Summer Catfishing After Dark in 2026: Why June Nights on the River Out-Fish Every Daylight Hour You'll Put In
Summer Muskie: The Post-Spawn Transition Window and Why Serious Anglers Fish It Alone
Most anglers abandon muskie water in June. The ones who don't are fishing trophy fish on unpressured structure during the single most productive topwater window of the year. Here's the complete playbook for the post-spawn transition.
Summer stillwater trout fishing in the UK: tactics for when the water warms and the fish go deep
Warm summer water sends stillwater trout deep and makes them moody. Here are the tactics that keep you catching when the easy spring fishing is over.
UK hunting and angling May 2026: post-spawn carp window, the Spey and Tweed salmon recovery, sea bass on the Welsh shoreline
Mid-May to mid-June is the British angling prime window — carp post-spawn feeding mode, Spey and Tweed salmon recovery, sea bass on south and Welsh coasts, plus roe buck stalking and the bookings that matter now.
Late-Spring Smallmouth Bass Fishing in 2026: Why the Last Week of May Through Mid-June Is the Window on the Upper Mississippi and Susquehanna
The last two weeks of May through mid-June is when post-spawn smallmouth bass on the upper Mississippi, Susquehanna and Potomac feed most aggressively. The patterns that work on each river.
Spring 2026 Bass Fishing: The Topwater Window That Most Anglers Miss in Late May
The post-spawn topwater window across most of the US South and lower Midwest opens around 18 May 2026 and closes by mid-June. Most weekend anglers fish past it without realising it was there — and then complain about July.
Spring Turkey 2026: Why the May Wisconsin Hunt Beat South Dakota Public Land for the Third Consecutive Year
Spring turkey hunters who used to drive to South Dakota now drive to Wisconsin. The reasons trace through three years of population, pressure and access data that finally hit a tipping point in 2026.
Spring Walleye on the Western Basin of Lake Erie 2026: Why the Mid-May Window Is the Best Open-Water Fishing of the Year in North America
Lake Erie's Western Basin in mid-May 2026 is the best open-water walleye window in 30 years. The 2018 hatch, the methods, the boats and the launches that earn the trip.
Spring Striped Bass on the Fly 2026: Reading the Atlantic Run
The spring striped bass run is one of the great migratory fly fisheries. Timing the 2026 Atlantic run, gear, three patterns that earn their keep and the tactics that decide.
Spring Bass Tournament Strategy 2026: Pre-Spawn Patterns, Lure Selection and the Wisconsin Lakes Holding the Best Numbers This Year
Pre-spawn bass in the Upper Midwest in May 2026 are stacking on transition points and secondary structure. The lake selection and lure window decide tournament finishes. Here's where to focus.
Spring Smallmouth Bass on the Fly: River Selection, Pattern Choice and the Reading-Water Skill That Separates Casual from Consistent
May smallmouth fishing on northern rivers is the underrated frontier of American fly fishing. Here is what to fish, where to find them, and what the experienced anglers know.
Spring Turkey Hunting 2026: Calling Strategies, Decoy Setups and the Subtle Reads Most Hunters Miss
Spring turkey is the most cerebral hunt in North America. Calling less, setting up further, and reading the subtle signs most hunters miss.
Fly Tying Season Prep: The Patterns That Actually Catch Fish in May
Most fly boxes are 80 percent decorative. Here's how to build a working May box that actually catches fish.
Next Season Prep: What to Do in the Off-Months Before October
The best hunters do their work in the off-season. Here is the month-by-month prep calendar that separates successful hunters from the ones who show up cold.
Conservation Economics: How Hunter Dollars Protect Wildlife
Hunters are the largest funders of wildlife conservation in the United States. Here are the numbers, the laws, and how it all works.
State Regulations Compared: Montana vs Wyoming vs Colorado Tag Systems
The three marquee Western hunting states have radically different tag systems. Here is how to navigate each as a non-resident hunter.
Hunting Dog Training: Retrievers, Pointers, Hounds at Home
A hunting dog is made in the backyard, not in the field. Here is a realistic training plan for the three main categories.
Hunting Camps: DIY Basecamp for Week-Long Trips
A well-run basecamp turns a miserable week in the rain into productive hunting. Here is the setup that actually works for long trips.
Public Land Hunting: E-Scouting OnX Hunt Before Opening Day
OnX Hunt and satellite mapping have changed public land hunting forever. Here is how to e-scout effectively before opening day.
Hunting Lease Economics: What You Pay and What You Get
Hunting lease prices have doubled in some markets over ten years. Here is what you should actually pay, what to expect, and when to walk away.
Canning Wild Game: Venison and Salmon Preserved Right
Pressure canning is the best way to preserve wild game beyond a year. Here is the safe technique for venison, salmon, and upland game.
Elk Jerky: From Carcass to Finished Product at Home
Elk jerky done right is the best in the freezer. Here is the technique from cut selection to finished product, based on 20 years of making it.
Smoking Wild Game: Brisket-Style Venison and Waterfowl
Wild game smokes differently than beef or pork. Here are the techniques that produce tender, flavorful results rather than dry disappointment.
Wild Game Cooking: Turning Venison Into Meals That Get Eaten
Bad venison is bad cooking, not bad meat. Here are the techniques that turn deer into meals your family actually looks forward to.
Backcountry Hunting Food: Lightweight Calories That Travel
Backcountry food is about calories per ounce, not gourmet meals. Here is how to eat well on a seven-day hunt without hauling 30 pounds of food.
Knife Sharpening: Field Sharpeners That Actually Work
Most field sharpeners do not work. Here are the three that actually put an edge back on a hunting knife when you are miles from home.
Hunting Packs: Mystery Ranch Metcalf vs Stone Glacier Sky 5900
The Mystery Ranch Metcalf and the Stone Glacier Sky 5900 are the default western hunting packs. Here is how they actually perform with meat on your back.
Camo Systems: Sitka Subalpine vs First Lite Specter vs Kryptek
Modern camo is a system of patterns built for specific terrain. Here is how Sitka Subalpine, First Lite Specter, and Kryptek actually compare in the woods.
Hunting Boots Tested: Crispi, Kenetrek, Irish Setter in Real Conditions
The $500 mountain boot debate is won and lost in real conditions. Here is what Crispi, Kenetrek, and Irish Setter actually do when the weather turns on you.
Hunting Binoculars: Why 8x42 Beats 10x42 for Most Situations
The 10x42 binocular is the default hunting optic but probably the wrong one. An 8x42 does more for more hunters in more conditions.
Spotting Scopes: Swarovski vs Vortex vs Leupold Under $2,000
A spotting scope under $2,000 should be the workhorse of your western hunting setup. Here is how Swarovski, Vortex, and Leupold actually stack up in the field.
Rifle Scope Selection: 3-9x40 vs 4-16x50 for Most Hunters
The shift toward 4-16x50 hunting scopes is driven more by marketing than by actual shooting conditions. Here is when each scope actually makes sense.
Traditional Archery: Recurve vs Longbow for Hunting Deer
Most trad bow debates are theological, not practical. Here is what actually matters when you are choosing between a recurve and a longbow for deer hunting.
Compound Bow Setup: Draw Weight, Draw Length, Let-Off Explained
Most compound bow problems come down to a bad setup at the pro shop. Here is how to make sure yours is right the first time.
Musky: The Fish of 10,000 Casts and What's Actually Worth It
The musky myth — 10,000 casts for one fish — is a slight exaggeration. The actual numbers and what it really takes to catch one.
Catfish After Dark: Setting Up for a Productive Night
Catfishing is a nighttime game. Here's the rig, the bait, and the setup that puts blues, flatheads, and channels on the bank.
Ice Fishing on a Budget: You Don't Need a $12,000 Shack
Ice fishing has become an equipment arms race. Here's how to fish productively through the ice for under $500 in gear — because the fish don't care.
Alaskan Sockeye: Combat Fishing with Dignity
Combat sockeye fishing in Alaska is crowded, chaotic, and productive. Here's how to catch fish while keeping your head and not ruining anyone else's day.
Salmon Fishing the Pacific Northwest: Kings, Cohos, and Rain Gear
Pacific salmon fishing from the boat — trolling, mooching, and casting for Chinook and coho off the Washington and Oregon coasts.
Northern Pike on Topwater: A Violent Joy of a Fish
Northern pike slashing a topwater at 10 feet from the boat is among fishing's most violent and satisfying moments. Here's how to make it happen.
Jigging Saugers and Walleye Through Winter Lake Ice
Ice fishing for walleye and sauger — tip-ups, jigs, electronics, and the Minnesota/North Dakota border lakes that produce big fish year after year.
Walleye Fishing in the Midwest: The Techniques That Consistently Catch Fish
Walleye are famous for being moody. Here are the techniques that catch them when nothing else is working — jigging, pulling crankbaits, and the bobber game.
Smallmouth Bass in River Current: Topwater, Tubes, and Timing
River smallmouth eat differently than lake fish. Here's how to read current, pick the right lure, and time the day for smashed topwater bites.
Largemouth Bass Fishing: The Flipping and Pitching Playbook
Flipping and pitching is bass fishing's short-range technique for heavy cover. Here's how the pros set up for docks, laydowns, and grass mats.
Choosing Your First 5-Weight: Sage, Orvis, G. Loomis, and the Real Answer
A practical 5-weight fly rod guide — which rod suits which angler, price-vs-performance, and why the $900 rod isn't always better than the $300 one.
Smallmouth on the Fly: The Overlooked Warmwater Game
Smallmouth bass on a 6-weight in moving water may be the most underrated fly fishing in America. The flies, the water, and why guides quietly prefer them to trout.
Steelhead on the Skagit: Swung Flies and Why You Won't Catch One
Swung-fly steelhead on the Skagit is the hardest fly fishing in North America. Here's what the hunt looks like, and why you'll go home empty the first trip.
Dry Fly Purism Is Overrated: A Case for the Nymph
Dry fly fishing is romantic. Nymphing is how most trout actually eat. A practical defense of subsurface fishing in a sport obsessed with rises.
Reading Trout Water: Seams, Buckets, and the Lazy Inside Bend
Trout don't live in the whole river — they live in specific pieces of it. Here's how to read water and put your fly where the fish actually are.
The Best Fly Fishing Rivers in the American West (And Why Montana Still Wins)
An opinionated look at the American West's best trout rivers — the Madison, Yellowstone, Bighorn, Green, Henry's Fork — and what makes each worth the flight.