and most of what you will read online still quotes the old numbers.
How to Catch Tarpon in Florida
Find rolling fish in the passes, along the beaches and around bridges on a moving tide. Then know the rule that catches almost everyone out: tarpon is catch-and-release only in Florida, and any fish over 40 inches must remain in the water — which rules out the photo most anglers are planning.
How to Catch Walleye from Shore at Night
After dark walleye move into water shallow enough to wade, which is exactly why the bank angler can compete with the boat. Work shoreline structure with a slow, shallow-running bait — and keep your light off the water, because the reason they came shallow is that it got dark.
When Do Bluegill Spawn in Illinois?
Illinois bluegill spawn from May through August, peaking in June. The wrinkle unique to Illinois: in stunted populations the peak arrives three to four weeks later — so two neighbouring lakes can be a month apart.
When Do Bluegill Spawn in Michigan?
Michigan bluegill spawn from mid-May into early August, peaking in June. A four-lake Michigan study tracked activity from May 18 until it stopped on August 9 — nearly three months, in repeated waves.
When Do Bluegill Spawn in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin bluegill spawn from late May through early August, peaking in June. But they don't spawn once — they spawn in 4 to 11 separate bouts, which is why the beds keep coming back all summer.
When Do Brook Trout Spawn in Maine?
Maine brook trout spawn from late September into November in streams. But shore-spawning pond fish don't start until mid-November, and some are still at it in January — two strategies, three months apart.
When Do Brook Trout Spawn in Michigan?
Michigan brook trout spawn in October and November — but the date matters less than the place. They build redds over groundwater seepage, and in the U.P. that's what tells you where to look.
When Do Brook Trout Spawn in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin brook trout spawn from late September into November over groundwater seeps. As with brown trout, the inland stream season closes 15 October — so much of the spawn happens with the season shut.
When Do Brown Trout Spawn in Utah?
Utah brown trout peak in November — later than most of the Rockies. Elevation spreads the state's timing by weeks, and the Green River tailwater below Flaming Gorge runs on a schedule of its own.
When Do Brown Trout Spawn in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin brown trout spawn from late October into November, triggered at 42–48°F. The complication is legal, not biological: inland trout season closes on 15 October, before the peak.
When Do Catfish Spawn in Missouri?
Missouri channel catfish spawn from late May through June. Flatheads run about a month behind — late June into July. Any single date for 'catfish' is wrong for at least one of the three species.
When Do Catfish Spawn in Ohio?
Ohio channel catfish begin spawning when water reaches about 70°F — usually June. Flatheads run roughly a month behind, into July, and they stop feeding while they do it.
When Do Catfish Spawn in Oklahoma?
Oklahoma channel catfish spawn in late May or early June, when water hits 75°F. Flatheads run later — into July — even though the state's field guide gives all three species the same dates.
When Do Crappie Spawn in Michigan?
Michigan crappie spawn from May into June. The number that actually matters isn't the date but the water clarity, which sets how deep the beds are — anywhere from one foot to twenty.
When Do Crappie Spawn in Ohio?
Ohio crappie spawn in May and June, nesting in one to five feet of water. The temperature question is messier than any page admits: state agencies publish figures from 55°F to 68°F.
When Do Flathead Catfish Spawn in Missouri?
Missouri flatheads spawn in late June and July — in north Missouri, from the last week of June to the third week of July. And they barely feed while they're at it, which explains the July lull.
When Do Largemouth Bass Spawn in Missouri?
Missouri largemouth bass spawn from mid-April through late May or June. The detail that finds them: they will not nest where there's current or wave action — the opposite of walleye.
When Do Largemouth Bass Spawn in Ohio?
Ohio largemouth bass spawn from mid-April to mid-June. Males start building at 58–60°F and spawning follows at 60–65°F — always in water with no current and no wave action.
When Do Northern Pike Spawn in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin northern pike spawn from late March to early April at 34–40°F, as soon as the ice starts breaking up. They're the first fish in the state to spawn — weeks ahead of walleye in the same lake.
When Do Rainbow Trout Spawn in Colorado?
Colorado rainbow trout spawn in spring, February to May, at 42–44°F. The complication: whirling disease eliminated most wild rainbow reproduction in the 1990s, so many of the state's rainbows never spawn successfully at all.
When Do Salmon Spawn in Alaska?
Alaska salmon run from May into November. Five species, four very different regions, two separate runs in many rivers — and on the Yukon, a fish that enters in July doesn't reach the border until September.
