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Berkley Drip Swimmer Berkley has your trailer of choice with their Drip Swimmer. The 3-inch version is perfect for crappie anglers who go drop shotting, swim shotting, strolling, casting on jig heads or who use them as a trailer on other baits. Leave the minnows behind and grab these ultra-realistic plastic minnows in 14 fish-catching [...]

Using lively minnows can mean the difference between catching lots of nice slabs or none. Keeping Minnows Alive and Lively Story and photos by Keith Sutton Minnows are the best natural baits for crappie. No other offering can tempt slabs more consistently than a lively baitfish struggling on the hook. But there’s a catch: dead […]

A quick trip before work turned unforgettable when Jesse Miller landed this massive 4.27-pound hybrid crappie from Ohio’s Great Miami River. (courtesy of Jesse Miller) Ohio Angler Lands Record Hybrid Crappie By Keith Sutton What started as a quick fishing trip before work turned into a catch that has rewritten Ohio’s record books. On April […]

Captain Jake Futia said crappie are available all year, but anglers must follow their seasonal movements. Summertime Slabs Story and photos by Terry Madewell Hot summer weather often leaves crappie anglers reflecting on productive spring fishing when the annual crappie migration to the shallows to spawn was underway. Warming water had crappie active and usually […]

Action Glow Cups  Action Glow Cups were created by a Utah angler with a mind for figuratively building a better mouse trap. Anyone who fishes after dark or in low light conditions with glowing jigs knows how important it is to have a jig charger. Most chargers require you to turn them on, or drop [...]

Dropping a 1/8-ounce jig in front of a desert reservoir slab crappie has been a specialty of Randy Howton. His love for crappie fishing and taking others out started after the passing of his father and many hours dedicated to perfecting his skills with live imaging sonar. Arizona Crappie at a Distance By Scott Mackenthun […]

Black crappie (top) and white crappie (bottom) may look similar, but their spring behavior isn’t the same. Water clarity and habitat often determine which species is most catchable. When to Target Black Crappie Instead of White Story and photos by Keith Sutton Across much of the South and Midwest, anglers are blessed—and sometimes confused—by lakes […]

Tournament angler Dennis Outlaw said confidence in the ability to work out a pattern keeps anglers focused until they find and catch fish. Muddy Water Crappie Story and photos by Terry Madewell Tournament crappie anglers are a hardy lot and have learned to cope with adverse conditions to consistently catch crappie. But not all challenges […]

Several years ago, on a trip to Truman Lake in Missouri, high water had scattered crappie. Crappie found protection and food in thick, flooded, green vegetation. Seen here are crappie pros Travis and Charles Bunting probing the thick limbs of willow trees and surrounding submerged brush.   Battling High Water Story and photos by Tim […]

A late-winter fishing trip on Arkansas’ DeGray Lake often produces big stringers of good-eating crappie for anglers like Keith Sutton and Alex Hinson.   Spring in the Ouachitas: DeGray and Greeson on Fire Story and photos By Keith Sutton Late February and early March in the Ouachita Mountains can fool you. The air may still […]

Capt. Rodney Donald relies on FFS to find big schools of crappie quickly on Lake Hartwell, an overlooked crappie-fishing treasure.   Lake Hartwell: An Overlooked Crappie Destination Story and photos by Terry Madewell Lake Hartwell, a deep, clear lake in the upstate portion of South Carolina, has earned a reputation as a premier striped bass [...]

Sad news for professional crappie anglers. The National Crappie League will be shutting down its tournament circuit. (NCL Image) National Crappie League Tournaments Shut Down by CrappieNOW.com Staff What is surely sad news for many professional crappie fishermen, the National Crappie League (NCL) has announced the pending end of its tournament circuit. In a Facebook […]