OPENING CAST MAY 2024
We should probably call this issue of CrappieNOW “The Destination Issue.”
Who among us doesn’t occasionally grow tired of fishing our “home water?” No matter how good the fishing may be, don’t we all dream of hitting the road and traveling to new destinations in search of new scenery, new people, new water and especially new fish waiting to be caught. [READ MORE]
Plan a Crappie Vacation at Diamond Lakes, by Keith Sutton
The crystal-clear waters of Arkansas’ Lake Ouachita harbor lots of big line-stretching slabs just waiting to be caught. (Photo: Keith Sutton) Plan a Crappie Vacation at Diamond Lakes by Keith Sutton Hot Springs is the number-one tourist town in Arkansas. This bustling community west of Little Rock is home to Hot Springs National […]
Don’t Forget the Beetlespin – Spinnerbaits for Crappie, by Ed Mashburn
This spawning crappie fell victim to a safety pin style spinning lure. Such lures, like Beetlespins, have been around for decades. They work especially well fishing around cover. (Photo: Ed Mashburn) Don’t Forget the Beetlespin – Spinnerbaits for Crappie by Ed Mashburn My little spinnerbait flashed as I cast toward the cover where I […]
Crappie Boom Times in the North Country, by Brent Frazee
Al Lindner (left) and Jake Wallace posed with two of the crappies they caught during a filming of a Lindner’s Angling Edge television show. (Photo courtesy Lindner’s Angling Edge) Crappie Boom Times in the North Country by Brent Frazee When crappie fishermen envision their dream destinations, they often think about the Deep South – states […]
Crappie Basics: Rod Control
One aspect of crappie fishing that is often ignored is rod control. Where and how you hold your rod is important for hooking and landing fish successfully. (Photo courtesy Wired2Fish) Crappie Basics: Rod Control Wally Marshall (a.k.a. Mr. Crappie) is one of the most well-known names in crappie fishing. That is for good reason. [...]
Destination Chippewa Flowage, Wisconsin, by Tim Huffman
Karen Lutto, President of Hunter Outdoor Communications, shows off a springtime black crappie from Chippewa Flowage waters. It hit an Al’s Goldfish Lil’ 49er cast to shallow water. (Photo: Tim Huffman) Destination Chippewa Flowage, Wisconsin by Tim Huffman Wisconsin is known for dairy, cheese and the Green Bay Packers. However, anglers know it as […]
Electronics: Affordable Fish-finders, by Brad Wiegmann
Lowrance released their new line of Eagle electronics, starting as low as $120, designed with features commonly found in high-end marine electronics. (Photo by Brad Wiegmann) Electronics: Affordable Fish-finders by Brad Wiegmann We all know that these days it is easy to spend literally thousands of dollars on fish-finding electronics if you want. But let’s […]
The Great Outdoors, by Larry Whiteley
FISH’S LAST FISHING TRIP You met Fish last year in this column. He is now 90 years old and still fishing as much as possible. It is early on a Memorial Day morning. Like last year, Fish is alone in his old 1960 aluminum boat. He still misses his wife and son. Both are in […]
Big Crappie from Small Kentucky Lakes
Sometimes small water can pay big dividends, especially in Kentucky. (Photo: Richard Simms) Big Crappie from Small Kentucky Lakes Every spring, anglers pursuing crappie during the spring spawn flock to large reservoirs such as Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley, Barren River Lake or even Green River Lake. However, crappie fishing in the big lakes is […]
Lure of the Month: G-Daddy Baits Crappie Shad, by Terry Madewell
Lure of the Month: G-Daddy Baits Crappie Shad by Terry Madewell To produce a successful bait in the crappie-fishing market, the lure must catch crappie. That gets fishermen’s attention, and to keep that attention the lure needs other attributes such as being tough as nails and capable of catching scores, even hundreds, of crappie without […]
Product Buzz, by Tim Huffman
Product Buzz by Tim Huffman High-Performance Gloves from Fish Monkey Fish Monkey is a leading brand glove for fishermen. They are high performance gloves that will help you safely handle fishing this summer. The Stubby Guide Glove is a great choice offering UFP 50+ sun protection, with a short cut and construction for second-skin […]