Curious about which baits are the most effective for crabbing? This article looks at some of the most common crab baits that commercial and recreational fishermen use to fill up their traps.

The crabbing industry accounts for 1.4 million tons of crabs for the dinner plate per year. [Source] Below are some popular baits commercial and recreational crabbers use to trap them.

1. Crab Attractant

Crab attractants are usually made from natural fish oil and other baits. Crab attractants are designed to increase the range of attraction to your trap.

While it is not required for crabbing, a crab attractant is recommended to increase your yield.

Pro-Cure Crab & Shrimp Attractant

This crab attractant is best for Dungeness crabs. From its name, Crab and Shrimp Attractant, it’s also suitable for shrimps, so it’s best if you’re aiming for multiple species.

It’s made from natural baits like fish oil, anise oil, amino acids, and salmon egg juice. Its unique amino acids give unparalleled versatility to all kinds of species.

Smelly Jelly Crab Attractant

Smelly Jelly is another unique and best crab bait that works quickly, attracting crabs and other small invertebrates, including shrimps.

Smelly Jelly Crab Attractant is best for blue crabs. This gel-based crab attractant lasts long on your bait and is simple to use.

2. Chicken Necks and Other Parts

Chicken necks are the best bait to catch blue crabs. Crabs love the stinky part of a chicken, like the lungs, liver, and neck. Chicken is excellent, as other bottom-feeding marine animals do not commonly consume it.

Meaning when used, it doesn’t make other species go after it.

Crabs will eat any meat that includes a chicken’s liver and neck. These are both super cheap, making them perfect for crabbing.

The liver adds a scent to the water, while chicken necks are tough and easy to tie.

3. Razor Clams

Razor clams are most crabs’ favorite for their great scent. You might be thinking of crushing the clams, but don’t. Razor clams capture better when left uncrushed.

Additionally, razor clams are also great as it is naturally part of grousers’ diet.

4. Anchovies/Small Fish

For some experienced anglers, anchovies or small fish are good as it’s easy to find in a local grocery store.

Anchovies don’t make a massive difference if it’s frozen or not, but it better be sure to use them fresh to get the smelly fish quality and attract more crabs. Anchovies, plentiful through the seas, can be caught and put inside the trap.

5. Mink Carcasses

Mink Carcasses work for their intense stinky scent. As known for their oily and versatile characteristics, mink carcasses are commonly used for crabbing operations.

6. Turkey Necks

As well as chicken meat, turkey neck also attracts crabs. You can use any part, but the legs and neck work best to entice a crab.

7. Squid

Squid is the best bait for crabbing too! Cutting into the squid a few times releases more scents under the water.

A squid might be a bit pricey and not ideal for anglers who want to go over cheaper ones, but it also makes a great combination with other baits.

8. Salmon Head

Salmon heads are an effective way of catching more crabs. Fish heads attract crabs as much as other crab bait.

You can get these for free or cheap at your local supermarket, which works very well. Its bony structure makes it last in the water for quite some time. You can also use tuna for its fishy scent.

9. Smelly Jelly

Crabs find food like smelly jelly attractive. This is most commonly used on bait applications.

Smelly jelly attracts crabs with its smell and encourages grousers to hold on to the bait longer. It works on any of your bait.

10. Cat or Dog Food

If you’re someone who doesn’t want to get the stinky fishy smell of fish on your hand, then cat food or dog food might be of good use to you. Some anglers put holes in the canned cat food before using it as crab bait.

However, they don’t seem to eat cat food or dog food compared to others. So, if you’re desperate to catch a large sum, you might want to opt-in to other baits like fresh food.

11. Eels

Commercial crabbers use eels. These are good for anglers who want to let the traps stay and check them on a time-to-time basis.

You can leave it on your traps and stay on the hook for a few weeks until it decomposes. You can use an eel by cutting it into small pieces before putting it into the cage trap.

12. Bunkers

Bunkers are the best crab baits for their pungent smell, which crabs love. Bunkers are small salty fish used for catching blue crab.

These baits should be kept in a well-ventilated, dry location for their strong oily scent. Bunkers are small in size, so it is easy to handle. These are frequently used as blue crab bait.

Bunkers are more aromatic than rotten fish. But crabs go mad for rotten fish in a net bag. If you can’t get your hands on rotten fish, raw chicken is probably the next best thing and is easier to buy.

Crab Bait Holders

Crab traps and bait holders vary in shape and size. Choosing a good one ensures it’s strong enough to hold the lure underwater and will not be easily caught off by the current.

Skylety Crab Trap Bait Bags

This bait bag is easy to hang, making it perfect for crab fishing. Make sure you choose the one with the appropriate size, durability, practical design, and easy installation.

SF Mesh Bait Bags with Rubber Locker

This lure holder is of high strength, enough to protect the bait inside and from crab scratches. The mesh size is also great for preventing quick lure loss and is suitable for small lures.

Tips For Setting Crab Bait

Before we end, let us leave some more tips on setting the grouser lure you have in your care.

Many crabbers prefer to place traps. Crabs have an excellent sense of smell. This helps them find their food. Although crabs are not notoriously picky about what they eat, crabs still love fresh baits.

In that case, make sure you keep the quality of fresher bait. Keeping its freshness and natural smell is as essential as setting your lure bait for the best!

Crab Baiting Is A Fun Activity

We hope we’ve helped you to choose the best ones!

You can use various lures; the bottom line is to use a strong fishy scent to attract the grousers more. Plus, make it even better by keeping it fresh.

Try other human foods such as hot dogs, cheese, or bacon when setting your grouser trap. Most importantly, consider the season, region, and species of the crab you aim to catch. Location and time of year will drastically alter the crab species that can be caught.

In searching for life elsewhere in the universe, the primary criterion scientists use to identify candidate planets is the existence of water. Mammals generally are composed of 70-75 percent water, and all known plants and animals contain some amount of it. In fact, most species must ingest free water every day. White-tailed deer are no exception. But if you were to ask a group of hunters or landowners to name the most important factors in deer herd health, water probably wouldn’t end up in the top three.

In eastern North America, water seldom is considered to be limiting, as there usually appear to be creeks, rivers, ponds and lakes within easy reach. Yet it has been our experience that every deer-management program should consider water availability in terms of both timing and location. Here at the Institute for Whitetailed Deer Management & Research in East Texas, over the past 30 years we’ve studied all aspects of water needs for whitetails, particularly the when, where and how of supplying it.

THE NEED FOR WATER

A whitetail needs from one-half to one gallon of water per day throughout the year. This is principally to support rumen activity, body temperature regulation and electrolyte balance.

There’s long been a misconception that the greatest water requirement occurs during the hotter months. You might be surprised to learn there’s an equal — and in some cases greater — water demand during winter. The increased metabolism required to maintain body temperature places a huge demand on internal water resources. Having often hunted the far North Woods in subzero temperatures, I can attest to my own need for additional water under such conditions. When all surface water is frozen, deer stay hydrated through water content in browse.

The bottom line is that any sound management program should include a significant effort to ensure deer have water readily available every day of the year. The primary questions, then, focus on how and where to provide that water.

While bucks are well known to be quite vagrant during the rut, whitetails have relatively small home ranges during most of the year. In many cases, the majority of their year is spent inside a square mile. Going even farther, the actual area a whitetail would “prefer” to roam is only about 100 acres during much of the year. We learned this during our early radio-telemetry studies here in East Texas, in which we monitored what happened to average home range size as we gradually improved habitat to the perfect distribution of key elements.

Unfortunately, much whitetail range falls far short of this potential. In developing management plans for landowners, the first thing we do is overlay a 100-acre grid on a property map (even if it’s smaller than 100 acres), then determine what key habitat elements are present or absent in each grid. For smaller properties, we examine what the neighboring lands within the 100-acre grid provide. One of those key elements is year-round water sources.

However, water sources often can’t be counted on throughout the entire year. Even perennial streams dry up during times of drought. That is when supplemental water can be critical. Ponds and lakes often freeze over during much of the winter, effectively creating a “desert” environment for your deer. So, being able to anticipate when and where water will be lacking is a very important part of management.

