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A winter spotted bass caught on fly.

Where Do Bass Go in Winter? How to Find and Catch Them on a Fly Rod Right Now

Bass don’t disappear in winter – they move. Here’s where to find them and how to catch them on a fly rod, when cold water changes everything.

Jasper Taback

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Feb 26, 2026

Bass Fishing

Big-League Prizes. No Pros Allowed. The iKon Tailgate Tour Is Back

3 Jighead Minnow Mistakes That Cost You Bass (and How to Fix Them)

Why My Longtime Goal to Bass Fish Okeechobee Keeps Sending Me Somewhere Else

What the New “The Champions” Tournament Means for Pro Bass Fishing

What Defines Bass Fishing Greatness?

Why These Are the Best Lures for Forward-Facing Sonar Anglers

What to Know About the 2026 Bassmaster Elite Season as New Sonar Limits Take Effect

The Bass Baits That Defined My 2025 Season

The Glidebait Mistakes I Finally Stopped Making—and the Fish That Changed Everything

Fly Fishing

Capt. Troy Perez feeling optimistic for the future of Mosquito Lagoon.

After the Seagrass Collapse, Is Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Again?

Scott Finanger of Wild Fly with "fish on!" in Belize.

The Fish That Becomes an Obsession for Fly Anglers

Fishpond welcomed anglers to a converted trailer full of new gear. You could come and hang out, talk with the reps, and go hands-on with gear you might want.

Inside The Fly Fishing Show: Gear, Lessons, and the First Hint of Spring

There are only pretty steelhead in the Smith River.

California Beaches, Redwoods & Big Fish on the Fly

Gear Reviews

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YETI gear is built for the cold and ready for the catch.

YETI Has the Ultimate Gear for Your Ice Fishing Adventures

The best Valentine’s Day gifts for anglers are the ones that fit seamlessly into time spent on the water.

Valentine’s Day Gifts Anglers Actually Want

Making the short cast for the win.

Why a Fiberglass 8-Weight Might Be the Best Redfish Rod You’re Not Fishing

The Rapala Busch Light Original Giant Lure will add fishing flair and originality to any cottage, office, or man cave wall.

Rapala’s Giant Busch Light Original Lure Is a Must-Have for Fishing Collectors

Classic combination. A Kabuto custom fiberglass fly rod matched with a Heritage Hardy Perfect fly reel with agate line guide.

The Fiberglass vs Graphite Debate, Here’s When I Choose a Glass Fly Rod to Fish

AI Fishing Day vs. a Bass Pro and Other Top Stories from Fishing on SI

Ross Reels, Coors Beer, fly fishing for trout, and snowy mountains. This has Colorado written all over it.

A New Ross × Coors Fly Reel With a Built-In Warm-Water Reality Check

Motocross and fishing may not seem connected—until you hear Malcolm Stewart’s story.

Why a Motocross Star Launching a Fishing Brand Actually Makes Perfect Sense

Destinations

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In Key West, the decision not to fish shaped the experience just as much as any day on the water.

Why I Didn’t Fish Key West — And What I’d Do Differently Next Time

Big 'bows still eat in the cold.

Why the Blue Ridge Mountains Are One of the Best Winter Trout Fisheries in the U.S.

A little more than an hour outside of Charlotte, NC, can get you into some good striped bass fishing on a fly rod.

I Went to Charlotte for the Food—Then I Found a Striped Bass Fly Blitz Nearby

Running across Lake Worth Lagoon, it was hard to believe how remote the water felt for a Palm Beach-area fishery.

Fishing West Palm Beach Felt More Remote Than We Imagined

On the Lamar River, you're often sharing the water.

The Best Fly Fishing Spots in Beautiful Yellowstone National Park

The ending of a very good day.

Wadeable White Sandy Flats, Crystal Clear Water, Cruising Striped Bass. A Fly Angler's Paradise in the North East

Evenings like this made St. Augustine feel less like a stop on our big tour and more like a place we could really settle into and enjoy.

We Left St. Augustine Thinking We’d Already Found Our Favorite Stop of the Trip

Fly fishing the Niagara River; a Florida fishing road trip; and a 5-year old bait shop owner.

