WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2025   |   SUBSCRIBE    ARCHIVES   
Featuring a short, stubby body with a long tail, the 4" Thresher Worm is based on a design from Big Bite pro Chris Noffsinger.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is moving forward with targeted, seasonal protections for the bonefish pre-spawning aggregation (PSA) site discovered by Bonefish & Tarpon Trust in Biscayne National Park in the spring of 2023.
The initiative, run by the Environmental Justice Journalism Initiative (EJJI), rewards local anglers with $30 (!!) for every invasive fish head they turn in—including snakeheads, blue catfish and flathead catfish.
High temperatures and low water can make it tough for trout to survive catch-and-release--here are some tips to help.
Known for its impressive payouts and large fish, this year’s event lived up to its reputation—dishing out more than $1.78 million in total prize money and reaffirming its status as one of the Gulf’s most prestigious tournaments.
If you haven’t had a chance to provide input on the draft Adirondack Brook Trout Pond Management Plan (PDF), there’s still time! Written comments will be accepted through June 30, 2025.
The 16th Annual High School Fishing World Finals and National Championship – the world’s premier high school fishing event – is set to take place at Grand Lake in Grove, Oklahoma, next week, June 25-27.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Enforcement Division has been awarded three Sea Tow Foundation Life Jacket Loaner Program stations across the state.
The Fly Rod Crosby Outdoor Lifetime Achievement Award honors not only the annual recipient, but also recognizes Cornelia "Fly Rod" Crosby, and her work in promoting and showcasing Maine's outdoors.
Fish Monkey offers a variety of styles and sizes to fit every fishing duty this summer--check the offerings here.
It chugs and pushes water like a topwater but also darts and can go subsurface like a twitchbait, and it catches everything from snook and stripers on the coast to largemouth bass in fresh water.
Minnesota-based hi-tech sunglasses manufacturer, RVLNT, has introduced another frame style to its current collection of 13 unique frames.
The St. Johns River Water Management District has recognized the recent approval and purchase of more than 78,000 acres of conservation lands throughout Florida,
The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame continues to prove its commitment to conservation by again granting a total of $40,000 to be dispersed among eight different bass fishing-related conservation projects.
American boats swept the Top 5 positions as the USA Bass Team cruised to victory at the recent Pan-American Bass Championship at Lake Cuchillo in Mexico.
Each extra-strong hook is housed in versatile packaging that seamlessly integrates with our innovative OCD Storage System, set to revolutionize your hook organization.
Professional anglers from the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour spent their off day before competition at Lowrance Stage 5 at Kentucky Lake Presented by Mercury giving back to the local community in two impactful ways
Powered by Yamaha V MAX SHO® 250-horsepower outboards and designed with features that prioritize functionality and performance, the ZXE models offer upgraded gauges with digital functions, updated all-fiberglass front decks and upgraded performance seating.
Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Rob Wittman (R-VA) introduced legislation to reauthorize the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund (Trust Fund), which funds critical conservation programs and recreational boating infrastructure projects in all 50 states.
Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ (ADCNR) Marine Resources Division (MRD) indicated the private recreational harvest had hit 135,193 pounds as of June 1, after just one week of open season!
This community-driven club is designed to bring together anglers of all experience levels, promote sustainable fishing practices, and encourage conservation efforts across the state.
Garmin has announced the GPSMAP® 15×3 chartplotter, providing boaters, cruisers and sailors with an ultrawide 15-inch touchscreen for a stunning high-resolution display, superior clarity and a sleek design to optimize space in the helm.
At each free event, MDC staff will explain how to paddle and maneuver a kayak, and then participants will have the opportunity to try the sport for themselves.
Meet Mad Scientist Tackle’s jig trifecta, all featuring the innovative company’s exclusive coating for greater UV and infrared visibility.
This anthology of Monte Burke's best writing includes 31 stories of fishing with the famous and not so famous around the world, told by an award-winning writer.
The island state is known for saltwater angling, but also provides specialized freshwater trout fishing opportunities for beginners.
People can learn more about frogging at the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) free program “Field to Freezer: Pond to Table Frogging Clinic” on June 30 from 6-9:30 p.m. at MDC’s Andy Dalton Shooting Range and Outdoor Education Center.
Representatives from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) and Choctaw County took part in a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate recent renovations to McCarty’s Ferry Public Boat Ramp on the Tombigbee River about 14 miles south of Butler, Alabama.
Arguably the most consistent angler all week, Alabama angler Wes Logan won the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Lake Tenkiller with a four-day total of 63 pounds.
The 2025 recreational bay scallop season in the Fenholloway – Suwannee River Zone opened June 15 and will remain open through Labor Day (Sept. 1).
Channel Cats, blues and flatheads are all active in summer and ready to bite now in Oklahoma lakes and rivers.
Purpose-built for life beyond the hunt, the new footwear lineup brings comfort, durability, and utility to warm-weather recreation and everyday wear, all without losing sight of SITKA’s outdoor roots.
St. Croix Rod expands the angler-favorite Mojo Musky lineup with three all-new longer models – a 10’ heavy power JOMFG100HF2, a 10’ extra-heavy power JOMFG100XHF2, and a 10’6” heavy power JOMFG106HF2.
Sunline provides a large palette of choices in the most popular braid strength for spinning tackle, 15-pound-test. See which one will work best for your type of fishing here.
As it continues to grow as the network for those passionate about outdoor sports, Outdoor America is pleased to announce the addition of On The Water’s Angling Adventures.
Furuno has announced new episodes of its popular "Making Waves" video podcast are airing, offering boaters, anglers, and marine electronics enthusiasts an inside look at the latest in marine technology, compelling stories from the water, and expert advice you can count on.
Built from the same Mega Floater Formula as its bigger brother, the 3.25" Slinko is designed for scenarios in which smaller bait is the ticket.
The Gulf Council relies heavily on public input to guide its decisions, and this new voicemail option aims to broaden stakeholder access to federal fisheries management and encourage more voices to be heard.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks game wardens are seeking information on the identity of an individual who broke into the self-pay station at Voyager’s Rest Fishing Access Site (FAS) near Ballantine
 

