Category: Fishing

Master the Art of West Coast Bass Fishing

7/7/2025 - By US Harbors. The golden kelp forests stretching along California's coast harbor one of the Pacific's most sought-after gamefish: the California calico bass. These checkerboard-patterned fighters, officially known as kelp bass, offer anglers an exciting challenge that combines technical skill with the raw thrill of pulling hard-fighting fish from dense… SEE MORE

The Art of Residential Dock Fishing

7/5/2025 - By US Harbors. Strategies for Residential Dock Fishing in Salt Water Residential docks represent some of the most accessible and productive saltwater fishing opportunities available to coastal anglers. With millions of Americans living within casting distance of salt water, understanding how to effectively fish these man-made structures can unlock consistent… SEE MORE

A Guide to Fishing North Carolina’s Crystal Coast

6/21/2025 - By Doug Olander Located near the easternmost protrusion of the Outer Banks, the Crystal Coast offers inshore opportunities and a relatively easy run to the Gulf Stream. Spend much time on the waters of North Carolina’s Crystal Coast and the origins of that moniker should be pretty clear. The waters here are… SEE MORE

Block Island, 2025 Best Harbor National Winner

2025 “Best Harbor” Contest Winners Announced

6/20/2025 - The People Have Spoken: Block Island Wins Again! Grand Winner, Best Harbor in the U.S. for 2025: Block Island, RI Last year’s Grand Winner for Best Harbor in the U.S., Block Island, RI, took home the prize again for 2025. This year saw a record number of votes cast for over… SEE MORE

Powercat fishing boat running in blue water

NMMA Backs Bipartisan Bill to Reauthorize the Sport Fish Restoration & Boating Trust Fund

6/13/2025 - By US Harbors On June 12, 2025, Representatives Debbie Dingell (D–MI) and Rob Wittman (R–VA) introduced legislation to renew the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund (“Trust Fund”), a cornerstone federal program since 1950. Supported by NMMA President and CEO Frank Hugelmeyer, the fund is sustained by excise taxes… SEE MORE

Fishing’s Most Dangerous Animals — The Stingers

5/29/2025 - By Doug Olander. A look at marine creatures that sting anglers — sometimes with deadly results. Most of us don’t think of sport fishing as a particularly hazardous sport. No doubt statistics would bear out that it’s not. But every sport has its own unique risks, and saltwater fishing is no… SEE MORE

How to Snell a Hook

5/1/2025 - By Sam Hudson. The best ways to snell a circle hook and the reasons why captains use them. Do you remember in the early 2000s when pork was branded “the other white meat”? I think of snelling a hook as “the other fishing knot.” Although not as common as everyday knots,… SEE MORE

Strange Fish Catches: ID These Species

4/27/2025 - By Doug Olander. Sport Fishing readers try to stump the Fish Facts experts with strange catches. What Type of Filefish Is This? QUESTION: My buddy Dan and I were fishing off the lava rocks in Kona, Hawaii, this summer and caught all kinds of different reef fish that we were able to… SEE MORE

Nesting east Pacific green turtle in Galapagos - sandy head shot. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Boyd Lyon

Most Sea Turtles Rebounding Worldwide as Conservation Efforts Protect Nests and Habitat, Analysis Finds

3/26/2025 - By fisheries.noaa.gov. Turtle populations still face unpredictable effects of climate change. Once hammered by overhunting and habitat loss, sea turtles have persevered with new protections and conservation efforts. Their populations are now rebounding even as oceans change, a new review has found. “Sea turtles are a shining light of marine… SEE MORE

Braid vs. Mono Fishing Line

3/24/2025 - By Chris Woodward. Tips on how and when to use braided or monofilament fishing lines. Deciding when to use braided fishing line vs. monofilament fishing line might seem intuitive in most cases. Not so fast! One pro advocates braided line for all bottom fishing applications, while another says braid inhibits… SEE MORE