Fly Fishing the Lower Niagara River Isn’t What I Thought and Other Top Stories from Fishing on SI

Freshwater

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Jon Kroll of Ashland, Wis., displays a 14-pound Lake Superior eelpout. This fish is longer than the existing state record, but came up a little short of record weight.

Burbot Ice Fishing Is Booming — From Overlooked to Late-Ice Target

The look on the rescuer’s face suggested this wasn’t his first call like this, and possibly not the first time we had met under these circumstances.

Bad at Boat Maintenance. Expert at Getting Towed.

Five Miles From the Truck, With a Limit of Walleyes — and a Problem; How to Win an Ice Fishing Derby Without Cheating; The Fish That Becomes an Obsession for Fly Anglers.

Five Miles From the Truck, With a Limit of Walleyes and a Problem—and Other Top Stories from Fishing on SI

Five miles from the truck, after dark, with a limit of walleyes — and a treble hook I didn’t plan on bringing home.

Five Miles From the Truck, With a Limit of Walleyes — and a Problem

Ice Fishing River Backwaters for Slab Crappies; California Beaches, Redwoods & Big Fish on the Fly; Why My Longtime Goal to Bass Fish Okeechobee Keeps Sending Me Somewhere Else

Ice Fishing River Backwaters for Slab Crappies and Other Top Stories from Fishing on SI

Trophies line the stage as anglers compete on the ice during a midwinter fishing derby.

How to Win an Ice Fishing Derby Without Cheating

The Muddy Midwinter Perch Pattern Most Ice Anglers Miss; How Much of the Bottom Does My Fish Finder See While Ice Fishing?; Ice Fishing River Backwaters for Slab Crappies.

The Muddy Midwinter Perch Pattern Most Ice Anglers Miss and Other Top Stories from Fishing on SI

Taking kids ice fishing is a good way to get them interested in the outdoors. Keep them warm and entertained and your fishing trip will be a positive experience.

What I’ve Learned About Taking Kids Ice Fishing So They Want to Do It Again

Saltwater

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By understanding the proven baits, fish location, and tactical tips on retrieve speed, structure, and conditions, you can catch more redfish.

Proven Redfish Baits and Tips for Beginners

Surprise the special angler in your life with one of these fishing gear stocking stuffers.

10 Fishing Gear Stocking Stuffers for the Anglers on Your Christmas List

Utah fly fishing guide Sammy Elam dialing in on the right pattern for the Provo River.

How to Fly Fish: Pay Attention - Success Is Found in Awareness

Gunpowder released 27 blue marlin in a single day to set the new Atlantic record.

'Gunpowder' Sets New Blue Marlin Release Record Fishing Out of Marina Cap Cana

The view from my 5th floor terrace at the Sports Illustrated Resorts Marina & Villas Cap Cana.

Staying in Style: Dominican Republic's Sports Illustrated Resorts Marina & Villas Cap Cana

Marina Cap Cana is a state-of-the-art port for billfish anglers to chase their blue marlin dreams.

Inside Marina Cap Cana: The Caribbean’s Safest and Most Stunning Sportfishing Hub

A blue marlin ready for release during the 2025 Cap Cana Classic.

Inside the 2025 Cap Cana Classic: Dominican Republic’s Premier Billfish Tournament

Winter time fly fishing for redfish can be the best time of the year for success in the Lowcountry.

Why Is Charleston the Best Winter Spot for Redfish, Great Eats, and Southern Charm?

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Finding solitude and fun on a Utah river.

Is Fly Fishing Hard To Learn?

Women often outfish men, which can hurt a guy's fragile ego.

5 Reasons Fishing With a Woman Will Test Your Fragile Ego

This is the day a small New England river finally revealed a reliable winter crappie pattern.

Ice Fishing River Backwaters for Slab Crappies

How Much of the Bottom Does My Fish Finder See While Ice Fishing?; Why Ciscoes are My Favorite Fish to Pull Through the Ice; and Why the Best Ice Fishing Is Where Other Anglers Won’t Go.

Understanding What Your Fish Finder is Actually Showing You and Other Top Stories from Fishing on SI

Midwinter perch can often be found on deep mud flats. Use large spoons to get down quickly and attract fish from a distance.

