The fundamentals are very important. That is, to hold the reticle (your aiming point in a scope), on the target until the trigger breaks the shot smoothly. Sounds simple enough, right? So does making a hole in one in golf. However, it’s not as hard as it looks if you follow this simple strategy.

Unless you are shooting from a solid bench rest, it is impossible to hold the reticle perfectly still on the target. When muscles are supporting the rifle, there is going to be some wobble. The key to shooting accurately is to control the wobble within a circle that stays on the target. If you have a two-inch bullseye and the wobble stays within that two inches, you should, in theory, hit the bullseye every time. 

The trouble is that most people see the reticle heading to where they want to hit, and they jerk the trigger thinking they will shoot as the reticle crosses the center of the target. That all but guarantees a miss. The correct approach is to focus on the cone of wobble and keep it as small as possible while you execute a smooth trigger pull that does not influence the rifle other than to make it fire. If you jerk the trigger or flinch in anticipation of the shot, you will miss.

The path to executing a smooth trigger pull is to increase pressure on the trigger gradually and smoothly until the gun fires. Some instructors say the shot should surprise you. That is true initially and is a good teaching concept to use for learning the basics. However, as your shooting skills build you will reach a level where the shot should never surprise you. Train with your rifle and the trigger until you know precisely when it will break and fire the gun.

I worked in the shooting venue at the 1996 Olympics and one of the top rifle shooters in the world was struggling with his new rifle because the barrel was two inches longer than the barrel on his old rifle. He was so tuned into breaking the trigger at exactly the right time in the cone of wobble that the extra time the bullet was spending in the longer barrel was causing his bullet to strike past his intended point of impact. That level of awareness with your trigger break may be unattainable for those of us with less than Olympic levels of skill, but it’s always best to keep high goals. 

Your body is a dynamic machine and is always in motion; breathing and even your heartbeat can influence the rifle and cause the shot to miss. 

The conventional breathing method taught to shooters is to take a deep breath, let it half out and hold until the shot breaks. This is an excellent approach to learning shooting skills. Later on, you may modify your breathing technique to fit your personal style and to adapt to the situation. For example, this breathing method is fine for shooting slow fire, but three-gun competitors may have to run some distance and then engage multiple targets very quickly. In this scenario they may be breathing hard, so those shooters develop a much different breath control protocol. 

Heartbeat? Well that’s something you have very little control over. It helps to be in shape, so your resting heartbeat is relatively slow. When practicing you will do little that will raise your heart rate. So, for now, say calm and ignore your beating heart. As your skill level rises you may re-address this issue. The top long-range shooters have learned to shoot between heartbeats. That’s where that precise level of trigger control comes into play. For now, just be glad your heart’s still beating and try to ignore it while you practice. 

Dry-fire is the practice of “shooting” with an unloaded rifle, so the firing pin falls, but there is no cartridge to fire. This is the best way to learn these fundamentals as using ammo masks the problems when the gun recoils. It is fine to dry-fire a modern centerfire rifle and most rimfire rifles. However, the safest approach is to use a snap cap. 

A snap cap is an inert cartridge that will cushion the firing pin and absorb the energy. This helps prevent firing pin breakage while dry firing. In a rimfire it’s possible for the firing pin to strike the edge of the chamber and peen it, making the gun useless until it’s fixed by a gunsmith. Both situations are rare in a modern firearm, but just to be safe use a snap cap.

The best way to perfect your shooting skills is to start off on a shooting bench. Rest your rifle in sandbags, both under the forearm and under the toe of the stock in the back. Never rest the barrel. Your “weak” hand should be under the back of the stock, not up front as it would be in other positions. Use that hand to manipulate the back sandbag to help aim the rifle. With the gun unloaded, aim at the target. With this rest you should be able to keep the reticle on the target with little or no wobble. If you are not steady, adjust the sandbags until you are. Keeping the reticle on the target, slowly pull the trigger until the firing pin drops on the snap cap. The reticle should remain on the center of the target as the trigger breaks, the firing pin falls and for the follow-through. 

Just like tennis or golf, follow-through is important to shooting accurately. Try to keep your eye on the target for a few seconds after the trigger releases. This is your follow-through. Of course, this will be difficult with live ammo and the recoil shooting generates, but the key is to stay in position on the gun and not move or look up and "peek" at your shot. Stay in form for the follow-through. It's only a second or two, but it’s very important. Here’s why: It takes time for the bullet to exit the bore after the shot is fired. If you move the rifle during that millisecond, you will miss. Follow-through prevents that. 

Once you are able to break the trigger, stay on the gun for the follow-through and not move the reticle off the target, you are ready to try some field positions. 

Start by practicing from the prone position, using a support both on the front of the rifle’s stock and at the rear, just as you did on the bench. 

Practice there until you have mastered keeping the reticle on the target through the dry-fire shot. Then you can move to sitting, kneeling and the most difficult of all shooting positions, standing. With these positions, you will quickly see my point about keeping the wobble to a circle and trying to keep that circle on the center of the target. The smaller the circle, the smaller your groups will be, but it takes practice. It also takes mental discipline to execute a smooth, steadily increasing trigger pull while you maintain that cone of wobble. By dry-firing you will see your mistakes through the scope.

Once you have mastered all this by dry-firing, do it all again with live ammo. It helps to have a friend spot your hits on the target with a spotting scope. That way he or she can identify any problems that develop. If you start to encounter problems, like target panic where you jerk the trigger, or flinching in anticipation of the recoil, stop. Unload your gun and go back to dry firing until you have it under control. 

Who knows, maybe you will be on the Olympic team in 2020. 

It’s true; Minnesota, Iowa, Oregon and perhaps others have reported that trap shooting at the high school level is growing at a remarkable rate, but that shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Many years ago shooting was the most popular sport in America. Participation was extremely high and it was often the way families spent time together on a day off. Now it looks like  recreational shooting may be making a comeback. 

Trap shooting is a sport with no boundaries. Age and gender don’t make a lot of difference and anybody can be competitive. If you are not the competitive type, you can just have fun shooting targets. It’s impossible not to smile when you powder a clay target. Teenagers learning to shoot trap will hopefully expose their families to the sport and it will continue to grow. So how do youth trap shooters get started? Here are the basics to get your teen breaking clays on the trap field right now.

Your first stop should be to your local shooting range to see if they offer any introductory classes. Most gun shops can help you locate a shooting range. The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) also has a range finder on their website. Just plug in your zip code and it will list shooting locations near you.

Another handy source to check out is the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SCPT), which manages the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) across the United States. SCTP is a youth development program in which adult coaches and other volunteers use shooting sports to teach and demonstrate sportsmanship, responsibility, honesty, ethics, integrity, teamwork, and other positive life skills.

SCTP was developed as a program by the National Shooting Sports Foundation until the SSSF was created in 2007 to operate the SCTP.

NSSF’s Chris Dolnack calls this “Little League with shotguns.” He also points out that this program is a great feeder program for collegiate shooters and even for the Olympic team, so you just never know where this can lead. Perhaps you can become the next Kim Rhode.

Kim is a six-time Olympic medal winner. Most recently, she won the bronze medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics, making her the first Olympian to win a medal on five different continents, the first Summer Olympian to win an individual medal at six consecutive summer games and the first woman to medal in six consecutive Olympics.

I watched her win her first gold medal in Atlanta in 1996 and was the first to interview her after that win. She had just turned 17 years old. Perhaps the next 17-year-old Olympic shooter is just waiting to pick up a shotgun and get started.

5 Great Entry-Level Shotgun Picks:

Photograph Courtesy of Remington Arms Company, LLC

Remington’s new V3 line of autoloaders offers soft recoil and a variety of stock options. Synthetic-stock models, like the V3 Field Sport Compact shown here, are compatible with an adjustable length-of-pull system to create a custom fit for any shooter. The author’s favorite entry-level models are listed below.

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1. Remington Model 870

This pump-action shotgun has been a standard for years. Trap shooting legend Rudy Etchen was the first to ever break 100 straight targets using a pump shotgun. He used a Model 870. Rudy went on to win a lot of championships with the pump gun. The Remington Model 870 is inexpensive and all but indestructible. It’s been breaking clay targets for nearly 70 years and is still a great choice.

2. Remington Model 11-87

This gas operated semi-auto offers affordable dependability. I have been shooting an 11-87 since it was introduced in 1987 and it’s never given me a bit of trouble.

3. Hatfield USA SAS

This is a very low-priced shotgun that will get you in the game. Made in Turkey, mine required a little breaking time, but after 100 rounds it’s working fine. Best of all, you can buy it for $250.00 from the bigger retailers!

4. Tristar Sporting O/U

Break action, over/under shotguns have a safety advantage in that they can be broken open until you’re ready to shoot and it’s very easy for everyone on the field to see that the gun is safe. Most are very expensive, but Tristar can get you into a completive shotgun for well under a grand.

5. Franchi Affinity Catalyst

Often semi-auto shotguns are big, thick and a bit hard for smaller people to handle. This one has a stock that is optimized to feel right in a woman's hands. That means it fits well with a youth shooter, too. The Affinity Catalyst's drop, cast, pitch and length-of-pull are all tailored to a woman's build. Franchi shotguns are well respected in the shooting world and the price for this one is low compared to the value returned.

Ben Berka is the President & Executive Director of The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation During a recent interview he said that there are about 40,000 youth trap shooters in the U.S. today. SCPT works with about 18,000 of those youth shooters across the country. They also have 4,000 volunteers to help run the programs. 

SCPT’s National Championship, held in the Cardinal Shooting Center in Marengo, OH each year, hosts 3,000 shooters and they launch over a million clay targets during that eight-day event. I asked him how an interested person could get started. 

“Just go to our website and plug in your location,” Berka said. 