We often search historical climatic records to get a better idea of the reliability of water sources in a specific area. Local residents and resource management professionals also can be good sources of information in making such assessments. In general, however, we always add in a worst-case scenario to every management plan, just to be safe. Remember, while whitetails don’t want to migrate during hard times, they can and will do so if things turn bad enough. Adding a reliable water source, even when it appears there’s no need for one, is a wise management strategy.

Whitetails can be very “picky” about the water they drink, but not necessarily in the way you’d think. They tend to avoid running water, presumably due to the noise flowing water makes. Also, the places from which deer prefer to drink often contain water you wouldn’t even consider drinking! Mud puddles filled with green algae scum often are highly preferred by deer.

Our research has shown deer tend to use other criteria for choosing watering locations. In 2011, we conducted a study near Alice, Texas, to determine which factors influenced the choice of watering areas by whitetails. We took measurements of the physical characteristics, water quality, surrounding vegetation and proximity to human activity (roads, hunting blinds and residences) for each of 27 artificial watering stations on an 810-acre ranch.

Most of the watering stations were constructed by excavating depressions and supplying each with a “dripping” faucet connected to a network of PVC pipes from a well. We used infrared trail cameras to monitor each location’s use by deer and other wildlife. Then we compared use to a host of variables, looking to determine which had the greatest impact. Fourteen habitat variables, 28 water quality variables, five water characteristic variables, and seven spatial variables (distances to roads, habitations, feeders, hunting blinds and other water sources) were measured for each location.

During this year-long study, we recorded an impressive array of animals using our watering sites. Among them were whitetails, turkeys, bobcats, coyotes, small mammals, birds and reptiles. It was obvious that supplying supplemental water benefitted far more than deer. In late spring, we recorded 671 visits to water stations by 177 bucks and 494 does. In late summer, we recorded an additional 353 buck, 734 doe and 143 fawn visitations. The most important variable influencing deer visits was the distance to the nearest high-use road. This accounted for an estimated 62.9 percent of variation, with water stations nearest to the main ranch road receiving the lower number of visits. Not surprisingly, water stations near human activity were used less than those left undisturbed.

Water stations near hunting blinds also received less use, even outside of the hunting season. Stations surrounded by a diversity of screening vegetation with a large amount of bare shoreline were preferred. Our study also showed preference for water near food sources. Meanwhile, water quality appeared to have little impact on use. If you want to develop some artificial watering stations, we suggest you consider places that are away from roads and human habitations, are near food sources and have adequate screening cover to provide security to your deer. The next question is, what’s the best way to supply water to deer?

Water can be supplied in many ways, including ponds, lakes, water troughs and dugouts with a water supply. We’ve experimented enough to see that each has its positives and negatives. In the case of ponds and lakes, there’s the obvious negative of cost. Here in East Texas the cost of constructing a half-acre pond is about $5,000, including layout, excavation and dirt work. The cost of a true lake can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The benefit of a pond or lake is that it can provide other recreational benefits, forest protection and potential income. A pond with a surface acre of water should be valued at $30,000 in added benefits, particularly from fisheries. Yet not every parcel of land has potential sites for impoundments. And even when there are suitable sites, soils might be limiting (low water-holding capacity). Another negative to consider is such deer diseases as epizootic hemorrhagic disease and bluetongue. In times of low rainfall, the water level drops significantly, exposing muddy shoreline. These viral diseases are vectored by biting midges (gnats), whose maggots live and mature in rich organic mud. The midges emerge as adults in the late evening, when deer come to water. They have a blood meal by biting the exposed stomach skin of a deer, infecting it with the virus in the process. Sick deer also tend to come to the water to cool off from high fever; setting up a perfect storm for spreading diseases.

For many years, Dr. Kroll managed the Four Canyon Ranch near Camp Wood, Texas. This scenic area lying on the southwestern edge of the Edwards Plateau is comprised of rough limestone outcrops and canyons. In spite of its scenic grandeur, the ranch is conspicuously lacking in surface water. Wells are expensive to drill and often fail to produce, making supplying water to deer an expensive proposition. Over dinner, owner Ken Bailey and Dr. Kroll hatched a scheme to economically supply water evenly over the ranch. Instead of drilling wells, why not place water tanks connected to water troughs in strategic locations?

Of course, there had to be a water supply. The answer to that question came in the form of a surplus water truck costing $2,000. It was easily filled from a nearby river, with water then being carried to the tanks. This began over 25 years ago, and as far as we know, that truck is still in service. Since that time, we’ve had phenomenal success deploying water stations — each composed of a tank, water line, shallow trough and float valve — across North America.

In Texas, it was this system that saved many deer herds during the so-called “millennial” drought of 2011, even as other landowners lost large numbers of deer. Subsequent research revealed a surprising added benefit. You might think that deer use the artificial sites only when water is limiting; however, we discovered they continue to use them even when water is plentiful. We recently discovered the reason for this. Deer, especially does, tend to avoid social conflicts between rival “clans.” Well-spaced water and food sources tend to reduce these conflicts, which have the added benefit of increased fawn survival and antler quality.

Lastly, artificial water sources can actually reduce disease in the deer herd. Many professional biologists say we should avoid anything that attracts deer to a specific site, because bunching theoretically could spread certain diseases. However, our research has shown that providing artificial water is biologically sound.

For starters, supplemental water sources can help to spread deer out over the landscape. Also, easy access to water reduces stress. And perhaps most importantly, such water sources reduce production of disease-transmitting organisms, such as the midges that cause the spread of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) in deer. There’s little or no mud around artificial troughs, eliminating habitat for disease vectors such as gnats and flies.

Today, we install artificial watering stations at the rate of one per 100 acres anywhere there’s no reliable natural water source. The cost of each unit is under $600. That’s less than you’ll spend on food plots, feed and attractants in the average hunting season. Average water consumption per deer is about one half-gallon per day over the year. We install a 300- or 400-gallon tank at each site, so one filling will supply approximately 600-800 deer-days of use. The average number of deer using a watering station has been no more than 12. At that rate, each station needs refilling about every six weeks.

We suggest you either acquire a black storage tank or paint yours dark green to prevent algae growth. Also, locate the tank in a shady area to avoid overheating the stored water. Although a tank must be accessible to the vehicle used to deliver the water, we try to locate watering stations away from areas of frequent human disturbance. We also like to put them adjacent to food sources such as food plots, feeders and natural food locations (browse and mast). We don’t hunt these areas, as we want to provide safe havens for doe clans and buck groups.

As we’ve yet to discover a negative in providing artificial water, we decided it was time to convey this information to the public. This might all seem like a great deal of trouble, but managing whitetails has become a sport in and of itself. The whitetail lifestyle now is a 365-day affair, and it brings far more joy than just killing a buck.

Introduction

Estimating the age structure of a population is a key component of many wildlife management programs, as demographic parameters (e.g., survival and fecundity) that can be important to population modeling are typically age-specific [1-3]. Furthermore, age-specific prevalence rates of highly-transmissible diseases (e.g., chronic wasting disease) have been of recent concern [4,5]. The age structure of harvested animals is typically used to reconstruct a population’s age structure, especially in cervid populations [6,7]. Inaccurate estimates of a population’s age structure could lead to potential downstream impacts on demographic and epidemiological models [7,8].

The most common method used to estimate age of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and other cervids is the tooth replacement-and-wear (TRW) criterion. Severinghaus [9] developed the TRW aging criterion for white-tailed deer based on unique teeth eruptions at younger ages and the wear and degradation of the same premolars and molars of the lower jaw at older ages. Aging deer using the TRW method is popular among management agencies because it can be conducted quickly in the field at relatively little cost [10]. Previous studies have shown the TRW method is prone to considerable error because it is partially subjective, especially at older age classes [10-14]. Error in the TRW method at older ages has led to recommendations to implement TRW aging categories for adult white-tailed deer that bin older age classes together: either suggesting the binning of all deer ≥2 years of age together [10,11,14-16] or differentiating deer 2 years of age from deer ≥3 years of age [12,13,17], with both points-of-view suggesting an independent age class for deer 1 year of age (yearlings), since a unique tooth eruption pattern can often identify the age class [9].

