PUBLISHER
Dan Dannenmueller
EDITOR
Richard Simms
SR. WRITER
Tim Huffman
ART/ CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Matt Mullikin
GUEST WRITERS
Steve McCadams
Keith Lusher
Richard Hines
Larry Whiteley
Terry Madewell
Keith Sutton
Michael Giles
Brad Wiegmann
Larry Marek
Brent Frazee
Scott Mackenthun
Copyright © 2024 CrappieNow Online Magazine. A KMS, Inc. Company. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
Cover Photo Credit
In this issue of CrappieNOW Magazine, Blake Phillips, the creator of the well-known Eye Hole Jig, shares how the idea for his ground-breaking lures was born. The dream began when his wife became frustrated because crappie nibbles wouldn’t stay on her hook. Phillips decided there had to be a better way. He first drilled holes in 1,800 jig heads by hand!
It’s the Little Things
My partner many years ago, Bill Braswell, also known as Braz, told me when I started fishing crappie tournaments with him that, “It’s the little things” you must consider to be a successful crappie fisherperson.
I have learned over the years; this is so true for these sometimes-finicky fish. Sharing some of these hopefully will help you.
- Black crappie and white crappie consume food differently.
- Black crappie are pickier. They will investigate the food more closely. When fishing for them, use lighter lines, smaller profile baits and be more patient with them. Something as small as an excess line from a knot on your bait can be enough for them to just nip at it. If you keep getting short strikes, downsize the bait more, use more scents and keep it in front of them longer.
- When fishing vertical cover, always fish the shaded side unless there is current. If you have current, always fish upstream on structure.
- If spider rigging (pushing) or trolling, it is usually better fishing with the wind. You will bring the baits are presented to the front of the fish, not the tail.
- If you use minnows, match the minnow size to the fisheries’ bait fish size that time of year. I have caught just as many big crappies on small baits with live bait or plastics.
- When fishing vertical trees, if the fish seem skittish, push the bait right next to the tree, touching it. Same technique with concrete bridge pilings.
- Once you catch and release three or more crappies back to a school, they will cause the whole school to stop feeding. They will alert the school of danger.
- Crappies do NOT like change. Wind direction and speed changes can cause crappies to stop feeding. Many times, after an hour, it is better.
- Some days, crappies may want live bait and other times they just want plastics or hair jigs. Try both ways.
- There are times when crappies will not relate to structure. Cloudy days and early mornings allow them to roam.
- Use small motions when jigging a bait. You would be surprised that just a small motion on the fisherman’s end of the rod creates bigger moves on the bait.
Applying some of this knowledge on your next trip should help you catch many more fish sizes and quantities. Go out and try them!!!
God bless
Dan Dannenmueller – PUBLISHER