“We work with both schools and clubs, so the odds are there is a shooting facility near you. If not, consider starting a shooting club. We provide assistance in getting started, finding instructors and we even have discounted equipment packages thanks to our sponsors.” 

The website is very user friendly and there are emails and phone numbers listed for personal contact if you need more detailed help. Ben took time out from a bird hunting trip to talk to me. In my world, that’s true dedication to the job.

Trap shooting is a shotgun sport in which the shooter attempts to hit and break a series of flying targets moving away at various angles. The sport dates back to the late 18th century. 

There are reports that that by 1793, trap shooting was "well established" in England. Back then real birds were used; usually passenger pigeons, which were extremely abundant at the time. Birds were placed under hats or in traps and were then released as targets. 

In the 1860s live bird  targets transitioned to glass balls. They were often filled with colored powder to create a dramatic effect when they were hit. In the late 1800s clay targets were introduced and they are still in use today, although most are not really made out of clay. Modern targets are made from a mixture of pitch and ground limestone. Somehow, though, “clay pigeon” rings better off the tongue than “pitch-and-powdered-limestone pigeon,” so the name stuck.

There are a multitude of variations for trap shooting, but the basic game is for the shooter to fire at 25 different 4.25-inch diameter saucer-shaped targets during a “round” of trap. The shooter gets ready and calls for the bird, usually by saying “pull.” The bird is released and the shooter attempts to break the clay target in flight. 

American Trap is the most popular sport here in the U. S. and can be broken down into three categories: singles, doubles and handicap. The targets are thrown from ground level from a machine in the center of the course and located inside the trap house. 

For singles and doubles, there are five stations, 16 yards behind the trap house. In singles, each competitor shoots at five targets from each station. The trap machine oscillates left to right so the bird’s direction is unknown to the shooter before it is released. 

In doubles, the machine throws two targets simultaneously with each competitor shooting at five (5) pairs (10 targets) from each station. 

In handicap events, the machine operates the same as in singles, but the shooters stand farther away from the trap house.

The equipment list to get started is pretty simple. In addition to a shotgun and ammo, the shooter will need:

• Eye and ear protection.

• A bag that fits on your belt and is designed to hold the shotshell ammo is very helpful.

• Most shooters wear a brimmed hat to help keep the sun out of their eyes. 

• Later you may wish to add a shooting vest with pockets for shells and a built-in recoil pad. 

Odds are high that for your first time you can borrow a shotgun from one of the instructors or perhaps one that is owned by the club. How a shotgun fits you is important to the success and enjoyment of this sport, so it’s probably best to try a few shotguns until you find one you like. 

Top shooters use shotguns that cost many thousands of dollars, but a new shooter can be well served with a much less expensive shotgun. An inexpensive single-shot shotgun can work well to get you started, but you won’t be able to shoot double trap with it. So, it’s best to buy a gun capable of at least two shots. 

Many experienced shooters recommend a gas operated semi-auto shotgun for new shooters because that design tends to mitigate felt recoil. While target loads do not have a lot of recoil and are easy for everybody to shoot, the cumulative effect of shooting 25 to 100 targets in a single session can have a negative impact on your shooting performance. The down side to a semi-auto is that they tend to be a bit heavy. On the other hand, pump action and over/under shotguns are extremely popular and they tend to be lighter in weight, which helps to reduce fatigue.

Trap shooting is a healthy way to enjoy the outdoors and the shooting sports. Give it a try. Who knows, you might just be in Ohio next year shooting for a world championship position or even standing on the podium at the Summer Olympics.

You’d probably think I was blowing smoke, but I’m talking about one of the most neglected and productive hunts in the U.S.—for common tree squirrels.

Squirrel seasons start now, in the lazy days of late summer, giving you time (and an excuse) to get out in the woods to scout for deer while also ground-truthing the gear that you’ll rely on all autumn.

But you don’t need an excuse to go squirrel hunting. The first argument in its favor is that squirrels live almost everywhere, from the leafy hardwoods of the East to the piney woods of the South to the mountains of the West. Squirrel hunting is also a great way to introduce new shooters to small-game hunting. 

The two squirrel species most often pursued by hunters are the largest and most widely distributed: the fox (or red) squirrel, and the gray squirrel.

While peripheral habitats can hold squirrels, you’ll have the best luck finding summertime squirrels in their core habitats of nut-producing hardwoods, especially oak and hickory stands. But here’s the other appeal: hardwoods define a lot of public land east of the Mississippi, from small tracts of county land to larger state game lands and wildlife management areas, to big U.S. Forest Service tracts.

Find hardwoods, and you’ll almost certainly find squirrels. But don’t neglect private land, either. Your chances of getting permission to hunt a patch of farm-country hardwoods for squirrels is orders of magnitude better than getting on that same land for deer.

Now that you know where to find them, how do you hunt squirrels? You’ll change tactics once the leaves drop, but for summertime squirrels, when the critters can be hidden in the dense green foliage, the best approach is to first walk and then sit and listen for rustling high in the branches.

Patience is a virtue with this style of hunting, because not only must you positively identify that the movement is being made by a squirrel, but you must wait for a clean shot.

Try sitting near the top of a steep hillside that drops into a ravine or creek drainage. Your elevation will provide you with a better view of the upper limbs of trees that hold squirrels, and you can look over several acres of trees on the slopes below you.

Another benefit to hilltop stands, especially for rifle hunters, is that your shots will be traveling safely downward, often with a tree trunk or limb behind the squirrel to stop your bullet.

A small binocular—either an 8x24 or 8x32—is useful for this sort of surveillance. Scan areas where you hear or see leaves moving, then be ready to follow up positive identification with a rifle shot. 

The perfect set-up for this type of hunting is a .22 rimfire topped with a 4-power scope. Your shots won’t be much over 50 yards, but the scope enables you pinpoint aim, an important advantage when you often see only pieces and parts of leaf-hidden squirrels. Your goal should be head shots.

If you’re a morning hunter, get in the woods early and sit against the base of a large tree with a wide vantage of the woods around you. Squirrels are often active on the forest floor in the mornings, and you can have good shooting as long as you can move quietly from place to place. Once you’ve shot a couple times, squirrels will get nervous and remain in the sanctuary of the treetops.

This is also a good time to try calling. If you know squirrels are hanging out of sight in the treetops, blow or push a chatter call. You’ll need to experiment with the rhythm and volume (as well as various brands), but the idea is to mimic the sound of an agitated squirrel, causing the real chatterboxes to show themselves, often with their tails puffed out, standing on an exposed limb.

A call is a great device to use with a buddy. Your friend calls, you get ready to shoot. After you’ve bagged a tree rat, switch jobs and call another one.

HOW TO SKIN A SQUIRREL

Photograph by Andrew McKean

Use a knife with a stout blade but sharp drop point for squirrel-skinning chores.

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Especially if you’re hunting in the heat of summer, you’re going to want to field dress and cool squirrels pretty quickly after you add them to your game bag. Here’s a quick way to get rid of heat-trapping hide and cool down the thighs and shoulders of a red or gray squirrel.

The bonus: you don’t have to field dress, or remove the guts, from inside the squirrel, so this is a relatively bloodless and clean way to produce pieces of meat that, after they’re washed, are ready for the frying pan or stew pot.

1. Make incisions around both hind legs, then slit up the inside of each leg to the anus, there your slits should join.
2. Stand on the squirrel’s tail and pull the skin upward from the leg incisions. If the squirrel is still cool, the skin should come off fairly easily; if it’s cold, you may have to encourage the skin by making short cuts as you pull.
3. The skin should come off as an inverted tube. Keep pulling until the shoulders and upper legs are skinless.
4. Then cut the shoulder bones at the first joint and the neck just below the head. You’ll now have a skinless carcass with the tail attached.
5. Remove the tail by cutting it at the first joint behind the rump.
6. Spread the thighs until the hip bones pop out of their joints. Then cut behind each thigh, detaching the hip ball from the socket, and cut through to remove both thighs.
7. Cut from the neck back along each side of the backbone, and then down and around each shoulder to remove each front quarter.
8. Put each skinless quarter inside a breathable bag (don’t use plastic, because it will trap bacteria-causing heat), and keep hunting, knowing that you’re gaining tasty, healthy meat with each “chicken-of-the-tree” you add to your bag.

Visibility in hardwoods improves greatly once fall arrives and trees drop their leaves. Squirrel hunting can be red-hot for the first few weeks of the bare-branch season.

This is the nut-gathering season for squirrels, and they’re working overtime to store acorns, hickory nuts, and chestnuts for winter consumption, so they’re often visible and vulnerable.

If summer was .22 season, the fall is a better time for a shotgun. Walk the woods and look for snap shots on the forest floor as squirrels run from tree to tree and scamper up trunks. But if you prefer a rifle, then sit on a hillside, wait for the forest to settle down from your intrusion, and then take longer shots at squirrels pausing from their nut-gathering mission.

This can also be a wait-and-listen game, only at this time of year, you’re listening for the loud rustle of squirrels moving through dried leaves. You’d be amazed how often a 2-pound squirrel can sound like a 200-pound whitetail buck moving through the woods.

The most effective all-around squirrel gun is a scoped .22. You want a rifle that can repeatedly stack shots inside a 2-inch bullseye at 50 yards. Good options include the durable Ruger 10/22, Browning’s T-Bolt, or Marlin’s Model 60 or 795. 

An accurate .22 pistol, such as Browning’s Buck Mark, topped with a red-dot sight is another great squirrel rig. If you want to opt for a little more range, consider a .17 rimfire; the light, fast Savage A17 in .17 HMR is a good choice. 

A suppressor is a smart addition, because its blast-taming muzzle keeps you from announcing yourself to squirrels with every shot you take.