A more labor-intensive and expensive, but more accurate, option for aging deer is cementum annuli (CA) aging, which involves the counting of annual rings, the CA, in the roots of cross-sectioned incisors. Seasonal rates of cementum deposition in the root tips that coincide with body growth produce alternating light and dark bands, with the dark bands representing the CA [18,19]. The CA method has been established as a more accurate method than TRW through the comparison of known-age individuals, especially at northern latitudes [11,13,20]. While CA is more accurate than TRW, with the exception of a sample of 97 known-aged deer in Wisconsin that were aged 100% accurately by the CA method [15], error has been documented with CA aging in relation to known-age individuals with error rates ranging from 15-28% in northern latitudes [11,13,20]. While assessing error rates of CA age estimates in comparison to known-age individuals is the only method to identify the accuracy of CA aging for certain, obtaining known-age individuals is difficult outside of captive facilities and capture-recapture studies. In response to the challenges of obtaining actual accuracy rates of CA aging, evaluating the precision between the CA age estimates of multiple incisors from the same deer is an option for samples from wild populations of unknown ages because if factors known to affect CA accuracy can also be shown to be related to the precision of CA aging, the measurement of precision can provide insight related to accuracy of the CA method [10]. Few studies, however, have evaluated the precision of CA ages in white-tailed deer [10,11,21]. While Roseberry [11] and Storm et al. [10] extracted paired incisors from individual deer after harvest, DeYoung [21] extracted separate incisors one or two years apart from live deer. Precision of CA age estimates has also been examined in other cervids such as mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus; [22]) and moose (Alces alces; [23]). Storm et al. [10] and Asmus and Weckerly [22] examined factors influencing the precision of paired CA ages. Factors included the sex of the individual, precipitation during the individual’s life, the level of certainty assigned to the CA age estimates, as well as the age of the CA age estimates [10,22].

Managers must make decisions on how best to use limited resources when deciding on what methodology to use to age deer. Additional information is needed to help resolve whether, excluding fawns, two (yearling, ≥2 years of age) or three (yearling, 2 years of age, ≥3 years of age) age categories should be used if managers decide to rely on TRW for aging. While the accuracy of CA aging has been thoroughly investigated, further evaluation of factors affecting the precision of CA aging is warranted to provide guidance to managers on what factors they must consider when evaluating CA aging data. To that end, the first objective of this study was to evaluate the precision of the CA aging method of paired incisors from wild male white-tailed deer in Iowa. We hypothesized that precision would decrease as the age of the CA age estimate increased, the level of certainty of the estimate decreased, and that precision would be dependent upon the batches in which the teeth were aged, an a posteriori consideration after viewing the CA data. Our second objective was to evaluate factors influencing the level of certainty assigned to CA age estimates. We hypothesized that the level of certainty in the age estimates would decrease with age and be influenced by the batch in which the age estimates were aged. Our third objective was to assess congruence between the age estimates from the CA and TRW methods specifically when deer aged using TRW were aged exclusively as yearling, 2 years of age, or ≥3 years of age. We hypothesized that congruence between the two aging methods would be greatest within the yearling age class and lower for both of the older age classes because the TRW criteria within the yearling age class relies on the presence or absence of a tooth while older ages are determined by a subjective assessment of tooth wear.

Baked buffalo fish is juicy and flaky with wonderfully crispy skin. Flavorful cajun-seasoned fish is stuffed with parsley and topped with a lemon garlic butter sauce. This simple whole buffalo fish recipe looks impressive and serves as a wonderful light and delicious main dish!

Cooking a whole fish can seem intimidating but it’s actually very easy. This recipe will walk you through how to bake a whole fish so that it’s juicy and perfectly tender. Starting with a fish that is already gutted and scaled all you have to do is cover it in your favorite seasonings and then bake!

If you have never heard of buffalo fish before you might be thinking of buffalo chicken wings but using fish instead. But despite its name, buffalo fish is a type of freshwater fish.

Instead of covering it with a creamy buffalo sauce, in this easy recipe, a whole buffalo fish is stuffed with fresh parsley and lemon and then covered in a buttery cajun garlic sauce and lemon slices. It’s an impressive baked fish dinner that everyone will enjoy!

Recipe ingredients

Whole buffalo fish. Fresh fish is incredibly flavorful and it has a wonderful texture. If you can’t get your hands on fresh, make sure to completely thaw before using.

Cajun seasoning. This bold, smoky, and flavorful spice blend is added to the butter sauce.

Lemon. Adds a bright citrus flavor to the fish. Lemon juice is poured over the fish and lemon slices are cooked on top.

Garlic cloves. Minced and added to the sauce to give the fish a bolder garlic flavor and aroma. It complements lemon and seafood very well.

A fresh sprig of thyme. Cooked on top of the fish.

Butter. Melted to create the cajun lemon garlic sauce and helps the skin become extra crispy.

Fresh parsley. Stuffed inside the fish cavity to flavor the inside.

How to make baked buffalo fish recipe

Its best to use fresh fish for this recipe. If you have a frozen buffalo fish, thaw it first. Its best to leave the fish in the refrigerator overnight or until thawed completely. You can also leave the fish on the counter for couples hours.

Remove scales and clean whole buffalo fish. Rinse very well with cold running water and place on the parchment paper lined baking tray. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Meanwhile prepare your seasoning mix. Melt butter and mix it with Cajun spices, minced or finely chopped garlic and half of the lemon, juiced. Make slits in the fish and cover it with the butter mixture.

Add some inside the fish as well. Place parsley in the fish cavity along with leftover lemon slices. Place slices on top of the fish with thyme springs(optionally).

Bake for 30 minutes or more, depending on the size of the fish. The internal temperature of fully cooked fish should be at least 145 degrees.

What kind of fish is it

Buffalo fish or bigmouth buffalo is a type of fish and not only a cooking style. This freshwater fish is native to the rivers and streams of North America.

It is a large bottom-dwelling fish with greyish/brownish colored skin. Because of its size and shape buffalo fish is often confused with the common carp, but these are two different fish varieties.

While buffalo fish is not as common as other types of fish, it is a tasty whitefish known for its sweet flavor that’s both delicate and flavorful without being fishy tasting.

Because of its slightly firm texture, this fish holds up really well when grilled, baked, or stir-fried.

Substitutions

Buffalo fish. Catfish is a good substitute for buffalo fish.

Seasoning. Creole seasoning or Old Bay seasoning. You could also simply use a blend of cayenne pepper, smoked or regular paprika, black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.

Fresh herbs. Use whatever herbs you love! Sprigs of fresh rosemary, oregano, cilantro, or tarragon would taste amazing in this baked buffalo fish recipe.

Variations

If you want to make actual buffalo-style buffalo fish, cover fish fillets with buffalo sauce then bake until tender.

Roast with baby gold potatoes, fingerling potatoes, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, or onions to make a richly flavored and easy side dish.

Frequently asked questions

Side dishes

• You can add zucchinis and cherry tomatoes to the baking tray to cook together with the fish. They will turn out lovely. If feeding a crowd cook some white or brown rice or potatoes. It could be roasted potatoes, mashed or scalloped. Or simply boiled with dill and butter- my favorite!
• Make a fresh spring salad with romaine lettuce or arugula, kale, cherry tomatoes, onion and cucumbers. Drizzle olive oil and a little bit of balsamic vinegar and enjoy your healthy dinner!
• Another great side dishes for white fish are broccoli, Brussels sprouts or asparagus. Perfect for late dinners and very healthy!

Leftovers

Store baked buffalo fish leftovers in the air tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave for about 1 minutes. Don’t overheat or it will overcook the fish and it may become dry. You can also reheat buffalo fish in the oven. It will take about 5 minutes to reheat with the temperature on 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Or use you oven broiler! No time needed to preheat, just pop it in the oven and broil for couple minutes. Watch closely, it may burn fast.

