Published Articles

By

Jim Porter

"Winter Crappie Locations" Whether you call him Crappie, Freckles, Specks or Specked Perch, he sure is a tasty eating panfish. Rolled in a bit of cornmeal and fried to a golden brown, a platter of Mom's crappie sure was good when we were kids. 

"Fall Bass Observations" Of all nature's forces which affect bass, seasonal aspects have the most pronounced impacts. It can be truly said that the habits and lifestyles of most fish, the bass included, are ruled by the weather. 

"How To Find Trophy Bass" 'Trophy' bass come in three sizes-big, bigger and 'holy mackerel, Kingfish'!! A 5-6 pound largemouth is worth 'bragging rights' in the more northern states, while Florida and Georgia  residents don't bat an eye unless the old sow is over 12. 

"Are the "Superlines" For You?" In recent years, one of the most fielded questions in fishing has to do with the so-called advantages or disadvantages of 'super lines'. 

"The Simplest Worm Rig" Of all the ways to catch bass, the plastic worm is probably the most productive method, day-in  and day-out. 

"Reading The Weather" It does not matter if you fish, hunt, play golf, or just plan to cut the lawn tomorrow; you need to be able to reasonably forecast your probable weather. 

"Deep Water Bassin' In Florida" The Sunshine State is known the world over for its outstanding and consistent bass fishing. Lead the discussion around to deep water angling and you will find that 8 feet is considered deep and 12 feet is ultra-deep. 

"Florida Freshwater Fishing Tour: East Lake" East Lake Toho is the "sleeper"in our 12-part series Florida fresh water lakes. It produces many trophy bass annually and is an excellent crappie lake. 

 "Land Of The Giants"Our fishing area was a special place, one where Fred would be doing a goodly amount of his study effort. I remember, so vividly, the look on his face when that first giant bass broke the surface and threw out the plastic worm. I estimated it to be in the vicinity of 14 or 15 pounds. A genuine 'grown' fish, for sure!   

"Spring Transition" Spring is the time of great fishing expectations, as anglers dust of their gear, service the boat and prepare to venture away from the side of the fireplace. And, spring fishing is great, IF one manages to get everything just right on a given day. 

"Logs and Bass" Nearly every bass angler around knows the potential of fishing wood, especially logs and tree tops. Properly fishing a potentially good log is much like fishing any other structure feature. 

"Cypress Tree Bassin'" In all the great outdoors of fishing, nothing compares to the raw beauty of stands of cypress lining the shore or filling a shallow flat. They almost shout "BASS" at the fisherman, as their gnarled trunks and sprawling root systems provide a bonanza of cover and bassin' potential. 

"Winter Fishin' Fashions" When the grass crackles and crunches under foot early in the morning and a film of ice forms around the boat ramp, the time has come to make an adjustment in fishing attire. 

"It's Shiner Time!!!!" If you are truly serious about wanting to catch that 'bass of a lifetime', now is the time and live shiners are the bait. Without a doubt, the shiner is the deadliest morsels with which to tempt your trophy into the livewell. 

"Some Fishing Is A Real Drag" Fishing line is the primary link between fisherman and fish and is also very fragile connection. However, in nearly every case, line failure is directly attributable to the angler; something he either did or didn't do. 

"Find And Mark Your Fish" Outdoor magazines, newspapers, books and even television programs 'structure' as THE KEY to repetitively successful bassin'. 

"Trolling - Why" In many bassin' circles, trolling is often considered the lowest form of fishing. However, it is positively one of the most effective way to rapidly locate and catch bass. Period. 

"I Heard the Farm 13/Stick Marsh Is Done For" One thing I have found in all my years, both as a fisherman and as an outdoor writer, is that rumors beget rumors.

"The Weekend Crowds - How To Compensate" One of the most frustrating sights for the weekend angler is to show up at his favorite bassin' hole at O'dark Thirty in the morning and find three club tournaments and a host of locals going out of the same ramp. 

"A Reminder" Our gentle sport of fishing can often be hazardous, especially if we forget the little things. 

"Tidal Water Bassin'" In 30 years of bass fishing, the most predictably and consistently productive waters this author has found have always been in tidal areas.

"Senor And Senorita Bass" Many anglers read of the great bass fishing 'South of the Border', but usually wind up thinking that it must be a sales pitch. For me, it was extremely exciting and successful. 

"Autumn Gold" The soft rustle of gold and red leaves in the light afternoon winds and the crackle, underfoot, of their fallen comrades signifies that the season is fast changing. 