For shotguns, there’s no need to go heavier than a 20 gauge, and a 28 gauge or even .410 is a better choice. In fact, the introduction earlier this year of Federal’s Heavyweight TSS (Tungsten Super Shot) is a wonderful squirrel load. Designed for turkeys, the size 9 shot delivers great penetration and range and is a good choice for a walk-about squirrel hunter who doesn’t want to lug around a heavy shotgun.

A vest with a bloodproof game bag, a good knife, some snacks, water and a binocular round out your gear needs.

Here’s one more: a good shooting stick to settle your gun for longer shots. Look for a telescoping monopod or tripod with a head that fits the forend of your rifle, and then use it on different pitches of slope or any time you can’t find a tree trunk or other support to stabilize your gun.

San Diego is always a great destination for those looking for a warm weather escape, and thankfully you don’t have to travel too far out of the city to find some great places to go camping. In fact, you only need to drive about 30 miles to reach the Cleveland National Forest, which offers some excellent remote campsites for backpackers to enjoy, as well as nearby cabins for those who prefer a less-primitive option. Permits are required, of course, and it can get busy in the spring, so be sure to reserve your spot well in advance.

While you’re in the area, be sure to hike the 6.6-mile Cedar Creek Falls trail. This moderately-strenuous trek offers an impressive payoff in the form of a spectacular 80-foot tall waterfall, which is at its highest flow in the springtime, before it all-but disappears during the summer months.

Located a short drive outside of Las Vegas, the Valley of Fire State Park offers some of the most dramatic landscapes that the state of Nevada has to offer. The 40,000-acre park derives its name from the flame-red sandstone towers and walls that stand in sharp contrast to the gray-and-tan limestone cliffs that are common throughout the region. The park is also home to a number of petrified trees, as well as an array of ancient petroglyphs that were imprinted on the rocks by Native Americans more than 2000 years ago. 

The Valley of Fire is comfortably warm throughout the spring, making it an excellent location to wait out the last days of winter. It features two campgrounds with as many as 72 campsites, which are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Backpackers will most appreciate the Arch Rock campsite when it comes time to settle in for the night.

Early spring is one of the best times to visit Big Bend National Park, as the hot Texas summer tends to arrive early and linger well into the autumn. Big Bend is a massive wilderness area that offers visitors unprecedented solitude and tranquility, not to mention some of the best views this side of the Rio Grande. If you’re looking to truly get away from it all, this is the destination for you.

The park offers a number of primitive campsites located deep in the backcountry, and permits are required for their use. Hike and camp the Chisos Mountain Trail to take in the epic landscapes that Big Bend is famous for or wander deep into the desert where the night sky will reveal more stars than you’ve ever imagined. Just be sure to bring plenty of water, because even in the spring it can be in short supply.

Home to one of the oldest hardwood forests in all of North America, Congaree National Park is among the best wilderness areas in the entire South. Visitors can explore the park on foot or by canoe and kayak, making this one of the more unique camping destinations in any season. The park has two designated campsites in the frontcountry that require reservations prior to arrival, but the backcountry is wide open. Permits are still required, and campsites must be at least 100 feet from major water sources, but beyond that backpackers are free to pitch their tents virtually anywhere. 

The 10-mile-long River Trail and 12-mile Kingsnake Trail are two popular backpacking routes that offer scenic views and easy hiking. But be aware that the entire park sits in a floodplain, so be sure to check the local weather forecast before setting out to avoid any sudden rises in water levels.

Sunny Florida always offers a welcome respite from the cold weather and there are few better places to camp than in Cayo Costa State Park. Situated on a barrier island along the Gulf Coast, the park requires visitors to come by private boat or ferry but rewards those efforts with an experience unlike any other. A network of trails crisscrosses the island, allowing travelers to explore on foot or by bike. Swimming and snorkeling are popular activities just off shore, of course, while sharp-eyed campers might even spot manatees or dolphins swimming nearby. 

The park features 30 reservation-only campsites, some of which are even hammock-ready. Most of those sites are located close to the beach, allowing campers to be lulled to sleep each night by the tranquil sounds of the surf just outside their tents. 

1. Get In And Out The Easy Way

Before getting it wet, hop into your kayak on flat ground to adjust the foot pegs and back band to fit (see manufacturer’s recommendations). To get in on the water, place your kayak in the water parallel to shore, and then place your paddle shaft behind the cockpit or seat, extending one blade to rest shoreside (or dockside) on the ground to aid entering (put your hands behind you and grab the shaft for stability when entering). Use this same technique when exiting the boat.

2. Get A Grip

Paddling should be relaxing and it starts with your grip. To find the right hand position, put the center of the shaft on top of your head, holding it so your arms form right angles at the elbow; that’s how far apart your hands should be.

When gripping the paddle, hold the shaft with thumbs and forefingers forming rings, like you’re making the “O.K.” sign, and keep your other fingers loose. Now you can orient your blades and gain reach without stressing your wrists.

Hint: If you’re right-handed, line up the knuckles of your right (control) hand with the top edge of the right blade so your palm matches up with the oval shaft correctly.

3. Use The Blades Properly

If your paddle blades look a tad lopsided, keep the long edge on top. If your paddle is adjustable, decide if you want it to be feathered (offset) or not. Feathered blades slice through the air easier when out of the water and work better in wind, but they involve a slight wrist rotation every stroke.

4. Sit Up Straight

Your mother was right: posture is important—for balance, efficiency and safety. Keep your head, chest, abdomen, hips and rear end evenly stacked. Also keep your hips loose, allowing the boat to rock under you.

5. Go Forward With Power

Plant the blade as far forward as you can comfortably reach, rotating your torso without leaning forward. Keep the path of your stroke parallel to the boat, at a relaxed shaft angle (45 to 60 degrees) for touring.

Hint: Use your big muscles, not just your arms. Keep your arms relatively straight, relying instead on your chest, back and stomach muscles; twist your torso each stroke by pushing your upper hand at eye-level across your chest.

6. Master Your Strokes

Different strokes exist for whatever direction you want your kayak to go.  For turning strokes, steer at the ends for the most leverage. To turn, use a sweep stroke by placing your blade near the bow and trace a broad arc (a wide “C”) to the stern. Doing this on the right turns your boat left and vice versa.

Hint: Take a class to learn all of the various strokes properly.

For a reverse sweep, use the back face of the blade with the same motion, starting from the stern and finishing at your bow. Combine the two (forward and reverse sweeps, on opposite sides) for an even quicker turn. If your boat is moving, use a “rudder” stroke by placing the back face of your blade near the stern and applying pressure outward.

As an example, a couple of years ago my buddies and I stumbled on a few brook trout streams in northern Wisconsin while bowhunting for deer. We’ve fished them nearly every month of the season since and have almost never run into another angler. It seems as if all of the lakes and larger interior rivers soak up most of the pressure, and the knee-deep trout streams are largely left untapped. 

This isn’t the case everywhere, of course. And even if it is where you live, there is still the necessity to find decent water. This starts with a bit of research, whether you’re looking to fish by yourself for an afternoon or take a couple of youngsters out for their first trout-fishing adventure. Here’s how to find the best trout waters near you along with some simple strategies for anyone interested in catching a few trout for fun or the frying pan.

How you can access rivers and streams for opening day varies widely by state, so you need to understand the laws before setting out. Some states are very angler- and public-access friendly when it comes to moving water, while others are not so inclined. Generally, if you have trout streams (especially a concentration of trout streams), in your area, there will either be easements or some other access programs in place. In some areas, trout haunts flow their way through vast tracts of public land, which are open to anyone. 

To find good trout waters, start with the state game agency’s website where you want to fish. Simply search for the trout section on their website. Most of them have all of the rules and regulations in place, along with interactive stream maps. These will show which streams are open to access and what kind of access is available. Step Outside’s own interactive fishing map is another good source for those searching for great places to wet a line, as is Trout Unlimited’s map. 

Attention to detail is important during this step, especially if you plan to take youngsters with you for the trout opener. Wild, deep-in-the-wilderness streams with overhanging brush and plenty of streamside obstacles might not work so well for six-year olds. But, you might also find a stream that meanders through a pasture (or a city park) that allows easy access, easy casting, and a more pleasant fishing experience. 

You don’t need to be an angling expert to catch trout but knowing some of the basics will help you get into the action more quickly. Trout generally live in clear water, which means you’ll want to consider how you present your lures and bait. Monofilament line in the four- to eight-pound category will work just fine, as does fluorocarbon line, which disappears even more readily in the water than mono. 

Spool up a spinning reel and mount it on a six - or six-and-half foot medium-action rod, and you’ll be good to go. Six-foot-plus rods might seem like overkill for catching 10-inch fish, but they’re not. You’ll be trying to cast small, lightweight lures as far as possible, and the extra leverage a longer rod provides is a major benefit.

As far as a simple fishing strategy, the best bet for not spooking fish is to work upstream and retrieve your lures or let your bait float back toward you downstream. The trout will be actively looking upstream for food to come down the current toward them, so you’ll spook fewer fish with this approach and your presentations will look much more natural. 

Where to Fish: Generally speaking, even during peak feeding times in the mornings and evenings, the deeper and faster the water, the better. If you see a set of rapids that dumps into a deeper run, you’ll probably find fish. The same goes for river and creek bends where the current has undercut the bank. Trout love having overhead cover and some depth to work with, so consider this when you’re trying to read the water. 

Baits: The simplest way to catch fish is to pick up a dozen nightcrawlers and float them downstream into the deeper holes. If you can get away with using a small hook and maybe only a single split-shot sinker, your presentation will drift through naturally. Watch your line for a twitch or a jump and get ready. Just be sure the waters you want to fish allow bait to be used for trout fishing.

Lures: If you prefer artificial lures, you’ll see plenty of options using small spinners, crankbaits and jig/twister tail combinations. Classics include in-line spinners, like Panther Martins, spoons, like the original red-and-white Dardevles and stickbaits, like floating Rapala’s, that imitate baitfish. All will work but remember that trout are meat eaters and they don’t necessarily shy away from larger lures. In fact, sometimes it can be better to buck the typical trend and either downsize your lures from average-sized offerings or upsize them to lures more typically associated with walleye or bass fishing.