Will bass boaters succumb to “bigger screen itus” in the race to visualize every fish in the lake?

Not surprisingly as the race to spot every minnow, crawfish and crab in the waters of America, more big screens are showing up on more boats. 

Furuno has just made a pre-emptive strike in “big screen itus” with introduction of a 55” charting screen, the PS-100, which the company says is aimed at giving a paper chart feel to precise long range electronic navigation. That giant—which, yes, would be about the right size on which to watch the Super Bowl while onboard—does not have sonar.

Yet.

Furuno has not yet listed the price. My guess is, if you have to ask, you can’t afford it. Clearly, this giant is aimed at ships and large yachts, but it’s a symptom of the new strategy in marine electronics—apparently, no screen is too big for serious mariners and anglers.

Largest full function sonar/gps MFD at present is the Garmin GPSMAP 27, at $17,000 less transducer or other connections. 

Raymarine’s Axiom 2 comes in sizes to 24” diagonal. With the right transducer (also very pricey) this $16,000 giant can reach out up to 750’ on each side of the boat, a nice advantage in scanning for open water pelagics as well as scoping bottom for reefs, wrecks and other structure.

The largest screen I’ve personally seen on a bass boat thus far is the 16” Garmin on the front of Alabama pro basser Hayden Marbut’s fishing machine. He also has a 12” screen up there and two more on the console, and catches a lot of fish as a result. 

Not many other pro bass anglers are using 16-inchers at this point, but some combination of 10- and 12-inch models, at least three and usually four, are common in both the Bassmaster Elites and the Major League Fishing BPT.

Saltwater anglers also love big screens, allowing them to see minute details including baitfish and even individual lures.

The arrival of forward scanning sonar, driven in large part by tournament fishing, has been a huge shot in the arm for the marine electronics companies, with Garmin, Humminbird and Lowrance all benefiting in fresh water, Raymarine and Furuno in salt water.

The obvious advantage of the bigger screen is the same as you get with a bigger flat-screen TV at home—you can see a lot more detail. In fact, experienced users can not only tell a bass from a crappie from a catfish, they can pretty much tell the size of a bass from what they see on-screen. It’s a huge advantage when fish are suspended in open water.

While you can get into the forward scanning game for about $2500 with a 7” Garmin plus transducer and black box at present, most anglers invest $5,000 or more for a 10” or larger screen. The minimum is one of these up front, and another head unit linked in on the console to allow rapidly scouting a new lake. 

Add another $5,000 for a trolling motor that will hold your boat exactly where you want it by talking to your GPS systems, $3,000 or more for a set of lithium batteries to power everything and the sticker price on that new boat goes up fast.

Furuno’s new 55” dedicated electronic charting machine is aimed at ships and large yachts—is it the max for marine electronics or just another stepping stone in the race?

Furuno’s Omni 360, which we’ve reviewed here before, can scan a circle a half-mile in diameter for marlin, tuna and other big pelagics, and has had a remarkable effect on catch rates of these giant fish—at a cost of over $100,000 per unit, plus installation of 25 to 30 grand. (You have to have a hole put in the bottom of the boat.) 

These are primarily being sold to charter skippers, who have to have them to compete with those who have made the investment, and to those who captain private sportfishers competing in the million dollar billfish tournaments around the southeastern U.S. and throughout the Caribbean. 

 
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