"Creek Channel Bassin'" Understand them and learn the seasonal bass movements and habits related to the channel features and you'll become a more effective angler. 

"Take a Kid Fishin'!!" As I sit by this warm fire and reflect on memorable experiences of days gone by, some of the more enjoyable moments involved teaching children and young people how to fish.            

"Pre-Winter Bass Love Crank Plugs!!" Shallow zone crank baits are top producers during the fall. In fact, for fall bass on shallow cover areas, the controlled depth lure is our first choice. 

"The Carolina Worm Rig" Learning to fish a plastic worm is serious business because it is the most productive and consistent way there is to catch bass.

"Spinnerbaits: Fishin' With Scrap-Iron" While the spinner bait is actually a jig with a wire extension arm, it can be fished any number of ways. 

"The Summer-Fall-Winter Transition" Of all nature's forces which affect bass, seasonal aspects have the most pronounced impacts. 

"Small Lures Equal More Bass" Today's bass anglers are constantly bombarded with new equipment promising to improve their angling success. Every day a new lure comes onto the scene, guaranteeing to be the fabled 'magic bait' or the answer to all fishing problems. 

"Born Again!! The Phenomenon of Lake Draw-down" During the most recent draw-down, Nature was provided a major helping hand, thanks to a massive pre-planning effort, excellent cooperation among  the governmental agencies involved, and an allocation of operating funds. 

"Bluff Bass" Understanding how to approach the bluff structures and present lures upon them can add a most lucrative dimension to your bassin' success.

"Tournament Traps, Tricks, and Tips" Tournament bass fishing has fast become a favorite sport for many individuals, as well as a way to make a living for some.

"Death Of a Lake" What had once been a beautifully clear, sparkling lake now bared its soul to all observers-an ugly scar in the earth decorated by oozing, greenish-brown slime, encrusted drink cans, and a rusted mass that once was the pride of Frigidaire. 

"Road(Beds) to Success" Road beds, not being obvious except to the seasoned knowledgeable anglers, are rarely fished, often resulting in a bassin' bonanza for the one who puts forth the effort to locate them. 

"The Forgotten Lure" While the plastic worm and the jig take some getting used to, the crank plug is pretty simple-cast, retrieve; cast, retrieve. 

"Take a Worm Swimming" The Swimming Worm rig is the easiest way to fish a plastic worm that exists.  One simply casts it out and reels it back. 

"The Summer Dog-Days: More Myth Than Truth "There are few anglers on the waters and those who do venture out enjoy rather short days, mainly confined to the cooler periods of early morning/late afternoon. 

"The Hookset - Your Contact to the Fish" The second most-asked question about" worm fishing is "When do I set the hook?" 

Tackle Selection: A "Balancing Act" Mr. Webster's dictionary defines balance as "to bring into harmony or proportion", and this well suits the matching of the various components of angling gear. 

"The St. John's Restoration Project Florida's Best Fishery" As a side-benefit, the on-going  St. Johns River Restoration is in process of creating marvelous opportunities for the outdoors-person. 

"Homely' Bass" There are a hundred (maybe a thousand) and one theories about where bass spend the MAJORITY of their time. I'm talking about what we like to call the "home" area.

"The St. Johns River Restoration Project" Lying just to the West of the cities of Melbourne and Palm Bay, the St. Johns is given birth in a large marsh drainage area encompassing some 900 square miles. 

"Grubby Bass" The grub lure has been around a long time and, with the common jig, is probably the simplest, and one of the most productive tools for bassin'.

"Memories" Opening the old relic produced a gold mine of long-forgotten treasures. A lifetime of fishing memories were revisited as the contents were displayed.

"The Ultimate Crappie Lure" While the Crappie is one of the tastiest of our fresh water table fare, I, usually, consider him to be one of the dumbest fish that swims. 

"The Fables and Facts of Fishing" "I can catch bass any time and any place", the Big-time, Weekend Semi-Pro boasted. "Yes sir, I got those fish figured and if I don't limit out, there ain't no fish in the lake."

"Worm Rigs: How and when to use them" The plastic worm has come to be regarded, by the majority of anglers, as the single most effective lure for bassin'.                      

"The ST. Johns River Trilogy" In the world of bass angling, there is a name synonymous with the great expectations of trophy Largemouths at the end of taunt, singing lines and straining rod tips. It is a'living' legend and probably the most famous bassin' water in the World-the fabled St. Johns River of Florida.