how-to Archives - Page 2 of 5

21Sep

Blue Crab Season Across America: Timing, Limits and Local Rules

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Blue Crab Season Across America: Timing, Limits and Local Rules When is blue crab season? Ask ten crabbers and you'll get a few different answers, because there is no national opening day. Each coastal state sets its own dates, its

21Sep

Aquarium Cycling: How to Grow the Bacteria Before You Add Fish

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Aquarium Cycling: How to Grow the Bacteria Before You Add Fish Fish can't survive in a brand-new tank, and the reason isn't dirty water. Aquarium cycling is the work of growing two bacterial colonies that convert fish waste into compounds

20Sep

Pond Aeration Explained: Moving Oxygen Through the Whole Water Column

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Pond Aeration Explained: Moving Oxygen Through the Whole Water Column Walk most farm ponds in July and the fish look fine. By August, one still, muggy night can flip the same water into a kill zone. Pond aeration is the

06Sep

Shrimper throwing a cast net from a small boat at golden hour

How to Catch Shrimp: Cast Nets, Traps & Technique

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How to Catch Shrimp: Cast Nets, Traps & Technique Shrimp are the most valuable fishery in the Gulf of Mexico — and the good news is you don't need a commercial boat to catch them. How to catch shrimp is

06Sep

Oyster beds exposed on a tidal flat at low tide

How to Harvest Oysters: Timing, Tools & Technique

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How to Harvest Oysters: Timing, Tools & Technique There's nothing quite like shucking an oyster you picked yourself at low tide — briny, fresh, and free. Harvesting oysters is one of the most accessible forms of shellfish gathering in America,

06Sep

Angler pulling a baited blue crab trap line up from a tidal creek

How to Catch Blue Crabs: Every Method Explained

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How to Catch Blue Crabs: Every Method Explained A bushel of blue crabs is one of the great rewards of coastal summer — and catching your own is half the fun. How to catch blue crabs doesn't require a boat,

06Sep

Baited crawfish traps set along a muddy bayou bank

Crawfish Trapping 101: Traps, Bait & Technique

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Crawfish Trapping 101: Traps, Bait & Technique A sack of live crawfish on the way to a boil is one of spring's great pleasures — and trapping your own is surprisingly simple. Crawfish trapping with a wire trap is the

06Sep

Clam digger working wet sand flats with a clam rake at low tide

How to Dig Clams: Spot, Dig & Keep Them Legal

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How to Dig Clams: Spot, Dig & Keep Them Legal Clamming is one of the most family-friendly ways to gather food from the sea. With a bucket, a rake, and a low tide, anyone can dig a dinner of fresh

28Aug

Beginner looking at an easy aquarium fish community tank

Easy Aquarium Fish: The Best Low-Maintenance Species for New Keepers

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Easy Aquarium Fish: The Best Low-Maintenance Species for New Keepers Starting a home aquarium should not feel like a chemistry exam. If you are shopping for easy aquarium fish — species that tolerate a beginner's mistakes and stay healthy in

28Aug

Angler clipping a bass onto a chain stringer in cool shallow water

Keep Fish Alive on the Water: Live Wells, Stringers & Coolers

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Keep Fish Alive on the Water: Live Wells, Stringers & Coolers Every angler who plans to bring dinner home asks the same question: how do you keep fish alive on the water? A few hours in the sun can turn