Mark Hicks

Breezy Behavior: How to Read Wind around your Tree Stand

fieldandstream-editor — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 20:00:00 -0400

CAN YOU FIGURE OUT how that breeze behaves once it whispers past your chosen perch?

Steve Pinkston does. Before the Ohio bowhunter commits to any setup for whitetails, he hangs several stands in a given area. From each of them, he drops dozens of Great Day Windfloaters (866-649-1918, ext. 113; greatdayinc.com), wispy wind-checking fibers he calls "floaties" that hang in the air for a long time.

Why Locating Browse Forage Helps You Find Whitetail Bucks

fieldandstream-editor — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 20:00:00 -0400

IF YOU'RE NOT LOOKING for browse during your preseason scouting, you could be in for some boring hunts. Unlike more obvious food sources, such as agricultural crops and mast, the leaves, twigs, and buds of small woody plants stimulate the microbes in a whitetail's rumen, which is critical to digestion. Deer can't survive without this.

Bill Peneston, a consultant with Heartland Wildlife Institute, says that prime whitetail habitat comprises at least 25 percent low brush and saplings. "A typical whitetail needs to consume 7 to 10 pounds of browse every day," he explains. "That's half a bushel. So there needs to be plenty of it on any buck's home turf."

Keep in mind that thick bedding cover does not necessarily ensure there's ample browse. If the brush is higher than 5 feet or so, deer can't reach leaves and stems to eat them. Also, dense growth doesn't always contain the appropriate species.

Look for cutovers less than 10 years old," Peneston says. "These provide deer with dense, regenerating understories 3 feet high or less." Ideally, there will be young deciduous trees, such as oak, maple, poplar, and aspen, as well as shrubs like multiflora rose, hawthorn, and dogwood. Blackberry, raspberry, greenbrier, sumac, and honeysuckle are other prime species.

The bottom line is this: If a potential hunting area has little browse, it will have few whitetails. This holds true even in the presence of abundant croplands and mature hardwoods that drop truckloads of nuts. "Northwest Ohio is like that," Peneston says. "It's flat farm country broken up by small, mature woodlots. Deer densities are low because there isn't enough browse." On the other hand, wherever you find plenty of low brush and saplings in otherwise good habitat, you can expect steady action when the season starts.

Get Out of the Tree and Bowhunt Whitetail Bucks from the Ground

fieldandstream-editor — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 20:00:00 -0400

THE TYPICAL BOWHUNTER keeps his butt glued to his tree stand the whole time he's in the woods. That's a great way to miss out on some excellent hunting opportunities throughout the season.

With the careful use of natural cover, a lightweight compact blind, or a gillie suit, you can sneak unnoticed into places you'd never be able to hunt otherwise. Here are four great times to play this low-impact ground game.

Go Deep For Giant Largemouth with a Carolina Rig

fieldandstream-editor — Wed, 31 May 2006 20:00:00 -0400

Does your fishing fizzle when bass leave the shallows? It doesn't have to. A Carolina rig gets down fast to reach bass stacked up on deep points, creek channels, and submerged grass-beds. Its heavy sinker lets you feel structure distinctly; the bottom-bumping commotion draws bass toward your bait. For the best action, use the three proven tactics illustrated on the next page.

SINKER Use a 1-ounce egg or bullet weight. Inexpensive lead sinkers work fine, but a harder brass or tungsten version is noisier and lets you feel the bottom a little better.

Gear Test: New GPS Systems for Bass Fishing

fieldandstream-editor — Tue, 30 May 2006 16:00:00 -0400

Have you ever wondered if you're fishing in the wrong spot? Then you know why GPS maps are such hot items with today's pros. These electronic marvels use detailed contour lake maps to tell you exactly where you are in relation to the structure you're fishing-and even to the fish you're after.

Many GPS maps also function as LCG depthfinders. Using both, you can pinpoint biting fish or productive structure, mark that location as a waypoint, and come back to it anytime. Here's what to look for:

DISPLAY: Color is far superior to black-and-white because it clearly differentiates land, water, contour lines, and other features. Get color, even if it means buying a smaller unit.

SIZE: This is the single most influential factor in price. Though significantly more expensive, a bigger display is better because it's easier to read. Go as big as you can afford to.

RESOLUTION: Most makers list the number of vertical and horizontal pixels. But the true measure of sharpness is pixels per square inch. Good resolution is most critical on small units.

MAPS: Some models have built-in contour lake maps, but most need plug-in map cards or downloadable maps, sold separately. All of the units here will help you catch more fish.

TIP: Click on an image below to enlarge it

Navman Tracker 5380
(800-628-4487; navman.com)
DISPLAY SIZE: 3.8 inches
PIXELS: 320V x 240H (about 10,500 per square inch)
BUILT-IN DEPTHFINDER: No
COMPATIBLE MAP SOURCE: C-Map
PRICE: $400
COMMENTS: This full-featured unit needs little space and has a great price for color. The display is small but very sharp and functional. It's a good, affordable choice if you already have a depthfinder.

Humminbird 595C
(800-633-1468; humminbird.com)
DISPLAY SIZE: 5 inches
PIXELS: 320V x 240H (about 6,100 per square inch) BUILT-IN DEPTHFINDER: Yes
COMPATIBLE MAP SOURCE: Navionics
PRICE: $550
COMMENTS: This compact, combination GPS map and LCG depthfinder has a unique quick-mounting system that'll save you fishing time. The transducer comes with a temperature probe.

