Deadly Year for Vermont Ice Anglers - 3 Dead in 3 Days; Younger Brother Recounts Harrowing Ordeal
“Mark this day down,” said my younger brother Dana as he opened our conversation during a rare midday call. “I fell through the ice on...
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FISHING
For me, fishing is something that should be fun. It can also be great therapy. Here is an ever-increasing collection of stories, videos and photos, plus links. Check 'em out!
FEATURED STORIES
Ken Perrotte
- Jan 5
Rappahannock River Bass Fishing Very Different When It Comes to Two Main Tidal Sections
Longtime bass anglers Virginia's tidal Rappahannock recently asked Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources fisheries biologists to...
Ken Perrotte
- Oct 22, 2022
Virginia, Maryland Share Young-of-Year Striped Bass Survey Results; TRCP Pushes Menhaden Netting Ban
Striped bass, commonly referred to as "rockfish" around the Chesapeake Bay have seen suffering population numbers in recent years with...
Ken Perrotte
- Sep 28, 2022
Lake Erie: Walleye Wonderland! Fantastic Fishing, Great Guides, Fine Wine - Ever Eat Walleye Wings?
I have come to look forward to fishing the beautiful waters along the Chautauqua County, New York, coastline every summer. The area is a...
Ken Perrotte
- Aug 25, 2022
OBX Tuna Fishing - Cranking in Bigeyes Leaves You with Numb Arms and Ready for a Beer
This short video from our June 2021 trip into the Atlantic Ocean from North Carolina's Outer Banks almost never got put together. We were...
Ken Perrotte
- Aug 6, 2022
Bluefish Cakes - Smoked and Tasty - an Excellent Way to Prepare this Oily, Aggressive Fish
Bluefish often get a bad rap. While generating excitement when battling at the terminal end of your fishing tackle, they rarely elicit...
Ken Perrotte
- Jul 23, 2022
Alaska Man Overcomes PTSD to Design ICAST Winning Cooler with Table & Vacuum Sealer - Best in Show!
I've got to admit that my eyes were getting a little moist as Alaskan Brian MacKinnon shared his story with me -- the anguish and...
Ken Perrotte
- Jun 28, 2022
St. Lawrence River Smallmouth - with Bonus Walleye: Check Another Trip Off the Bucket List
Note: Much of this article also ran in the May 19, 2022 edition of the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star. Fishing guide David Roy splashed...
Ken Perrotte
- May 9, 2022
Recalling a Trip to Ray Scott’s Trophy Bass Retreat -- a Consummate Storyteller & Conservationist
Ray Scott passed away on Sunday, May 8 at around 11:30 p.m. He died peacefully in his sleep of natural causes. Scott was 88 years old....
Ken Perrotte
- Mar 17, 2022
Ice Therapy - A Perch Fix Amid Economic Erosion; A March Trip to the Lake Champlain Islands
By Ken Perrotte Phtooom! The ice covering Vermont’s Lake Champlain was booming earlier this month as temperatures warmed well above...
Ken Perrotte
- Nov 18, 2021
'Next-Level Bass Fishing' a Well-Written Book that Goes Into Angler Psychology as well as Technique
Enlightened bass anglers will likely enjoy a new book by Joe Kinnison titled “Next-Level Bass Fishing.” Printed by Skyhorse Publishing,...
Ken Perrotte
- Oct 3, 2021
Manistee River Fly Fishing Trip Yields Browns, Brookies and a Bonus Big Buck Sighting
Daybreak fog over northern Michigan’s Manistee River was thick as Tim Riley quietly dipped his oars to maneuver our drift boat closer to...
Ken Perrotte
- Sep 7, 2021
PIER GROUPS -- Friends are Just a Cast Away When You Enjoy a Day on a Virginia Fishing Pier
Note: The article originally appeared in the March/April 2020 edition of Virginia Wildlife. Here is it, slightly expanded -- with many...
Ken Perrotte
- Aug 4, 2021
Florida Woman Notches World Record Halibut, Spearfishing the Beast in an Alaskan Kelp Forest
A 32-year-old woman from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., was just certified as the new International Underwater Spearfishing Association (IUSA)...
Ken Perrotte
- Jul 30, 2021
Soft Lure Wins 2021 ICAST Best of Show; Pure Fishing Dominates Competition This Year
A soft lure won Best of Show honors at last week’s ICAST (International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades) show in Orlando,...
Ken Perrotte
- May 29, 2021
Flashback to When Catching Daytime Swordfish was Mostly a Fantasy -- Then Came the Stanczyks
By Ken Perrotte Author's note: Lately, my mind is flowing back to some incredible fishing trips I've written about in the Florida Keys,...
