A lot has changed in fishing over the years. But one thing hasn’t. Catch a big enough bass, and somebody’s going to be happy for you. Even if you’ve never met.

A week earlier, his personal-best bass weighed 5.5 pounds. Then he landed a 9.3-pound California hawg.

When he posted the new PB, he mostly wanted to share the video. Instead, another angler pointed out something he didn’t know: the bass qualified for California’s division of r/BassFishing’s Trophy Fish Club, where the largemouth benchmark is 8 pounds or 23 inches. Soon after, an invitation showed up in the comments.

The fish was impressive. The response was better. The angler later explained that he didn’t know anyone around him who fished and had only picked up the sport because he was looking for something new to do. After the congratulations started rolling in, he wrote, “It’s awesome groups like this exist.” ...

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Meet @morgankonenn Morgan Kate: the angler who landed this monster. “I remember yelling that its head looked about two feet wide, and nobody believed me…they all thought I was exaggerating,” Kate said.

An hour later, they did.

Fishing with @killgoreadventures in Idaho’s Hells Canyon, Morgan hooked a white sturgeon that would eventually measure 9 feet 7 inches long with a 50-inch girth. At one point during the fight, the fish launched itself out of the water. Morgan was the only one who saw it.

Then the fish went deep. For a while, nobody was sure they were gaining any line at all. Fishing a hole roughly 30 feet deep, the crew repeatedly thought they had snagged the bottom. Instead, the sturgeon had wrapped itself around rocks below the boat. When the fish finally surfaced, the Kate knew she had a story for a lifetime.

Story & photos by: @morgankonenn ...

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For nearly two decades, Paul Rosolie has been working to protect this corner of the Amazon from logging, mining, and development.

Today, @junglekeepers and its partners help safeguard roughly 138,000 acres of rainforest, with another 170,000 acres still left to protect. This trail cam photo is the reward.

Rosolie says he’s only seen a handful of pumas in 18 years in the Amazon. Then, at 2 a.m., one walked past his trail camera within a protected reserve. A few years ago, this stretch of forest was slated for logging before conservation efforts helped keep it intact. Now, one of the Amazon’s most elusive predators is still moving through the watershed and, according to Rosolie, raising the next generation there.

Photos & story: @paulrosolie / @junglekeepers
Card 1 Photo credit: @thomasstephane
Card 2 Photo credit. @mohsinkazmitakespictures ...

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If you’d like to speak up about the potential amendment, contact your senator via the Capitol Switchboard (202-224-3121), particularly if they serve on the Senate and Energy Natural Resource Committee, which Mike Lee chairs. ...

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Fair warning: some of these photos aren’t for everyone. Most hunters think of whitetails as strict vegetarians. But deer have been documented eating fish, birds, snakes, rabbits, eggs, and bones.

One of the strangest examples came from a Texas forensic research facility, where a trail camera captured what researchers described as the first known evidence of a whitetail scavenging human bones. The bizarre story was originally covered by Bill Heavey for Field & Stream.

Drop a “WHITETAIL” comment and we’ll DM you a link to Whitetail 365—weekly stories, expert tips, gear reviews, and news for hunters who think about whitetails all year long. ...

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Late on the evening of May 29, President Trump signed an executive order (EO) that could reshape 50 years of off-road vehicle use on federally managed public lands.

The order rescinds previous EOs signed by Presidents Nixon and Carter that have long served as the framework for how agencies like the US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management evaluate motorized access on public lands.

According to Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA), President Trump’s latest EO has the potential to fundamentally change public lands as we know them. While it doesn’t automatically open new areas to off-road vehicles, it could change how future travel management plans are written and what kinds of motorized access agencies are required to consider.

The rescinded orders helped guide decisions about which roads, trails, and areas remain open to vehicles and which are closed to protect wildlife habitat, natural resources, and cultural sites. Under the new executive order, agencies won’t have to apply the same level of scrutiny when evaluating off-road vehicle use. It will likely lead to a proliferation of new motorized trails in areas where none currently exist and force vulnerable big-game herds off vital public land winter ranges.

Callaghan said hunters and anglers who want a say in whether or not unrestricted motorized vehicle use should be the order of the day on their public lands should speak up now. “This should be a call for all user groups to get to the table,” he said. “Especially if you agree with BHA that there should be ample wild places set aside, free from wheeled travel.”

Drop an “OHV” comment and we’ll DM you the full story by @travishallmedia ...

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There are worse ways to spend a workday.

Field & Stream author Amanda Oliver got assigned to test Turtlebox’s newest speaker by taking it boating on the Chesapeake Bay.

She’s also a bit of a Turtlebox junkie. Amanda already owns enough Turtlebox speakers to know what a good one sounds like. So when Turtlebox released the Cub—its smallest speaker yet—she wanted to know if it could live up to the name. So she put it to work. For something this small, it’s built like it has something to prove.

Drop a “CUB” comment and we’ll DM you Amanda’s full review, including her verdict on whether Turtlebox’s smallest speaker can hang with the OG Gen 3. ...

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The 6-foot-9 former professional goalie retired in 2017, spent two years working offshore charters, and earned his captain’s license before launching his Pensacola-based shark charter.

Today, he introduces anglers to some of the Gulf’s most powerful predators through catch-and-release fishing.

For McLean, it all comes down to a screaming drag and the unknown on the other end of the line.

Story & Media: @bigjohnoutdoors ...

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It became a bucket-list adventure when Kirk Price realized he’d never heard of anyone hunting Montana black bears with West Siberian Laikas.

After confirming it could be done, he tracked down an outfitter who could help navigate the permits, logistics, and planning.

What followed was eight days in Montana bear country with his own dogs. Some days covered more than 15 miles on foot. More than anything, Price wanted to see his Laikas do what they were bred to do—and give them a chance to prove themselves in bear country.

The trip began and ended in Bozeman, where Price and his pack stayed at the Field & Stream Lodge between days on the mountain. Follow @fieldandstreamlodges to get ready for your next adventure, and watch the full video—out now on @kirkprice_’s YT channel. ...

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The brookies were eating just about everything he threw at them. Then he decided to see if they’d eat a taco.

At first, the fish wanted nothing to do with it. A few drifts later, curiosity got the better of them. Turns out brook trout aren’t above questionable food choices either.
We’ve seen flies tied to look like mice, frogs, crayfish, and even baby birds. A taco might be a first.

Most creative fly you’ve ever caught a fish on?
Let’s hear it.

Story & photos by 📸 u/Boomknowledge ...

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Our stories used to look like this. The good days usually didn’t feel like the good days until they were over.

Field & Stream Archival Project // Old School Sunday with @yuenglingbeer #OldSchoolSunday ...

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The Fish Camp plan was simple: find a hole, stick your arm in it, and hope a flathead catfish bites.

Ryan @ryan_izquierdo had wanted to go noodling his entire life. It took him 27 years to finally get the chance. Standing beside him was Capt. Dustin, who has been noodling these waters since he was 7 years old. The scars on his arms tell the story.

During the spawn, flatheads move into holes around old structure like this and guard them aggressively. Reach into the wrong hole and they’ll let you know you’re not welcome. And while plenty of nerves came along for the ride, Brent @seeyadude walked away with the biggest flathead catfish of his life.

It’s just one stop from our four-day Fish Camp on Santee Cooper, where every challenge tested a different skill and every loss came with a consequence. Presented by @sportsmans_warehouse and Pure Fishing. Watch the full video now on the Field & Stream YouTube channel. ...

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