Doug Stange

Jan 22, 2025 | in-fisherman.com | Doug Stange

Affiliate Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We earn from qualifying purchases. Each day on the water is an ongoing experiment in action. And, no surprise, we’re fishing as much against other anglers as we are trying to figure out the fish. So, fishing on Mille Lacs for smallmouths, or on Lake Fork for largemouths, assuming you have a clue about where fish should be, you can assume that other anglers do to.

Jan 8, 2025 | in-fisherman.com | Doug Stange

Best practices for keeping our catch in the best possible shape have pretty much been worked out, although, as is often the case with changing protocol, it may take a generation before most anglers consider it necessary to employ them. It took a generation for catch and release to catch on; another generation for selective harvest to reign supreme. Basically, fish that are to be kept should be quickly caught and immediately killed and bled, before being placed in an ice slurry in a cooler.

Jan 1, 2025 | in-fisherman.com | Doug Stange

Heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson got it right when he said “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” So many of our best-laid plans for a day of fishing never survive the first 10 minutes on ice or open water, but we still need something in place to help us get started. Then it’s a matter of adapting and modifying the parts of the original plan that seems to be working, as situations unfold in the field.

Dec 18, 2024 | in-fisherman.com | Doug Stange

It helps to have an overarching perspective of what’s at play as we try to put a presentation plan together—no matter the fish species. A business plan, you might say, so we can make magic on the water. The ideas Buck Perry taught so many years ago remain constant. Depth control is the first order of business, followed by speed control or, said another way, the way we work lures (and present live- and deadbaits).

Nov 27, 2024 | in-fisherman.com | Doug Stange

It’s standard to tip guides for their services, beyond their base fee. A typical tip range, it seems to me, is from 10 to 20 percent of the base fee. The exact tip also is a matter of the quality of the guide’s services. Evaluating such services isn’t entirely subjective. Certainly, though, the tip amount shouldn’t hinge entirely on whether or not you catch a lot of fish—also shouldn’t necessarily depend on whether or not you catch the big fish you hoped for.