Marcus Pelletier

To find fish with a cheap fish finder, find water with real depth change, set gain so the screen stays mostly clean, and move slowly enough that fish draw as separate arches instead of smudges. A budget machine shows you bottom shape and passing fish just as honestly as an expensive setup. It simply asks … Read more

A cold front does not shut fishing down, it changes the game. To learn how to fish a lake during a cold front, plan for slower presentations, smaller baits, deeper water and structure that holds warmth, then work the sheltered, sun-exposed spots most anglers skip. Most of it comes down to preparation and patience. Cold-blooded … Read more

Learning how to fish a lake after heavy rain is less about picking a lucky lure and more about reading water that just changed. Runoff pushes stained water into the lake, forms a mud line, floods the grass and shifts where baitfish and bass are holding. Fish the edge where things meet, match your lure … Read more

Learning how to clean and fillet a fish step by step takes about 20 minutes for a first-timer and gets faster fast. You scale it, cut out the guts, run a sharp knife down along the backbone, and end up with boneless fillets that taste better than anything out of a foam box. A fillet … Read more

To catch trout in a mountain lake, find the cold, oxygen-rich water first, then match your bait to the depth where trout are holding. Small spoons, spinners and worms work for most beginners, and a light spinning rod lets you feel the soft take that high-elevation trout give. A first trip takes about an hour … Read more

To catch catfish in a lake at night, you do three things well: pick a spot where deep water meets a depth change, use a strong-smelling bait like chicken liver or cut shad, and set a rod in a holder with a clicker so you notice a bite without watching the line. Most of the … Read more

You can catch walleye from shore. They feed in water as shallow as 3 feet along a bank in low light, and on a good evening a jig-and-soft-plastic or a slip-bobbered leech will produce fish you never had a boat to reach. Learning how to catch walleye from shore is mostly about picking the right … Read more

Learning how to catch bass in a lake for beginners comes down to four things: fish tight to cover, use a bait that searches on its own, cast it quietly, and set the hook when the line moves sideways. You do not need a boat, a boat ramp reservation, or a pile of lures to … Read more