guides

Do You Need a Wading Staff for Fly Fishing?
A wading staff gives you a third point of contact with the riverbed. That single change makes fast water crossable, slick rock manageable, and winter wading genuinely safe. Here's when you need one, what to look for, and how to use it correctly. Read more...
How Do You Keep Drinks Hot While Fishing in Cold Weather?
The right setup for keeping drinks hot while fishing in cold weather is simpler than most people make it — one insulated bottle, one enamel mug, and a few habits that make a real difference over a long day. Read more...
What Are the Best Fishing Gifts Under $50 in 2026?
The best fishing gifts under $50 in 2026 are the ones that actually get used. Here's what I'd give — and what I'd avoid — based on what lands and what ends up in a cupboard. Read more...
Enamel Mug vs Travel Mug: Which Is Better for Outdoor Use?
Enamel mug or travel mug for camping and fishing? Both have a place — but they're not interchangeable. Here's what I've learned from using both in the field, and which one wins for outdoor use. Read more...
What Should You Bring on a Lake Fishing Trip? (Complete Gear List)
Most anglers over-pack tackle and under-pack everything else. Here's the complete gear list for a lake fishing trip — from the essentials to the things that consistently get left behind. Read more...
What Are the Best Personalised Gifts for Fishermen Under $50?
The best personalised gifts for fishermen under $50 are things they'll actually use — not novelty items that end up in a drawer. A personalised enamel mug, a lake photography coaster, and an insulated field bottle cover every budget. Here's what I'd give. Read more...
Trout Fishing with Soft Plastics — What Works, What Doesn't, and Why
Trout are line-shy, cold-water predators that respond to finesse presentations over almost everything else. Here's exactly which soft plastics work, how to rig them, and why the Nordic approach consistently outperforms heavier tackle on pressured trout water. Read more...
The Wacky Rig — How to Set It Up, Fish It, and Why Bass Can't Ignore It
The wacky rig is the simplest soft plastic setup that catches bass refusing every other presentation. Here's exactly how to rig it, fish it, and when to reach for it over everything else in the box. Read more...
Fishing Line — Braid, Monofilament, or Fluorocarbon? The Honest Answer by Situation
The debate between braid, mono, and fluorocarbon never gets resolved because people argue about it in the abstract. The honest answer is that each one is right for specific situations and wrong for others. Here's exactly when to use each one and why. Read more...
Finesse Fishing — What It Actually Means, Why It Works, and When to Use It
Finesse fishing isn't a trend and it isn't timid. It's a specific approach — lighter line, smaller profiles, slower presentations — that consistently catches fish when heavier gear doesn't. Here's the logic behind it and how to apply it. Read more...
The Carolina Rig — How to Fish It, When It Beats Everything Else, and Why Most People Set It Up Wrong
The Carolina rig is the most effective way to cover deep, open-bottom water with a soft plastic. It's also the most commonly set up incorrectly. Here's exactly how it works, what it does that a Texas rig and jig head can't, and when to reach for it. Read more...
Bluegill Fishing with Soft Plastics — The Overlooked Species That Will Sharpen Your Fishing Faster Than Anything Else
Bluegill are in almost every freshwater lake and pond in the US. Most serious anglers walk right past them chasing bass and walleye. That's a mistake — bluegill fishing with light soft plastics teaches presentation precision that carries over to every other species you'll ever target. Read more...
How to Read Water — Finding Fish Before You Make Your First Cast
The anglers who catch fish consistently aren't luckier than everyone else. They're looking at the water differently. Here's how to read a lake or river and understand where fish are before you ever make a cast. Read more...
The Texas Rig — How to Set It Up, Fish It, and Why It Works Where Everything Else Gets Snagged
The Texas rig is the solution to one specific problem: you want to fish a soft plastic through heavy cover without losing a lure every third cast. Once you understand what it does and why, it becomes obvious when to reach for it and when to use something else. Read more...
Zander and Walleye — Why the Same Techniques Catch Both
Zander and walleye are the same fish in different water. The finesse techniques Scandinavian anglers have used on zander for decades — drop shot, light soft plastics, slow retrieves in cold clear water — are the same methods that consistently outperform heavier presentations on walleye across the US Midwest. Here's why, and what it means for how you fish. Read more...
Soft Plastic Lure Colours — When to Use What and Why It Actually Matters
Colour choice on soft plastics isn't guesswork — there's a clear logic based on water clarity, light conditions, and what fish are feeding on. Here's how to read the conditions and pick the right colour every time. Read more...
Crappie Fishing with Soft Plastics — Complete Guide to Catching More Crappie
Crappie are the most caught fish in the United States — and small soft plastics on light jig heads are the most effective artificial presentation for them in almost every condition. Here's the complete guide to locations, rigs, colours, and seasonal tactics. Read more...