More seafood recipes

• Ninja Foodi cod recipe
• Argentinian shrimp recipe
• Air fryer haddock
• Air fryer stuffed salmon
• Cuttlefish recipe
• Whole catfish recipe
• Air fryer frozen cod
• Ninja Foodi frozen salmon
• Baked shrimp oreganata
• John Dory recipe

Hope you will like this Baked Buffalo fish recipe as much as we do. Rate the recipe if you like it and leave a comment below if you have any questions or suggestions.

The following ammunition cartridge ballistics information and chart can be used to approximately compare .30 M1 Carbine vs .308 Winchester ammo rounds. Please note, the following information reflects the estimated average ballistics for each caliber and does not pertain to a particular manufacturer, bullet weight, or jacketing type. As such, the following is for comparative information purposes only and should not be used to make precise predictions of the trajectory, performance, or true ballistics of any particular .30 M1 Carbine or .308 Winchester rounds for hunting, target shooting, plinking, or any other usage. The decision for which round is better for a given application should be made with complete information, and this article simply serves as a comparative guide, not the final say. For more detailed ballistics information please refer to the exact round in question or contact the manufacturer for the pertinent information. True .30 M1 Carbine and .308 Winchester ballistics information can vary widely from the displayed information, and it is important to understand that the particular characteristics of a given round can make a substantive difference in its true performance.

Caliber Type Velocity (fps) Energy (ft-lb) .30 M1 Carbine Rifle 1990 960 .308 Winchester Rifle 2680 2620

Velocity

As illustrated in the chart, .30 M1 Carbine rounds – on average – achieve a velocity of about 1990 feet per second (fps) while .308 Winchester rounds travel at a velocity of 2680 fps. To put this into perspective, a Boeing 737 commercial airliner travels at a cruising speed of 600 mph, or 880 fps. That is to say, .30 M1 Carbine bullets travel 2.3 times the speed of a 737 airplane at cruising speed, while .308 Winchester bullets travel 3 times that same speed.

Various calibers

Energy

Furthermore, the muzzle energy of a .30 M1 Carbine round averages out to 960 ft-lb, while a .308 Winchester round averages out to about 2620 ft-lb. One way to think about this is as such: a foot-pound is a unit of energy equal to the amount of energy required to raise a weight of one pound a distance of one foot. So a .30 M1 Carbine round exits the barrel with kinetic energy equal to the energy required for linear vertical displacement of 960 pounds through a one foot distance, while a .308 Winchester round exiting the barrel has energy equal to the amount required to displace 2620 pounds over the same one foot distance. As a rule of thumb, when it comes to hunting, muzzle energy is what many hunters look at when deciding on what caliber of firearm / ammunition to select. Generally speaking, the higher the muzzle energy, the higher the stopping power. Again, the above is for comparative information purposes only, and you should consult the exact ballistics for the particular .30 M1 Carbine or .308 Winchester cartridge you’re looking at purchasing.

Please click the above links to take a look at all of the .30 M1 Carbine and .308 Winchester ammo we have in stock and ready to ship, and let us know any parting thoughts in the comment section below.

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We offer cheap ammo and bulk ammo deals on the most popular ammo calibers. We have a variety of deals on Rifle Ammo, Handgun Ammo, Shotgun Ammo & Rimfire Ammo, as well as ammo for target practice, plinking, hunting, or shooting competitions. Our website lists special deals on 9mm Ammo, 10mm Ammo, 45-70 Ammo, 6.5 Creedmoor ammo, 300 Blackout Ammo, 10mm Ammo, 5.56 Ammo, Underwood Ammo, Buffalo Bore Ammo and more special deals on bulk ammo.

We offer a 100% Authenticity Guarantee on all products sold on our website. Please email us if you have questions about any of our product listings.

As a gun enthusiast, you might find yourself constantly looking for ways to improve the performance of your favorite firearm. Whether it’s accuracy, speed, or reliability, there are several ways to make your gun more efficient. In this article, we will discuss a few ways to improve the performance of your favorite gun.

Upgrade Your Gun’s Barrel

One of the most important components of a firearm is the barrel. It’s the part of the gun that the bullet travels through, and it’s responsible for accuracy and range. Upgrading your gun’s barrel can significantly improve its performance. There are several types of barrels on the market, such as stainless steel, carbon fiber, and chrome-lined. Stainless steel barrels are a popular choice because they are corrosion-resistant and durable. Carbon fiber barrels are lightweight and offer excellent accuracy, while chrome-lined barrels are known for their longevity. Whichever type of barrel you choose, make sure to do your research and find one that is compatible with your firearm.

In addition to upgrading your barrel, you can also consider adding a muzzle brake or compensator to your gun. These devices help reduce recoil, allowing you to shoot more accurately and quickly. A muzzle brake works by redirecting the gases that are expelled when you fire your gun, while a compensator reduces the amount of upward force that the gun produces.

Clean Your Gun Regularly

Regular cleaning and maintenance are essential to the longevity and performance of your firearm. A dirty gun can cause malfunctions, misfires, and accuracy issues. It’s important to clean your gun after every use and to inspect it regularly for any signs of wear and tear.

When cleaning your gun, make sure to use the right tools and materials. Use a cleaning solvent to remove any dirt, debris, or residue from the barrel and other parts of the gun. Use a bore brush to scrub the inside of the barrel, and use a cleaning rod to push a patch through the barrel to remove any remaining debris. Finish by lubricating the gun with oil or grease to prevent rust and wear.

Upgrade Your Gun’s Trigger

The trigger is the part of the gun that you pull to fire the bullet. A good trigger can significantly improve the accuracy and speed of your firearm. There are several types of triggers on the market, such as single-stage, two-stage, and adjustable. Single-stage triggers are the most common type and are found on most firearms. They have a consistent pull weight and break when you reach the end of the trigger’s travel. Two-stage triggers have a longer travel and a lighter first stage, followed by a heavier second stage. Adjustable triggers allow you to customize the pull weight and travel to your liking.

Consider Upgrading Your Gun’s Chassis

Another component to consider when upgrading your firearm is the chassis. The chassis is the frame that holds the gun’s action and components, such as the trigger and magazine. Upgrading your gun’s chassis can improve its accuracy, stability, and durability. One popular option is an XLR chassis, a modular chassis system, which allows you to customize your gun’s components and accessories to your liking. These systems are often made from lightweight materials, such as aluminum or carbon fiber, and can be adjusted for the length of pull and cheek weld. Upgrading your gun’s chassis can also make it easier to mount optics or other accessories, such as bipods or slings. A good chassis can improve your gun’s balance, making it easier to handle and shoot accurately. When considering a chassis upgrade, make sure to research different options and find one that is compatible with your firearm and shooting style.

Upgrade Your Gun’s Sights

Having accurate sights on your firearm is crucial for hitting your targets with precision. Upgrading your gun’s sights can make a significant difference in your shooting performance. There are various types of sights available, including iron sights, red dot sights, holographic sights, and scopes. Iron sights are the most common type and are found on many firearms. Red dot sights are becoming increasingly popular, especially in the tactical and competitive shooting community. They offer a quick target acquisition and are useful in low-light conditions. Holographic sights are similar to red dot sights but provide a more extensive field of view and are less prone to parallax errors. Scopes are an excellent option for long-range shooting and provide magnification and range-finding capabilities. Upgrading your gun’s sights can help you shoot more accurately and efficiently.

Consider Ammunition Selection

The type of ammunition you use can also affect your gun’s performance. Different types of ammunition can impact factors such as accuracy, recoil, and velocity. When choosing ammunition, consider your gun’s barrel length, twist rate, and intended use. For example, if you are shooting at a longer range, you may want to consider using ammunition with a heavier bullet and higher velocity. If you are shooting for self-defense, you may want to consider using hollow-point ammunition, which can expand on impact and cause greater damage to your target. Additionally, you should choose ammunition that is compatible with your firearm and recommended by the manufacturer.

Practice Proper Shooting Techniques

Lastly, improving your performance with your favorite firearm requires regular practice and proper shooting techniques. Shooting accurately and quickly is a skill that takes time and practice to develop. Proper shooting techniques, such as proper grip, stance, and trigger control, can help you shoot more accurately and consistently. Additionally, regular practice at the range or in a controlled environment can help you identify areas where you need improvement and work to correct them. By practicing regularly and using proper techniques, you can become more proficient with your firearm and improve your overall shooting performance.