The Muddy Midwinter Perch Pattern Most Ice Anglers Miss

The transducer's cone angle is important: the wider the cone angle, the more of the bottom you can see.

How Much of the Bottom Does My Fish Finder See While Ice Fishing?

Ciscoes form large schools, fight hard and taste great. Plus, they are willing biters all winter long.

Why Ciscoes are My Favorite Fish to Pull Through the Ice

It probably makes perfect sense that the last week of January was dominated by ice fishing stories.

Fishing Lake Superior All Winter—Despite the Risks and Other Top Stories from Fishing on SI

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Crappies are generally pretty cooperative, but even they can be finicky at times. Employ these five tips to help put more crappies on the ice.

My 5 Favorite Ice Fishing Moves to Make Crappies Bite

If the ice is thick enough, use a snowmobile, ATV or truck to get away from the crowds and find unpressured fish. If the snow is deep and travel is difficult, you can really escape the crowds.

Why the Best Ice Fishing Is Where Other Anglers Won’t Go

Fish sometimes get diseases. This northern pike is heavily infected with neascus, which is commonly called black spot disease.

What’s Growing on My Fish—and Is It Safe to Eat?

The author holds a 14-pound Lake Superior lake trout caught while jigging from a small boat on a rare warm, calm January day—proof that winter sometimes rewards dedication.

Why I Fish Lake Superior for Lake Trout All Winter—Despite the Risks

A rare golden crappie pictured with a normally colored black crappie. A condition called xanthochromism likely gave the fish the unusual color.

Minnesota Ice Anglers Stunned by Rare Golden Crappie

Walleyes got lockjaw? Trout bite reliably all winter and are a lot of fun to catch.

When Walleyes Won’t Bite, Trout Will

Few anglers target this fish in the winter, but they are aggressive feeders, provide great sport and are delicious when filleted properly.

The Perch and Walleye Bite Shut Down—Then This Underrated Fish Saved the Day

Fishing felt fun again.

The Resolutions That Put the Fun Back in My Fishing

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Mandy Hertzfeld pictured with her paintings in Colorado. Hertzfeld is a fly fishing guide and painter whose work is informed by time spent on the water.

Why Some of the Best Fishing Guides Are Also Artists

The right kennel goes a long way.

This is the Best Way to Travel With Dogs

Here's the world's youngest bait shop owner, Easton.

A 5-Year-Old’s Dream—and Hope for the Future of Fishing

From bass pro JT Kenney revealing what really triggers bass to spawn in Florida, to the truth about the best sunglasses, to an AI fishing app vs. a real bass pro, these stories captured our Sports Illustrated fishing reader’s attention on Fishing on SI this past week.

What Really Triggers Florida’s Biggest Bass Spawns and Other Top Stories from Fishing on SI

The plan looked good on paper. Life on the road would decide.

We Created a Florida Fishing and Camping Road Trip to Test the Limits of an Electric RV

Big streamers catching big smallmouth on the Lower Niagara River

The Lower Niagara River Isn’t What I Thought—Especially With a Fly Rod

I let an AI-powered fishing app plan my entire day on unfamiliar Florida water, then tested that plan on the water with a veteran bass pro. The results were surprisingly close.

I Let AI Plan My Fishing Day—Then Tested It With a Bass Pro

It's not a gradual warming trend and it's not the moon phase that triggers Florida’s biggest bass spawning waves. JT Kenney explains how to time the best fishing days of the year.

JT Kenney Explains What Really Triggers Florida’s Biggest Bass Spawns

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We’re living in an all-electric RV for 30 days to see if electric camper life can truly support a fishing-first outdoor lifestyle.

Is My Fishing Lifestyle Ready for an All-Electric RV?

Fish still bite in the rain.

What I Finally Figured Out About Fishing Sunglasses

Mandolins & dry flies - a match made in heaven.

Why Every Great Fly Fishing Trip Needs A Little Bluegrass

From the Fly-Fishing Gift Everyone Overlooks, to the Best Gifts for Fishermen That Aren’t Fishing Tackle, to the Perfect Gifts for People Who Love to Fly Fish, these stories captured our Sports Illustrated fishing reader’s attention on Fishing on SI this past week.

