Indholdsfortegnelse for June/July 2024 i Game & Fish

I’ve been fortunate to make friends and share experiences with many hunters across the nation. While the game they pursue and the methods they use vary widely, the most successful hunters I know have one thing in common: They scout early and often. It doesn’t matter if it’s turkeys or elk; the hunters who consistently fill their tags spend more time finding areas that hold game than hunting places that do not. Maybe that sounds like an obvious statement, but consider the research and effort it takes to pinpoint one or two particular trees on one specific bench leading to the most productive group of oak trees on the mountain, and a dedication to scouting becomes even more important. Digital apps and game cameras provide us with excellent information, but…

The heat and humidity of midsummer will soon be upon us, and as the season evolves, so must our approach to achieving fishing success. Gone are the days of easy bites, which happened so often as surface water temperatures first reached the 70-degree mark. Bass have long since left their beds, quality panfish have largely vacated the shallows, and cool-water species like walleye and northern pike have stopped visiting landing nets and livewells as frequently as they did just a few weeks ago. Yet the heart of summer, with holidays, family vacations and bucket-list fishing trips, still lies in front of us, and the need to get bit remains. One way to enjoy remarkably consistent midsummer fishing is to focus on moving water, from cold-water trout streams to the largest…

It was late February, and I was following a pack of beagles in hot pursuit of a cottontail on a patch of public ground in Ohio. Rabbits tend to like heavy cover. Intercepting them as they circle ahead of a dog pack often means hunters must wade through some gnarly brush. I managed to locate a well-worn deer trail that cut directly through the mass of honeysuckle and Russian olive. It made walking easier, and I was astounded by the overlapping layers of whitetail deer tracks. This was a virtual deer highway. It also wasn’t a secret to the local whitetail hunters. As I made my way along the lonely trail, I came upon the remains of one stand site and then another. All told on that quarter-mile trail there…

Great catfish anglers know that they must understand their quarry to routinely find success. They’re willing to regularly adapt to conditions to catch fish more frequently, too. These days, some of the best catfish anglers are those utilizing modern electronics to more effectively and consistently pin down fish locations and activity. Much has changed in fishing electronics over the past two decades—especially in the past two or three years. When I started catfishing on the Red River of the North more than 20 years ago, most anglers were using simple 2D sonar and maybe GPS. I started with just a flasher and real-time depth readings. Back then, it could take an entire summer to learn just a couple holes and the structure situated within them. Now, with today’s electronics, anglers…

Lake Superior runs deep and cold, so salmon start showing up in the warmer waters in the southern part of the lake before more are seen at northern latitudes. The twin ports of Duluth, Minn., and Superior, Wisc., are best known for lake trout, but anglers also target salmon. A record hatch of lake herring has Superior running on a 40-year high for baitfish, which ultimately led to a new Minnesota state-record coho salmon last September. Bigger cohos are expected to be landed in 2024. Heading east on Superior’s shore, Saxon Harbor, Wisc., and Copper Harbor, Mich., are excellent fishing destinations, too. Lake Huron’s salmon fishery isn’t what it once was after the alewife crash, but its connection to other Great Lakes means there will always be salmon opportunities. Michigan’s…

When glancing at the interconnected waterways of the Great Lakes, it’s easy to overlook Lake St. Clair. Tucked between Lake Erie and Lake Huron, it seems rather unassuming amid such big bodies of water. It’s not officially listed along among the Great Lakes—Superior, Huron, Michigan, Erie and Ontario—and this is justifiable, given that the smallest Great Lake (Ontario at 7,340 square miles) dwarfs St. Clair’s 430 square miles. Nevertheless, anyone fond of rod-bending revelry will find a stellar fishery with easy access and lots of peripheral interests nestled amongst the giants. A LOOK AT THE LAKE Known as the “Heart of the Great Lakes” for its roughly central location amid the lower four, Lake St. Clair is part of the Lake Erie basin. With Detroit, Mich., embracing the lake’s western…