Ken Perrotte
- May 20, 2021
Virginians Fare Well in 2021 Bassmaster Northern Open on James River with 14 in the top 40
Idahoan Brandon Palaniuk claimed the top prize at last weekend’s Bassmaster Northern Open on the James River, with a crowded field of...
Ken Perrotte
- Apr 8, 2021
Florida Inshore Fishing Coast-to-Coast Offers Exciting Light-Tackle Action; Catch the 'Slam'
Great inshore fishing on Florida's coasts - includes snook, redfish and spotted seatrout slam. St. Augustine, Charlotte Harbor, Ft Myers
Ken Perrotte
- Mar 12, 2021
Wishin' I was (Crappie) Fishing in Mississippi
Lake Washington in the Mississippi Delta a couple hours south of Memphis offers incredible action to crappie anglers. The fish in the...
Ken Perrotte
- Mar 5, 2021
Crappie Cleaning 101 - Pico Lures' Mitch Glenn Superbly Demonstrates Fish Filleting for Novices
Pico Lures owner Mitch Glenn Mitch delivers an excellent tutorial and demonstration of how to clean a crappie using a fillet knife. The...
Ken Perrotte
- Oct 7, 2020
It's a 'Cisco Disco' and 'Laker Love-In' Fishing Trip on Lake Michigan's Grand Traverse Bay -
Trolling deep water successfully requires technical know-how and the right equipment. It is often the only way to catch fish on some...
Ken Perrotte
- Oct 1, 2020
Northern Michigan a Fishing, Hunting Wonderland - Did Someone Say 'Salmon on the Fly'?
The river tributary Lake Huron in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula was stained a deep tea color. Yet, the big fish clearly stood out 10 yards away
Ken Perrotte
- Sep 11, 2020
'Days of Wine and Crappie Fishing' - My Latest Article in Crappie Now - a NW New York Hotspot
Northern New York state is known for its expansive borders along two of the Great lakes, Erie and Ontario. In the state’s...
Ken Perrotte
- Jul 23, 2020
Conservation Partnership Webinar Assesses Menhaden Management in Atlantic and Gulf
A shorter version of this article ran in the July 23, 20202 issue of the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star. The Virginia General Assembly...
Ken Perrotte
- Jul 16, 2020
'Winners Announced in 'Virtual' ICAST New Product Showcase - Few Surprises
'Virtual' ICAST a Good Effort, But Let's Not Let It Become Part of a 'New Normal' The COVID-19 coronavirus has done nearly immeasurable...
Ken Perrotte
- Jun 17, 2020
Spring Tuna Fishing on Fire for Anglers Heading Out from OBX or VA Beach - Incredible Action!
We were back at the docks at 11:30 with more than 600 pounds of tuna. Wow!
Ken Perrotte
- Jun 17, 2020
Hot Slabs in the Summertime - Fishing for Crappie on Florida's St. John's River at Night
Jack Smith, a lifetime crappie angler who says the “nighttime is the right time” when it comes to catching slabbers...
Ken Perrotte
- Apr 30, 2020
'America's Favorite Flies' -- Creative, Beautiful, Keepsake Any Fly Fisherman Would Love to Own
Book Review - America's Favorite Flies
Ken Perrotte
- Apr 25, 2020
Crappie Fishing the Historic Chickahominy River - Stately Cypress Trees, Scenic Beauty, Hungry Fish
Virginia’s Chickahominy River and its 1,230-acre impoundment, Lake Chickahominy Virginia are cypress-laden wonderlands nestled between...
Ken Perrotte
- Mar 21, 2020
'Come to the Light' - Hardwater Crappie Fishing in the Green Mountain State - a Winter Wonderland
Vermont has long been known as a winter wonderland. Crappie fishing on Lake Champlain through the ice can be hot with the right set up....
Ken Perrotte
- Mar 19, 2020
Shortened Spring Striped Bass Seasons Reflect Need to Protect Spawning-Sized Fish
Virginia, Maryland and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission shorten spring striped bass seasons to decrease harvest of spawning-sized fish
By Ken Perrotte
- Dec 12, 2019
Northern Snakehead Impacts on Fisheries: Biologists Reaching Differing Conclusions
TODAY, SOME 17 years after northern snakehead fish were discovered in a Maryland pond and a Virginia tidal creek, the toothy fish that...
By Ken Perrotte
- Oct 31, 2019
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Approves 18 Percent Reduction in Striper Take
The Good Old days of Striped Bass Fishing on the Lower Potomac The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Striped Bass Board...