The Fly-Fishing Gift Everyone Overlooks and Other Top Stories from Fishing on SI

Fish sometimes get sluggish and are slow to bite in winter. Pay attention to their reaction and mix up your jigging to trigger fish to bite.

How to Turn Finicky Winter Fish Into Biters

These ice fishing stocking stuffers get our seal of approval as perfect Christmas gifts.

Ice Fishing Stocking Stuffers Under $100 Anglers Will Actually Use

The Sitka Core Merino 330 Half Zip Pullover

The Unexpected Fly Fishing Gift Borrowed from Hunters

Not sure what to buy the angler who has everything? These tested gift ideas—from sunglasses and whiskey to eBikes and cameras—go beyond fishing tackle.

The Best Gifts for Fishermen Aren’t Always Fishing Tackle

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This winter, anglers on Minnesota's Mille Lacs lake are allowed three walleyes in possession with a minimum size limit of 17 inches, and only one fish allowed over 20 inches.

New Mille Lacs Walleye Regulations Set for This Winter

Today on The Starting Spot: 2026 Bass Pro Tour Schedule Includes First Event at Legendary Lake Hartwell; Never Compare Your Bass Fishing Journey to Anyone Else's; and the Best Baits for the Drop Shot Rig

2026 Bass Pro Tour Schedule Includes First Ever Event at Legendary Lake Hartwell and Other Top Stories

The beginning of a good day.

The Fly-Fishing Gift Everyone Overlooks, But Every Angler Needs

Today on The Starting Spot: Bass pro Wesley Strader shares his new perspective on tournament bass fishing as he heads into next season; five bass fishing styles/techniques you need to know; and how, when, and where to vertical jig for winter bass

An Old Bass Pro’s New Perspective On Tournament Fishing and Other Top Stories

This Lure That’s Banned In Some Tournaments Can Catch You a Lot of Bass This Winter: Heavy Metal Lures for Winter Smallmouth; and How Ice Fishing Can Make You a Better Open Water Bass Anlger

This Banned Tournament Lure Can Catch You a Lot of Bass This Winter and Other Top Stories

Perfect gifts for people who love to fly fish, to ice fishing tips and resorts on Red Lake, MN, to classic fly fishing holiday gifts.

Perfect Gifts for People Who Love to Fly Fish and Other Top Stories from Fishing on SI

Arctic Char

Why a Christmas Gift Combo of Fishpond Nets and Cling Is a Win - Win

Today on the Stating Spot KVD Predicts the Future of Bass Fishing, Tim Little's New Presonal Best Smallmouth Bass, and Cold Water Shallow Buzzbait Tips

KVD Predicts the Future of Bass Fishing and More Bass Stories You Can’t Miss

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You can't go wrong with any of these fishing jackets.

How to Unlock Winter Fly Fishing

Today on The Starting Spot: 2026 Bassmaster Elite Field, the Youngest Bassing Millionaire, and Winter Reservoir Bass

The Starting Spot: 2026 Bassmaster Elite Field, the Youngest Bassing Millionaire, and Winter Reservoir Bass

A quality fly reel can last the lifetime of the angler, and gets better as it ages.

Perfect Gifts for People Who Love to Fly Fish

Today on The Starting Spot: Winter Bass Fishing, Anaya Grabs Final Classic Spot, and How to Dial In Your Electronics

The Starting Spot: Winter Bass Fishing, Anaya Grabs Final Classic Spot, and How to Dial In Your Electronics

The Top 3 Fishing Stories of the Week: First Ice Walleye, Bass Advent Calendar, and Red Lake Ice Guide

Top 3 Fishing Stories of the Week: First Ice Walleye, Bass Advent Calendar, and Red Lake Ice Guide

It's hard to beat high-quality old-school fly fishing gear.

Win the Holidays With Classic Fly Fishing Gifts

Fish Minnesota’s Red Lake for fast walleye action plus overlooked trophy pike, big crappies, and quality perch. Learn tips, regs, access, and where to stay this winter.

Red Lake Ice Fishing Guide: World-Class Walleyes Plus Overlooked Pike, Crappies & Perch

A Turning Point for Tournament Integrity? MLF and B.A.S.S. Announce Major Updates

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