There are several ways to improve the performance of your favorite firearm, whether it’s accuracy, speed, or reliability that you’re looking to enhance. Upgrading components such as the barrel, trigger, chassis, sights, and ammunition selection can make a significant difference in your shooting performance. Regular cleaning and maintenance, as well as practicing proper shooting techniques, are also crucial for improving your skills and maximizing your gun’s potential. By investing time and effort into upgrading and maintaining your firearm, you can enhance its performance and get the most out of your shooting experience. Remember to always prioritize safety and follow proper handling procedures when working with firearms.

The rule of hunting is getting to understand your prey. Expert hunters know this, and sometimes they get particular when choosing their weapons depending on what you are hunting. If you are a novice hunter, it is easy to make the mistakes I did when starting. I used heavy-caliber rounds for all my hunting experiences. Though suitable for taking down big game it literally destroyed small game.

When you are hunting small game like squirrels, it is unnecessary to use heavy gunfire. You will need to have the best air rifles for squirrel hunting. Hunting any game is not easy, especially small games like raccoons and squirrels.

In this article, all my focus is on exploring the best air rifles in the market and the different features they all have that make them ideal for squirrel hunting.

Reasons for Using an Air Rifle

Using an air gun will improve any hunter’s marksmanship and shooting skills while using any rifle. It is the first form of practice you need before challenging yourself with big game hunting. Spring-powered air guns have adverse recoil as well, and this will let you handle the full recoil of a rimfire or bore rifles as well.

When going out for target practice, it is cheaper to do it with an air rifle than with a full bore rifle. The logic is that the costs of an air gun are more affordable, yet it offers a similar hunting experience. When you get better aim using the air gun rifles, the same will reflect when hunting big game using a rimfire or center rifle.

When hunting for small pesky rodents like vermin rats and squirrels on your farmyard, air guns are safer and will not destroy farm machinery when you miss your target. Besides using it for pest control, air guns can be for entertainment as well. Not many states have dire ramifications for possessing and owning an air rifle gun. Therefore you can use it to shoot at targets with your friends when they come over.

Why I Like Them?

Air rifles are a silent killer when you fix it with a moderator that takes away the noise when you fire. Because of this, you can hunt as many squirrels and vermin rats on the go before realizing they are being picked out one by one.

Unlike using a rifle or shotguns, air guns will not need regular cleaning each time you fire. It is because they never use chemicals as fuels; therefore, they are not complicated to handle.

Also, because air rifles have little recoil compared to rimfire and center rifles, they will not stress your body each time you fire. It makes them the preferred choice for people with disabilities and the aged who require little resistance and complications.

Headshots are very effective for taking down even big game animals. The advantage is it preserves the meat if you plan to eat it. Because air rifles have limited power and chemicals, the meat stays free from peppered pellets you would have if you used a shotgun instead.

Review of the Ten Best Air Rifles You Can Find in the Market Today

Gamo Magnum Air Rifle .22 Cal

I will start with the first air rifle that I tried during my squirrel-hunting quest—the Gamo Magnum Air Rifle .22 Cal. The first thing I noticed when I handled it for the first time is how sturdy it is. It also feels lightweight, which is a bonus if you want to use it for longer hours. There is also so much control when locking into targets, especially fast-moving targets.

The good thing about the Gamo Magnum air rifle is that it gives a clean but lethal shot. I realized that the squirrel I hunted was not battered to a pulp, and the meat was preserved. Another advantage is how much power it has yet subtle and causes only slight vibrations you can handle after you fire it. Few vibrations mean a firm hand and can easily get the second shot accurately if you need more than one shot to kill a squirrel.

The Gamo Magnum air rifle comes fitted with a rear sight and front scope for improved accuracy. The front scope is fixed, but you can make adjustments on the rear sight. One thing that favored my quest when using the Gamo Magnum air rifle is the excellent optics. The field of view is clear and reliable, which makes you hit targets accurately.

I had the advantage of speed, as the .22 Cal used on the Gamo Magnum air rifles has a fast velocity. They move at 1300 feet per second. It is safe to use as it has a recoil pad that reduces the recoil to a paltry 74%. It is also waterproof since I used it in the rain, without any hiccups.

Pros

• It has minimal vibration
• The Gamo Magnum air rifle has a high velocity .22 Cal
• Adjustable trigger
• Reduces the felt recoil by up to 74%
• It offers the hunter powerful shots
• It comes inclusive with useful accessories

Cons

• I found it to be more loud compared to other air rifles under review here.

Hatsan 95 Air Rifle Combo

It is one of the best air rifles for squirrels as it has two features that other models do not have. The first thing I loved about this rifle is that it has a high-quality and two-stage trigger that makes it easy to engage. The second aspect is that the trigger pressure is ideal, and it let me take shots at the precise moment I wanted.

The Hatsan 95 Air Rifle Combo is a gun that is also aesthetically appealing. The steel barrel looks nice, yet it manages to fire accurately with minimal effort.

With this particular air rifle, you can have three versions: .22, .25, and .177 — and each will give you exceptional performances. The .22 has a maximum velocity of only 1 000 FPS, which is decent as it builds on accuracy. On the other hand, the .177 caliber is the best for all long-range shooting as it offers a velocity of up to 1,300 FPS. The .25 is the least in terms of velocity as it only has a maximum velocity of 650 FPS.

The Hatsan 95 Air Rifle Combo comes with open sights that I found the best for taking clear shots. Because it is the best for both mid and short-range shooting, I rank it as one of the best air rifles for squirrel hunting.

The Hatsan 95 Air rifle has a beautiful design of walnut wood. It will give you superior accuracy and is a rifle with superior features than most.

Pros

• Accurate
• Anti-beartrap mechanism
• Sturdy gun
• Clean shots
• Lightweight

Cons

• Some people may find it difficult gun to cock
• The grouping is sometimes spread in a few of the rifles made.

Gamo Varmint Air Rifle .177 Cal

Hunting pesky tree rats and squirrels can be a fun sport if you have the Gamo Varmint air rifle. Sometimes after having a bad day, all I need is to feel better, and hunting squirrels offers more resolve than the rigorous process of hunting deer, hogs, or ducks.

The Gamo Varmint air rifle is a .177 Cal designed to remove the stress pests bring to your life. It is a simple air rifle that fires a caliber up to 1250 feet per second. With such firepower, it is enough to fall a squirrel from a tree minimizing the rare chance of missing your target.

The Gamo Varmint Air Rifle is also an all-weather gun with excellent stability, which combines well with quality to give you maximum performance. It is lightweight and synthetic stock that is also easy to carry everywhere you go.

It uses match-grade polymer steel, and the jacketed barrel is somewhat fluted, which adds speed and spin to your ammunition. The Gamo Varmint air rifle uses a two-stage and adjustable trigger that gives the feeling of a comfortable and customized fit. The thick butt-pad will absorb most of the recoil, and this ensures a smooth shooting experience for all hunters.

Pros

• Sturdy gun
• Clean shots
• Lightweight
• Accurate

Cons

• Is somewhat louder than other air rifles

Gamo Whisper Silent Cat Air Rifle

Another best air rifle that I tested is the Gamo Whisper Silent Cat Air rifle because it has decent speed and accuracy. It has a maximum velocity of 1200 FPS, which is fast enough for hunting squirrels from mid to short-range distances.

The Gamo Whisper Silent Cat Air Rifle operates using a single cocking system, which is ideal for smooth shooting. It also uses automatic cocking to make it faster to shoot and easy to operate. The most crucial feature I loved about this air rifle is that it has a first and second stage of trigger adjustments that make it precise and comfortable.

The barrel is of the Gamo Whisper Silent Cat Air Rifle is fluted and has a polymer jacketed steel. The air rifle is also dead silent as it has a noise dampener that makes it undetectable to the squirrel population. It means that you cannot disrupt the squirrels because the gun makes no noise when your fire. The dampener has the potential to reduce the noise from air rifles by almost half.