By Ken Perrotte
- Aug 20, 2019
For Many Anglers, The 'Good Old Days' for Eastern Lake Erie Walleye Fishing is NOW
Note: Blog Includes Video. Anglers frequently ask each other, “What’s your favorite fish to catch?” The followup question is often,...
By Ken Perrotte
- Jul 21, 2019
ICAST 2019 - Some 'Wow' New Gear Offerings and a Look at the Novel and Niche
Note: A portion of this blog appeared in my newspaper column in the July 26, 2019 edition of the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star. Click...
By Ken Perrotte
- Jul 18, 2019
Southwest Florida Rebounding from Red Tide; Charter Captains Cautiously Optimistic
A portion of this blog also appeared in the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star on July 18, 2019 Jennifer Huber of the Punta Gorda/Englewood...
By Ken Perrotte
- Jun 19, 2019
Fearless Crew Fights Fish & Big Swells During Outer Banks Offshore Outing
Note: Blog Includes Video. "You never know unless you go." That saying has had me talk myself into plenty of fishing or hunting trips...
By Ken Perrotte
- Apr 6, 2019
Striped Bass Populations Dipping Below Stock Thresholds - Seasons in Jeopardy
The Virginia Marine Resources Commission is considering banning recreational fishing for trophy-sized striped bass this spring in the...
By Ted Pilgrim
- Nov 16, 2018
Where No Ned Has Gone Before - Alternative Ned Rigs Elevate Your Finesse Game
Editor's Note: The Outdoors Rambler used the "Ned Rig" and Z-Man soft plastics earlier this spring to catch dozens of chunky smallmouth...
By Ken Perrotte
- Oct 19, 2018
Bikers, Hikers, Anglers & Bluegrass Fans Find Lots to Love with Smyth County, VA
Bikers and mountain enthusiasts discover incredible adventures when they trek Virginia Route 16, a two-lane road snaking over three...
By Ken Perrotte
- Aug 23, 2018
Lake Erie - Head to Walleye Heaven & See Why Pros and Novices Can Have a Blast!
I've often heard Lake Erie described as the best walleye fishing in the United States, but never made an opportunity to fish this lake...
By Ken Perrotte
- Jul 22, 2018
ICAST 2018's New Product Entries: mind-blowing electronics, cool lures, hi-tech rods
The 2018 International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades, better known as ICAST, show at the Orange County Convention Center in...
By Ken Perrotte
- Jul 18, 2018
Tackling 'Football' Blackfin Tuna Fishing with Gusto in the Gulf Stream
Fort Pierce, Fla – The annual International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades (ICAST) show in Orlando last week offered another...
By Ken Perrotte
- Jul 6, 2018
Banging the Drums North of New Orleans with Early Summer, Light Tackle Fishing Action
Here’s a little video I put together of the fun we had in early June 2018 catching black drum near the L&N Train Bridge where The...
By Ken Perrotte
- Jun 18, 2018
Cobia - Summertime King of the Chesapeake is a Royal Dining Treat When Grilled and Dilled
When it comes to summertime saltwater fishing in the Lower and Middle Chesapeake Bay, the hard-fighting cobia is the undisputed king....
By Ken Perrotte
- May 22, 2018
Lake Champlain is Smallmouth Bass Heaven; Panfish & Northern Pike Add to Fishing Fun
It sometimes seems my life isn’t complete without one good spring smallmouth fishing trip to the home waters of Lake Champlain -- on the...
By Ken Perrotte
- May 9, 2018
Fishing Scenic Lake Ouachita with Old Town Predator PDL - Mixed Bag/Great Water
A group of outdoors writer and industry representatives had a blast fishing Arkansas's gorgeous Lake Ouachita during the last week of...
Virginia Dept of Game & Inland Fisheries
- Mar 12, 2018
Walleye Stocking Going Well in Virginia!
In 2017, DGIF stocked 830,000 fingerling walleye. The following report offers walleye sampling results and fishing forecasts on those...
By Ken Perrotte
- Feb 14, 2018
‘Come to the light’ – Ice Fishing: the Cold, Windy and Surreal on Lake Champlain
Some of my southern outdoors brethren think I’m nuts to love ice fishing, but the affliction is genuine. Growing up in northern Vermont,...
Ken Perrotte
- Dec 14, 2017
Virginia State Record Triggerfish Certified
The Virginia Marine Resources Commission makes this announcement: A 6-pound 12-ounce gray triggerfish, caught on November 1, 2017 by Dave...
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