OPENING CAST MARCH 2025
Here’s a little friendly advice from your former friendly game warden friend (me).
Don’t get caught “fishing without.”
That’s the way game wardens describe folks they find catch fishing without a license. The phrase saves words and the meaning is clear, as well as costly. It is likely the most common violation that game wardens in the majority of states come across.
Barnett Reservoir – an Angler’s Paradise
by Explore Ridgeland
If you’re looking for a fishing destination that’s got it all – great water, abundant fish, and plenty of opportunities to cast your line – look no further than Ridgeland, Mississippi, and the Barnett Reservoir.
No Boat? You Can Still Bank on Crappie
by Brent Frazee
Even if you don’t want to fool with a boat, or can’t afford one, no problem. You can still bank on catching crappie. Check out our crappie-catching guide for landlubbers.
Top 10 Best Crappie Lakes for 2025
by Tim Huffman
Creating a perfect list of top ten lakes is impossible. Everyone has a different opinion. However, current trends and input from experts provide good picks for a bucket list of lakes crappie anglers should try in 2025. Each lake provides the potential for an outstanding trip.
$10,000 Crappie Swimming in Alabama’s Weiss Lake
by Capt. Richard Simms, CrappieNOW Editor
The annual Weiss Lake (Alabama) Crappie Rodeo is underway until April 30, 2025. The tournament, sponsored by the Weiss Lake Improvement Association (WLIA), includes 1,001 tagged crappies worth more than $134,000.
Lure of the Month: Fish Stalker Lures Slab Tail
by Terry Madewell
Just because a crappie lure has been around a while, it doesn’t mean it has an expiration date in terms of the potential to catch crappie. This month’s CrappieNOW “Lure of the Month” started strong and continues to perform at an amazingly high level after 34 years.
Crappie Fishing in the Ozarks
by Keith Sutton
Nestled in the heart of the Ozark Mountains, Table Rock, Bull Shoals and Beaver lakes in Arkansas and Missouri are renowned for their abundant crappie populations and breathtaking natural beauty.
Destination Idaho – C.J. Strike Reservoir
by Gary Lewis
“You ought to come over and go crappie fishing.”
My friend, Joal Reece, makes his home in Fruitland, Idaho, near the Oregon border.
It is very easy for any of us to say “let’s go fishing sometime” and then it never happens
Crappie Basics: Long-line Time in Tennessee
by Capt. Richard Simms, CrappieNOW Editor
Most crappie anglers wait patiently for the spawn. Some won’t even hit the water until they believe it’s happening and crappie are up in shallow water, five feet or less.
March Product Buzz
by Scott Mackenthun
Rig up some finesse plastics that are sure to fool your next crappie, look the part of a crappie angler with crappie themed apparel, try a new lipless crankbait that looks and sounds dynamite on the retrieve and on the fall, and then downsize to smaller micro plastics to really fool the crappies with a huge palette of color options.
Organic Food Shopping
by Larry Whiteley
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 for what they cost.
Brad Chappell talks about how he uses Bobby Garland Mayfly baits.