Match and Catch: It’s also important to remember that the flashy lures that might litter the deck of a typical bass boat will be too gaudy for most stream-dwelling rainbow or brown trout. Subdued natural colors, like black and gold or black and silver are good choices. The trout in your neighborhood creek are probably eating young chubs, shiners, suckers and other trout, none of which will be too colorful in the minnow stage. Try to match your lures to what the fish are most likely eating and you’ll have better success.

It’s almost viewed as a crime to keep and kill a trout in some fishing circles, but that’s a holdover from when a lot of our streams weren’t as healthy as they are now. If you want to eat a few fish in most places, you shouldn’t feel guilty about that. 

You should, however, check the regulations. Trout limits vary by state, species, stream and timing of the season. Before you slip a 12-inch brown into your creel, make sure it’s perfectly legal to do so. Many states have catch-and-release seasons, while some bodies of water don’t allow any fish to be taken. 

The same advice applies to what type of lures and baits you use. Some streams are under barbless hook regulations, while others might stipulate the use of only one hook (no crankbaits or jerkbaits). This may sound daunting, but it’s not. Oftentimes, in addition to the regulations being readily available online, there will be signs posted at public access points that will outline individual-water regulations. 

Trout fishing is simply fun. It’s fun on the opener, and even more fun as the season progresses for a few weeks and the crowds die down. If you’re into taking kids fishing, or simply want to spend a few hours trying to catch a couple of brookies for the frying pan, there are many options out there just waiting for you. 

Use the map on this page to find an outfitter, rental operation or paddling club in your area. If there’s water nearby, chances are you’ll find some SUPs available. Try renting or borrowing a board first before investing in your own to assess the different paddleboard styles.

Before you head out, at the minimum you’ll need a board, paddle and PFD (personal flotation device).

Your board choice is determined by your weight, skill, intended use and conditions. There are a multitude of makes to choose from, including boards designed for racing, downwind paddling, surfing, lake paddling, river use and even yoga. Determining where you’ll use your paddleboard will help you decide your board type.

In general, hardshells (fiberglass, plastic or composite) are better for surfing and longer tours, while inflatables are better for river use (and/or shorter tours) due to their durability. Inflatables are also easier to store since they roll up.

Your paddle is more or less an elongated canoe paddle, oftentimes with the blade angling forward (note: make sure the blade is angled forward, not backward; this keeps it vertical longer during your stroke, which provides more power).

To determine the right paddle length, extend your hand over your head; the paddle should come to your wrist for touring, and slightly below for surfing or river use. Paddles come in a variety of materials, from high-end fiberglass and composites to less expensive plastic. Or try a new feels-good-in-your-palm bamboo paddle from Grass Sticks.

Technically, SUPs are classified as “vessels” by the U.S. Coast Guard. This means you have to have a PFD on board (exceptions include when surfing or within established swimming zones). Some, like the MTI SUP Safety Belt, deploy via a water-activated CO2 cylinder and can be worn around the waist. Play it safe and bring one (especially for kids) at all times; when not in use, you can stash it underneath deck rigging on the bow.

Paddleboard leashes come in a variety of styles, tethering your SUP to you for safety in case you fall off. Some (i.e. surf) attach to your ankle while others (i.e. river) are designed to clip onto your PFD with a quick-release feature in case you need to detach in a hurry. Purchase the correct one for your intended use. Note: They’re a great safety feature if it’s windy, as a breeze can quickly separate you from your board in event of a fall.

Wear clothing suitable for the conditions you're going to be paddling in. In summer at warm water locales, a swimsuit/rash guard/board shorts will suffice. For colder conditions, wear a wetsuit or dry suit.

For footwear, you can go barefoot if it’s sandy; if it’s rocky or reefy, wear wetsuit booties or river sandals (not flip-flops). Also, wear sunscreen/sunhat; a retainer system for your sunglasses (trust us); and a water bottle to stay hydrated if you’re going to be out longer than an hour. Other safety items can include a whistle and light in case you get separated from your SUP.

Unlike surfing, you’ll likely get up the first time on a SUP, which is why they’re so popular. Here are a  few tips to get you up and paddling:

1. Stand to the board’s side in knee-deep water (beware the fins hitting bottom).
2. Grab the board by the edges and kneel at its center point (marked by the carrying handle). 
3. With hands along the sides, stand up one foot at a time, slightly behind the center point.
4. Keep your feet parallel and about shoulder-width apart, with your toes pointed forward and knees slightly bent. Note: some people like to stagger their stance, placing their dominant foot slightly behind (aft) of the other. 
5. Look straight ahead instead of down. 
6. When paddling on the right, place your left hand on the T-grip and your right hand about even with your elbow height down on the shaft. Reverse these positions on the opposite side.

Everyone falls; it’s part of the fun. When (not if) it happens, try to fall flat into the water and not onto your board, and hold onto your paddle (note: you can drop to your knees to prevent a fall). To get back on, align yourself with the board’s center, grab the handle and kick your legs while pulling yourself back on.

• Forward: Reach forward and plant your paddle in the water near the bow and pull the blade sternward, keeping your arms straight, pushing with your top hand and twisting your torso to use your core muscles (note: stop your stroke when the blade reaches your feet). Some people employ a slight draw stroke at the beginning of the forward stroke (pulling the blade toward the boat) to counteract turning. Otherwise, switch to the opposite side after a few strokes to go straight.

• Reverse: Useful for turning, slowing down and backing up, reverse the motions of the forward stroke, planting the blade behind you, still keeping your arms straight.

• Sweep: This is used for turning your board. After planting your paddle forward, move the blade in a wide “C” or arcing motion from the front to the back, rotating your torso. Sweeping on the right side will turn the board to the left and vice versa.

For some, the thrill comes from cruising into a desert sunset on a black strip of pavement with a group of friends or climbing to the top of a sand dune on a dirt bike. For others, it might be defying gravity and the environment while maneuvering their motorcycle through rock piles and off cliffs. And for those who enjoy dual-sport riding, it’s the chance to escape the pressures of everyday life by simply riding off into the backcountry. 

All of these are fun ways you can enjoy motorcycle riding. It’s just a matter of choosing which path sounds the most enjoyable to you. But how do you get started on two wheels if you’ve never ridden before?

Here’s a short course on how to choose the right motorcycle for the kind of riding you want to do along with a few tips on gear and training that will get you started into the fun world of motorcycle riding in no time.

Gone are the days when motorcycle clubs ruled the streets with fear. Today, most street bike riders are just a great group of people who like to ride. Street bikes are motorcycles designed for use on pavement, asphalt, or cement. They meet all Federal Highway Safety Standards for road use and are equipped with turn signals, side mirrors, a brake light and a horn. You must have a motorcycle endorsement on your driver’s license to be able to ride a street bike. A motorcycle endorsement certifies that the rider has passed the Motor Vehicle Department requirements for motorcycle operation.

Types of Street Bikes

Street bikes fall into several sub-categories:

Cruisers are the classic type of motorcycles that come to mind first. The motorcycle seat and engine is placed low to the ground. The riding position usually has the seat located near the rear wheel and the riders feet are extended forward to a position close to the front wheel. The low ground clearance doesn’t allow the motorcycle to lean far, so cornering is more difficult.

Sport Bikes are built for both speed and cornering ability. Their seats are higher and the riders legs are positioned beneath the body. The handle bars of a sport bike are up whereas the bars on a crotch rocket are angled down so the rider leans forward out of the wind when riding.

Adventure Touring Bikes are designed to be the most comfortable on long trips. Windshields and saddle packs (bags that attach to the motorcycle for storage) are part of the design. These bikes also generally come with radios, cruise control, and climate adjustments.

Getting Started

To get started riding a street bike, take a Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic Rider Course. Although you don’t need your motorcycle endorsement permit to take the training, in most states, if you bring your permit to class, the final riding test will count as your on-road test for your endorsement.

Required gear varies by state. To find out if your state or the state through which you may wish to ride requires a helmet, eye protection, or other gear, check out the American Motorcyclist Association’s website

Gear You’ll Need

Regardless of the law, the safety gear I won’t ride without includes:

• Helmet

• Eye protection or face shield

• Over-the-ankle boots

• Long sleeved shirt

• Long pants

• Gloves

Additional safety gear includes:

• Riding jacket with padding and rash resistant fabric

• Riding pants with rash resistant fabric and pads

• Riding boots with built in protection

• Leathers

• Ear plugs

The basic definition of “dual-purpose bikes” are motorcycles that are designed to be ridden both on pavement (on-road) and on natural surfaces (off-road). There are two main types of dual-purpose bikes; Dual Sports and Adventure bikes.

Dual Sport Bikes are generally smaller, lighter, and designed mostly for off-road riding. They have the capabilities to do some on-road sections, but they are not at home on long stretches of pavement as their tires are usually designed or riding on more loose surfaces.

Adventure Bikes are usually larger, heavier, and designed to be ridden on-road with the ability to travel great distances at higher speeds. They also can do milder off-road sections, such as minimum maintenance roads. Adventure bikes are often very comfortable to ride on gravel surfaces, but their tires are usually more at home on-road.

Motorcycles designed as dual-purpose can not only get you away from the city but allow you to travel whatever back roads lies before you, regardless of whether those surfaces are pavement or gravel. Since these motorcycles use the roads, you must have your motorcycle endorsement to ride them. They also meet all Federal Highway Safety Standards for equipment and road use.

Getting Started

To get started, get your street bike endorsement. You will need this regardless of whether you spend much time on pavement since you will be using public roads. Then take an off-road motorcycle class outlined below.