When Do Salmon Spawn in Ketchikan, Alaska?
Ketchikan Creek fills with spawning salmon each July and August. But that only describes two of the five species — chum run late August, and the main coho run goes from mid-August to November.
When Do Snook Spawn in Florida?
Florida snook spawn through the warm months, roughly May into September, aggregating in the passes and river mouths on new and full moons. That predictability is precisely why harvest closes over the spawn.
When Do Steelhead Spawn in Lake Erie?
Lake Erie steelhead spawn in March and April. They enter the tributaries from mid-September, six months earlier — and that gap is why every answer you've read seems to contradict the last one.
When Do Steelhead Spawn in Lake Michigan?
Lake Michigan steelhead spawn anywhere from mid-December to early May, and which end you get depends on strain, not on the calendar. Skamania peak in January; Ganaraska peak in late April.
When Do Steelhead Spawn in Michigan?
Michigan steelhead spawn in late winter and early spring, roughly February through April. They enter the rivers months earlier — summer-run fish as early as June — and that gap explains most of the confusion.
When Do Walleye Spawn in Michigan?
Michigan walleye spawn from late March into April, peaking at 42–50°F. But the state has two of North America's biggest runs, and they don't peak at the same time.
When Do Walleye Spawn in Minnesota?
Minnesota walleye spawn shortly after ice-out, peaking when water hits 42–50°F — usually April. Males show up first in water barely above freezing, and the big females arrive last.
When Do White Bass Spawn in Kansas?
Kansas white bass move up the tributaries when the lake hits 50°F and spawn around 55°F. The catch: in any one stretch of river, spawning is finished in five to ten days.
When Do White Bass Spawn in Missouri?
Missouri white bass enter the tributaries in March and stay into the middle or latter part of April. Males arrive about a month ahead of the females — and any given stretch of river is done in five to ten days.
When Do White Bass Spawn in Oklahoma?
Oklahoma's state fish spawns when water reaches 50–55°F, running up the tributaries in March. Anglers take about 1.5 million pounds a year — and each stretch of river is good for a week.
When Do Brown Trout Spawn in Colorado?
Colorado brown trout peak in October, earlier than almost anywhere else in the country. Elevation is the reason — and it splits the state's timing by nearly a month.
When Do Brown Trout Spawn in Michigan?
Michigan's brown trout run starts in September, but the actual spawn doesn't happen until water drops to 42–48°F — usually late October through November. Here's the difference, and why it matters.
When Do Brown Trout Spawn in Montana?
Montana brown trout spawn from October into December, triggered at 42–48°F. But timing is only half of what you need — parts of the Big Hole and Beaverhead close entirely during the spawn.
Records & Stories (3)
Documented world records, read from the record book itself rather than repeated.
The World Record King Salmon
On 17 May 1985 a 68-year-old car dealer from Soldotna landed a 97 lb 4 oz chinook on the Kenai River. Four decades later it is still the IGFA All-Tackle record. The detail worth keeping is why he rushed it to the scales — a record fish starts losing weight the moment it leaves the water.
The World Record Largemouth Bass
George Perry caught a 22 lb 4 oz largemouth in Georgia in 1932. Manabu Kurita caught one the same weight in Japan in 2009 — heavier, in fact, but not by enough. Here is the rule that made it a tie, and the 2024 change that means IGFA's database now lists two separate records instead of one shared one.
The World Record Striped Bass
Greg Myerson's 81 lb 14 oz striped bass ended Albert McReynolds' 29-year reign in August 2011. The fish measured 54 inches. Under the 28–31 inch coastal slot that has applied since 2024, a striper that size must go back — and a weight record requires a fish on certified scales. That tension is why IGFA keeps a second kind of record.
Fishing Travel (1)
Planning a trip that lands in the right month, with the right paperwork.
Skills (18)
The things you do with your hands — knots, rigs, and what happens after you land it.
Carp Species in North America
Five carp matter to a US angler, and two of the names people use are not species at all. Mirror and leather are varieties of common carp. The four genuinely separate invaders are bighead, silver, grass and black — and USGS no longer calls them Asian carp, for reasons it has published.
How to Catch Walleye Through the Ice
A walleye's eye is built for gloom, and snow-covered ice creates exactly that. Wisconsin DNR puts winter walleye along shorelines and in shallow bays, taken on tip-ups with minnows. The rest is timing: the low-light windows at each end of the day are the whole pattern.