You would not disrupt the squirrels since this air rifle comes with a noise dampener that is not detachable. The noise dampener can minimize the noise produced by air rifles by almost half, which allows you to attract more squirrels.

The design comes with a rubber pad for the butt of your air rifle. It takes away the recoil and makes for comfortable shooting as well. It comes with the best optics, which makes you shoot accurately at your targets. The sights are both waterproof and fog proof, which makes it a durable all-season air rifle.

Pros

• Powerful shots
• Reliable optic sight
• Durable
• Quiet operation

Cons

• The scope is sometimes wobbly

Benjamin Trail NP XL Magnum

The Benjamin Trail NP XL Magnum is among the best air guns for novice hunters. It has a total length of 4.25 inches and is considered among the full rifles available under this review. The aesthetic wood stock design makes it a lightweight air rifle at only 9.7 pounds.

It has a thumbhole stock that feels comfortable for all hands and coupled-up with a good grip that adds to your pinpoint accuracy shots.

The Benjamin Trail NP XL Magnum uses Benjamin’s Nitro Piston Technology and is also a single hot air gun. The manufacturer replaced the steel spring as the source of power with this new technology as its main aim is to reduce the feel of recoil when you fire.

Through the use of Nitro Piston technology, you can have improved accuracy as you have a faster locker time. It can fire pellets at 1100 feet per second, making it a lethal rifle for hunting small game like squirrels and rabbits.

It has a quiet but simple break barrel as its action. Because it reduces noise, you can take a second shot if you happen to miss your first one. The trigger is also smooth and is only a brisk 3.5 pounds. The weight of the trigger is not adjustable, which is a downside, but if you are a straight shooter, you will have no qualms with this design.

Most novice hunters will enjoy using this air rifle for target practice as the skills can easily be transferred to the full gun when hunting for a big game. Every shot you fire will carry a 30-foot-pound of downrange muzzle energy. The Benjamin Trail NP XL Magnum, therefore, is among the most hard-hitting air rifles that take down small game with a single shot. The hard punch is a welcome feature as I like to consider the humane side of killing prey; it should be a quick and painless death.

Pros

• Powerful shots
• Reliable optic sight
• Durable
• Quiet operation

Cons

• The weight of the trigger is not adjustable

Seneca Dragon Claw

Under this review, this is the most potent air gun rifle in the market. The Seneca Dragon Claw is for situations where you need one shot, and it must be the killer shot. When I was using the Seneca Dragon Claw air rifle, I preferred the .50 Cal.

One thing I admire most about this rifle is the pre-charged pneumatic design. It makes this beast gun able to fire .50 Cal up to 679 feet per second and a 230 ft.-lbs muzzle energy. With this kind of firepower, it is no surprise that you can hunt and successfully kill both small and medium-sized game like small hogs, foxes, coyotes, and possums.

The outstanding feature of the Seneca Dragon Claw air rifle is that it uses dual tanks of 500cc air capacity. The dual tanks are under your air rifles barrels that give it balance when handling it. It also comes with the best adjustable sights accompanied by a dovetail rail to mount the optics on your rifle’s barrel. It has an appealing aesthetics as the wooden stock finish on the fore-end is quite attractive.

Pros

• Sturdy gun
• Clean shots
• Accurate and powerful

Cons

• The dual tank feels cumbersome and makes the rifle heavy

Benjamin Vaporizer SBD Air Rifle

The Crosman Benjamin Rogue SBD is an improved version of the original Benjamin SBD. The acronym SBD stands for Silencing Barrel Device. As a result, this reduces the noise when you fire the rifle and is up to three times more silent than other air rifles in the market.

It is also a powerful rifle as it fires the .177 caliber design pellet up to 1,400 feet per second. If you are looking for a silent killer’s true definition, then you must try the Benjamin Vaporizer SBD. When hunting for small prey like rabbits and pesky pests like squirrels, it is a brutal rifle that kills on impact. It, therefore, offers the prey a humane, quick, and painless death.

The Silencing barrel device is odd-looking, but I love how it functions well and is also out of the way, so it doesn’t block the adjustable scopes. Another essential feature worth mentioning is the two-stage trigger that gives a smooth squeeze.

Pros

• Accurate
• Sturdy gun
• Clean shots
• Lightweight
• The most silent air rifle because of the SBD

Cons

• Appears complicated and not for the novice hunter

Beeman R7 Air Rifle

The Beeman R7 is one of the smallest and compact air rifles in the market today. Yet, despite the size, it is still powerful enough to fall small pre like squirrels. It is also not lacking in the accuracy department as it has excellent balance and control. When I was using it, I discovered that it is remarkable at hitting fast-moving objects as it also has high speed and velocity. It can fire a .177 pellet up to 700 feet per second.

It is a model that takes after the popular Beeman R1 air rifle. The idea behind the same design was to create a shorter, lighter, and comfortable to shoot weapon. An excellent feature that complements the design is the use of a double joint cocking lever, which reduces the effort when cocking.

The barrel design is a spring-piston that can propel a .177 Cal accurately and at faster speeds. The trigger is also adjustable and breaks at 1.25 lbs.

The Beeman’s reduced effort cocking device makes it unique and an overall excellent break barrel design. The fact that it is 5 inches shorter and 2.5 pounds lighter than the Beeman R1 makes it the clear winner.

The Beeman R7 is among my favored air rifles because it comes with adjustable scopes and mounts for all your optical needs.

Pros

• Lightweight
• Sturdy
• Adjustable trigger

Cons

• Some people feel like it lacks enough killer power

Benjamin Fortitude Gen2 PCP Air Rifle

When you want a simple design, then the Benjamin Fortitude is among the top air rifles. It is also easy to use and affordable. The Benjamin Fortitude has all the features you need to hunt and kill small game like rabbits and squirrels. The pellets come in two sizes you can choose from, either the .117 or—22 caliber pellet rifles. For the .117Cal, you will have a 950 FPS, and the .22 offers up to 800 FPS.

It is a bolt action and a single-shot air rifle that has a 10-round rotary magazine. The Benjamin Fortitude weighs a paltry 5.3 pounds and is an all-weather type of design. It is lethal at distances under 100 yards, and this is why I love it for all my hunting experience. The single-stage trigger design allows a constant pull that makes it accurate.

Pros

• Easy to use
• Lightweight
• Accurate
• Lethal at distances under 100 yards

Cons

• None worth mentioning

Air Arms TX200 Hunter Carbine

It is an elegant and refined air rifle design. It has a sleek appearance, and it does back it up with more firepower. The Air Arms TX200 Hunter Carbine is a compact and lightweight .177 rifle known to be the best for target shooting and hunting of small game. This gun has excellent accuracy and can send a pellet downrange up to 930 FPS. It comes with an underlying under lever of 34 pounds cocking effort.

The Air Arms TX200 Hunter carbine is the best for hunting small game as it is lethal for prey like rabbits and squirrels. It is exceptionally lightweight and has a beautiful wooden stock finish that makes it aesthetically appealing. It has decent handling, and it is easy to use and the best for the novice hunter.

The most impressive feature is the two-stage adjustable trigger that is coupled-up with a barrel from Lothar Walther to give it precision and accuracy.

Pros

• Easy to use
• Lightweight
• Accurate
• Sleek design and a two-stage adjustable trigger

Cons

• Expensive is not a con as you cannot drive a Ferrari that you cannot afford.

You thought that you knew your hunting and fishing terms, but you were wrong.

Whether you have a fishing rod in your hands, big game hunting, slinging flies, or sharing in an upland hunt, you need to know what your hunting and fishing terms are. Sometimes the English language can fool us into believing that a slang term is actually the real phrase, and vice versa.

We’re declaring it an open season to jump on your hunting buddies and let them know that what they are saying really means something else. Maybe you’re in the bar discussing game birds or bag limits, or maybe you’re talking with your tree hugging cousin who wonders why you’re hunting with an “assault rifle.”

Face it, a lot of us have been using these hunting and fishing terms wrong all this time and didn’t know it. Here’s where the rubber meets the road and you can find out what you’ve been missing.

Keep these in mind when your know-it-all friend starts talking in the blind.

