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A Sea Bass Population Boom
Recreational anglers have long blamed commercial fishermen for many fisheries ills. Commercial fishers look at vastly inflated MRIP catch numbers and point the finger squarely at recreational anglers. Well, mercy… I think management, however well intentioned, is way off with sea bass. Certainly not on purpose. Indeed, bad recreational catch…
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Ask an Expert Angler: Captain Tim Blanchard of Fish the Potomac
June 21, 2026
This month we check in with Captain Tim Blanchard of Fish the Potomac. The Fish the Potomac fleet casts into the waters in and around the nation’s capital year-round, targeting multiple species but…
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Paddler's Edge: Don't Make These 5 Mistakes While Kayak Fishing!
June 19, 2026
Mistakes? We all make them now and then. But picking the wrong movie on a Saturday night or making a mistake while out kayak fishing are two very different things. Picking the wrong movie may get you…
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Striped Bass and Temperature Mortality
June 17, 2026
In 2024 I was invited to jump on a boat to catch striped bass — out of season! After learning it was to participate in a George Mason University Fisheries Ecology Lab study on the catch-and-release…
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Fishing the Trees
September 16, 2023
Trees lying in the water present something of a conundrum: we know they create some serious fish-attracting structure, but we also know they’re magnificent snag-machines. What tactics can you use to…
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Team FishTalk II
September 13, 2023
When I exited school and had no kids, no real job, and no serious obligations, naturally, I fished just about every waking hour. A buddy and I would pore over ADC map books (remember those?) looking…
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Nuggets of Fishing Knowledge
September 11, 2023
Surely you’ve seen the videos on YouTube where anglers go casting for catfish with chicken nuggets, hamburger chunks, or some other bizarre bait to prove that you can catch these fish on just about…
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Ultralight Fishing for Beginners
September 9, 2023
When it comes to fighting fish, gear size is relative. Sure, you can feel 10-inch white perch tug against a 20-pound spinning rod as you crank it up, but crank it up is about all you’ll do. Engage in…
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Casting for Spanish Mackerel: Mack Speed
September 7, 2023
We at FishTalk love getting a bit scientificalish now and again (see articles like Fishing Line Stretch Test: Stretching the Truth, and Fishing Hook Test: Fowl Play), especially when it uncovers some…
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Chesapeake Bay Entrance Fishing Structure Part II
September 5, 2023
Cape Hatteras is aptly known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic, but Cape Henry at the Chesapeake Bay entrance has collected its share of wrecks - which have become fishing reefs - as well. A cluster…
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