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Bass Fishing

Patrick Sebile and Crankbaits

Shallow running crankbaits like the Sebile Bull Minnow are effective in fall. One need only follow his exploits on Facebook to realize that this designer of fishing tackle is a dedicated angler of vast world […]

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Trout/Salmon Fishing

Dunkin Worm

Illinois spring catchable trout program opens in April. It opens in other areas at different dates but the scene is still the same. During the season Illinois anglers have a chance to catch this great […]

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Duck/Goose Hunting

Decoys Ducks and Geese

Huntable water comes in two categories: open water and ponds. This allows us to have a plan for water wherever our hunt is to take place whether or not it is a place you have […]

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Small Game Hunting

Tips For Finding the King Of the Tree Tops

Chasing this ghostly king of the treetops is a small game hunting challenge that requires careful planning. All too often the quarry is underestimated. In southern Illinois there is an abundance of squirrels and public […]

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Fishing News - Fresh

Fish Action In August

Summer sunshine in August is often a sure sign that the fish will not bite during the day. Most anglers switch to night fishing or at least early morning and late evening. That is not […]

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Fishing Tips

Night Fishing Tips

Regardless of the species sought, catching fish at night takes some changes in tactics as well as special care for safety.  If you have the energy to stay up late you just might find some […]

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Bass Fishing

There’s Bass In Them Thar Rivers

River fishing is really a kind of hunting for “fishy water.”  To be successful in finding bass, the river angler must know how to read the conditions. Water conditions and structure available are important to […]

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Fishing News - Fresh

Fishing With Munchkins

Taking munchkins fishing is an opportunity for you and them to get closer and develop an appreciation for the outdoors.  Only a few weekends remain this summer.  Weekends that provides excellent opportunities to teach a […]

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Panfish Fishing

Bluegil Action On Farm Ponds

Tips You Can Use All Over: Illinois anglers can find good early season bluegill action on farm ponds providing they pay attention to the tackle, the presence, absence, and location of vegetation. Very dense vegetation […]

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Duck/Goose Hunting

Waterfowl Decoys History

In 1918, Joel Barber began a new era of waterfowl decoys. Barber spent much of his life collecting and showcasing various decoys and even wrote a popular book on the subject 1934 titled, Wild Fowl […]

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Boat News

Boat Launching With Ease

Efficient launching of your boat gets you in and out of the water quickly and makes for more time enjoying your boating and fishing. At first glance, launching a boat from a trailer looks like […]

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Catfish Fishing

Slip Bobbers and Catfish

My introduction to fishing came at the end of some black nylon line with a wine cork tied above a worm-baited hook. Between the two was tied a bolt. It was pretty rudimentary but functional. […]

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Panfish Fishing

Go To Bushes In the Spring

Fishing the heavy buck brush and shallow openings is a key to finding early season crappie.  Sometimes anglers must pole their boats far into the shallows to find the big ones. All kinds of jigs […]

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Fishing News - Fresh

Carlyle Lake Bass

Three species of “bass” inhabit the tailwaters below the Carlyle Dam.  The three are Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, and White Bass. The 26,000-acre impoundment that is Carlyle Lake can be located on Illinois 127 and […]

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Panfish Fishing

Around The Gills

The Bluegill is easily recognizable by the blue or yellow green coloration, six to eight dark vertical bands down the sides and dark opercula flap behind the eyes.  During spawning season a male may also […]

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Fishing News - Fresh

Walking Streams In Spring

May is a time to explore the area creeks and streams in search of some off beat fishing holes. With a little planning and careful walking, the fisherman can find water that is his and […]

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Panfish Fishing

Family Fun Had With Bluegils

The return of warm weather inspires anglers to dig out the rod and reel. The entire family can all take part in bluegill fishing. The many public fishing areas of southern Illinois provide ample space […]

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Trout/Salmon Fishing

White River Trout Fishing

The line of pink cabins along this stretch of the White River in Arkansas is as distinct as they are historical. The main buildings house the main office, restaurant, sports bar and a huge dining […]

