August 2023

Russ Bailey displays a crappie taken from Dale Hollow. He says August crappie will be deep, so a slip-cork and minnow rig will catch fish like these. (Photo: Tim Huffman)       Destination: Dale Hollow Lake by Tim Huffman Clear-Water Tactics for Summer Crappie   Ultra-clear lakes can make good fishermen shudder with fear. […]

During the dog days of summer, catching crappie may require thinking outside the box and trying unconventional fishing tactics, like fishing with a soft-plastic Yum Dinger. (Photo: Keith Sutton)   Think Outside the Box for Hot Crappie by Keith Sutton   Hot-weather crappie fishing can be tough. When the water temperature soars, our favorite panfish […]

Product Highlights from ICAST 2023 by Richard Simms, CrappieNOW Editor The latest innovations revealed at the largest fishing trade show in the world ICAST 2023 Best of Show After 37 category winners were crowned at the prestigious ICAST 2023, the American Tackle Company came out on top as the sole owners of “Best of Show.” [...]

John Harrison has two live imaging sonar units on his bow. That way he and a partner or client both have their own LIS for scanning different areas. Here he prepares to make a pitch to a fish targeted on his LIS, controlling his line with his “off hand” by pulling the line, releasing it, […]

Lure of the Month: Crappie Tamer by Terry Madewell   Crappie fishing is a year-round sport, but it takes a dedicated angler to put slabs in the boat during August. Pair that angler with a crappie lure specifically designed to tame a crappie in any weather and we’ve got a winning combo. Crappie can be [...]

The thermocline can be seen most easily on down-scan images in the wide sonar beam of 455kHz (top right) while High CHIRP with a smaller beam (lower right) captures a better image of baitfish and fish. You can see the thermocline in the side-scan image (left) but it is more difficult to discern and interpret. […]

Crappie Basics: New Hand Tied Hair Jig Joins the Mr. Crappie Lineup by Richard Simms, CrappieNOW Editor   The new Mr. Crappie Shoo Shiner is a hand tied feather jig that is designed for the all-around angler with panfish as their target. The Shoo Shiner is available in 1/16 oz., 1/32 oz., and 1/64 oz. […]

Birmingham, Alabama is known for lots of things. But after September, the city will add another major event to its resume as Crappie Expo 2023 makes its way to the heart of Dixie.   Crappie Basics: Mark Your Calendar for Crappie Expo 2023 by Richard Simms, CrappieNOW Editor   After a record-breaking year in Branson, […]

CrappieNOW Publisher and professional crappie tournament angler, Dan Dannenmueller, says he doesn’t consider his arsenal fully equipped unless he has Off Shore Tackle planer boards on the boat.   Planer Boards for All Seasons by Alan Clemons   Quick as a flash, the undersized crappie grabbed my Road Runner with a curl-tail grub and tried […]

HOW ARE YOU LIVING YOUR DASH?  When you die, there will be two dates on your tombstone, the date you were born and the date you died. What matters the most is not the dates. What matters most is the dash between those two dates. You see, that dash represents your life. It is all […]

The Reel Deal: Baiting the Beasts by Lindsey Lucas   Here in Missouri, our favorite fish to catch is crappie, also known as papermouths. From time to time, however, we all tend to want to branch out and fish for something different. Trust me, there are LOTS of different things to catch in Biloxi, Mississippi. […]

BnM Jack Wells introducing the New 18ft Black Diamond Series Rod with counter balance weights.