Ice Fishing for Beginners
Minnesota and Wisconsin say the same two things independently: there is no such thing as 100 percent safe ice, and neither agency measures it for you. Start there. Then the rest is simpler than it looks — a hole, a short rod, and knowing what depth to fish.
Ice Fishing for Panfish
Panfish are what a first ice trip should be built around: numerous, shallow, and caught on tiny jigs. Wisconsin DNR publishes the depths — bluegill in four to eight feet, perch at thirty-five — and those two numbers do more for a beginner than any tackle advice.
Northern Pike: Identification and How to Catch Them
Light spots on a dark body means pike; dark marks on a light body means muskie. When that fails, the cheek settles it — a pike's cheek is fully scaled, a muskie's is bare on the lower half. And Wisconsin DNR has the numbers on how much easier one is to catch than the other.
Catch and Release, Done Right
Releasing a fish is not the same as saving it. NOAA publishes specific, checkable guidance — air exposure under 60 seconds, wet hands only, never suspend a fish by its mouth — and since January 2022 federal law has required Gulf reef anglers to carry a descending device or venting tool. Here is what actually keeps a released fish alive.
Fishing Bait Explained
Bait outfishes lures more often than tackle marketing admits, especially for a beginner. What to use for what, how to keep it fresh, and the legal and ecological rule that catches people out: US Fish and Wildlife asks anglers not to release non-native live bait, because a bait bucket is one of the main ways invasive species move between waters.
Fishing Gear Checklist for Beginners
You need far less than a tackle shop suggests. Here is the list that actually catches fish, what each accessory is for, what you can skip for a year — and the two safety items worth more than any of the tackle, including the wader myth that gets repeated everywhere and is wrong.
Fishing Hook Types Explained
A hook is not a detail. NOAA Fisheries names circle hooks, barbless hooks and non-stainless hooks as catch-and-release best practice, and federal rules require non-offset circle hooks in parts of the snapper-grouper fishery. Here is what each shape does, why a circle hook works differently, and the one habit that undoes it.
Fishing Line Explained: Mono, Braid and Fluorocarbon
Three materials, three jobs. Braid floats and barely stretches. Fluorocarbon sinks and is harder for a fish to see. Monofilament drifts, stretches, forgives mistakes and costs the least. Here is what the measured numbers say — including the two things the packaging tends to overstate.
Fishing Lure Types Explained
Every lure answers one question: what depth, and what action. Sort them that way and the wall of tackle becomes a short list. Includes the thing colour charts never mention — NOAA's own figures on which colours survive underwater and which do not.
Fishing Methods Explained
Seven ways to catch a fish, and they are not interchangeable. Each one solves a different problem: covering water, reaching distance, getting deep, or getting to fish nobody else can reach. Which to learn first, what each costs to start, and the safety facts that matter for the two that put you in the water.
Fishing Reels Explained: Spinning vs Baitcaster
Start with a spinning reel. Then the two numbers on the box that actually matter: gear ratio, which is not the same as retrieve speed, and drag — where the published guidance sets braid lighter than mono, for a reason that comes straight from how much each line stretches.
Fishing Terms Glossary
Fishing has a vocabulary problem. Almost everything written for anglers assumes you already know what drag, action, leader and slot limit mean. This is every one of those words in one place, in plain English, with links to the pages that go deeper.
How to Read Water for Fishing
Fish do not spread evenly through water. They sit where current delivers food to them, which is why moving water and edges matter more than any lure in your box. Includes what NOAA and the National Weather Service publish about rip currents at the jetties and piers anglers stand on.
Rod Action and Power Explained
Action and power get used interchangeably and they are two different things. Action is where the rod bends; power is how much force it takes to bend it. A rod can be fast action and light power at the same time. Here is how to read the writing above the handle and pick the right rod first time.
How to Fillet a Fish
Filleting is four cuts and one genuinely sharp knife. Behind the gill plate down to the spine, along the spine to the tail, free the fillet from the ribs, then take it off the skin. Everything else is practice — and what happens in the first ten minutes after you land the fish matters more than your knife work.
What Do You Need for Ice Fishing?
The honest checklist starts with flotation and ice picks, not tackle. Minnesota DNR is blunt about why: most people who go through the ice die of drowning, not hypothermia. Here is the gear, in order of what actually keeps you alive, and the thickness guidance that comes with it.