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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 [...]

Paddlin’ with Madalyn—Step One: Kayak Launch Photos and Story By Madalyn Roberts Kayak launch and loading is an aspect of kayak fishing that doesn’t seem to get the attention it deserves. Advances in technology and equipment in recent years mean each angler’s rig is unique. The one commonality, however, is that most kayaks are made […]

Right in the strike zone—this crappie couldn’t resist a weedless slider slipped through heavy cover. Crappie Basics: Slider Time By Keith Sutton Catching crappie in the latter weeks of spring isn’t always easy. When the water warms, they slide into the thickest cover they can find—brushpiles, laydowns, stump fields and shoreline weeds. That’s great for […]

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 […]

Paddlin’ with Madalyn—The Importance of Using a Kayak Safety Checklist Photos and Story By Madalyn Roberts I’ve been crappie fishing out of my NuCanoe Frontier 12 kayak for several seasons now, and while I wish I could proclaim every trip out on the water goes off without a hitch, that would be a far cry […]

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 […]

Right where it belongs—proof that a Road Runner, fished slow or worked just right, is hard for any crappie to resist. (Photo by Keith Sutton) Crappie Basics: Fishing a Road Runner By Keith Sutton Bert Hall, the Missouri Ozarks stream fisherman who invented the Blakemore Road Runner spinner, also crafted the wise slogan, “You can’t […]

Dale Hollow guide Corey Thomas finds crappie in submerged trees and brushpiles. He stays back from the cover, uses a lightweight hair jig and lets the jig fall to just above the cover before starting his slow retrieve. He says it can be a year-round tactic by concentrating on cover at the right depth for […]

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 […]

The floor of Ronnie Capps’ boat is littered with some of his most-used B’n’M fishing rods. He advises, however, that targeting fish using the Ambush rod is his favorite method of fishing these days. The diamond pattern on the rod reduces the chance of water causing the rod pieces to stick together, making the Ambush […]

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 [...]

Paddlin’ with Madalyn: Targeting Postspawn Crappie from a Kayak Photos and Story By Madalyn Roberts As crappie head to deeper water after the spring spawn, that’s the most opportune time for a new kayak angler to determine their preferred technique of fishing. During this postspawn period, anglers can fish just about any way they prefer […]