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Memories of August Nights August is a month of hot, humid and uncomfortable weather. For an outdoors guy like me, staying inside in the air conditioning is hard to do. I spend a lot of time in the house writing stories like this one. On August mornings, as the sunrise comes, I go outdoors. It […]

If you’re like the author, you will likely be shocked by the amount of bait that can be attracted by your underwater lights while night fishing. And in most cases, game fish, including crappie, will quickly be attracted to that bait.   Crappie Basics: Beat the Heat and Bring the Bite by Richard Simms, CrappieNOW […]

Besides patience, one of the very first things CrappieNOW Editor Richard Simms taught his grandson was to never reel in a fish in too far. It’s a common error by novice anglers, but reeling fish up close to the rod tip can potentially break the rod tip. Or, if you’re trying to net the fish, […]

Driftmaster’s new neon yellow Pro Series rod holders light up under black light, but look good day or night. Engineered with a lifetime guarantee and a no-slip positive lock system, they’re ready to handle whatever you can throw at them and look good doing it. (Photo courtesy Driftmaster)   Crappie Basics: Driftmaster Debuts Bold New […]

Blue Bank Resort Head Guide Billy Blakley shows Vernon Lovejoy how he uses forward-facing sonar to help track down Reelfoot Lake crappie any time of year.     Brotherhood, Battlefields, and Reelfoot Crappie Story and Photos by Richard Hines I was intrigued when I got the call from Vernon Lovejoy, one of my college roommates […]

Independence Day It was Independence Day several years ago. Yes, I still call it Independence Day, not the 4th of July. The news media and all the businesses trying to sell you something can call it the 4th of July if they want, but to me, it will always be Independence Day. A man and […]

Jerry Porter shows off the new West Virginia State Record Black Crappie he caught from East Lynn Lake. (Photo courtesy Jerry Porter)   West Virginia Black Crappie Record Broken by Bob McNally, Outdoor Life Jerry Porter and pals, Ron and Rodney Shelton, were having a banner morning of spring-spawning crappie action on West Virginia’s 1,000-acre […]

Virginia’s Tim White caught what clearly would have been a new IGFA World Record Black Crappie (in the catch-and-release category), however an IGFA technicality wouldn’t allow him to lay claim to it. (Photo courtesy Tim White)   Virginia Angler Misses IGFA Record Crappie Due to Technicality by Bob McNally, Outdoor Life Tim White, from Virginia, […]

Bella had a fun afternoon catching little fish and big fish! But as you can see in the video below, there is much more to learn on the water than just how to catch fish. (Photos: Emma Madan, CrappieNOW Social Media Team Leader)   Hooked on Happiness: The Magic of Taking Kids Fishing by Richard [...]

Brad Whitehead enjoys old-style fishing by spider rigging multiple poles. He shows the results of making a good bait presentation. (Photo courtesy Brad Whitehead)   Fireworks on the Water: Explosive Crappie Action! by Tim Huffman The temperatures are hot and so is the fishing, if you do it the right way. We spoke with three […]

Crappie Dreams It is a beautiful late Spring morning. The rising sun reflects on the water. Birds are singing. An eagle watches me from his perch on an old dead tree. Deer are at the edge of the lake for a morning drink. I see no other fishermen. I have the water all to myself. […]

Visiting anglers look forward to the St. Croix Customer Appreciate Day. “We have anglers who make the trip to Park Falls (Wisconsin) every year, plus hundreds of new visitors each year,” said St. Croix Vice President of Sales, Steve Self. “They come from all over the country and from overseas, too.” Crappie Basics: St. Croix […]