OPENING CAST DEC 2025
The changing season brings with it changes in crappie locations and feeding patterns. Change gets harder for this aging angler, but crappies are just like me, they react at first hesitant to change, especially the weather and water conditions and as they acclimate, they go back to eating.
The one thing I have found fishing for crappies is that a change in wind direction can stop the bite for hours. Frontal and barometric pressure changes can impact crappies eating habits for days. These mood swings can frustrate the best of us.
One of the key mood changes with major weather and water conditions can cause them to go motionless while resting on the bottom. We have seen this reaction repeatedly in numerous lakes and rivers around the country.
Choosing Sides, by Tim Huffman
Dan Dannenmueller is working trees along an old fence row. Factors for picking the best side to fish might include light penetration, side with deepest water, current, wind direction, and sun direction. Choosing correctly determines success or failure. (Photo: Tim Huffman) Choosing Sides Photos and Story by Tim Huffman In two separate instances recorded in […]
Catching Cold Crappie When the Sun Shines High, by Rob Somerville
Even in the dead of winter, bright sunny days often bring crappie to the shallows. Catching Cold Crappie When the Sun Shines High Photos and Story by Rob Somerville By now many hardcore crappie anglers – at least those in the South – have winterized their equipment and are counting down the days […]
Crappie Basics: A Winter Hotspot in Mississippi, by Tim Huffman
Mississippi’s Ross Barnett Reservoir may not have the same reputation for trophy slabs as Grenada, but as outdoor writer Mike Giles shows, it’s got its fair share fine fish. ((Photo courtesy Mike Giles) Crappie Basics: A Winter Hotspot in Mississippi by Tim Huffman Mississippi is a well-known big crappie hotspot. But we don’t […]
Crappie Basics: The Fishing Machine’s Winter Crappie Tactics, by Richard Simms, CrappieNOW Editor
Richard Gene, known as “The Fishing Machine” on his YouTube channel, is a firm believer is using underspin jigs for winter crappie. He says the underspin blade imitates the flash of a weak or dying baitfish – a common occurrence in cold water temperatures. (Video Screen Grab courtesy Richard Gene) Crappie Basics: The Fishing [...]
Frozen Lakes, Fiery Bites: The Ice Belt’s Best Crappie Fishing Secrets, by Rob McDonald
Utilizing electronics for ice fishing can be incredibly productive. And a good portable shelter combined with a small propane heater can make ice fishing downright warm and toasty. Frozen Lakes, Fiery Bites: The Ice Belt’s Best Crappie Fishing Secrets Photos and Story by Rob McDonald The time is here when fishing in North America’s […]
Alabama’s Jackson Lake Island: A Hidden Gem for Anglers and Families
Jackson Lake and Jackson Lake Island provided the perfect locale for a fishing day with local youngsters during CrappieNOW’s 2025 media camp. Alabama’s Jackson Lake Island: A Hidden Gem for Anglers and Families Photos and Story by Keith Sutton CrappieNOW editor Richard Simms shoots photos while walking through the Town of Spectre, part of [...]
Lure of the Month: Power Vibe, by Terry Madewell
Lure of the Month: Power Vibe by Terry Madewell Lipless soft baits are an excellent choice for many species of fish, and crappie are no exception. The smaller, crappie-size lures often have weight built into the bait’s head, eliminating the need to attach a soft plastic profile body to a jighead. It’s a slight […]
A Crappie Guide’s Tactics for Winter Live Bait Fishing, by Terry Madewell
A confirmed minnow-man, Capt. Travis Bradshaw relies on live minnows to put slab crappie in his boat during cold weather. A Crappie Guide’s Tactics for Winter Live Bait Fishing Photos and Story by Terry Madewell One of the appealing attributes of crappie fishing is that anglers have a variety of options that enable them […]
The Great Outdoors, Thank God for Our Veterans, by Larry Whiteley
A Special Christmas Gift Kris, a friend of mine who is also a fishing guide on local lakes, called me the other day and invited me to go crappie fishing with him. That was not unusual. We usually go together a couple of times every winter when his guiding business is slow. He told […]