Freshwater(Page 2)

The top freshwater fishing destinations and tips for catching bass, panfish, walleyes, muskies, and more.

Latest in Freshwater

An ice fisherman holds up a fat yellow perch.

‘Easily the Biggest I’ve Ever Caught.’ How This Ice Fisherman Caught His PB Jumbo Yellow Perch at Mille Lacs ‘Easily the Biggest I’ve Ever Caught.’ How This Ice Fisherman Caught His PB Jumbo Yellow Perch at Mille Lacs

How to Fish a Drop Shot: A Complete Guide How to Fish a Drop Shot: A Complete Guide

By Derek Horner

How to Cook Catfish How to Cook Catfish

what do catfish eat 1

What Do Catfish Eat? What Do Catfish Eat?

By Cameron Evans

A bass angler holds up three fish caught on one rig.

How to Fish an Alabama Rig: A Complete Guide How to Fish an Alabama Rig: A Complete Guide

By Derek Horner

can you eat carp, common carp on ice

Can You Eat Carp? Can You Eat Carp?

Muskie vs Pike: Which Is the Top Game Fish? Muskie vs Pike: Which Is the Top Game Fish?

An italian angler with one of the biggest Wels catfish ever caught.

The Biggest Fish Ever Caught The Biggest Fish Ever Caught

an illustration of a Mako shark jumping into the back of a boat

7 Unbelievable True Fishing Stories of Record Catches, Wild Fights, and One Pissed-Off Shark 7 Unbelievable True Fishing Stories of Record Catches, Wild Fights, and One Pissed-Off Shark

By Paul M. Liikala

An angler preparing to cast a wacky rig.

Wacky Rig: A Complete Guide on Rigging, Setups, and How to Fish It Wacky Rig: A Complete Guide on Rigging, Setups, and How to Fish It

By Derek Horner

when do crappie spawn

How to Use Forward-Facing Sonar to Catch Crappie: Settings, Modes, and Mounts Explained How to Use Forward-Facing Sonar to Catch Crappie: Settings, Modes, and Mounts Explained

By Chad Morgenthaler

A largemouth bass caught on a texas rig

How to Fish a Texas Rig: A Complete Guide on Baits, Tactics, and More How to Fish a Texas Rig: A Complete Guide on Baits, Tactics, and More

By Derek Horner

Longnose gar record Maryland

‘We Kept Fishing.’ Angler Breaks Maryland Longnose Gar Record Twice in 20 Minutes ‘We Kept Fishing.’ Angler Breaks Maryland Longnose Gar Record Twice in 20 Minutes

A man on a rocky beach holding a large striped bass

Gear

The Best Bait for Striped Bass of 2025, Tested and Reviewed The Best Bait for Striped Bass of 2025, Tested and Reviewed

By John Skinner, Joe Cermele

Two fishermen rescue driver from drowning.

‘I Knew We Had to Get Him Out.’ Tourney Fishermen Rescue Elderly Man Trapped Inside Sinking Car ‘I Knew We Had to Get Him Out.’ Tourney Fishermen Rescue Elderly Man Trapped Inside Sinking Car

The author tested the best trout lures in a wide variety of locations.

Gear

The 10 Best Trout Lures of 2025, Proven Fish Catchers for All Trout Species The 10 Best Trout Lures of 2025, Proven Fish Catchers for All Trout Species

A bass angler holds up three fish caught on one rig.

‘What Do I Do Here?’ Watch Angler Catch 19 Pounds of Bass on a Single Cast ‘What Do I Do Here?’ Watch Angler Catch 19 Pounds of Bass on a Single Cast

Chatterbait bass.

How to Fish a Chatterbait: A Complete Guide How to Fish a Chatterbait: A Complete Guide

By Kristine Fischer, Derek Horner

The Best Crappie Lures of 2025, Tested and Reviewed

Gear

The Best Crappie Lures of 2025, Tested and Reviewed The Best Crappie Lures of 2025, Tested and Reviewed

By Cory Schmidt

An ice fisherman kneels with a fat catfish on the ice.

Quick Strike Podcast: How to Catch Monster Catfish Through the Ice Quick Strike Podcast: How to Catch Monster Catfish Through the Ice

The Ned Rig: A Complete Guide to Baits, Gear, and How to Fish It

The Ned Rig: A Complete Guide to Baits, Gear, and How to Fish It The Ned Rig: A Complete Guide to Baits, Gear, and How to Fish It

By Derek Horner

An angler holds up a giant bass in Austin, Texas.

