For those resilient anglers who can tolerate the sweltering heat, mosquitoes and sunburn that often are part of summer fishing, this season provides excellent opportunities for hooking lots of big crappie. Unfortunately, many hot-weather crappie outings end in failure. Why? Mainly because anglers insist on using the same fishing methods they use during the crappie’s spring spawning season, and these methods rarely entice slabs when the water is as hot as a jacuzzi. Success comes only to those anglers who…
Read Moreby Brent Frazee You won’t find many crappie-fishing boats like the one guide Joe Bragg operates. In the nation’s heartland, crappie fishermen use everything from bass boats to john boats to aluminum V-hulls to chase the speckled gamefish. But a 24-foot, 4-inch long bay boat? Let’s just say Bragg defies customary behavior when he takes his customers fishing on Milford Lake in northeast Kansas. But Bragg says there is a method to his madness. His “Crappie Yacht,” as he calls…
Read Moreby Greg McCain In many ways, pulling crankbaits looms as an intimidating technique for catching summer crappie. With the conglomeration of rods, lures, electronics, and other boat accessories – plus the need-to-know details about fish location, depth, boat speed, and line length – pulling cranks can be something of a daunting proposition. The process does not have to be that way, however. In fact, those fishermen who practice the craft suggest that with just a little experience, trolling crankbaits for…
Read Moreby Keith Sutton As summer draws nigh, the weather gets more and more sultry. And the sultrier it gets, the more likely crappie are to shift the bulk of their feeding activities to the wee hours of the night. It’s important, therefore, for hot-weather anglers to understand the ins and outs of night-fishing. These tips can help. Choosing the Right Night Light Lights placed around dockside brushpiles attracted these crappie for Arkansas angler Josh Sutton. (Photo: Keith Sutton) Lights are…
Read MoreRun a search for ‘new panfish baits’ and you quickly realize the internet could stand to rethink its definition of new. Blame Wikipedia. Or Virgil Ward (j/k) Either way, appearing on screen are a whole lot of old feathered jigs, rubber tube baits and twistertail grubs—not to mention the odd antique inline spinner. All proven crappie and panfish baits, no doubt. If we’re being honest, though, panfish anglers (over 8-million strong) deserve to benefit from the same level of lure innovation…
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