Hawaii isn’t the top-of-mind destination for freshwater fishing. And honestly that isn’t the craziest thing to think. People visit the islands mainly for the world-class saltwater fishing for blue marlin, yellowfin tuna, and mahi mahi. Conversely, the islands have an underrated and often overlooked freshwater fishing scene that you should check out when you are…
Montana attracts anglers for a reason. Big Sky Country is home to some of the most incredible trout rivers in the world. They also boast huge reservoirs full of trophy walleye and northern pike. They even have a wilderness fishing experience that is nearly unmatched in the continental US. If you love fishing and haven’t…
North Carolina may not seem like a top fishing destination, but it should get the recognition it deserves. Here, you can fish in bustling piedmont lakes with trout streams, catfish lakes, and striper lakes all nearby. Not many states can provide that many fishing destinations. Nowhere else can you fish out west with trout then…
Few freshwater fish fight harder for their size than the smallmouth bass. Built for clear, cold, rock-strewn water, Micropterus dolomieu rewards anglers willing to think differently than they would for largemouth — and the payoff is one of the most acrobatic fights in freshwater fishing. Today we’re going to dive deep and cover everything worth…
Tennessee is one of the states with fishing opportunities you can’t possibly do in a lifetime. Over a million acres of fishing area, more than 280 kinds of fish, with everything from mountain streams with trout to massive reservoirs with bass and crappie, Tennessee is one of the top fishing spots in the southeast and…
Minnesota takes its fishing seriously, and why shouldn’t it, with its 11,842 lakes. With its status as the state with the most lakes, Minnesota is built to be a fishing destination. The fishing here is world class and continues to draw anglers from all over the world from spring to the end of the ice…
Florida is most famous for saltwater fishing but it shouldn’t be overlooked for freshwater fishing either. With more than 7,700 lakes and 12,000 miles of fishable rivers, Florida’s freshwater fishing beats most states. Florida’s climate keeps fish active year round and plentiful. When fishing in Florida, the obvious first stop is the infamous Lake Okeechobee….
New Jersey is often overlooked when it comes to fishing destinations, which is a big shame because the Garden State is home to a plethora of fishing opportunities. With over 400 lakes, ponds and reservoirs, as well as numerous rivers and the Atlantic Ocean, you’ll find that New Jersey is home to a larger amount…
Virginia doesn’t get talked about enough for its awesome freshwater fishing. It’s hard to wrap my mind around why it hasn’t been talked about more. Virginia has trout streams, giant smooth flowing rivers, and huge reservoirs that have fish that could be champions of the world. Virginia is even home to the famous world record…
If you’ve spent any time around Midwest or Great Lakes anglers, you know walleye isn’t just a fish — it’s practically a regional identity. Part of that comes down to the dinner table (few freshwater fish eat better), but a lot of it comes down to how walleye behave. These are low-light predators with a…
When shopping for fishing gear, we see a lot of products that seem great but often result in wasted money and time. Wasted time includes fishing line and hooks that get stuck or bent under pressure, nets that rip, and tools that fall apart. Wasted money is when you buy fishing gear that doesn’t last…
Fishing might not be the first thing people think about when they travel to Indiana, but they are making a mistake. Indiana has thousands of streams and rivers, over 1,000 lakes, and even a portion of the Lake Michigan coastline. They even have salmon and walleye. There is so much variety here in Indiana. Monroe…
Texas is in a class of its own for freshwater fishing, and there is a good reason for it. With more than a thousand public lakes and reservoirs, nine major river systems, and a climate that allows for year-round fishing, Texas has more productive days on the water than nearly every other state. If you’re…
The Peach State has a handful of fishing options that most people overlook. Every Georgia river, lake, reservoir, beach and stream has enticing fish, from trout in the north to bass in the middle to redfish and striped bass in the south. Georgia is not only one of the best fishing states in the southeast…
Most freshwater fish spend their whole lives in one body of water. Salmon spend theirs crossing an ocean and back — hatching in a small stream, growing to adulthood at sea, and returning, often to the exact gravel bed where it all started, to spawn and complete the cycle. That journey shapes everything about how…
Every angler has a list. Maybe it lives in the back of a notebook, maybe it’s just a running thought in the back of your head, but it’s there. The fish you’ve heard about, the one a guide described in a tone of voice that made you stop whatever you were doing, the species that…
Most people who fish have a short list of places they want to get to before they’re done. A lake they read about in a magazine, a river a friend described with more enthusiasm than usual, a destination they’ve been planning for years without quite pulling the trigger. This list is that conversation in written…
Some fish you catch by accident. Muskie you earn. These are the largest purely freshwater members of the pike family, capable of pushing 50 inches and topping 30 pounds in the right water — and they’ve built a reputation for making anglers wait, sometimes for days, between meaningful encounters. If you’re ready to put in…
There’s a reason trout fishing has its own subculture — its own gear, its own vocabulary, its own magazines. But strip away the mystique and trout are just coldwater fish that respond predictably to temperature, insect activity, and structure. Get those three things right, on a fly rod or a spinning reel, and you’ll catch…
Fishing is a big part of Louisiana culture. Cajun fried fish, sac-a-lait fishing tournaments, trotlines on the bayou, and catching redfish at sunrise in the marsh shows that Louisiana culturally supports fishing, and the water does too. From Toledo Bend on the Texas border all the way to the coastal marshes south of New Orleans,…
Most people asking this question already want a boat. They just want someone to tell them the math works. Sometimes it does. Sometimes it absolutely doesn’t. The honest answer depends almost entirely on how often you fish, what type of water you’re on, and whether you walk into ownership with a clear picture of what…
Alaska shouldn’t be compared to any other states when it comes to fishing. With over 3 million lakes, 12,000 rivers, and 34,000 miles of coastline, this state has it all and then some when it comes to fishing. Alaska is the only state where you can catch all five species of Pacific salmon. If fishing…
Most visiting anglers don’t realize how good South Carolina is for freshwater fishing until they actually visit. The state has mountain trout streams, blackwater rivers, and even landlocked striped bass fishing that is legendary and deservedly so. With 14 major reservoirs covering nearly 370,000 acres, South Carolina has a lot to offer in the fishing…
While fishing conversations mostly focus on the East or West coasts, Missouri has some of the best lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water that combine to make some of the best fishing spots in the entire Midwest. Between the Ozark national reservoirs, the northern lakes loaded with catfish and crappie, trophy trout tailwaters near…