Record Largemouth Caught in Downtown Austin Is the Biggest Bass (So Far) of the 2025 Texas ShareLunker Season Record Largemouth Caught in Downtown Austin Is the Biggest Bass (So Far) of the 2025 Texas ShareLunker Season

muskie vs pike 3

The Best Pike Lures The Best Pike Lures

Two guys with a West Coast steelhead.

Quick Strike Podcast: Tips for Catching West-Coast Winter Steelhead Quick Strike Podcast: Tips for Catching West-Coast Winter Steelhead

The Best Baits for Bluegill and Other Panfish The Best Baits for Bluegill and Other Panfish

A young Minnesota angler and his dad with a state-record black crappie.

Minnesota Boy Says ‘Yes’ to Fishing with Dad, Catches State-Record Black Crappie Minnesota Boy Says ‘Yes’ to Fishing with Dad, Catches State-Record Black Crappie

By Alice Jones Webb

Understanding the 3 Types of Trout Streams (and How to Fish Them) Understanding the 3 Types of Trout Streams (and How to Fish Them)

An angler stands next to a mounted crappie.

‘I Just Wanted to Catch a Fish,’ Says Ohio Angler Who Caught the New State-Record Crappie ‘I Just Wanted to Catch a Fish,’ Says Ohio Angler Who Caught the New State-Record Crappie

best snakehead lures

The Best Snakehead Lures The Best Snakehead Lures

A man holds up a nice bass while wearing a winter jacket in a bass boat.

Quick Strike Podcast: 3 Winter Escapes for Bass Addicts Quick Strike Podcast: 3 Winter Escapes for Bass Addicts

Shaun Ing with a big catfish caught in the UK

Landing This 8-Foot Catfish, Possibly the Largest Ever Caught in the UK, Was Like ‘Walking 12 German Shepherds’ at Once Landing This 8-Foot Catfish, Possibly the Largest Ever Caught in the UK, Was Like ‘Walking 12 German Shepherds’ at Once

By Natalie Krebs

A cleaning table full of pikeminnows; a man fishes from a powerboat.

Pacific Northwest Angler Earned $164K for Catching Pikeminnow, Shattering the Payout Record Pacific Northwest Angler Earned $164K for Catching Pikeminnow, Shattering the Payout Record

Quick Strike Podcast: Why the Flatfish Is the Ultimate Winter Bait Quick Strike Podcast: Why the Flatfish Is the Ultimate Winter Bait

Pro Angler and YouTuber Ben Milliken Says His Arrest Was a ‘Massive Misunderstanding’ Pro Angler and YouTuber Ben Milliken Says His Arrest Was a ‘Massive Misunderstanding’

By Alice Jones Webb, Derek Horner

This Diehard Bass Angler Wants You to Kill More Largemouths — for Better Fishing in the Future This Diehard Bass Angler Wants You to Kill More Largemouths — for Better Fishing in the Future

lake trout fishing

Podcast: How to Catch Giant Lake Trout from Shore Podcast: How to Catch Giant Lake Trout from Shore

A man in sunglasses holds a large rainbow trout.

Virginia Fisherman Sets State Record with a Giant Rainbow Trout He Lost Twice Virginia Fisherman Sets State Record with a Giant Rainbow Trout He Lost Twice

By Alice Jones Webb

3 Top Salmon Egg Presentations for Catching Trout 3 Top Salmon Egg Presentations for Catching Trout

A close-up of a steelhead caught on a fly.

The Pain and the Glory: How to Swing Flies for Great Lakes Steelhead The Pain and the Glory: How to Swing Flies for Great Lakes Steelhead

A striper coming to hand near an overpass piling.

Here’s Why You Should Fish Big Cities, Like These 4 Here’s Why You Should Fish Big Cities, Like These 4

walleye fishing

Podcast: Is It Better to Cast or Troll for Fall Walleyes? Podcast: Is It Better to Cast or Troll for Fall Walleyes?

An angler with world-record-sized muskie.

Record Chaser Teams Up with Local Fishing Legend to Catch Pending World-Record Muskie Record Chaser Teams Up with Local Fishing Legend to Catch Pending World-Record Muskie

A man in a camo shirt holds up a bow and a brown trout.