Gear You’ll Need

When dual-purpose riding, my must-have safety gear is the same as on a street bike:

• Helmet

• Eye protection or face shield

• Over-the-ankle boots

• Long sleeved shirt

• Long pants

• Gloves

Additional safety gear is dependent on which type of dual-surface riding being ridden. The more off-road riding a trip may entail, the more padding I wear. Gear with ventilation is also a plus as your body will be working more.

• Riding jacket with padding and light-weight, tear resistant fabric

• Riding jacket with padding and light-weight, tear resistant fabric

• Elbow pads

• Knee pads

• Shin guards

• Chest protector

• Ear plugs

Dirt bikes are also called “trail bikes,” “enduro bikes,” or “off-highway motorcycles (OHM).”  These are motorcycles designed specifically for off-road use. These bikes are small, lightweight and nimble. Dirt bikes can get you deep into the woods and to sights and locations you wouldn’t be able to access any other way. Best of all, there is a dirt bike for just about every member of your family.

They start in size with 50cc for kids as young as 4 years old.  People in their 70s will still ride and race dirt bikes. These motorcycles are not made to be used on any type of public road regardless of the surface. They are well manufactured, but don’t meet the Federal Highway Safety Standards. Most don’t come with turn signals, a head light, a tail light, a break light or horn. More and more dirt bikes include an electric starter, but many models still use kick starters. Riders start out on wide or dual-track trails. As they progress, they move to single-track trails, which can be from 24 to 48 inches wide.

Getting Started

The best way to get started on dirt is to take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s Dirtbike School. You can take this course starting at 6-years of age. Children must know how to ride a bicycle without training wheels before taking the course and parents must be present during the entire course. Family and adult classes are available as well.

Taking both street bike and dirt bike classes is strongly recommended; it will make you a more rounded rider. Street bikes are mostly controlled by upper body movements. Dirt bikes are controlled by lower body movements. Dual-sport riding utilizes both the upper and lower body as the riding surface changes.

Gear You’ll Need

The minimum gear I wear for dirt bike riding is:

• Helmet

• Goggles or eye protection

• Long sleeved shirt

• Long pants

• Over-the-ankle boots

• Gloves

• Elbow pads

• Knee pads

Additional gear includes:

• Chest protector/roost protector

• Neck brace

• Ear plugs

• Jersey

• Riding pants

• Riding jacket

A number of motorcycle training providers rent motorcycles so that you can try riding while learning the basics before you purchase your ride. Once you have your endorsement, there are many places that rent street or dual-purpose bikes. Dirt bike rentals, however, are rare. Once you get trained, obtain your endorsement, and purchase the right safety gear, you’ll be ready to ride.

Bass can be caught year-round, but spring is the best season to fish for them, which also means it’s the best time for novice anglers to get started in the sport. After sulking through winter, bass are on the move in spring – fattening up for the annual spawn and generally heading toward the shorelines where they fan out their nests and lay their eggs. After the spawn and a short recuperation period, they start roaming the banks and feeding on shad, sunfish, crawfish and various other forage before they begin to migrate toward their summer haunts offshore. 

Here are a few tips to get bass tugging on your line this spring.

Bass can be caught from boats and kayaks in giant lakes and rivers. But they can also be caught by fishermen walking the banks at ponds in dairy farms, city parks or golf courses. Geographically speaking, lakes in Florida, Georgia, Texas and other Deep South states produce the best fishing early in the season. Wherever the lake is located, bass start moving in successive waves from the depths toward the shallows where they spawn when the water warms into the 50s and 60s.

A caveat: because of the relatively shorter season when northern waters warm to optimum spawning range, some states, such as New York and Minnesota, regulate bass fishing by imposing seasons or catch-and-release requirements. Be sure to check a state’s online fishing regulations before planning a trip there.

It’s been said that 90 percent of the fish occupy 10 percent of the water. Relatively speaking, that’s true, which is why it’s advisable to hire a guide for at least a day when fishing a large lake for the first time. Hiring a guide will also get you into the action quicker, which is critical if you have youngsters along that you want to start catching fish as soon as possible.

To find a guide, Google the name of the particular lake that you plan to visit. The site will have links to all sorts of useful information, including various guide services.

To attract strikes, some lures, such as jigs and surface baits, require the angler to impart action to them with the rod. Other lures, such as spinnerbaits and lipless or square-bill crankbaits, have built-in action; cast them out and wind them back in. Certain topwater baits, such as Arbogast Jitterbugs and River2Sea Whopper Ploppers, also require no manipulation beyond a steady retrieve. The theory is that, like a cat that sees a mouse running by and pounces on it whether it’s hungry or not, bass will react the same way sometimes when a lure swims by.

Natural shapes that mimic shad and crawfish, and colors, such as pumpkinseed and watermelon, are popular throughout spring, but when sight-feeding smallmouths are targeted in the clear waters of northern lakes, crankbaits in wild colors such as hot pink, chartreuse and hot orange are productive.

In a manner of speaking, there are three bass seasons in the spring— prespawn, spawn and postspawn—and they overlap somewhat in terms of the best lures to use and where to fish.

Prespawn: Concentrate on mid-depth to shallow water. Bass might be positioned at the mouth of spawning coves, a third of the way in or halfway – it depends on the water temperature. Be sure to fish around and under docks thoroughly and use lipless crankbaits, square-bill crankbaits, suspending jerkbaits, spinnerbaits and soft-plastic swimbaits that mimic minnows.

Spawn: Look in shallow coves on the north side of a lake that gets afternoon sun, or anywhere there’s not a lot of bank shade. Scattered aquatic vegetation, submerged horizontal trees and brush and woody bank cover are bass magnets. Try unweighted plastic lizards and worms, jigs that imitate crawfish, buzzbaits and topwater lures.

Postspawn: Bass will stay close to shorelines or in intermediate depths, depending on their food sources. Find pockets where bluegills are spawning, and ravenous bass will be close by. If threadfin shad are present, look for bass around spawning shad schools at daybreak. Otherwise, fish secondary drop-offs near the banks, bridge pilings and shoreline riprap, submerged points and docks. Spinnerbaits, topwater lures, jerkbaits, buzzbaits, topwater propbaits, mid-depth square-bill crankbaits and a variety of soft plastics will produce now. 

The reason the best bass fishing is usually in the spring is because the fish move to the shallows to feed and spawn. In the prespawn period when the water is just beginning to warm, larger female bass typically return to staging areas such as flooded creek bends, under docks and alongside submerged points that extend from deeper water or humps and sandbars.

Being cold-blooded, the body temperature and metabolism of a bass is regulated by the surrounding water temperature. The females’ eggs are incubated by the heating water, which is why females move away from their spawning beds near the bank when a spring cold front passes through and wait it out until warmer weather returns.

Male bass are comparable to young bucks that often make rubs and scrapes well before the does are ready to breed. If you start catching small bass in a cove that is warmed by the afternoon sun, chances are they’re aggressive males trying to rush the season. It also might indicate that you’re in a prime area to catch a bigger female shopping for a suitable partner.

Approach a shallow cove as closely and quietly as possible. Wear a good pair of sunglasses with lenses tinted to bring out contrasts, such as amber or copper. Scan the water ahead of you and watch for bass swirling in the shallows as they chase bream away from their spawning nests. If possible, approach the shoreline from an angle so that the sun doesn’t cast your shadow on the water ahead. A bed will appear to be a small crater or fanned-out area that is lighter than the surrounding bottom. Cast well beyond the bed and bring the bait by it. Don’t overdo it; sometimes it pays to leave a reluctant bass on a bed after a couple of casts and return when it is in a more aggressive mood.

Though baitcasting tackle is the most popular type of gear for bass fishing overall, it can be a big turnoff for fishing newcomers because these reels require some practice to master. Beginners can be frustrated by backlashes, and the monofilament or fluorocarbon line used in spinning reels can snarl. Push the thumb button on a spincast reel, release it in the forward motion, and you’ve made a cast. Over time, the user will develop the skills necessary to use baitcasting tackle, which is better for more sophisticated presentations such as pitching and flipping and facilitates more accurate placement of lures around and under bass-holding cover.

Zebco, Abu Garcia, Pflueger, Daiwa and Shakespeare are among the best-known companies that provide inexpensive spincast reels and rod-and-reel combos through fishing tackle stores and departments.

Monofilament or fluorocarbon fishing line in 6- to 10-pound test also is readily available. Typically, spincast reels are sold with their spools already filled with the line that the manufacturer recommends for that particular model and size. The major difference between nylon monofilament and fluorocarbon is that the latter tends to sink quicker than mono – an important distinction if you’re fishing a subsurface lure. 

When spawning season approaches, experienced anglers know they can ignore most deep offshore waters and instead concentrate on manmade and natural shoreline cover, and structure such as points, flooded feeder creeks and river backwaters. How anglers fish, and the techniques they employ, are at least as important as the lures they use. Here’s a primer on how to locate and catch bass before the spawn sets up.

Hungry bass are on the move at this time of the year. The angler’s task is to focus on places where the fish are temporarily holding or passing through. In the pre-spawn phase, bass don’t swim from deeper water to the shallows in a straight line or all at once; rather, they migrate along well-defined underwater trails. A GPS unit or lake map provides quick reference to where such features can be located.

What To Look For: A travel route might be as obvious as a flooded roadbed or a narrow neck or stretch of creek that leads to a broad spawning flat. Sharp bends or spots where there is cover such as stumps, laydowns or brush piles should be fished slowly and thoroughly. Humps and rocks on an otherwise flat bottom, or places where rocky bluff banks gradually merge with clay or gravel banks, are prime areas.

How To Fish Them: When tapping a flooded ditch or creek, position the boat in the center of the feature if possible and cast along either side and down the middle of the feature. Probe every side of a hump, ledge or structure change  before moving. Start with “search baits” that are cast out and reeled back with a steady retrieve, and then slow down and switch to other lures as necessary.

