New Fishing Footwear for 2024
On The Water
by OTW Staff
2d ago
When it comes to fishing, it’s tough to find one do-it-all shoe. Some have non-marking soles that excel on boat decks, some feature Vibram grips ideal for rock jetties, some are ventilated for wading the flats, and others just flat out look good. When it’s time to choose the right fishing shoes for your pursuits, consider their composition, their purpose, their comfort, and most of all, their practicality. Deck boots aside, these are some of our wildly different in-house selections for the best new fishing footwear available this year, to cover every possible scenario on the water. (Note: On T ..read more
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Yamaha Pro Justin Hamner is the 2024 Bassmaster Classic Champion
On The Water
by OTW Staff
3d ago
TULSA, Okla.–Yamaha Pro Angler Justin Hamner caught a total of 58 pounds, 3 ounces on Grand Lake to capture a wire-to-wire victory at the 2024 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic®. The fourth year Bassmaster Elite Series pro from Northport, Ala., said openly that he “just had a feeling” coming into this year’s Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors that he was going to win. In three days on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees, he turned that feeling into a hard-core reality. Hamner completed an assault on B.A.S.S. history with a Championship Sunday limit of five bass that weighed ..read more
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Fishing the Chesapeake Bay in April
On The Water
by Alex Gallardo-Perez
3d ago
Anglers have a plethora of opportunities when fishing the Chesapeake Bay in April, as most fish species are in the midst of their annual spawning runs up the headwaters of connecting tributaries. The most challenging decision anglers face in April is determining what to fish for and where to go in the region.   Some anglers, particularly those in Maryland, don’t eagerly anticipate April. The implementation of new emergency regulations has completely shut down striped bass fishing in Maryland waters, even for catch-and-release anglers. This marks the second year Maryland has closed th ..read more
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Penobscot River Smallmouth
On The Water
by Ryan Lilly
3d ago
Smallmouth aren’t native to Maine. These voracious fish arrived thanks to bucket biology and are thriving in the Pinetree State. Even though bass are the second-most sought-after game fish in the state, they don’t receive the same level of positive PR. Because Maine’s pride and joy are native brook trout and landlocked salmon, many anglers view bass as a threat. They spawn at much higher rates, competing for the same resources as the preferred cold-water species. Although you can find them anywhere in the state, the best smallmouth fishing tends to be in clear lakes throughout northern Maine ..read more
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Marine Art Contest for Massachusetts Students
On The Water
by OTW Staff
5d ago
Shortfin Mako Shark — Shijun L., grade 7, Pike School, Andover, MA Art and marine science merge in a program sponsored by the Massachusetts Marine Educators (MME) and Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. An annual marine art contest challenges students in grades K-12 to explore marine biodiversity in the sanctuary, located at the mouth of Massachusetts Bay.  This year’s deadline is May 10. The contest encourages students to learn about the wide array of species in their ocean backyard, and through understanding be better prepared to make informed decisions about local ocean issues ..read more
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Striper Migration Map – March 22, 2024
On The Water
by OTW Staff
6d ago
The Striper Migration Map is back for 2024! It’s officially spring, and after another mild winter, ocean water temperatures are about where they were one year ago. Inshore areas of Chesapeake Bay are warming past the 50-degree mark and big bass are moving into tributaries to spawn. Over 2,000 anglers have already signed up for the Striper Cup! Sign up today, and we’ll ship out your Striper Cup box loaded with stickers, discount codes, a Rapala lure, and a fresh, new Columbia PFG shirt featuring an awesome hand-drawn striper design. Maryland/Chesapeake Bay Striper Fishing Report Catch-and-rele ..read more
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Top Lures for Herring-Hunting Stripers
On The Water
by Jimmy Fee
6d ago
Remember live-lining herring? These silver bullets seemed tailor-made to be used as live bait. Their size was just right to lob out from shore. They were easily found and acquired, and bass of all sizes couldn’t swim past them without taking a swipe. But river herring have fallen on hard times, and closures have put them off-limits as bait. This isn’t news; in Massachusetts, the herring ban is more than a decade old. Many of today’s surfcasters weren’t even fishing at the time herring were a legal bait option. New Jersey, Connecticut and Rhode Island also have a moratorium on this baitfish. Be ..read more
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New Jersey Speckled Trout
On The Water
by Ken McDermott
1w ago
When most fishermen catch word of a speckled sea trout caught in New Jersey, they immediately dismiss it as an incidental catch, a lost fish that wandered too far north. But that’s not the case. New Jersey has its very own population of speckled trout, and there is a small fraternity of anglers who successfully target this species in Garden State waters in the fall. George Spaulding of Cape May Court House has caught over 1,000 “specks” from Cape May County waters, topped off by a 9.5-pounder. George and his wife can be found speck fishing long after the last striper fisherman has called it a ..read more
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Pan-Roasted Tautog Puttanesca
On The Water
by Captain Brian Coombs
1w ago
Pan-Roasted Tautog Puttanesca One 4-6 lb. tautog or black sea bass 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup diced fresh garlic 1/4 cup salted capers 1 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives 3 – 14oz cans of Italian cherry tomatoes (I use MUTTI brand) Salt and ground black pepper 1 lb. linguine pasta (I use an artisanal dry pasta because it stays al dente and holds on to sauce better) Gut and clean the fish. (Tog doesn’t need to be scaled, but sea bass does.) Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Heat a sauté pan on the stove, then add olive oil, diced garlic, capers and pepper. Sauté for 1 minute and then add the olives ..read more
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Catch Big Bass Without Forward-Facing Sonar
On The Water
by Pete Robbins
1w ago
Forward-facing sonar is all that anyone can talk about these days, from the launch ramp to the tournament weigh-in line. It’s a deeply polarizing subject, with some anglers happily relying exclusively on it and others shunning it like kryptonite. No matter where you stand on the issue, it’s here and it’s permitted, at least for the time being, but that doesn’t mean you have to use it to be successful. Yes, savvy technicians are finding populations of bass that were previously untapped. They’re hunting down giant loners like trophy bucks. They’re adding extra fish to their totals on a regular b ..read more
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