OPENING CAST FEBRUARY 2022
What an ugly virus that has impacted all aspects of our society. Fishing and especially crappie fishing has had both positive and negative COVID impacts.
On the positive side, here are a few of the notable ones:
- Record numbers of new anglers purchased fishing licenses in every state
- Fisherman time-on-the-water soared above weekend averages
- Tackle sales reached record highs
- Boat sales of all types soared
- The outdoors created an escape from the mean virus
Avoid the Crowds
Dan Dannenmueller says getting away from others means less-pressured fish and a quiet, peaceful day. Fish Where Others Don‘t by Tim Huffman Finding a unique spot, or a prime area away from the crowd, can lead to a good day of fishing. The following are a few tips from seasoned experts with examples […]
Electronics by Wiegmann
Answers about Sonar Technology by Brad Wiegmann (Editor’s Note: Please welcome writer, photographer and crappie fishing expert extraordinaire, Brad Wiegmann, to the elite stable of CrappieNOW Magazine contributors. Every month Wiegmann will be providing the absolute latest and greatest information on the ever-changing world of fishing electronics.) Editor’s Note: When shopping for […]
Power Tactics for Crappie
Author Keith Sutton shows a dandy pair of crappie caught using some of his “power tactics.” (Photo: Jerry Blake) Forget Finesse – Year-Round Power Tactics for Crappie by Keith Sutton The rigs and retrieves you use play a big role in whether or not a lure catches crappie. No matter what lure you […]
Crappie Tournament Merger
Crappie Masters, LLC to acquire Crappie USA Tournament Trail Courtesy Crappie Masters, LLC Two major crappie tournament circuits have announced a merger. Crappie Masters, LLC announced in late December that it has acquired the Crappie USA Tournament Trail. Blake Jackson, owner of Crappie Masters, LLC said the acquisition of the Crappie USA Tournament Trail […]
Under the Ice
Crappie Basics: Convince Fish to Bite Under Ice by Richard Simms Crappie guide Adam Griffith lives and fishes just south of Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is also a host of the YouTube Series, The Crappie Chronicles. Griffith has lived his life on the ice and personally prefers chasing trophy crappie on hard water. However, he customizes [...]
Hard Water Bait
CrappieNOW writer Scott MacKenthun shows off a healthy crappie taken under the Minnesota ice with “spikes” rigged for what he calls, “the Medusa effect.” (Photo: Richard Simms) Crappie Basics: Rig Spikes for the “Medusa Effect” by Richard Simms, CrappieNOW Editor Scott MacKenthun is a Minnesota fisheries biologist AND a CrappieNOW contributor. A fish person can’t [...]
The Great Outdoors
The Great Outdoors by Larry Whiteley TACKLE BOX MEMORIES It was a cold, nasty day so I got my old tackle box out and started cleaning it up and organizing it. There’s a lot of memories in an old tackle box. Like the Rapala that had no rear treble hooks – I had to […]
Fishing Tough Conditions
Brandon Jennings caught a pile of big crappie at Washington Lake. (Photo courtesy Brandon Jennings) Catch Crappie When the Going Gets Tough by Kenneth L. Kieser When the going gets tough, the tough get going Crappie are usually structure-oriented fish, that is no secret. So how do you fish lakes with limited structure, […]
Vernon’s Recipes
Coconut and Cajun Crappie by Vernon Summerlin Baked Crappie: Coconut & Cajun-Style, plus a Hot Spinach Dip As a child, I would spend a whole dime (and maybe get some change back) to buy a coconut at the Jitney Jungle – or was it Piggly Wiggly? I’d put it in my bike’s basket […]
Untapped Waters
On cold frosty mornings, if you’d rather be crappie fishing than sitting by a warm fire drinking hot chocolate, call your local fisheries biologist to learn the least-fished yet productive waters in your area. (Photo: John E. Phillips) Biologists Know Crappie by John E. Phillips Fisheries Biologist Shares Alabama Crappie Secrets “Ask […]
Cleaning up the Environment
Yamaha Rightwaters™ Program Recycles 10,000 Pounds of Plastic, courtesy Yamaha Communications KENNESAW, Ga. – The Yamaha Rightwaters plastics recycling program returned more than 10,000 pounds of Polyethylene and Polypropylene sheet plastics back to base materials during 2021, proving a pilot concept the sustainability initiative hopes to expand in 2022. Yamaha Rightwaters announced the program […]