Likely Lures: Jigs rigged with boot-tail grubs, buzzbaits, lipless crankbaits, vibrating jigs, football-head jigs, or suspending jerkbaits are good choices here. Wacky-rigged stick worms such as the Yamamoto Senko or Strike King Ocho might work, too.

A typical wacky rig consists of a stick worm or regular plastic worm hooked through the middle of its length with a wide-gap hook (2/0 or larger, depending on the diameter of the soft-plastic) or jighead so that it dangles and moves enticingly as it sinks. Anglers sometimes add nail weights to either or both ends to make the bait descend quicker in deeper water. Wacky rigs don’t make good search baits because their effectiveness depends on a slow presentation. Once cast, a wacky rig sinks on a slack line, then is lifted a foot or so and allowed to settle again as slack is taken up.

Tackle You’ll Need: Medium-action spinning rods of 7 to 7 ½ feet long and 6- to 12-pound-test fluorocarbon or braided line on the matching reel is preferred for lightweight presentations such as a weightless wacky rig. For other baits, baitcasting or spinning tackle capable of making long casts will work.

A Closer Look: Here are some additional fishing tips for spring bass. 

Bass are captivated – at least temporarily – by underwater points or similar bottom changes that differ from the norm.

What To Look For: In early spring, fish will begin to congregate at the deepest end of a main-lake or secondary point and then move shallower into coves as the season progresses. If there are stumps or manmade cover at the end of such points, even better.

How To Fish Them: If possible, start at the offshore end of a point and cover both sides within casting distance. Then alternately fish each side. If the wind is a factor, position the boat to cast upwind or quartering upwind. Fish secondary points in known spawning coves and feeders.

Likely Lures: Umbrella rigs are tops here, backed up by crankbaits, hard suspending jerkbaits, such as the Lucky Craft Flash Pointer 100, soft-plastic jerkbaits, such as the Zoom Fluke, and spinnerbaits.

Tackle You’ll Need: Conventional baitcasting or spinning gear will work. Two-handed rods that afford long casts are best. If you’ll be slinging an umbrella rig, fish it on a 7 1/2- or 8-foot medium-heavy to heavy baitcasting outfit and 60- to 100-pound-test braided line or 20-pound-test fluorocarbon.

A Closer Look: Check out this video on how to rig and fish an umbrella rig.

Use the trolling motor sparingly, preferably only to make course corrections or bypass stretches. Be as still as possible. If the boat is equipped with a mechanical anchor and the water is shallow enough to use it, stop occasionally in one place and repeatedly make long casts to the area ahead before changing positions.

Most of the year, a boat dock might as well have a sign posted on it that proclaims “Fish Here.” Docks are among the best four-season fish attractors in any lake.

What To Look For: The most productive docks – either floating or fixed – in the pre-spawn phase are constructed over or near deep water in the 10- to 20-foot range or deeper. They have distinctive structure features under them such as brush piles, channel swings, drop-offs or rocky bottoms.

How To Fish Them: The most successful dock anglers are those skilled at skipping or pitching a bait into the dark cubbyholes underneath. However, pre-spawn bass don’t necessarily hold in hard-to-reach spots under a dock as is likely in summer. Instead, the fish often move from dock to dock or patrol nearby waters.

Skipping a lure underneath fixed docks can pose more problems for anglers this time of year, as flooding in the early spring often reduces the target area. Better to focus on areas of a lake where floating docks are the norm. In any event, stay a long cast away from the targeted dock. Position the boat to cast parallel to the end of the dock, then set up to cast down either side. Thoroughly fish the dock from about 5 feet deep down to the bottom with appropriate lures before moving on.

Likely Lures: Suspending hard jerkbaits, crankbaits, wacky rigs, swim jigs, boot-tail soft-plastic swimbaits, umbrella rigs and soft jerkbaits are all popular choices.

Tackle You’ll Need: Baitcasting or spinning tackle will work, but some reels are considered better than others for the skipping because of their resistance to backlashing. Baitcasting reels with higher gear ratios such as the 6.3: 1 Daiwa Tatula SV and rods in the 6 ½- to 7-foot range with medium to medium-heavy actions are preferred. 

A Closer Look: Here are some of the top lures used by the pros in in colder waters for bass.

In rivers or lakes where current is present, bridge pilings and current breaks, such as barges and wing dams, are bass magnets. In manmade lakes, bass tend to congregate below dams and feed until the rising water temperature signals that it’s time to move into bedding areas. These river bass feed in the main flow, but they also wait in eddies and other slack-current edges for their forage to come along.

How To Fish Them: Position the boat to cast upstream or quartering upstream at the target, which might be a bridge piling, barge tie-up, sunken barge, jagged bluff bank or any current break. Fish riprapped banks below dams as well, especially where turns in the bank, creek mouths or shoreline obstructions create eddy pockets.

Likely Lures: Umbrella rigs with boot-tail swimbaits, deep-diving crankbaits, lipless crankbaits, football-head jigs and underspin jigheads such as the Blakemore Randy’s Swim-N-Runner with or without a soft-plastic swimbait trailer. Natural shad finishes are usually best when swimming lures are the choice.

Tackle You’ll Need: Two-handed conventional baitcasting or spinning tackle capable of making long casts works here.

A Closer Look: Check out this video for everything you need to know about fishing with underspins.

Yet heading to your local off-highway-vehicle area without any previous trail time is akin to jumping in the deep end of the pool without swimming lessons: You may survive, but it’s not the best or safest way to learn the technique.

Fortunately there are a lot of options open to newbie off-roaders (and more experienced ’wheelers who want to sharpen their skills or tackle new terrain). Joining a club and throwing in with like-minded locals will introduce you to the four-wheeling opportunities in your area. Signing up for an organized trail ride, like one of the many Jeep Jamborees around the country, will likewise put you with a knowledgeable community willing to help you negotiate the trail.

Even better, take a class from one of the many off-road driving schools located around the country. Here you’re not just tagging along hoping to learn driving tips. Instead, your off-roading experience is the focus, as instructors walk you through the basics of vehicle control and how to read terrain. Most of these classes include info on vehicle prep for the trail, what to bring (for you and the 4x4) and even how to get un-stuck when the inevitable happens. Class lengths range from an afternoon to multiple days.

Once you have the basics down, many of these schools offer advanced training, on topics like winching, negotiating specific terrain types, and even skills like geo-caching.

While some schools offer 4x4s for student use, many will teach you in your own vehicle, which we highly recommend. There’s no better way to learn the handling, throttle response and other particulars of your rig than with an experienced instructor spotting you or riding shotgun. And with many schools offering instruction on Forest Service lands and in other scenic off-roading areas, adding a day’s instruction onto a road-trip can be just the thing to build a vacation around.

Here are some of the top schools around the country.

Its Southern California base allows Badlands Off-Road Adventures to offer clinics year-round. Many of them are held in the Los Padres National Forest north of Los Angeles (an easy drive from LAX and other area airports), but classes are also held in the Anza-Borrego area between LA and San Diego and along California’s Central Coast. 

The Getting Started clinics are aimed at first-time 4WD owners, while the Rocks and Sand clinics teach skills specific to those terrain types. Other specialized clinics cover winching, vehicle recovery and tire repair. Women-only clinics are available, too. The company also hosts multi-day trips to some of the Southwest’s bucket-list off-roading areas, including the Rubicon Trail, Moab and Death Valley. 

The Land Rover Driving Experience is not just for Land Rover owners, though they do get a discount on the programs. Four North American Experience Centers (Carmel, California; Asheville, North Carolina; Manchester Village, Vermont; and Montebello, Quebec, Canada) offer a range of “Driving Experiences” that put you in a Land Rover for anywhere from an hour to a full day or two.  

Instructors teach “skills for every season” and expose drivers to a variety of terrain, from slick wet grass to mud and rocks. Those who already have off-roading skills can take full-day classes covering Advanced Off-Road Techniques and Winch & Recovery Techniques, or a two-day course with customized coaching. If you like your Rovers old-school, a Heritage program allows you to have these Experiences in a Defender 90, Discovery or Range Rover. 

New York’s Catskill Mountains are the home to Northeast Off-Road Adventures, with a training center in Ellenville that’s just 90 minutes from New York City. NORA classes include beginning and advanced driving skills, plus specialized training in the use of winches, Hi-Lift jacks and other recovery equipment, even emergency survival.

Public classes can accommodate up to 15 vehicles (bring your own or rent one from NORA), semi-private classes are for two to four vehicles, and private lessons are available that are custom-tailored to the student’s needs.

A second NORA location at the Hunter Mountain Ski Resort offers one- and two-day adventure tours, including special tours during peak fall foliage season. The Hunter Mountain tours are BYO4x4, and the vehicles need to be street legal, registered, insured, and fitted with frame-mounted recovery points front and rear.

Off-Road Consulting promises “zero classroom time” during sessions at Pennsylvania’s Rausch Creek Off Road Park, Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area and Famous Reading Outdoors. Students start with the six-hour 101 Driving Experience, a family- and stock-vehicle-friendly course focused on four-wheeling basics.

The next step is the six-hour 201 Driving Experience, which builds on those skills with advanced driving techniques and specialized instruction on spotting, vehicle recovery, and how to best use locking differentials.

The 301 Driving Experience tailors the program to suit the individual student’s goals. There is a class specific to winching techniques, and one about the preparation and skills needed for overlanding.  

The Off-Road Experience holds its day-long classes in the Fernley, Nevada, area near Reno. The Level 1 class teaches vehicle basics (approach/departure/breakover angles, ground clearance, axle articulation) and driving tips, while the Level 2 class ups the wheel time and the terrain difficulty. 

At Level 3, students choose the ground they want to cover (literally) and get into map reading and GPS navigation. Navigation is among the specialized classes offered, as is winching and recovery, and rally driving. 

