OPENING CAST JULY 2023
In this month’s “Lure of the Month,” you will read about Capt. Scott Lillie, a fishing guide on the Tennessee River. Full disclosure – I’m baring my soul to the world so no one thinks I’m trying to pull the wool over your eyes. Capt. Lillie is one of my guide partners and I actually book fishing dates for him. I have a vested interest in keeping him booked.
That said, other anglers need to know what I have learned from Capt. Lillie.
“Don’t ignore the bycatch!”
Capt. Lillie guides for summertime crappie trolling crankbaits. Terry Madewell wrote up those details in this month’s “Lure of the Month.”
How to make Green Shiners
John Guillot and Keith Lusher celebrate after a successful trip using green shiners. Crappie on Green Shiners By Keith Lusher John Guillot and Keith Lusher take live bait to the next level! When it comes to sac-a-lait fishing there is no such thing as “good enough.” So, when I got the call […]
Jig Right, Catch More Crappie
Bigger crappie often fall to anglers who know the best jigging techniques. A subtle difference in technique can make a big difference in the number of fish one catches. (Photo: Keith Sutton) The Right Ways to Work Crappie Jigs by Keith Sutton Whenever an angler uses a jig to entice crappie, the way the […]
Lure of the Month
Lure of the Month: Boogie Shad 5 by Terry Madewell The first crappie I caught on a crankbait, so many years ago, was a ‘happy accident.’ I was targeting largemouth bass, but the diminutive size and realistic forage profile of that lure tempted a big crappie to eat it. My next cast was to […]
Crappie Basics: Storing Line
Are you frustrated by loose line coming off your partially used spools? If so, grab a koozie for a quick and easy fix. Crappie Basics: Line Storage Hack by Richard Simms, CrappieNOW Editor We’ve all done it. Added new line to fishing reel but we don’t use the entire spool. We store it somewhere [...]
Electronics by Wiegmann
Side imaging sonar allows crappie anglers to search and find schools of crappie fast before dropping the trolling motor to fish. Whereas baitfish often appear as a “cloud,” crappie will also often be in tight bunches, but individual fish are still easily discerned. (Photo courtesy of Greg Robinson) Is that a crappie? by [...]
Crappie Guide Tips
Brad Chappell says teaching is a major part of guiding. It may be simple casting, rigging a jig or teaching basic to complex electronics. (Photo: Tim Huffman) Crappie Guide Do’s and Don’ts by Tim Huffman You pay good money to hire a guide. So, what are some things you can do to insure […]
Legends of the Outdoors
CrappieNOW Senior Writer, Tim Huffman (left), pictured with Garry Mason, founder of the Legends of the Outdoors organization. Huffman has already been honored once by the Legends of the Outdoors when he was awarded the prestigious, “Wade Bourne Communicator of the Year” award in 2022. Huffman to become Legend of the Outdoors by Richard […]
Lake Arthur Crappie
When he realized big crappies like 4-inch baitfish, Glasgow now ties larger jigs than most crappie anglers use. Destination: Pennsylvania’s Lake Arthur by Darl Black Exceptional crappie fishing just north of Pittsburgh As a youngster, I learned the basics of crappie fishing from my dad at Pymatuning Lake where we fished minnow-and-bobber around […]
Lake Washington Concerns
Outdoor journalist Ken Perrotte shows off a bragging-sized Lake Washington slab. But some say Lake Washington isn’t producing the numbers of crappie it once did. Is Lake Washington Crappie Fishing on the Decline? by Richard Simms, CrappieNOW Editor Public Meeting Scheduled with Fisheries Biologists “We’re losing lots of revenue. Since 2016 our reservations […]
Product Buzz
Crappie Products Buzz by Tim Huffman Outdoor Edge RazorSafe EDC Lite 250 This knife has become my newest best friend. It’s light, easy to carry and tougher than I expected. The handle is non-slip and easy to hold. The blade is razor sharp and thin, so it cuts through most things like butter, including […]
The Reel Deal
Lindsey says that many times storytellers don’t always tell the WHOLE story, leaving out some of the things that didn’t go quite right. On this particular day, crappie were caught but there were some not-so-fun trials and tribulations getting there. The Reel Deal: That Day That Got Away by Lindsey Lucas It was […]
The Great Outdoors
The Great Outdoors by Larry Whiteley ALONE ON THE LAKE It was a Monday morning in July. He was alone on the lake. He had seen many sunrises in his life but none this beautiful. He dropped his jig near some bushes where his Garmin LiveScope showed him there were crappies. He saw the […]
CN Panfish Kit with Ron and Crappie Dan
Ron Stallings and Crappie Dan discuss the TTi Blakemore’s Panfish Kit.