Photo illustration by Travis Rathbone Twenty minutes after we launched on the Delaware River, the worst fishing guide I ever hired told me he hated his job and that I was stupid for expecting to catch muskies there in April. He failed to mention either of these fun facts when I first called him—and before he cashed my deposit check. That was many years ago, and if I had taken the time to vet the guy first instead of trusting a business card, I might not have endured such an awkward, hopeless day. I swore I’d never make that mistake again. The best reference for a guide or lodge is a thumbs-up ..read more

Jamal Lane. A Georgia hunter who bagged a rare cinnamon phase turkey that he’d been hunting for two years says he almost let the gobbler walk after being struck by the vividly colored bird’s beauty. “When it came out and the sunlight hit him, I just sat there and looked at him,” Jamal Lane told Georgia Outdoor News. “He was so beautiful I didn’t know if I could shoot him.” Lane, a landscaper and experienced outdoorsman who lives in Chula, Georgia, was hunting on family land in Tift County. He set up for the morning hunt by putting out one strutter and several hen decoys, then settled in with ..read more

Sporting clays is a great game to practice for in-the-field shots. Benelli We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more › Once called “hunter’s clays,” the game of sporting clays began as off-season field practice. It is still great field practice, even as it has grown and changed. In a round of sporting clays, you’ll see plenty of targets that simulate shots in the field and quite a few that fly in ways no bird ever could. The learning curve is steep, but you’ll enjoy the climb even though you may never get to the top. Unlik ..read more

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more › We take our gear seriously at F&S, whether it be for hunting, fishing, or camping. Our selections are based on many factors, like quality, price, and purpose—just to name a few. But sometimes there’s more to a fishing jacket or hunting knife than what you see. Through my years of covering the best outdoor gear, I’ve discovered some really cool brands with some really cool stories doing some really cool things. In our new “Behind the Brand” interview series, we are telling tho ..read more

It's the second fishing record to fall in the Hoosier State since the start of 2024. IDNR. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources’s (IDNR) long-standing record for yellow perch was shattered last month, according to an IDNR Facebook post from May 1. Angler Blas Lara caught the new record fish—a 3-pound, 2-ounce jumbo perch—while participating in the Mayor’s Fishing Derby in Hammond, Indiana on the shores of lake Michigan. It outweighed the old record fish, caught in 1981, by nearly a full pound. Yellow perch are a native species in Lake Michigan. They’re popular with anglers because they ..read more

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more › When you’re trying to choose the perfect EDC knife, you want one that’s easy to open, lightweight and compact, and securely locking. The Kershaw Misdirect folding knife fits all those characteristics—and right now, it’s on sale at Amazon for nearly half off. That means you can snag the highly rated pocket knife for just $25. It’s one of the best prices we’ve seen on a blade of this quality. SEE IT With a slim profile, closed length of just 4 inches, and speed safe assisted-o ..read more

Topwater baits that resemble local bream species are deadly for catching bass. Shaye Baker Bluegill, sunfish, shellcracker, and other bream species are abundant across much of North America. These popular panfish are widely accessible and offer anglers exciting action throughout the year. In the spring, these bream will move into shallow areas to spawn. While this is the best time to hook a record panfish, it is also a great time of year to target big bass. Panfish will school up and use their tails to fan out individual beds that are linked together in a honeycomb formation. Though it is tru ..read more

John Hafner Photography “In the Army,” the recruiting ads used to say, “you’ll do more before 9:00 o’clock than most people do all day.” Turkey hunting can be the same. It was 8:37 a.m. when I pulled the trigger on my second and last tom of the season.  Not only had I done more before 9:00 o’clock than most people would do all day, I’d done it with 23 minutes to spare. My reward was the remainder of a long spring day to do absolutely nothing. The day I shoot a turkey is my favorite day of the year. I sat in the field with the bird, aware that I only lay my hands on a turkey once or twice ..read more

Art Weston pulled the alligator gar and the alligator snapper from Sam Rayburn Lake in Texas. Kirk Kirkland. Kentucky angler Art Weston added yet another massive alligator gar to his already impressive list of International Gamefish Association (IGFA) records for the species last month, catching a 188-pound 7-footer on 4-pound line while fishing Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Texas on April 7.  Learn how to subscribe to the new Field & Stream magazine here! Weston was fishing with Kirk Kirkland, the gar guide extraordinaire and captain of the Garfish Enterprise who led him to the all-tackl ..read more

The author (right) and here daughter Emma snap a selfie during a hunt. Alice Jones Webb To celebrate Mother’s Day, all week long we’ll be publishing a series of stories all about moms––about their companionship in the outdoors, about them encouraging us to hunt and fish, and about how we wouldn’t be where we are, or who we are, without them. Fittingly, we’re calling this series “Thanks, Mom.”  It was a sweltering September morning in eastern North Carolina—a stark contrast to the cool, crisp mornings we were accustomed to for deer hunting. My youngest daughter, Emma, and I were perched i ..read more