Students can apply all of those skills during The Nevada Trophy, an annual challenge put on by The Off-Road Experience that combines off-road driving, geo-caching (finding waypoints in the desert using GPS), and tasks that include shooting, vehicle recovery and more. 

The primary clients for Overland Experts are members of the military Special Forces, search-and-rescue teams, geological survey companies, even humanitarian aid agencies—people who drive off-road professionally. But OEX also offers recreational 4x4 training. 

Its classes, on large tracts of private land in Connecticut, North Carolina and Virginia, fall into two categories: 4x4 and off-road driving, and overland training. Students may use their own vehicle, one of OEX’s 4x4s, or both. Most OEX sessions are done as private classes, with client groups setting up the dates, class size and location. (OEX trainers will travel and teach outside of their facilities.) Its North Carolina location also has regularly scheduled training modules, which consist of day-long classes that range from off-roading fundamentals to field repair. 

Ford’s F-150 Raptor is the closest thing to a desert race truck you can buy off the showroom floor, and Ford has developed the Raptor Assault as a free-of-charge driver training program for owners of 2017 and 2018 Raptors. Classes are held at the Ford Performance Racing School in Utah’s Tooele Valley (about 25 miles from Salt Lake City), which offers rock, clay and sand to test the Raptor’s mettle. 

Day-long instruction covers off-roading fundamentals with an eye to the Raptor’s unique features, including how to make the most of its six driving modes. Because the FPRS is a multi-use facility, Raptor Assault students have the option of adding a second day to drive a Mustang GT on the school’s racetrack. 

Your summer-season tent might do the trick, depending on your region, elevation and weather, but investing in a true three-season tent gives you a better buffer against wind, and some come with a rainfly already built-in, which eliminates the need to add one if the skies turn rainy. 

Amy’s pick: The Big Agnes Tumble mtnGLO comes with a removable string of LED lights, ideal for those fall evenings when it gets dark earlier.

Your sleeping bag is arguably the most important item you’ll pack for your fall camping trip, so it really needs to be up to snuff. I don’t know about you, but I can never sleep when I’m shivering in a bag that’s not providing enough warmth. The rating you’ll need will ultimately depend on the part of the world you’re camping in, but in my mountainous region of Oregon, a down or down-alternative bag rated at 15 degrees or less suffices. Adding a sleeping bag liner and slipping a quality sleeping pad under you will extend that range 5 or 10 degrees if you hit a chillier night or two.

Amy’s pick: Sierra Designs’ Nitro 0 Degrees is warm while remaining light to carry. It stuffs down small but provides the coverage around your shoulders and head you need. Plus, it has a fun feature: a slit at the bottom to stick your feet out of if you get overheated in the night.

A down or down-alternative ‘puffer’ jacket or sweater is the first thing I pack for fall camping trips. They provide a nice, lightweight layer that keeps you warm without bulk. A fun trend of late: down ponchos are all the rage, offering the perfect jacket/blanket hybrid for at camp.

Amy’s pick: The Therm-a-Rest Honcho Poncho can be worn as a poncho or spread out like a blanket, and it’s fun and playful, too.

While we’re on the subject of staying warm, every outdoor enthusiast planning to spend time sitting back and stargazing at the autumn sky needs a comfortable camp chair (get that behind off the cold ground), a knit beanie hat (wear it to bed, too), and a blanket to tuck around oneself.

Amy’s pick:  Rumpl’s Original Puffy Blanket is always travel-ready (mine is in the back of the car at all times), colorful, and versatile: use it at the fall cookout, the sports arena, and at home, too.

If my feet aren’t dry, I’m not having a good time. Period. Bring along waterproof boots. If you’re backpacking, your waterproof hiking boots will have to do double duty, but if you’re car camping, you can toss in a pair of heavier, bulkier boots, too. Seriously, I don’t mess around (think Sorel’s). Pair these with a quality pair of thick wool socks to stay toasty warm.

Amy’s pick: Salmon Sisters XTRATUF boots, which feature fun, beautiful prints on the inside inspired by Alaska, and tough, everything-proof rubber outers, plus a rugged outsole.

Autumn is the time of year to perfect your campfire cooking skills. You’ll want to linger longer around the fire (see tip #10), which gives you more time to bake. A Dutch oven allows you to slow cook cobblers, stews and even breads over low heat, and skillets retain the flavor of past meals, which is a good thing. We once enjoyed a peach cake that carried just a hint of cayenne pepper flavoring from the evening before, and it was prime.

Amy’s pick: The Lodge 2 Quart Cast Iron Serving Pot is affordable and will last for season after season. Just be sure you follow the instructions to season your pot carefully. 

Warm beverages (including that splash of whiskey before bedtime) are essential during fall camping trips. Keep your morning coffee and your evening soups and broths toasty warm for hours with a double-walled insulated tumbler. 

Amy’s pick: Yeti has a great reputation for a reason. I love the Yeti Rambler 10-ounce Lowball, which is the perfect size for coffee and cocktails, my two favorite drinks.

It’s not a fun or sexy item, but a good tarp is key for the outdoors in autumn. In fair weather, use it under your tent to extend the life of your tent’s floor and keep moisture at bay. Yes, you have a rain fly on your tent, but when the weather turns, you’ll want to cover your camp kitchen area, too. And if you’re caught out in torrential downpours, throw it over the top of your tent and stake the corner’s down tight to provide an extra layer of rain protection and to cover any gear you can’t take inside with you.

Amy’s pick: Go to your local hardware store, and grab any quality tarp with eyelets so you can string it up wherever. Want to get fancy? I like Kammok’s Kuhli Weather Shelter, which is basically a lightweight tarp.

If you like to sleep in your hammock in the summer, you can carry on the tradition in the fall, but you’ll want a little something more between your butt and back, and the cold night air. Pad your hammock, and string a tarp over it.

Amy’s pick: Enter the insulated Hammock V by Klymit, a specially-shaped sleeping pad that’s made to fit a hammock. You’ll stay toasty warm all night.

With the severity of fires in the American West, it’s essential to be aware of any campfire and open-flame restrictions wherever you camp. If fires are prohibited, don’t despair: a good backpacking stove or camp stove is still permitted, and you can cook up a big pot of hot soup to satisfy that need for cozy warmth.

There is no one more qualified to advise a newcomer on the best locations, presentations and tackle choices than a knowledgeable resident. With their help, you should be able to find amazing fishing opportunities wherever you go, which is just what happened to me earlier this year when I traveled to Florida’s Space Coast with my family for vacation.

Here's how I was able to tap into local residents and resources to turn what might have been a busted fishing day into an angling adventure my twin girls will remember forever.

I’d packed one travel rod, a spinning reel, and a small assortment of lures for our trip. The day before I wanted to take my girls to a local beach to fish I’d even stopped in at a local tackle shop to get some much-needed advice. The shop owner was helpful and I left with some 3-ounce sinkers, pompano rigs, and a package of frozen shrimp.

These worked great and I caught a few fish right away, but my enthusiasm drained away the first evening as I watched the waves grow from manageable two-footers to well over my head in a matter of a few hours. I knew the fish I’d found staging on a sandy shelf were going to be within reach, but impossible to work with my setup, which wouldn’t hold in the waves, or allow me to cast far enough into the surf to reach any of the productive water. My twin seven-year-old daughters were ready to catch their first saltwater fish, so I needed a new strategy. 

The young man working in the tackle shop closest to our Cocoa Beach hotel told me about several spots that might be just out of the wind enough to fish with my setup. He then showed me the smallest jigheads, hooks and sinkers they sold. I left with the ocean equivalent of panfish tackle and drove north until I found a private beach with paid access. Using my phone to check some aerial photography, I could see a pier and a jetty, and it looked like the best fishing might be shielded from the big waves. 

My first spot was a bust, but farther out on the pier I started to get bites. Pinfish were the first takers, but then I caught a blowfish that the girls would have found fascinating. A few small hairy blennies bit as well, so I drove back to the hotel to get the girls and their Uncle Dave, who didn’t want to miss a chance to see what the fishing was like. 

We’d just started to pluck a few hairy blennies from the rocks when a bikini-clad local with a cast-net and a fishing rod walked up. She surveyed our setup and said, “Honey, you’re all wrong. Everything you have is wrong.” She didn’t even let me respond before she walked off. 

A few minutes later we walked up the pier to see if we could find an open spot when another fishermen approached us and said, “Come on down. They’re biting at the end of the pier. All you need is a crappie jig.” 

When I told him my crappie jigs were 1000 miles away, he opened his tackle box and pulled a white marabou jig out and then unspooled three feet of 40-pound fluorocarbon for a leader. I watched as he set us up and when he finished he said, “Tip the jig with a piece of shrimp, cast it straight out and let it hit the bottom. Then, pop it back in.”

On the first cast I did just that and within a few cranks of the reel a whiting bit. I handed the rod to Lila, who landed it while fisherman down the entire length of the pier cheered. The next cast produced the exact same results for her twin sister and it was smiles all around. We fished under a double rainbow while birds of all varieties tried to snatch our bait. The local who had set us up told us stories about fishing and offered up tips. 

It was one of those evenings when you pray to whoever might be listening to delay the sunset for a few more minutes just to wring the most out of the experience, but eventually we packed it in and thanked our new friend. 

As we walked off the pier, the bikini-clad rod critic who’d stopped us earlier was leaning hard against a fish that had some weight to it. Her fishing partner clambered down on the rocks with a net and when he popped up, a three-foot shark bowed the bottom of the net. 

The woman let fly with the mother of all swear words, which sent my daughters into a giggling fit. But that ended when she told the girls to walk on up and touch the fish. They were wide-eyed and surprised at the shark’s rough skin. It was a perfect ending to the most fun we had during eight days of theme-parks and beach fun in Florida. 