Ice Fishing with Soft Plastics — Complete Guide for Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan
Soft plastics are the most underused ice fishing presentation in the US — and consistently outperform live bait on walleye, yellow perch, and pike when fished correctly. Here's the complete guide to rigging, depth, and technique for Great Lakes ice anglers. Read more...
Northern Pike Fishing with Soft Plastics — Complete Guide to Catching Pike in the US
Northern pike are one of the most aggressive freshwater predators in North America — and soft plastics on the right rig consistently outperform hard baits in the cold, clear water they prefer. Here's the complete guide to catching pike with finesse methods. Read more...
Yellow Perch Fishing — Complete Guide to Catching Perch in the US
Yellow perch are one of the most widely caught freshwater fish in the US. This guide covers where to find them, the best lures and rigs, and how to fish them through the seasons across the Great Lakes and Midwest. Read more...
Walleye Fishing with Soft Plastics — The Complete Guide to Catching More Walleye
The complete guide to walleye fishing with soft plastics — every technique, every season, and the finesse approach that consistently outproduces hard baits in cold, clear water. Read more...
Bass Fishing with Soft Plastics — The Complete Guide to Rigs, Techniques, and What Actually Catches Fish
Soft plastics catch more bass than any other lure category. Here's the complete guide — every rig, every technique, and the Scandinavian finesse approach that produces fish when power fishing stops working. Read more...
Best Soft Plastics for Smallmouth Bass — What to Use, Where to Fish, and Why Bronze-Backs Are the Perfect Finesse Target
Smallmouth bass are the ideal soft plastic target — visual feeders in clear water, structure-oriented, and highly responsive to finesse presentations. Here's exactly what to use and where to find them. Read more...
The Ned Rig — How to Fish It, Why It Works, and When to Reach for It
The Ned rig is the most effective finesse presentation in bass fishing. A small piece of plastic standing upright on the bottom catches fish in conditions where everything else fails. Here's exactly how to set it up and fish it. Read more...
Drop Shot Fishing for Bass — The Complete Guide to the Rig That Catches Fish When Nothing Else Does
The drop shot is the most effective finesse technique for pressured bass, clear water, and deep structure. Here's how to rig it, fish it, and when to reach for it over every other presentation. Read more...
Soft Plastics for Bass Fishing — The Complete Guide to Rigs, Profiles, and When to Use Each One
Soft plastics catch more bass than any other lure category. Here's the complete guide to choosing the right profile, rig, weight, and color for every bass fishing situation. Read more...
Best Soft Plastics for Walleye — What to Use Every Season and Why
The best soft plastic for walleye changes with the season. Here's exactly what to use in spring, summer, fall, and winter — and why the same lure that catches fish in October won't work in July. Read more...
Drop Shot Fishing for Walleye — How to Rig It, Fish It, and Why It Works When Nothing Else Does
The drop shot is the most effective walleye technique for neutral fish, post-frontal conditions, and deep structure. Here's exactly how to rig it and fish it. Read more...
Drop Shot Fishing — How to Rig It, Fish It, and Why It Outperforms Everything Else in Certain Conditions
  The drop shot rig is the most effective technique for perch and zander in Norwegian lakes when fish are holding deep or refusing horizontal presentations. Here's exactly how to set it up and fish it. Read more...
Soft Plastic vs Hard Lure for Perch — When Each Works and Why
Soft plastics outperform hard lures for perch in cold water, clear conditions, and over structure. Hard lures win in summer when perch are actively chasing. Full breakdown of when to use each. Read more...
Zander Fishing with Soft Plastics — Depth, Retrieve Speed, and Lure Size
Zander take soft plastics best in 4–8m of water on a slow bottom retrieve. Use 3–4 inch paddle tails or twister tails on 5–10g jig heads. Full technique breakdown by season and conditions. Read more...
How to Rig a Soft Plastic Lure — Jig Head, Drop Shot, and Texas Rig Explained
The three essential soft plastic rigs are the jig head, drop shot, and Texas rig. Each works in different conditions — here's exactly how to set each one up and when to use it. Read more...
Best Soft Plastic Lures for Pike Fishing in Scandinavia (By Season and Conditions)
The best soft plastic lures for pike in Scandinavia are large split-tail worms and paddle tails fished slow and deep in cold water, faster near the surface in summer. Full seasonal breakdown. Read more...
What Weight Jig Head for Perch? The Exact Answer by Depth and Conditions
The right jig head weight for perch is 2–4g in shallow water under 3m, 5–7g for mid-depth, and 8–12g for deep or fast-moving water. Full breakdown by depth, season, and lure size. Read more...