Most state agencies list public ramps, but much of kayak fishing’s magic stems from getting off the beaten track to access seldom-fished rivers and streams. To help find such out-of-the-way places, Jeff Little suggests OnX Hunt. Although the app was designed for hunting, the top-end version provides nationwide public and private land boundaries so you can stay on the right side of landowners—and the law—when accessing streams. Another useful resource is the U.S. Geological Survey Water Data site (waterdata.usgs.gov), which provides real-time stream-flow data that helps you home in on specific waters and stream segments. Don’t overestimate your ability to navigate safely in your kayak. Know your level of experience and capability, and don’t push your limits. Drop your kayak only into stretches of water that you can navigate and…

More than a decade ago, Ruger set new benchmarks for performance and affordability with its bolt-action American Rifle. This year, the company introduced an upgraded model, the American Rifle Generation II, which includes several new features designed from customer feedback and engineering ingenuity. Most noticeable is a Cerakote finish on the barreled action that is as attractive as it is durable. The medium-contour, cold-hammer-forged barrel has deep spiral flutes on most versions (depending on chambering) to reduce weight without sacrificing accuracy, while also dissipating heat efficiently. Most versions also have threaded muzzles and come equipped with a radial-port muzzle brake. The gray splatter-finished synthetic stock offers custom fit via a removable comb riser and length-of-pull spacers to accommodate a variety of optics and shooter statures. Adding or removing spacers allows…

THE UNSEEN NEMESIS We’ve all had a day on the water ruined by windy conditions. In “Catch More Bass in the Wind,” Crash Course video host Shane Beilue shares three ways to make the wind become your friend. FISHING IN AN ECLIPSE In “How the Solar Eclipse Impacted Game and Fish,” Lynn Burkhead, writing from the path of totality, chronicles what outdoorsmen experienced during the rare event in April. (Oh yes, the fish were biting.) CATFISH FEVER “If I’m not catfishing, I’m catching bait for catfish,” West Virginia angler Michael Drake said after landing an Ohio River blue catfish that broke a state record, the fourth straight year the record has fallen. Get the story in our “Records” section. TACKLE EXTRAVAGANZA ICAST, the world’s largest sportfishing tackle trade show, hits…

The chukar made a fatal mistake, sweeping up and over the sandy desert bowl I was hunting. I made a towering, 40-yard shot, and the bird fell, rag dead, almost at my feet. I moved away to let my hardworking German wirehair do the retrieving honors. It was a fitting culmination to years of misses, thousands of practice rounds and a lot of blood, sweat and tears born out of frustration. Chukars and pheasants still fly off unscathed, but not as often as they did since I’ve become my own shotgun instructor. You can help yourself become a better shotgunner, too. There are ways to spot issues with your shooting and correct them on your own through simple drills (and lots of practice). Here are some suggestions that might put…

Many associate summer with fireworks and fishing—and not always separately, as sometimes the fishing can itself be explosive. Bass tournaments draw anglers out of bed every weekend, while those fishing for the table chase catfish and panfish. Others, meanwhile, target muskies, carp and small-stream smallmouths across the Midwest. Plus, now is when many families load up and head out on road trips. If your idea of a fun family vacation includes time spent fishing, then these destinations should be considered as places to explore. 1 KC CARP Many waters around Kansas City, Kansas, hold common carp, but the Missouri River, which runs through the city’s north side, is the main place anglers chase them. Shore-bound anglers can fish the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri rivers at Kaw Point Park,…

Catching bait is often a big headache and one of the more time-consuming activities most catfish anglers face. Forward-facing sonar is changing this in a big way. It lets anglers find schools of shad and pinpoint exactly where to throw their cast nets to catch bait quickly and easily. Captain Darren Troseth, Minnesota catfish guide and owner of 3 Rivers Fishing Adventures, uses Garmin LiveScope to help him net shad in the Mississippi River. He says that the technology has paid for itself in the amount of bait he’s caught with it. Troseth searches spots known to hold shad with down and side imaging to isolate the general area of the schools. Once he does this, he puts down the LiveScope and gets close to the school. Because he knows…

