Independent field notes
Fishing tips, tackle talk, and stories about the ones that got away.
Caleb MercerHi I’m Caleb, a recreational angler who would rather spend a quiet morning by the water than just about anywhere else. I write about practical fishing techniques, dependable gear, and the lessons I’ve learned through years of tangled lines, missed strikes, and the occasional fish worth bragging about.
A practical guide for U.S. river anglers on recognizing fish-passage work, respecting restricted areas, and finding legal, low-impact places to fish near dams, culverts, ladders, and restoration projects.
Read articleHow to plan around changing tailwater generation schedules, find safer holding water, and adjust your fishing as flows rise and fall.
Read articleA practical cold-water approach to fishing suspending jerkbaits and similar lures, with emphasis on depth control, long pauses, and letting reluctant fish make an easy decision.
Read articleA practical guide to working suspending jerkbaits along steep reservoir banks, with casting angles, pause timing, depth control, and cold-clear-water adjustments for bass and walleye.
Read articleA practical adjustment plan for fishing small ponds after a cold front, with lure, location, and pace changes for slower fish and clearer water.
Read articleA practical approach to finding a small lake’s first major depth change and presenting slow, efficient lures to fish transitioning toward winter water.
Read articleA practical Gulf Coast approach to finding and catching redfish on shallow grass flats as a falling tide pulls bait through drains, potholes, and deeper travel lanes.
Read articleHow shore anglers can read wind, current, and bait position at a coastal inlet, then choose productive casting angles and retrieves when bait is concentrated along one bank.
Read articleA practical approach to fishing windblown rocky shorelines on Great Lakes and inland lakes, covering casting angles, lure weight, retrieve depth, bite detection, and safe footing.
Read articleA practical guide to reading river tailouts and adjusting fly selection, depth, drift, and position when trout keep feeding after visible hatch activity fades.
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