Product Buzz by Tim Huffman   High-Performance Gloves from Fish Monkey Fish Monkey is a leading brand glove for fishermen. They are high performance gloves that will help you safely handle fishing this summer. The Stubby Guide Glove is a great choice offering UFP 50+ sun protection, with a short cut and construction for second-skin fit. They are quick-dry fabric and non-slip silicone palm print. Stubby, MSRP $29.     Avid Spinning Rod from St. Croix Crappie fishing has changed so much in a short period of time. Fishermen are using fewer, but higher-quality spinning rigs. The Avi ..read more

Lure of the Month: G-Daddy Baits Crappie Shad by Terry Madewell To produce a successful bait in the crappie-fishing market, the lure must catch crappie. That gets fishermen’s attention, and to keep that attention the lure needs other attributes such as being tough as nails and capable of catching scores, even hundreds, of crappie without having to be replaced. That keeps a crappie fisherman’s attention. Frank Langston developed his first lure, the Crappie Shad from G-Daddy Baits, to meet that criterion, making it the May 2024 Crappie Lure of the Month for CrappieNow Magazine. G-Daddy Baits Pro ..read more

Sometimes small water can pay big dividends, especially in Kentucky. (Photo: Richard Simms)   Big Crappie from Small Kentucky Lakes Every spring, anglers pursuing crappie during the spring spawn flock to large reservoirs such as Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley, Barren River Lake or even Green River Lake. However, crappie fishing in the big lakes is tough if you don’t have a good-sized boat. The good news is the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources offers several smaller state-owned lakes with excellent crappie fishing. These lakes, some of which are under 100 acres, can easily ..read more

FISH’S LAST FISHING TRIP You met Fish last year in this column. He is now 90 years old and still fishing as much as possible. It is early on a Memorial Day morning. Like last year, Fish is alone in his old 1960 aluminum boat. He still misses his wife and son. Both are in heaven now. He still doesn’t see his other kids and grandkids much. They are busy with their lives. A younger fishing buddy, in his late 70’s, still goes fishing with him sometimes. Most of the time, it is just Fish. His old, wrinkled hands still struggle to tie on a crappie jig. It takes him a little longer than it did last y ..read more

Lowrance released their new line of Eagle electronics, starting as low as $120, designed with features commonly found in high-end marine electronics. (Photo by Brad Wiegmann) Electronics: Affordable Fish-finders by Brad Wiegmann We all know that these days it is easy to spend literally thousands of dollars on fish-finding electronics if you want. But let’s face it. Most people either can’t afford it, or simply don’t need or want such high-dollar, advanced electronic equipment. The truth is, you don’t have to spend a small fortune to rig out your boat with good marine electronics. In fact, Garm ..read more

Karen Lutto, President of Hunter Outdoor Communications, shows off a springtime black crappie from Chippewa Flowage waters. It hit an Al’s Goldfish Lil’ 49er cast to shallow water. (Photo: Tim Huffman)   Destination Chippewa Flowage, Wisconsin by Tim Huffman Wisconsin is known for dairy, cheese and the Green Bay Packers. However, anglers know it as the land of northern pike, musky, walleye and smallmouth. Crappie are not heavily pursued, making it all that much better for fishermen who do chase them. You’ll not find crappie in every lake, but with more 10,000 lakes (like Minnesota), there ..read more

One aspect of crappie fishing that is often ignored is rod control. Where and how you hold your rod is important for hooking and landing fish successfully. (Photo courtesy Wired2Fish) Crappie Basics: Rod Control   Wally Marshall (a.k.a. Mr. Crappie) is one of the most well-known names in crappie fishing. That is for good reason. There’s isn’t much about crappie fishing he doesn’t know. Mr. Crappie teamed up with the folks at Wired2Fish to share some tips on how best to set the hook and fight a crappie – a craft that is often ignored in the crappie fishing world. His tips are especially h ..read more

This spawning crappie fell victim to a safety pin style spinning lure. Such lures, like Beetlespins, have been around for decades. They work especially well fishing around cover. (Photo: Ed Mashburn)   Don’t Forget the Beetlespin – Spinnerbaits for Crappie by Ed Mashburn My little spinnerbait flashed as I cast toward the cover where I thought crappie might be hiding. As I started my retrieve, I could feel the steady “tick-tick-tick” as the blade rotated. About halfway back to the boat, that “tick-tick-tick” stopped, replaced by the tell-tell “thump” of a crappie bite. On my ultralight gea ..read more

The crystal-clear waters of Arkansas’ Lake Ouachita harbor lots of big line-stretching slabs just waiting to be caught. (Photo: Keith Sutton)   Plan a Crappie Vacation at Diamond Lakes by Keith Sutton   Hot Springs is the number-one tourist town in Arkansas. This bustling community west of Little Rock is home to Hot Springs National Park, the nation’s only inner-city national park, where visitors can tour historic Bathhouse Row and sample the area’s hot therapeutic spring waters. Other family attractions include the Hot Springs Mountain Tower, Arkansas Alligator Farm & Petting Zo ..read more

CN Tip of the Month Magnet Organizer Crappie Dan talks about organizing his jig with a magnet attached to his double seat. Check out more fishing resources at crappienow.com! CrappieNOW is an unequaled online-only crappie fishing magazine aimed at passionate crappie anglers from all skill levels. Readers can search for information on new crappie fishing tips, techniques, destinations, equipment, tackle, tournaments, and the latest news from industry-leading professionals. The post CN How To Magnet Organizer April 2024 appeared first on Crappie Now ..read more