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Fishing News - Fresh

Two In A Day Fishing

When it comes to a good day, two Illinois public fishing areas are a good bet. Located about an hour southwest of St. Louis, Pinkneyville City Lake and the many lakes found in Pyramid State […]

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Fishing News - Fresh

Tips For Spring Weather Fishing

Spring can be the best and the worst of times for the fisherman.  The fish are active and so is the weather. It seems that spring is just one front after another.  Some contain severe […]

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Catfish Fishing

Kaskaskia River Catfish

Beginning with its headwaters in Champaign County, the Kaskaskia River flows some 280 miles to the southwest to join the Mississippi River.  The upper reaches of the river above Lake Shelbyville do not produce large […]

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Turkey Hunting

Public Land Turkey Hunting Tips

Modern day turkey hunters enjoy some of the best turkey hunting.  Some overlook this opportunity because they do not have a place lined up to hunt.  Illinois also has some of the country’s best public […]

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Turkey Hunting

What Makes Great Turkey Hunting

Early life is the most hazardous time for young turkeys.  An important sign of turkey population success is whether the young live through the summer.  If conditions are right one year, the number of birds […]

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Boat News

Getting Your Boat Ready

Do you want to operate your boat safely and effectively this year?  There is some preparation it needs done.  It is not difficult, but necessary.  It might even save money in the long run. Just […]

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Fishing News - Fresh

Fishing Unfamiliar Waters

High fuel costs and other boat expenses mean that many of us are fishing water closer to home and or perhaps areas we neglected in the past. Fishing a new lake, or seldom fished lake, […]

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Panfish Fishing

Early Season Crappies

Pre-spawn crappies teach us how to fish for all species.  They require stealth, patience, ability to read the water, sound knowledge of the species and in general provide an apprenticeship to all fishing. The early […]

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Fishing News - Fresh

Dunkin Worms For Trout

Spring catchable trout programs allow anglers catch these denizens of the cold water often not normally available the rest of the year. Rainbow trout live in water that remains below 72-degrees and within 4 feet […]

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Fishing News - Fresh

PUT-N-TAKE TROUT

Put-and-take trout fishing requires more thought than most anglers believe.  Sure it is possible to catch them with little effort.  Consistently getting results after the first few days is a little more difficult.  Finding fish […]

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Panfish Fishing

Late Winter Crappie Surprise

The ice will soon be off our favorite lakes.  Most of us as we get older tend to prefer the warm confines of home to fishing out on a lake in 40-degree temperatures.  Kyle Schoenherr […]

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Panfish Fishing

Cold Water Crappie Fishing

Preferring the warm confines of home to fishing out on a lake in 40-degree temperatures does not make one unusual. But a while back Kyle Schoenherr’s tales of 2-pound crappie became irresistible. In addition to […]

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Panfish Fishing

Trolling Crankbaits

Summer was good, and you had the crappie pinned down. You could return to the same brushpiles or standing timber and pound limit after limit. But now comes the first cold front, and, where’d they […]

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Fishing Tips

Cold Water Fishing

The cool water of late fall allows fish to spread out and find comfort zones in a variety of levels.  Thanks giving weekend has given anglers in southern Illinois a chance for some very late […]

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Panfish Fishing

Crappie In Crapy Weather

White crappie caught on rainy day teaches one to fish under hardship. Thunder and lightning punctuate the night time skies.  But, we are anxious to get out on the water and catch some crappie.  Rain […]

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Small Game Hunting

Find The Food To feed Quail

Blazing fall colors and the dull ones that follow are sure signs of quail season.  Humans and canines take to the field in search of a short, plump bird about 10 inches long and weighing […]

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Small Game Hunting

Frustration On The Wing

Each August the temperatures of summer begin to cool in preparation for fall and the hunting seasons.  Days get shorter and the night cooler.  Doves begin to move about as the young of the year […]

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Hunting News

Choosing A Hunting Club

The two most important things in selecting a hunting club are good birds and good cover.  Everything else is secondary. You can go to a lot of hunting preserves that have gorgeous clubhouses, expensive landscaping […]