Eagle FishElite 642c IGPS
(800-324-1354; www.eaglegps.com)
DISPLAY SIZE: 5 inches
PIXELS: 640V x 480H (about 25,000 per square inch)
BUILT-IN DEPTHFINDER: Yes
COMPATIBLE MAP SOURCES: Lowrance FreedomMap, Fishing Hot Spots Elite, LakeMaster Pro Maps, NauticPat USA, Navionics
PRICE: $600
COMMENTS: Six color modes let you adapt to light conditions. A surface temperature gauge is included.

Raymarine RC435i GPS Chartplotter
(800-539-5539; raymarine.com)
DISPLAY SIZE: 6 inches
PIXELS: 320V x 240H (about 4,250 per square inch)
BUILT-IN DEPTHFINDER: No
COMPATIBLE MAP SOURCE: Navionics
PRICE: $1,055
COMMENTS: "Point and shoot" navigation lets you click on any waypoinnt, and the unit will direct you to it. A SmartRoute feature automatically builds routes and waypoints from previous tracks.

Lowrance LCX-26C HD
(800-324-1356; lowrance.com)
DISPLAY SIZE: 7 inches
PIXELS: 480V x 640H (about 15,000 per square inch)
BUILT-IN DEPTHFINDER: Yes
COMPATIBLE MAP SOURCE: Lowrance FreedomMap, Fishing Hot Spots Elite, LakeMaster Pro Maps, NauticPat USA, Navionics
PRICE: $1,650
COMMENTS: The 20GB hard drive is loaded with charts of U.S. coastal areas and over 2,100 inland waters.

Garmin GPSMAP 3210
(800-800-1020; garmin.com)
DISPLAY SIZE: 10.4 inches
PIXELS: 640V x 480H (about 5,900 per square inch)
BUILT-IN DEPTHFINDER: No
COMPATIBLE MAP SOURCE: Garmin Inland Lakes
PRICE: $2,667
COMMENTS: The large color display is easy to read, even in direct sunlight. The unit has extremely fast redraw and response rates and is available with numerous optional features.

How to Rig Five Common Sinkers

fieldandstream-editor — Sun, 30 Apr 2006 20:00:00 -0400

BULLET SINKER

MODELS: Lead, brass, steel, or tungsten; painted, free-sliding, or self-pegging.

USES: Casting or pitching Texas-rigged soft plastics.

RIGGING: Run the line through the sinker's pointed end and tie it to a worm hook.

TIPS: Use the lightest sinker needed to maintain bottom contact or to penetrate cover. Let the sinker slide free for open water; peg it to the head of the bait amid thick cover.

EGG SINKER

MODELS: Lead, steel, or bismuth.

Three Pro Bass Fishermen with 28 Ways to Catchfish

fieldandstream-editor — Sun, 30 Apr 2006 20:00:00 -0400

1 CRANK SHALLOW BRUSH

How to Catch Post-Spawn Bass with Surface Lures

fieldandstream-editor — Sun, 30 Apr 2006 20:00:00 -0400

With bass leaving their beds and ravenous from the rigors of spawning, now's the time to cast out a topwater popper and get ready for some explosive action.

On many waters, shad begin to spawn soon after the bass have finished. They swim over rocks, submerged vegetation, and other cover, spurting eggs and milt into the water. Bass lurk just beneath them, looking up for an easy meal. They can't miss your popper, splashing on the surface like a shad on the run. They usually can't resist it, either.

Big Bass Tip: How to work a bald spot

fieldandstream-editor — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 04:15:00 -0500

Only a bass fisherman would welcome finding a bald spot. That's because it can lead to very good fishing on a reservoir in the spring.

Bald spots form when the grass on an underwater hump is exposed during the winter drawdown. That vegetation dies, and when the water rises again in spring, it submerges a bare-topped hump, usually about 5 to 10 feet deep and surrounded by thick grass. The resulting edge cover concentrates bass in a place that's fairly easy to find and even easier to fish. Here's how:

Find the Spot
Search for contour changes with a depthfinder or by dragging a Carolina-rigged lizard along the bottom. Submergent grass is generally a foot or two high in spring, and you can easily feel the difference between a grassy bottom and a hard bald spot with the lure.

Get the Edge
Bass relate to the grass edge that rims a bald spot and especially to any points, pockets, or other irregularities there, where they can ambush prey.

Merry-Go-Round
Cast a Carolina-rigged lizard or a shallow-running crankbait into the bald spot and work the lure over and along the edge of the grass. Fish all the way around the hump in a circle, and keep circling as long as the bass continue to bite.

Back Off
Don't crowd a bald spot, or the bass will ignore your lure. Instead, position the boat about 30 feet from the grassy edge.

Crankbait Tactics for Walleyes

fieldandstream-editor — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 19:00:00 -0500

Just before, during, and after the spring spawn, Minnesota walleye pro Marty Glorvigen catches a lot of fish using a tactic that—given the current popularity of advanced trolling techniques—seems almost radical: He casts lipless, rattling crankbaits into water that's just a couple of feet deep.

"I wear the paint right off the noses of my crankbaits by working them so shallow," Glorvigen says. "It's a tactic that doesn't make any sense to a lot of walleye anglers, but it really works."

Here's how it's done: