Anglers often talk about bottom transitions, but beyond the stan- dard mantra of “go fish them,” that’s about all we hear. That’s a bit like saying “structure is good, so go fish it.”

“It takes a little time and effort to access,” Lawrence Taylor says about one of his favorite bank- fishing spots at a lake near his Arkansas home, “but when we get there we always have it to ourselves, and the fish act like they’ve never seen a lure.”

What’s more fun than hammering skinny water largemouths—those fish that bust your topwater over shallow, emerging weeds, or inhale a spinnerbait helicoptered beside a dock piling? Not much.

This story was selected as the top submission in the recent Salute Our Soldiers contest, sponsored by Schrade Knives. Rafael “Rafa” Beltran will receive a 12-inch Uncle Henry fillet knife, engraved with his name and branch of service, as well as a commemorative eagle sculpture.

Although they were strangers from different parts of the country, Army Master Sergeant Tom Luciano, Staff Sergeant Brian Pessink and Staff Sergeant James Young became instant friends through fishing and their membership in the NAFC.

Want to get your big fish photo pub­lished in North American Fisherman? Don’t shoot it with your smart phone.

Slight differences in sunfish mouth configurations represent huge differences in feeding behaviors.

When grading cast-n-crank lures, lipless crankbaits score high, producing bass bites with little input from the angler on the other end of the line.

River walleyes – and often the biggest ones a system has to offer – frequently prefer the subtle swing and swagger of a suspending jerkbait.

It was mid-August and hot when I met Eric Haataja at the boat ramp in downtown Milwaukee. A stiff wind was blowing from the west; the same wind the area had enjoyed for over a week.