The MeatEater

When the U.S. acquired the West with the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, President Thomas Jefferson dispatched two scientific expeditions to explore it. Lewis & Clark became legendary. Like Apollo 13, Jefferson’s Red River Expedition into the West was a failure. This is how their story should have gone.

Subscribe now wherever you listen to podcasts. YouTube, Spotify, Apple, iHeart, Pandora, Amazon.

MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Youtube Clips

Check out more MeatEater's American History audio originals "The Long Hunters" and "Mountain Men"

Subscribe to The MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube

Shop MeatEater Merch

We often think of deer populations as relatively static, but over a long enough timeline they just aren't. This has ramifications for scouting and hunting strategies, and is an element of whiteail hunting that can't be ignored.

Connect with Tony Peterson and MeatEater

Tony Peterson on Instagram and Facebook

MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Youtube Clips

MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube

Shop MeatEater Merch

When it comes to fish tacos, I'll take blackened fillets over fried almost every time. Maybe it's because I catch and eat a lot of Gulf Coast redfish, the same species Chef Paul Prudhomme made famous with his blackened preparation. But instead of Creole seasoning, I use cumin, oregano, and ancho chile—the Tex-Mex version of the holy trinity.

Pile the fish into warm tortillas with sweet corn salsa, a drizzle of zesty mojo sauce, and a little cotija cheese. It's got everything I want in a fish taco: smoky, spicy, tangy flavors with plenty of texture. It's the only way I'll eat fish tacos ever again.

I’m a complete topwater junkie. Whether I’m casting dry flies for trout, chucking frogs for bass, or chugging big prop baits for pike, muskie, and even tarpon, I can’t get enough of watching fish explode on baits floating on the surface of the water. Many of my angling friends question my addiction to topwater fishing, wondering where it comes from, and I tell them it all started with panfish.

When I was a kid, I was addicted to catching bluegills on poppers out of my uncle’s farm pond, and it really taught me something. While many anglers think of panfish as a simple worm and bobber species, the fact is that they absolutely explode onto properly presented topwater baits like tiny aquatic missiles.

Topwater fishing is a great way to add a bit of spark to your average panfish expedition and is one of the most underutilized ways to fill a cooler with bluegills, crappie, and other delectable species while having a hell of a lot of fun to boot.

When panfish feed on the surface, it’s generally out of aggression rather than predation, so there’s no need to match the hatch like you do for trout. But since panfish run smaller, you need to go with smaller topwater lures.

There are a lot of options when it comes to topwater lures for panfish. For aggressive fish in cool water shallows, twitch baits like Z-Walker are ideal, as the rapid, side-to-side action of the lure imitates a wounded minnow struggling on the surface of the water, ringing the dinner bell for any hungry crappie, bluegill, or perch in the area. In warmer water when fish are a bit more sluggish, you can work tiny poppers and prop baits like the Bitsy Popper and Heddon Teeny Torpedo to tempt spooky or hesitant panfish to the surface.

Fly anglers have even more options. Not only are there a wide array of panfish popper-style flies out there, but when panfish are finicky, you can use large attractor-style flies designed for trout to get them to commit. Some of my favorite panfish flies include the Chernobyl Ant, the PMX, and the Rosenhopper.

Like all predatory species, panfish have specific feeding windows. Weather conditions can also flip the switch for them too. When fishing during the bright, sunny days of summer, your best bet for success is by fishing early in the morning and late in the evening. This holds true for most species but is worth noting, as the first two to three hours after sunrise and the last hour both before and after sunset are all prime times.

If you’re looking for some all-day topwater panfish action, you’ll have to wait for cloudy, overcast days. Even with a little bit of rain, most anglers leave the water or don’t even bother going out. But, the lower light allows the fish to hunt in shallower waters than normal, and they’ll feed aggressively on the surface. You might get wet, but it’s a great time to chug the surface with topwater baits for panfish.

While a lot of panfish go into deeper water during the summer, you can still find plenty of fish in the shallows by targeting structure. Weed beds, boat docks, brush piles, and sunken timber will all hold schools of panfish in shallow water throughout the entire summer, making these spots ideal for topwater activity.

Subsurface weed beds like coontail, duckweed, and lily pads are all prime bluegill, crappie, and perch habitat, especially when you fish around holes and edges. Start your topwater assault in these areas by casting your lures and flies into the middle of the weeds so that your baits will float just above the thickest areas. Then, slowly work your baits out from the center of the weeds so they pass over the edges of holes and gaps in the weeds. If your baits don’t get smashed, move and fish the fringes of the weed beds. Make repeated long casts along the transition lines where the edges of the weed bed meet deeper water, and you should find success.