So often, the anticipation of an event is better than the event itself. A long-awaited vacation is over in a flash. That “blockbuster” movie you’ve been waiting to see turns out to be a flop. You wait all week to head to the lake, only for the wind to blow 20 mph. The thrill of topwater fishing is very much about anticipating the strike, but the ensuing response from a bass rarely fails to deliver on these expectations. Will the lure disappear in a sudden swirl, or will it be clobbered a foot or more out of the water? Maybe it’ll be engulfed and sucked down by a truly giant bass. Any of these responses will do just fine. Fishing for bass on top is not only a thrilling technique,…

After the spawn, walleyes leave their schools and begin a summer vacation during which they wander at will in pursuit of their next meal. During the summer doldrums, these truant walleyes scatter in ones and twos and small groups because food is plentiful and they don’t necessarily need to gang up to feed. Anglers following conventional summertime wisdom will often slowly work a leech-tipped rig along break lines or explore the weed lines. Anchoring on points and humps and waiting for walleyes to decide it is dinner time is another option. However, impatient anglers, or those preferring a faster-paced strategy, can go on the hunt to find active, feeding walleyes. One highly productive way to do so is a technique called “power corking.” In some respects it’s a watery version…

While kayaks are ideal for finding fish on small, secluded waters, many current models are just as adept at taking anglers on adventures to big rivers, sprawling reservoirs and even offshore saltwater destinations. The options among fishing kayaks have never been greater, thanks to improvements in hull materials and construction, propulsion technology and smart design that enables customization for specific excursions and species. The kayak gurus at Florida Sportsman recently put a variety of new kayaks to the test on numerous waterways, and the following models showcase the versatility now available to anglers. OLD TOWN SPORTSMAN BIGWATER EPDL+ 132 LENGTH: 13'2" | WIDTH: 36"WEIGHT: 143 lbs. fully riggedCAPACITY: 500 lbs. HULL CONSTRUCTION: single-layer polyethylenePROPULSION: e-pedal, paddleMSRP: $5,999.99 oldtownwatercraft.com TOP FEATURES: Designed to keep anglers in the chase, the ePDL+ system…

Interest in straight-wall cartridges has surged in recent years as several Midwestern states have started allowing their use in deer hunting. Traditionally, these states only permitted hunters to use shotguns firing slugs, muzzleloaders and big-bore revolvers due to concerns over stray bullets in areas with high human population densities. However, most have determined that the fat, short projectiles fired from straight-wall cartridges offer similarly reduced risk, while allowing hunters to take far more accurate and ethical shots in the field. Thus began the straight-wall cartridge boom we are currently experiencing. Hunters wanting to up their capabilities in these states have looked to classic straight-wall cartridges and have also expressed interest in new designs. In response, manufacturers have been offering more load options for existing straight-walls and even developing entirely new…

Some folks assume the hardest part of rifle manufacturing is building a rifle that shoots well. Many also believe the most important consideration when selecting a rifle is choosing the cartridge in which it will be chambered. Truthfully, the hardest thing for a manufacturer to do is build a rifle that will interface well with the most shooters. Similarly, your most important consideration should be finding a rifle that interfaces well with you. The second you grab a rifle, you start interacting with it, and the quality of that interaction determines how well you and the rifle work together. There are many points of interface on a rifle, such as size and weight, the trigger and the sights, but as important as all these are, it’s the stock that your…

On the surface, the ballot initiative that likely will be decided this November by Colorado voters would only affect a few hundred mountain lion and bobcat hunters and the outfitters who guide them to wild cats. According to its text, Colorado Initiative 91 would “ban trophy hunting of mountain lions, bobcats, and lynx” in the state. But make no mistake, says Dan Gates, executive director of Coloradans for Responsible Wildlife Management (CRWM), a pro-hunting group that opposes the ballot measure. The initiative is so broadly worded that its passage would likely achieve what its proponents intend: to end all forms of legal hunting. “They say they want to curtail trophy hunting, but the definition in the petition says ‘intentional killing,’” Gates explains. “All of hunting is intentional killing. If they…

