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Handfuls of crappie, plus lots more in the livewell, are the reason Capt. Richard Simms loves to long-line troll during the March pre-spawn period. (l-r) Bill Swan, former Tennessee wildlife commissioner, Bill Swan III and Ed Carter, former Executive Director of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. (Photo: Capt. Richard Simms) Crappie Basics: Long-line Time in [...]

Organic Food Shopping The other day, I was grocery shopping with my wife. I was amazed at all the organic foods with their green and white labels. The prices were also amazing. They were not cheap. Some of those labels were in my wife’s grocery cart. I could have bought a lot of crappie lures […]

Panfish Plastics Chigger Fry Hand poured for fishermen by fishermen, these baits come in 41 different color combinations that catch crappies. Chigger fry lures are one-inch long, have a whip tail that never stops moving, and the segmentation and four legs drives the fish crazy. Check out Wild Willy, Monkey Milk, and Hot Pink for [...]

These are some of the 2025 Weiss Lake Crappie Rodeo winners so far. Clockwise beginning on the upper left – Danny Wright of Sand Rock caught a $100 tagged fish, Brad Coley of Fort Payne caught a $100 fish, Shannon Read of Centre caught a $50 fish, Lei Winters of Cedartown caught a $100 tagged […]

Fishing with a view – Ridgeland’s rugged beauty makes every cast feel like an adventure. With wide-open waters and big skies, it’s the kind of place that reminds you why you love being out here. (Photo courtesy Explore Ridgeland) Barnett Reservoir – an Angler’s Paradise by Explore Ridgeland   If you’re looking for a fishing […]

Are Cold Crappie Worth It? A young friend of mine has a crappie fishing guide business. During Spring, Summer, Fall, and early Winter, he is busy guiding his paying clients out to catch fish. I hardly ever see or hear from him unless he sends me pictures of his clients holding stringers full of crappie. […]

Crappie anglers, including author Keith Sutton, love fishing during the spring spawning season when dozens of fish can be caught in shallow water along the shores of lakes throughout the country. (Photo: Matthew Sutton)   Crappie Spawn Preview: What to Expect and How to Prepare by Keith Sutton While the dates will vary some, depending […]

Crappie Magnet Hammer by Terry Madewell Crappies are targeted year-round, but when the calendar flips to February, hardcore crappie anglers get slab-excited. The papermouths may still be in deep water, and may not always be wildly active, but ‘the southern pre-spawn journey is coming. The pre-spawn migration from deep water to the spawning areas triggers […]

Axel Angelow’s 3-pound, 13-ounce black crappie has been certified as the new Minnesota state record black crappie. And Teresa Croy of Ottawa, Ohio is understandably all smiles as she shows off the new Ohio state record white crappie that she caught on a worm. (Photo courtesy Ohio Division of Wildlife)   New State Records Set […]

DON’T LET THE OLD MAN IN It was a sad day when country music star Toby Keith passed away from stomach cancer not quite a year ago. I have always enjoyed listening to Toby’s songs. He was a country boy from Oklahoma who made it big, but he didn’t act like it. He was always [...]

Crappie Basics: Future Angler Foundation Renamed Wildlife Forever’s newly acquired program, “Getting Families Fishing & Boating Initiative”, formerly the Future Angler Foundation, has a new home and will continue its mission to “Create New Anglers and Boaters”. Through a recently awarded U.S. Coast Guard grant, Wildlife Forever will partner with “Into the Outdoors” television program […]

“Don’t continue doing what isn’t working,” says CrappieNOW Senior Writer Tim Huffman. “Change your bait, present it slower or faster, move to deeper or shallower water, or to a different area. If you’re not catching fish, do something different.” (Photo courtesy Tim Huffman)     12 “New Year” Fishing Tips by Tim Huffman GET READY […]