Robert Earl Woodard, a passionate angler from Alabama, has a very particular way of catching lunker bass. He uses no rod, reel, or fishing line; all he needs to catch his trophy fish is his hands! Continue reading this article and find out how Robert got into hand-landing largemouth bass, how it feels to catch such big and powerful creatures with your bare hands, and what his PB bass is. It doesn’t happen very often, but every once in a while, I find a really unique and fascinating fishing story online that I would like to find out more about and write down here on Strike&Catch. Robert’s s ..read more

Featured image courtesy of Kenny Darwin In a scary incident that underscores the unpredictable nature of river fishing near low-head dams, three fishermen experienced a near-tragic event on Friday, March 8, when their boat capsized in the turbulent waters near the 6th Street Dam in downtown Grand Rapids. This story not only highlights the inherent risks associated with fishing near such powerful structures but also showcases the incredible sense of community and quick action among fellow anglers. The Incident Unfolds It was an ordinary day turned extraordinary for three anglers who found them ..read more

Featured image courtesy of Logan Peterson The walleye, known scientifically as Sander vitreus, is not only one of North America’s most popular game fish but also a very important apex predator for ecosystems in lakes and rivers. Walleyes are abundant and thriving in many waters across the continent, but as winters become both shorter and warmer, this spring-spawning fish appears to be struggling. A recent comprehensive study published in Limnology and Oceanography Letters casts a worrying shadow over the future of this awesome fish, unveiling the increasingly precarious position walleye popula ..read more

In a dramatic rescue operation on Thursday evening, a 36-year-old man was saved from the icy grips of Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis, highlighting the dangers of thin ice during this most unusual of winter seasons. The incident, which occurred approximately 100 feet from shore, prompted a swift response from local authorities and has since sparked a state-wide call for increased ice safety awareness. According to reports from FOX 9, CBS News, and Bring Me the News, the Minneapolis Park Police, along with Minneapolis Police Department officers and Hennepin EMS Paramedics, were dispatched to t ..read more

In a bid to accommodate the growing popularity of catch-and-release fishing and shed light on native rough fish, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has announced significant changes to its record fish program, effective March 1, 2024. Anglers are set to benefit from expanded opportunities as catch-and-release records will now be attainable for 18 additional species in addition to the four previously recognized. Mandy Erickson, fisheries program consultant, expressed excitement about the prospect, stating, “Angler stories and photos of the huge fish caught from Minnesota’s lakes, riv ..read more

A 59-year-old Michigan resident lost his life after going through the ice during a recent fishing trip on Little Bass Lake (Mecosta County). According to the official news reports, the ice angler had fallen through sometime around 9 p.m. on Monday, February 26. Shortly after, Mecosta County deputies arrived at the scene after having responded to a call from the man’s family members, who’d located him but were unable to get him out of the water. The rescuers were able to pull the ice fisher out of the water fairly quickly but noticed that the man wasn’t breathing. Tragically, despite all life-s ..read more

A few weeks ago, Hinton Carroll (age 11) from West Monroe, Louisiana, made waves on Toledo Bend when he landed one of the lake’s monster bass. The incredible catch turned out to weigh over 10 pounds, which qualified it for the popular Toledo Bend Lunker Bass Program. Read on to find out just how much Hinton’s lunker bass weighed and get more details about the lake’s exciting and important catch-and-release program. Qualifying for the TBA Junior World Championship Some cool bass dudes! (Courtesy of Claire Smalling Carroll) Hinton and his fishing partner Nate were fishing the Toledo Bend Lake on ..read more

Young angler Silas Newhouse was fishing on the Snake River in Washington together with his dad and a good friend of his when he hooked up to a really big walleye. Read on to get all the details about this memorable fishing trip and find out how much Silas’ PNW monster walleye weighed. It’s not every day that you see a youngster with a really large fish, which is why the Facebook post about Silas and his big walleye caught my attention. I wanted to find out more, so I reached out to his dad, Ryan, and the guide, Doug Richard Jr, who had taken the two out on the Snake River that day. Both Ryan ..read more

As a result of an unconventionally warm winter, the Great Lakes’ ice cover is almost non-existent and has reached a historic record low. Keep reading this article to get all the facts and data and discover just how little ice there currently is on the five Great Lakes and Lake St. Clair. A Tough Year for Ice Fishing on the Great Lakes If you’re an ice angler like me, chances are you’ve had a hard time finding good ice this year. It seems like we just can’t get rid of this winter’s abnormally high temperatures. I mean, I think many of us are used to milder periods during the winter by now, but ..read more

In an unexpected turn of events, the new Kansas state record crappie after steel ball bearings had been found stuffed inside the fish. I covered the controversial story of this record crappie last month and am now publishing this follow-up article. Keep reading to get all the details on this most interesting and shocking of fishing stories!  The Back Story A really big Kansas white crappie It was on March 5, 2023, that Topeka resident Bobby Parkhurst was fishing at Pottawatomie State Fishing Lake No. 2 when a huge crappie took his minnow. Shortly after, the fish had been weighed and verif ..read more