Solid structures like boat docks, brush piles, and overhanging trees attract panfish because they provide a lot of shade. To catch the fish hanging in these shady spots, you’ve got to get your topwater baits back into the shadows. Make short, side-arm casts that skip and skim your lures and flies back into these structures so your baits splash down on top of the shadiest areas. Once your fly or lure lands, allow it to rest until the ripples around it completely fade and then slowly twitch and pop it back out towards the sun. Ideally, any panfish attracted to the splash of your bait landing will either hit the bait on the pause or will smash it as soon as it moves.

Watching any size fish hit a topwater lure makes for a good time. While we expect this aerial aggression from predatory species like bass, muskie, and trout, there’s something magical about watching a relatively docile panfish do the same.

Steve, Janis, and Adam continue their mule deer hunt in the Wyoming High Country. Presented by Busch Light

This week, Cal covers the long-range commute of the pronghorn, calls out egregious environmental misinformation, and fixes his truck’s busted tie-rod on the side of the road.

Connect with Cal and MeatEater

To learn more and get involved with any Cal to Action, click here.

Cal on Instagram and Twitter

MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Youtube Clips

Subscribe to The MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube

Shop Cal's Week in Review Merch

Humans eating crawfish is nothing new. In fact, in North America alone it's been going on for several thousands of years. However, the craft of deliberately farming crawfish is relatively new in the grand scheme of things. Jason Roberts, a Mississippi native, walks us through the story and process of starting up his crawfish farm. What all went into it, how he figured it out, what type of crawfish species he targets, and the unexpected harmony found between crawfish farming and waterfowl land management.

Connect with Lake Pickle and MeatEater

Lake Pickle on Instagram

MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and YouTube Clips

MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube

Steven Rinella talks with professional crabber, Luke McFadden, about: the crabbing industry, crabbing techniques, crab biology, crab grading, and more.

Recorded at Crow Rock Lodge: https://www.crowrock.com

Connect with Steve and The MeatEater Podcast Network

Steve on Instagram and Twitter

MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube

When most people think of New York, deer hunting might not be the first thing that comes to mind. But this fall, roughly 500,000 resident hunters and another 40,000 nonresidents will take to the state's woods in pursuit of whitetails. This year, however, they'll have a few new regulations to follow before heading into the field as well as some new opportunities.

In June 2026, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) finalized its new Earn-a-2nd-Buck system, a change designed to encourage hunters to harvest more antlerless deer.

Under the new system, every licensed deer hunter will receive one antlered deer tag. However, hunters who harvest and report an antlerless deer using a Deer Management Permit (DMP), Bow/Muzzleloader Antlerless Deer Tag, or Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) tag can earn the opportunity to receive a second antlered deer tag. Once that antlerless deer is properly reported, hunters become eligible for another buck tag that can be used during those same deer seasons.

The new regulation is part of the DEC's broader effort to increase antlerless deer harvests and better manage New York's growing deer population. Because does are the reproductive engine of the herd, wildlife managers often rely on increased antlerless harvest to slow population growth.

According to a March 2026 NYS News release announcing the proposed regulations, “During recent hunting seasons, less than 15% of licensed hunters harvested one antlerless (primarily female) deer and only about 3% of hunters harvested two or more antlerless deer. The proposed regulations are intended to encourage and incentivize hunters to harvest more antlerless deer to help better manage deer populations.”

At the moment, overharvest doesn't seem to be a concern with this regulation change. “Deer populations are growing across much of New York and, in many areas, are increasing to levels that are detrimental to deer, their habitat, and the public,” NYSDEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton said.

Hunters planning to pursue whitetails in New York this fall can find additional information about the Earn-a-2nd-Buck system, along with answers to frequently asked questions, on the NYSDEC’s website or the New Hunting Regulations to Increase Harvest of Antlerless Deer Q&A page.

The agency has also implemented several other deer hunting regulation changes for the 2026 season, including expanded antlerless hunting opportunities, modifications to Deer Management Permit issuance and transfers, and updates to broadhead regulations. Hunters are encouraged to review the full list of changes before heading afield.

The week long wait is over! Brent is finally getting to the meat he left on the bone from last week's episode on his Saskatchewan black bear hunt. It was a grand adventure for him and he took away lessons from that he didn't see coming. It's time for the second part of Brent's trip north of the border, but whether it will be the final installment is yet to be determined, you're just gonna have to give it a listen.

Thank you to our sponsors, Case Knives and Stor-Mor.

Shop This Country Life Merch

Connect with Brent and MeatEater

MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Youtube Clips

Subscribe to the MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube

Shop This Country Life Merch