April 2023

Dan Dannenmueller uses slip corks when fish want a slow or stopped presentation. He says the beauty of slip corks is that you can use them whether you’re fishing shallow, mid-depth or deep water. (Photo: Tim Huffman) Slip Corks Produce Fun and Action by Tim Huffman Feeling a crappie “thump” a jig is awesome, but [...]

Check out the background behind Larry Cloud and it is easy to see why Missouri’s Table Rock Lake holds great numbers of crappie. When the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers created the lake in 1958, it left all of the standing timber untouched. (Photo: Richard Simms)   Table Rock Crappie Secrets by Richard Simms According […]

Crappie often spawn in water so shallow it’s difficult to get a boat to them. In this situation, wade fishing may be the best alternative. (Photo: Keith Sutton)   Try Wade Fishing for Spooky, Spawning Slabs by Keith Sutton   Heavy spring rains and flooding are an increasingly common occurrence in many parts of the […]

Lure of the Month: Guppy Gobbler by Terry Madewell   April typically produces wide-open crappie fishing, but even during prime-time, slabs can be finicky in their menu choices, so fishing a lure with profile versatility is always a good idea. But it can be especially important in April. Changing weather patterns and crappie morphing in-and-out […]

Tim Bye (left) and Keith Lusher with a few of the reasons crappie anglers should look closely at Louisiana’s Tchefuncte River.   South Louisiana Sac-a-lait by Keith Lusher Record Rainfall Produces Bumper Crop for Tchefuncte River   Studies in the past have shown that a female crappie lays between 30,000 to 40,000 eggs every spring. […]

The diagram shows the coverage area of 2D sonar, down-imaging sonar and side-imaging sonar. (Courtesy Humminbird Electronics)     Understanding Sonar Beams and Cones by Brad Wiegmann   Anglers often think that the signals being emitted from your electronics’ transducer are all the same. But that’s not at all true. The shapes of sonar beams […]

IGFA, the organization responsible for keeping official world record fishing listings, has established a special world record category for kids only. (IGFA Photo)   IGFA Establishes World Records for Kids Only by Richard Simms   The International Game Fish Association (IGFA), the global conservation nonprofit that manages world records for all game fish species worldwide, […]

Life-sized replicas of yellowfin tuna and dolphins swim in a massive artificial seascape at the Wonders of Wildlife Aquarium and Museum in Springfield, Missouri. (Photo: Richard Simms)   Wonders of Wildlife: A Treat for the Entire Family by Richard Simms There is a good chance that you are one of the 200 million people who […]

We might be in the midst of prime Spring fishing, but Reel Deal columnist Lindsey Lucas keeps having flashbacks to cold weather slabs.    The Reel Deal: Flashback to Cold Weather Slabs by Lindsey Lucas   As most crappie fishermen are looking forward to, or already enjoying the prime spring crappie fishing, I keep having […]

CRAPPIE AND MOREL MUSHROOMS When out crappie fishing this month, there is a delicious treat waiting for you besides the crappie you catch. Motor back in a wooded cove, tie your boat up to a tree, and get out and go hunting for morel mushrooms. Start searching near certain trees favored by morels like ash, […]

Bladed jig heads catch fish, but which blades are best for still water and which ones for current? Ron Stallings discusses choosing the right blade. Check out more fishing resources at crappienow.com! CrappieNOW is an unequaled online-only crappie fishing magazine aimed at passionate crappie anglers from all skill levels. Readers can search for information on […]

Dan Dannenmueller discusses why Barnett Reservoir is a great crappie fishing destination. It’s rated in the top ten crappie lakes in the country according to CrappieNOW’s Top 12 Lakes for 2023 in the March issue of CrappieNOW Magazine