Snort: The sound you make when your buddy swears it was a 10-point that he missed.

Wheeze: The sound you make dragging a deer through the woods.

Grunt: The sound you make when you see that gun you’ve been wanting is discontinued.

Rabbit-in-distress: When you step on your wife’s ankle biting dog’s tail.

Crankbait: That expensive bass boat with all the bells and whistles.

Buzzbait: Those ice cold brewskis in the cooler.

Buck-in-rut lure: That new tight dress your girl is wearing.

Honker: That jerk at the boat launch that’s totally impatient.

High-ball: Whisky or rum?

Swamp donkey: What you call your buddy when his new 4×4 gets stuck.

Tree rat: That dude sitting in your stand.

Smokepole: That stick of salami/pepperoni you put in your backpack.

Kicker: When the kid finds out he can’t go fishing with you.

Kentucky windage: When you aim a little right or left of where you’re trying to walk after too much bourbon at deer camp.

Robin Hood: That dude pitching the timber that can’t miss.

Burn a hole in the yellow: Peeing in the snow.

Glassing: The reason why a dude wears dark sunglasses to the beach with his girl or wife.

Bluebill: What your buddy gets when he falls in the water in January.

Chuckle: What you do before, during, and after your buddy falls in that cold water.

Boar: That dude that can’t stop talking about his skill.

Deep diver: That guy that can’t stop telling fishing lies.

Brow tines: That buddy that always wears his shades on his forehead.

Bull: What you’re thinking when your buddy tells his fishing stories.

Call-shy: When you can’t get up the nerve to call that gal you met at the boat show.

Cape: What your buddy thinks he wears when he scores a nice buck.

Gobbler: What your buddy turns into over that first fresh venison steak of the year.

Confidence decoy: Your pal who’s the wingman tonight.

Cow: What your wingman is helping you to avoid.

Pointer: That dude your friend brought along that wants to try every spot he sees.

Furbearer: What you didn’t know about that guy until he took his shirt off at camp.

Shaker: Your buddy when he sees a buck.

Greenhead: What your buddy gets when your buck is bigger.

Gutshot: That feeling you get when the neighbor scores the buck you’ve been hunting all year.

Inside spread: The distance between you and the other guy working a shoreline.

Jump shoot: When you come up too fast to another angler working a spot.

Limb saver: When your friend helps you drag your deer.

Locator call: When you have to call from the driveway to wake your buddy up early because he stayed out too late.

Pass shoot: What that one buddy seems to do every time you kick a deer by him.

Quiver: Every time that same guy sees a deer.

Shed: What your wallet does every time you go into the hunting/fishing store.

Trapline: That aisle in the outdoor store where everything is marked 50% off.

Shock gobble: What your wife does when you get home from the hunting/fishing store.

Butt out tool: What you say to that friend who wants to know where you caught that bucket of crappie.

There’s a method to our madness when it comes to the outdoor phrases that we use every day. The big fish that got away is usually just a couple of words from the real definition and you didn’t even know it. Now you have the ammunition to block out that one loud guy in your group and make sure that when the trap closes, it’s just his mouth you’re talking about!

You may even be able to get around the game warden with some of this wily jargon, but don’t bet on it. The next time that you’re on a fishing trip or out with the long bow remind your buddy that sometimes a diving duck is really just that thing you do when the guy in the front of the boat casts without looking behind him!

You’ll be better off for it.

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NEXT: TAKE MY QUIZ TO SEE IF YOU ARE INDEED AN OCDH: OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DEER HUNTER

WATCH

The simple solution is to consult the list of approved fuels below. However, for a more comprehensive understanding, it is important to consider three essential factors when determining the suitability of a fuel. If you have doubts about whether a fuel is appropriate for use, please refer to these three major criteria below.

The fuels approved for both indoor and outdoor use in Tubular Lanterns and Flat Wick Oil Lamps are as follows:

Indoor Use:

1. Lamplight Farms® Clear Medallion Brand Lamp Oil , (#60020, #60003 aka #6300, #60005 aka #6400, and #6700 Only) Flash Point: 145 Degrees Fahrenheit

2. W.M. Barr & Co. Klean-Heat® Kerosene Substitute (#GKKH99991, 128oz, sold by Home Depot SKU #391-171) Flash Point: 145 Degrees Fahrenheit (Do Not Purchase Klean-Strip 1-K “Kerosene”)

3. Genuine Aladdin® Brand Lamp Oil (#17552, 32 oz., and #17554, 128 oz.) Flash Point: 141 Degrees Fahrenheit

4. MVP Group International Florasense® Brand Lamp Oil (#MVP73200, 64oz. and #MVP73201, 32 oz., Sold by Wal-Mart ) Flash Point: 142 Degrees Fahrenheit (Purchase only the clear unscented version of this fuel.)

Outdoor Use:

1. Non-Dyed (Clear) Kerosene with a Flash Point Between 124 and 150 Degrees Fahrenheit

2. Coleman® Brand Kerosene Fuel (#3000000270) Flash Point: 130 Degrees Fahrenheit

3. Crown® Citronella Torch and Lamp Fuel (#CTLP01, #CTLP02, #CTLP48) (OUTDOOR USE ONLY, cut 50:50 with kerosene to extend wick life.) Flash Point: 141 Degrees Fahrenheit

4. Tiki® Brand Citronella Torch Fuel (OUTDOOR USE ONLY, cut 50:50 with kerosene to extend wick life.) Flash Point: 145 Degrees Fahrenheit

3 Requirements for a Safe Fuel:

Flashpoint,

Viscosity,

Purity.

Lets go over each characteristic.

Flashpoint: The Temperature at which the fuel will give off enough vapors that they can be lit in air. This is a critical measurement, if the fuel you have has too low of a flashpoint, the fuel in the tank can heat up past the flashpoint and create enough vapor in the oil tank that will ignite from the flame. This will either cause a blow torch affect, and adjusting the wick will not fix the issue, or the flame could simply ignite the fuel in the tank and cause an explosion. This is why using the correct fuel is VERY IMPORTANT.

Dangerous Fuels Include: Gasoline, Coleman Fuel, White Gas, Paint Thinner, Mineral Sprits, Wood Alcohol, Naphtha, Turpentine, Benzene and any other fuel with a flash point under 124 degrees F.

If a lantern ever has a flame which you can not control, immediately place a bucket over the lantern to kill off the oxygen supply to the lantern. You can also bury the lantern in dirt or sand to kill airflow.

Note: Center Draft Oil Lamps often warm the oil more in usual operation and thus we suggest a slightly higher flashpoint fuel for these lamps if a lamp shows signs of acting as a runaway with any approved fuel listed above. Fuels around 145 to 175 Degrees F should suffice.

Viscosity: The Thickness of the liquid does matter as well, proper Kerosene and Lamp Oil need to be very thin for the cotton wick to carry the fuel to the flame fast enough. If the fuel is thicker, the cotton will struggle to do it’s job, the top of the wick will dry out and the flame will then start burning the wick instead of the fuel. This will cause soot to come off of the flame, as well as more poisonous Carbon Monoxide.

Incorrect Fuels Include: Paraffin oil*, Olive Oil, Vegetable Oil, Canola Oil

Any food grade fuel, as well as fuels that contain Citronella. Citronella can be used in oil lanterns only outdoors, but must be mixed with Kerosene 50-50 to thin out the fuel.

Purity: The purity of a fuel matters as well. If a fuel is a pure oil, usually of Petroleum, and follows the other two rules above, it is a good fuel to use in Tubular Lanterns and Flat Wick Oil Lamps.

Fuels that are impure can include those with dyes to color the fuel, Fuels with added scents to make them smell different. This also includes Paraffin Fuel, and Citronella.