The shore fishing opportunities we found on our latest trip were no accident, even though we leaned heavily on local help. Here are some of the ways we made the trip a success.

Carry A Pack Rod: I always travel with a collapsible rod and just enough tackle to hit the water wherever we end up. The rod is a $20, whippy six-footer that is better than nothing and has been good enough for a wide variety of saltwater fish over the years.

It’s too small for a lot of fish, but good enough for a seven-year old or an adult man with the fishing enthusiasm of a seven-year old. The idea is to be able to fish any time an opportunity comes up, and if you’re looking, it usually does.

Buy A Time-Specific License: Pretty much everywhere you go you’ll probably need a fishing license, but most states will sell you a time-specific license that is usually good for a few days and is often cheaper than the fee to check one bag at the airport.

Tap The Local Tackle Shop: Aside from that, you’ll probably need a little help. I always do some internet research on the fish that might be available and the public spots I can visit, but there’s nothing that replaces local knowledge. I can remember strolling into a tackle shop in Key West one time and asking the fellow behind the counter what to use and he simply asked me where I was staying. After telling him, he grabbed a few jigheads, some shrimp and said, “Throw it out and then let it sit on the bottom."

Mangrove snapper and grunts bit nonstop along with a few bonus barracuda and before long, my wife and I had an entire group of people fishing with us. Several had young kids and while they hailed from all over the country, we all shared a similar love for fishing. It was an incredible vacation and the trip that solidified my resolve for always traveling with enough tackle to take advantage of new adventure.

Nowadays, that new adventure involves a pair of little girls who want to catch fish and see string rays and experience what the world of water has to offer. It’s a gift that so many destinations offer. If that sounds appealing, consider picking up an inexpensive travel rod and doing a little research before your next family outing. You just might find a local fishing community that will take you in as one of their own, which is what fishing is all about.

However, if that action includes taking a variety of fish with the possibility of maybe catching a whopper, then they will enjoy fishing all the more. Getting kids into bigger fish takes a little effort, however, as a recent outing with my girls taught me.

Our choice was either to fish off of the dock or take my twin three-year olds into the boat with my wife and try to find a more interesting spot to fish. It would have been easier to stay on the dock, but I had a hunch we could find a place that would provide better action than the small panfish that congregate near shore. 

With the whole crew in the boat, we idled to a point of pencil reeds that mark the inside of an old river channel. A slight current moved through the reeds, and a nearby drop-off provided some depth. In addition to finding sunfish, I thought we might catch a few other species. We did.

Not only did we find bluegills tucked into the pockets between the reeds, but we managed to catch perch, rock bass, crappies, small northern pike, and a bonus 21-inch walleye. Since that experience, I’ve looked at fishing with kids in a whole new way.

The scenario above sounds simple enough, but it took some careful consideration. Here are three key factors to consider that will put your kids onto fish and maybe, onto a monster to boot.

Simple is good when you’re fishing with kids, which is why I like to start kids out on bobbers and bait. (Kids love watching those bobbers twitch when fish come calling.)  Most often, parents will pick up a dozen nightcrawlers and call that good enough. The thing about that is, nightcrawlers are deadly on panfish and perch, but they’re not the best choice for other species. It’s a much better idea to pick up a variety of baits, so pick up some leeches or minnows as well. 

Personally, I’ll take a scoop of fathead minnows over anything else. These minnows are large enough to take some abuse, but not so big that nearly any fish out there can eat them. And fish ranging from crappies to bass to walleyes and northern pike love minnows.

With one setup using a nightcrawler and the other using a minnow, you’re now greatly increasing your chances of catching different kinds of fish. Leeches, which always fascinate kids, are another choice that will increase the odds of diversity.

Change the depths at which you set the bait below the bobbers to find the sweet spot. Oftentimes with worms, the closer to the bottom you can get, the better. With minnows, having them suspended a foot or two off of the bottom might be a better bet.

Naturally, it doesn’t matter how deep your bait is set if you’re not in a good spot, so you’ll have to figure out where to fish that might offer multi-species action. 

To find a great fishing spot for kids, try locating waters that may not get as much attention as super popular lakes near you. Then look for areas on those lakes that offer as many options as possible. For example, picture a rocky shoreline that is dotted with a few lily pads. That might look good enough, but was does it offer the fish? Probably not much.

Now, follow that shoreline for a while until you get to a point that juts out into the lake. There, you’ll see the same rocks and lily pads, but also a potential current break (if there is any current). The point also probably extends into deeper water, which is always good. This spot, while it might not look much different than the rest of the shoreline, is most likely, better.

Perhaps you want to fish a shallow bay that is full of pencil reeds and lily pads. One section will undoubtedly look as good as the next, so where do you start? In such situations I like to see if there is a beaver dam or some other kind of wood structure in the water. That added bit of habitat can change a sunfish morning, into something that includes largemouth bass or maybe crappies just by fishing closer to one extra type of cover. 

The added bonus to this type of fishing with kids is that it puts you in the spot to maybe catch something bigger, and believe me when I write this, kids want to catch something big. It doesn’t matter if it’s a smallmouth, a dogfish, a carp or whatever, the bigger the better.

Getting familiar with a map of the area you’re going to fish before you head out can save you a lot of time. Mark a few places that offer any of the suggestions above and head there first.

The right bait and a great spot will go a long way toward a memorable fishing trip, but you can hedge your bets even further by knowing in advance what times are best for fishing. I like to fish at sunrise and sunset, and while my little girls don’t like getting up at 5 AM to fish, when they do, they love it because they usually do pretty well. Get them out there in the morning or the evening when the temperatures are tolerable, and the fish will be biting. 

If you’re fishing plenty of weeds and wood cover, plan a trip when it will be sunny to take advantage of the fish tucking themselves into the shade. If you’re fishing a rocky point or island, wait for an overcast day if you can. 

Fishing with kids can, and should be, as simple as you can make it. But that doesn’t mean you should not plan to catch fish, especially multiple species of fish. It takes a little planning to do it right, but one good experience where fish of all varieties pull their bobbers below the surface will do wonders for keeping your kids’ attention and excitement levels up. And if they catch a big one, well, you can consider it a job-well-done. 

While most parks have first-come, first-served campground options, you’ll enjoy the peace of mind that comes from securing reservations using the parks’ online reservation system. Your planning needs to begin more than six months ahead of your trip, however, as campgrounds fill up quickly, making it necessary to reserve on the very first day available to you. 

Here’s how to book the campsite you want in three easy steps along with some quick tips that will help you formulate a solid back-up plan if your first-choice dates are taken.

This is the fun part! Engage everyone in your camping group to submit their requests or requirements in a campground (such as desired amenities or views) and if you haven’t narrowed down your choice of parks yet, this is the time to do so. Search the official national park sites for campground descriptions and select your first choice. Remember, some campgrounds have few amenities (perhaps limited to pit toilets) and some are not open in all seasons. 

During your research:

• Identify alternatives to your preferred campground, just in case. 

• Aim for midweek visits for the best availability, and skip weekends or holidays completely if possible. 

• Finalize your preferred dates, but have some back-up dates in mind if at all possible. 

Using your first-choice dates, do the math to know when you’ll be allowed to book your reservation, so you can reserve it the moment the registration window opens. For almost all US national parks, that window is six months in advance, based on the day of arrival. The exception: Yellowstone National Park, for which you must book a full 12 months out.

Start by creating an account on recreation.gov, the online booking site for almost all national parks in the US. Again, Yellowstone is the exception. They use a private booking site (their official website will redirect you). 

Plug your preferred campground and dates into the availability calendar to gauge current availability (remember, campers booking longer stays may have already removed your choice dates from availability) or use the “Build a Trip” feature to see potential sites within your calendar window. 

Make sure your computer is all ready to go for when your booking window opens. 

• Log in early: Log into recreation.gov  at least one hour before your window opens, so you aren’t surprised by a misremembered password or other technical problem. 

• Check your clock: Make sure your computer’s clock is accurate, too. 

• Refresh the page: You’ll need to refresh your page at just the right moment of booking, and yes, being off by a minute could mean a lost reservation. 

• Double check credit information: You’ll also want to make sure your credit card information is loaded and ready the go, even if you don’t typically save credit card information on websites.

• Book your reservation: Once the booking page is live, enter your arrival date and nights. If your dates are available and you’re successful, you’ll be given 15 minutes to complete your reservation. 

• Have your back-up plan ready: If you’re not able to reserve the dates or campsite you want, click immediately to your alternate campsites or dates and try again. 

• Are you already past your reservation window? Call the park’s registration line to find bookings that have been dropped or cancelled. You may have to do this regularly, but it can pay off in the end.

• Just can’t get the weekend dates you want most? Spend those days enjoying restaurant meals and hot showers in a nearby hotel, lodge, or resort, then head to the campground on a Monday or Tuesday. Another option is to avoid summer altogether and enjoy the shoulder seasons at national parks: spring and fall are gorgeous in most US parks and you’ll love the extra elbow room.

• Consider a private campground stay instead. Many are located conveniently just outside national park boundaries, and enjoy more luxurious amenities such as laundry facilities, mini-golf or on-site dining.

• Look for ‘walk-in’ or ‘tent-only’ sites in national park campgrounds. Since fewer visitors desire these more remote sites, you may have better luck in parks where such sites are not rare. And you’ll enjoy more nature and privacy once you arrive. Even better: consider a backpacking trip and explore a park’s spacious backcountry. Permits are often required, but with a few exceptions at the most impacted parks, they’re not too hard to come by, and day-of passes can be secured with some effort.

• Looking for a state park campground instead? The same ‘formula’ applies for securing state park reservations, with minor alterations. Instead of primarily using recreation.gov, you will be utilizing ReserveAmerica.com to find out the booking window for the campsite you’d like and to make reservations.

Enjoy planning your national park camping trip this winter, and best of luck to all who are looking to secure reservations for next summer!