South Dakota Bowfisherman Shoots 6-Pound Brown Trout, Setting a New State Record and Drawing the Ire of Purists South Dakota Bowfisherman Shoots 6-Pound Brown Trout, Setting a New State Record and Drawing the Ire of Purists

By Alice Jones Webb

fall trout fishing

Podcast: The “Fall Feed Bag” Is Mostly a Trout Fishing Myth Podcast: The “Fall Feed Bag” Is Mostly a Trout Fishing Myth

Three fishing connection knots to tie braided line to mono.

How to Tie 3 Essential Braid-to-Leader Knots How to Tie 3 Essential Braid-to-Leader Knots

An angler holds up a giant smallmouth bass.

‘I Wasn’t Going to Kill That Bass.’ Tournament Angler Releases New State-Record Smallmouth ‘I Wasn’t Going to Kill That Bass.’ Tournament Angler Releases New State-Record Smallmouth

The best fly rods for trout tested by the author

Gear

The Best Trout Fly Rods of 2025, Tested and Reviewed The Best Trout Fly Rods of 2025, Tested and Reviewed

Fisherman Rowan Lytle holds up a big yellow carp in the daytime.

Quick Strike Podcast: How to Catch Massive Tidal Water Carp in Fall Quick Strike Podcast: How to Catch Massive Tidal Water Carp in Fall

An angler with a big catfish caught in West Virginia.

Angler Breaks West Virginia’s Blue Catfish Record by a Whisker Angler Breaks West Virginia’s Blue Catfish Record by a Whisker

The author fishing one of the best smallmouth bass lakes.

The 7 Best Smallmouth Bass Lakes and Rivers The 7 Best Smallmouth Bass Lakes and Rivers

By Derek Horner

A fly fisherman holds up a smallmouth bass.

Guide to Fishing for Smallmouth Bass in the Fall Guide to Fishing for Smallmouth Bass in the Fall

kid kayak fishing

How to Get Your Kids Into Kayak Fishing How to Get Your Kids Into Kayak Fishing

An Iowa angler holds up a big crappie.

Iowa’s Black Crappie Record in Limbo as Officials Try to Verify the Species Iowa’s Black Crappie Record in Limbo as Officials Try to Verify the Species

A North Dakota fishing guide with a big Montana smallmouth bass.

‘I Was in Disbelief.’ Fishing Guide Releases Montana’s Pending-Record Smallmouth Bass ‘I Was in Disbelief.’ Fishing Guide Releases Montana’s Pending-Record Smallmouth Bass

Three European anglers hold up a massive common carp.

Polish Fisherman Catches ‘Unimaginable’ World-Record Sized Carp Polish Fisherman Catches ‘Unimaginable’ World-Record Sized Carp

Smallmouth on a jerkbait

The Only 8 Lures You Need to Catch Fish, Anywhere The Only 8 Lures You Need to Catch Fish, Anywhere

By Kevin Hughes

The author testing the best walleye rods.

Gear

The Best Walleye Rods of 2025, Tested and Reviewed The Best Walleye Rods of 2025, Tested and Reviewed

professional bass angler on a boat catching a fish

Forward Facing Sonar Restrictions Hit Pro Bass Fishing, While One Smaller Tour Bans FFS Altogether Forward Facing Sonar Restrictions Hit Pro Bass Fishing, While One Smaller Tour Bans FFS Altogether

By Derek Horner

A Missouri bowfisherman holds up a record grass carp.

Missouri Bowfisherman Arrows State-Record Grass Carp After Losing It the Day Before Missouri Bowfisherman Arrows State-Record Grass Carp After Losing It the Day Before

bass lure trout

How to Catch Giant Trout on Bass Lures How to Catch Giant Trout on Bass Lures

Two college fishermen hold up bass at a Bassmaster tournament.

Podcast: Why Today’s College Anglers Are Tomorrow’s Bass Pros Podcast: Why Today’s College Anglers Are Tomorrow’s Bass Pros

smallmouth bugs

Podcast: The Secrets to Catching Bug-Drunk Smallmouths Podcast: The Secrets to Catching Bug-Drunk Smallmouths

Two men catfishing in a boat

Missouri Man Arrested for Allegedly Shooting at Two Anglers Who Fished ‘Too Close’ to His Dock Missouri Man Arrested for Allegedly Shooting at Two Anglers Who Fished ‘Too Close’ to His Dock

By Alice Jones Webb

JT Thompkins was disqualified from a tournament and it cost him a shot at thousands.

Bassmaster Elite Series Rookie Disqualified for Failing a Polygraph Test Bassmaster Elite Series Rookie Disqualified for Failing a Polygraph Test

By Derek Horner