Paraffin in the U.K. is kerosene. Paraffin Oil in the UNITED STATES is Liquid Candle Wax , and is mis-labeled for use in oil lamps and lanterns, when in fact it is only suited for Candle Oil Lamps that use small diameter (under 1/4”,) round wick. 99% or 100% Paraffin Oil is NOT designed or suitable for use in tubular lanterns or oil lamps that use flat wick, or Kosmos or Matador type oil lamps. Further, it burns only 1/2 as bright of any of the approved fuels listed above. Paraffin oil has a much higher viscosity and a flash point of 200 degrees or higher, as compared to the flash point of 150 degrees for kerosene. These differences inhibit the necessary capillary action of the wick, and will cause Lamps and Lanterns with 3/8″ or larger wick to burn improperly and erratic. This is because the Paraffin Wax and any other contaminates will clog the wick as the Cotton acts as a filter for the lantern. When the Wick Clogs, the flame will dry the top of the wick and burner the cotton instead. When that occurs, excess amounts of Carbon Monoxide are produced, which is a poisonous gas.

Once a wick is contaminated with paraffin oil, it must be replaced in order for the lantern to burner properly. If you must use paraffin oil, it may be mixed 1:10 to 2:10 (one to two parts paraffin,) to ten parts standard lamp oil or kerosene so that it will burn satisfactorily. Paraffin Oil is sold in the United States under the following trade names, which should be avoided except for use with lamps or lanterns with 1/4” Round of 3/8″ flat or smaller wick:

Aura OilCrown RoyalFirelight GlassOrvis Lamp FuelNorthern LightsNorthwestPure LiteRecochem Ultra-Clear Lamp OilSoft LightTropical LightsUltra-PureWeems & Plath

CAUTION:Diesel and Aviation fuel should not be used in any wick lamp or lantern as the fumes from fuel additives can be FATAL if inhaled.

THE MINIMUM RECOMMENDED FLASH POINT FOR KEROSENE FOR USE IN OIL LAMPS AND LANTERNS IS 124 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

Imagine for a second you’re a big bass, just hanging out on a deep water weed line. You’re not particularly hungry, as you’ve got an ample baitfish supply and fed well earlier in the morning. All of a sudden, something peaks your interest – it’s a large gizzard shad (or a big bait) swimming by, seemingly injured.

Do you strike it? Or do you let it swim by?

On one hand, you’re not particularly hungry, so you would be fine letting it swim. However, you didn’t get to be a big bass by passing up easy meals – and at 7 or 8 inches, a gizzard shad will provide enough energy to really last…

Although a bit satirical, situations like these are every day occurrences for bass. Unlike us, they don’t have a supermarket available to them 24/7/365. If they want to eat, they’ve got to do it themselves.

For that reason, bass (and most wild creatures) are extremely opportunistic when feeding, and will seldom turn down a big, energy packed meal if it’s right in their face. This is the reason why big baits are becoming increasingly popular – even in parts of the country not known for giant bass.

If you replaced the big gizzard shad in the above story with a small baitfish, would it have changed the reaction?

Probably so, as the caloric reward for the meal wouldn’t necessarily be enough to justify the chase – particularly since the bass wasn’t actively feeding.

The theory behind big bait fishing is that in order to catch big bass – you need to show big bass something that interests them enough to strike, regardless of whether they’re actively feeding or not.

Despite its popularity, “big bait” angling doesn’t come with a user’s guide, and the tools and techniques can be downright confusing to the novice angler.

For that reason, we’ve put together the following guide to four common “big baits” – and how to rig and throw them.

1. Big Bait Swimbaits

The original “big bait” – swimbaits have become such a diverse category that it’s hard to lump them all into one. However, in this context we’re talking about larger, paddle-tail baits (hard or soft) that are designed to imitate a large gizzard shad, stocker trout, or hitch. Popular brands include Huddleston Deluxe, Triton Mike’s Bull Shad, the Spro BBZ series, or the – Optimum/Osprey series of line-though and top hook swimbaits – in large 6-10 inch sizes.

Gear up:

The ideal swimbait rod will be long (at least 7 foot 4 inches), heavy duty, and have a sensitive tip. For 6-7 inch baits that weigh between 1 and 2 ounces, you can probably get away with repurposing a flipping stick, but for the heavier stuff – up to 5 ounces, you’ll need a custom purpose stick. Most die-hards rely on something in the 7 foot 6 inch or 8 foot range, with an extra heavy power and a long enough handle to get good leverage while working the bait. For reels, use a low-gear ratio (5.4:1) high capacity reel spooled with either 50-60 pound braid (for braid lovers) or 20-30 pound monofilament or fluorocarbon. Some swimbait anglers swear by braid for its lack of stretch, and other think it costs them fish by ripping too big of holes in bass mouths – so experiment and choose what you prefer.

How to use:

Swimbaits are designed to do just that, “swim” so they are best utilized in places where bass would encounter large prey fish in a natural setting. Structures like deep weed lines, points, humps, and ledges are all ideal. Concentrate on learning how to keep you r chosen bait at specific depths, and try to visualize where on the structure your bait is during the entire retrieve.

2. Big Bait Glide Baits

A relatively new category, glide baits are large, hard plastic jointed swimbaits designed to “glide” from side to side on a steady retrieve – and they’re the hottest thing since sliced bread across much of the country. Top choices include the River2Sea S-Waver, the Deps Slide Swimmer, and the ABT Lures Suicide Glide.

Gear up:

Glide baits work a pretty wide path, and for that reason most anglers use some type of monofilament, copolymer, or fluorocarbon, rather than braid. For 5-6 inch baits, opt for 17-20 pound line, and for larger baits, don’t be afraid to go up to 30. For reels and rods, the same type of rods that work well for swimbaits work well for glide baits – just make sure to match the rod to the weight of the lure.

How to use:

To get a big bait glide bait to work, all you need to do is steadily retrieve it, and it will automatically do its thing. Once you’ve caught a few fish, though, the opportunities are endless. Experienced glide baiters will routinely work in pauses, twitches, pops, and jerks to make the action more enticing. Glide baits excel in pressured situations, in clear water, and any time the bass are feeding up. Something about their erratic “glide” just draws strikes when nothing else will – including other big baits. Gliders are quickly becoming legendary in their reputation for strike drawing, even from smaller bass – so don’t be afraid to throw one under just about any circumstances possible.

3. Big Bait Spoons

We’ve come a long way from the days of the old Johnson Silver Minnow… Giant spoons have become standard equipment for most anglers in the Tennessee River ledge fishing community, and they’ve already been responsible for a number of top tournament finishes in the highest levels of the sport. The Nichols “Ben Parker” magnum spoon was the original – but there are now several companies making spoons up to 9 inches and a full 3 ounces. They work by simulating a large gizzard shad in its final death throes – and can often trigger a reaction strike that fires up a massive offshore school of bass.

Gear up:

Big bait spoons should be fished on stout tackle, with heavy action swimbait rods getting the call from most anglers. Reels should be super-high speed, to catch up with fish that bite on slack line, and line choices are most commonly 20-30 pound mono or fluorocarbon.

How to use:

To catch bass on a big spoon, it’s all about the fall. Make a long cast, and free spool the reel so it falls vertically to the bottom on or past the structure you want to fish. Once it hits bottom, engage the reel and “rip” your rod tip to 12 o’clock, then allow the bait to fall on slack line while following it down with your rod tip. Most bites occur on the fall, so watch your line for tics, and set the hook hard. Repeat the “hops” all the way back to the boat.

4. Big Bait Bucktails

Another “big bait” invention of the ledge fisherman is the bucktail jig – a repurposing of a saltwater and striped bass bait, just recently applied to bass fishing. The bucktail jig is just that – a one or more ounce lead head jig with a long, 6-8 inch piece of bucktail or feathers tied to it, creating the profile of a large shad or baitfish.

Gear up:

Because they’re so streamlined, you can work a bucktail jig like the Wahoo Super Striper on lighter equipment than many of the other “big baits” on this list. Repurpose a flipping stick, or pick up any other long rod that’s heavy enough to handle a 1 or 1 ½ ounce lure. Reels should be super high speed (to deal with fish running towards the boat), and spooled with heavy (17-20) pound fluorocarbon or copolymer.

How to use:

Fish a bucktail jig just like you would a flutter spoon – by stroking it hard off the bottom, and letting it fall back on semi-slack line. You really can’t work it wrong though, as there are times when offshore bass will eat them when just wound steadily back to the boat.