By Joe Cermele

I would say that most anglers, whether they specifically target muskies or not, understand that catching these brutes on purpose is a challenge. While the pay-off may be one of the biggest in freshwater fishing, the victory often comes with hours of boredom or frustration. Nobody understands this better than me, I promise. At the same time, I've met very few anglers that don't have a good surprise muskie story, because these fish just love to show up when you're not looking for them, and when your tackle is completely undergunned for the 'skie that's suddenly on the end of the line. 

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By Tim Romano

You all know how this works. Write the funniest/wittiest caption to the image above and we'll pick a winner next Wednesday, the 22nd of May. This time the winner gets a Stormr Typhoon Jacket.

Good Luck and get writing.
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By Dave Wolak

Whether you're a Western angler chunkin' big swimbaits for ultra-fat, trout eating bass, or a Northern guy that loves to sling jerkbaits for bronzebacks, it's on like Donkey Kong in May, and some my most successful outings this time of year revolve around a fishing approach I like to call “stay high and fly.” In May, most bass are in some stage of the spawn, but regardless of the particular stage in a given area, the one thing that ties bass together across the country is that they’re shallow. To be clear, that doesn't just mean in shallow areas of the lake, but also shallow in the water column. One reason for this is that warmer May surface temps bring forage high, but another big reason is protection of fry. If you see a ball of bass fry flickering around the surface, you can count on momma lurking within striking distance. So the "stay high" part of the equation means stick to baits that work well in the shallows and the upper tier of the water column. Next comes the "flying" part.

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By Peter B. Mathiesen

Three years ago, outdoor writer, photographer, and consummate sportsman Peter Mathiesen left his hometown of St. Louis to start a new life in Alaska. Here’s why he made the move, what everyday life is like, and how it feels to have Denali right outside your window.

No trip to Alaska is complete without at least one ride in a vintage bush plane. Even today, these Super Cubs, Taylorcrafts, Beavers, and Otters DeHavillands play a vital role in transportation, freight, and even serve as a lifeline to countless rural Alaskans.

There are numerous rogue pilots in the state flying less-than-certified airplanes. However, the vast majority of licensed aircraft companies offer immaculately maintained planes with some of the most experienced bush pilots in the world. You will find a plethora of these pilots and vintage wilderness aircraft just 10 miles from my home at the Talkeetna airport. Check out Talkeetna Air Taxi’s web site and the live web cam of the Alaska Range here. [ Read Full Post ]

By Peter B. Mathiesen

Three years ago, outdoor writer, photographer, and consummate sportsman Peter Mathiesen left his hometown of St. Louis to start a new life in Alaska. Here’s why he made the move, what everyday life is like, and how it feels to have Denali right outside your window.

As I write this installment of Living in Alaska, it is May 9 and here above latitude 62, the sunlight will be a generous 17.5 hours. The sun will rise at 5:13 a.m. and set at 10:39 p.m. What you may not realize is that there is plenty of added bonus light because of the extraordinarily slow sunrise and sunsets. Referred to by the government as Civil Twilight, first light actually begins at 4:02 a.m. and ends at 11:51 p.m. [ Read Full Post ]

We celebrate moms from outdoor families—even the ones who don't hunt or fish themselves.

As told to Ben Romans

My mother never had an interest in drawing a bow, shouldering a shotgun, or learning to tie an improved clinch knot, but in a family full of anglers and hunters, she’s the unsung hero. Whether she was buying plastic buckets from Woolworths so my siblings and I could collect tadpoles and minnows, or driving across town to hand-deliver yet another spinnerbait after I’d snagged mine on a submerged log, or cooking the holiday pheasants my brother and I harvested one Christmas Eve, her attention behind the scenes was, and continues to be, invaluable.

To celebrate the mothers who encourage the sportsmen in their lives with patience, support, and guidance, we’re sharing stories from three of them, in their own words, along with some of the F&S editors’ favorite memories of their own mothers. Have a great outdoor memory of your mom? Tell us about it in the comments. —BR

Marcia Polhamus is a wife, mother, grandmother, and hunter in Galena, Illinois. In 2012, she and her husband Ken were recognized by Field & Stream as Heroes of Conservation... [ Read Full Post ]