The Ned rig, also known as the Midwest finesse rig, has gained immense popularity among bass anglers in recent years. Renowned for its effectiveness in challenging conditions and on pressured fish, the Ned rig’s success is attributed to its small profile and remarkable action in motion and its enticing appearance when immobile or dead-sticked. It’s simply one of the easiest baits to throw for bass. WHAT IS IT? Ned Kehde designed the Ned rig to be straightforward, and to this day, that’s what it is. The rig consists of a simple, lightweight, mushroom-style jig head typically rigged with a 3-inch plastic, often a stickbait-style worm. Most Ned heads range from 3/32 ounce up to 1/4 ounce, with some manufacturers now making them much heavier. Expanded Ned rig offerings include extra-wide-gap…

Ever since millions of coho and chinook salmon smolts were stocked in the Great Lakes in the late 1960s, Midwestern anglers have ventured to port cities along the shores of lakes Michigan, Superior and Huron. Half a century later, the peak of salmon production has come and gone, but excellent fishing opportunities remain and fuel multi-billion-dollar commercial and recreational industries. For many Midwestern anglers accustomed to fishing small water, chasing salmon on inland seas can seem intimidating. However, under the right conditions, do-it-yourself anglers in small boats can do well on cohos and kings if they know where to look and employ the right gear to reach summer salmon. PLAN AHEAD Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio all offer public access to visiting salmon anglers, with excellent ramp facilities…

With a 36-year history of making knives in the U.S. for hunting, outdoor adventure, everyday carry and tactical purposes, Benchmade expands its offerings this summer to include models purpose-built for fishing. The new Benchmade Water Line ($200 to $260; benchmade.com) consists of the 7-inch and 9-inch Fishcrafter fillet knives, the fixed-blade Undercurrent and Intersect, and the Adira and Mini Adira folders, which use the AXIS locking mechanism. All Water Line models have blades made from CPM-MagnaCut stainless steel, a relatively new alloy developed by metallurgist Dr. Larrin Thomas specifically for premium knives to provide excellent corrosion resistance, edge retention and toughness. The high performance of CPM-MagnaCut in these areas is ideal for the environments and tasks commonly encountered while fishing in both freshwater and the salt. The fillet and fixed-blade…

Kayak fishing has become one of the fastest growing segments of outdoor sports, and for good reason. It’s fun. It’s challenging. It’s ecologically friendly. It lets anglers reach pristine areas away from maddening crowds that shore-bound anglers or those in larger boats often can’t access. Many of these magical places are waters teeming with smallmouth bass! You can drop a kayak into a backyard pond or drag it to the edge of a wilderness stream. Launching one is a relatively simple feat that seldom requires a dock or a ramp. A kayak—and kayak fishing—is also affordable. Even the most elaborate fishing kayaks are priced under entry-level bass boats. Given their relative cost, and their ability to reach stretches of water that boat owners can’t, kayaks offer many advantages. They’re especially…

Part of the fun of fishing from a kayak is equipping the boat with gear that answers a specific need and customizes the craft for given conditions and presentations. From motors to storage and safety, accessories enhance the on-the-water experience. Here are four pieces of gear we’ve tested and found worthy. NEWPORT NK180PRO ELECTRIC KAYAK MOTOR Kayak anglers can navigate effortlessly to favorite fishing spots with the NK180Pro, experiencing a remarkable 16 percent increase in speed. This motor features a 25 percent decrease in noise, gaining a tactical advantage without sacrificing functionality. The NK180PRO also provides a 25 percent increase in efficiency, extended range and reduced charging demands while maximizing precious fishing time. The updated throttle design, now with an IP67 rating, offers a waterproof, intuitive interface for precise control…

Early one summer Shane’s cousins Brian and Ben, ages 10 and 8, traveled all the way from Detroit to stay with his family for a few weeks. The boys’ father—Shane’s uncle—hated that they had to live in the city due to his job, and he was afraid his sons weren’t getting outside enough and learning how to hunt and fish like he did as a boy. “Don’t worry, Ted,” said Shane’s father to his brother over the phone. “I’ll see to it that when the boys leave here, they’ll be regular Jeremiah Johnsons.” To Shane, who overheard the conversation, the plan had potential. He knew his father had to work all summer, and so of course “I’ll see to it” meant “Shane will see to it.” If teaching his cousins…