Something you may want to take into consideration this time of year with those big fish is the risk of severely stressing them with the high water temperatures. You may be having a blast swimming in the water when it starts warming up like a bathtub during the heat of summer, but hard core muskellunge anglers often hold off for fall fishing when the lake temperatures rise during these dog days of summer. If you've ever had one of these beasts on your line, you know it can be an epic battle for that fish.
But the flip side is that according to professional angling guide, Jim DaRosa, rising water temperatures speeds up a bass' metabolism, and the fish have to eat more often. So if you're targeting smallies instead, DaRosa suggests, "Slow down your presentation. Make a cast towards some structure and let it fall to the bottom. Don't pump the bait too hard." #jptfishing

Are you thinking ahead towards fall archery season? Consider honing your skills using 3D targets.

Even though the COVID-19 pandemic has sidelined a lot of the fun 3D archery shoots you might be able to do other years, you can still use this powerful tool to help you learn to shoot in a real-life situation. In a competition,a 3D range is meant to simulate what a real scenario would be like for archers out hunting. The life-size animal targets are positioned along the trail, either in plain shooting sight, or shrouded in the woods.

The 3D targets have markings on them, similar to a standard target. However, the circles are sometimes smaller, and placed differently depending on the animal. If you were competing in a 3D archery event, the smaller sections are worth more points in competition scoring.


But what you may not realize is that the targets are really drawn this way for hunters to practice accurate shooting in hunting. As JPT members, you have a responsibility to be ethical hunters. You never want to wound an animal, and practicing your shot using a 3D target teaches you what about shot placement and helps you become more familiar with your archery equipment.

TIP FOR JPT MEMBERS: Ask an experienced archery hunter if they may have some older targets sitting around (like the one in that picture!) that they may be willing to give to you. Here's a great article from Outdoor News on how to salvage those old targets!