Myths abound in our favorite sport
March 2010
Let’s talk about some half-truths, some fishing myths and some surprises, if you will, that I’ve experienced in the last year or two of crappie fishing. What ever you call it, things don’t always work out like we expect when we grab a bucket of minnows or a bag of jigs and head to our favorite crappie hotspot.
Cold crappie won’t hit crankbaits?
February 2010
Let me tell you from first-hand experience the winter crappie pattern is on over at Chotard. Seems that every winter season on this beautiful, hidden-away crappie paradise located north of Vicksburg on the Mississippi River, there is a day or two where the fishing is so outstanding that it is hard to describe.
Two days that will live in infamy
January 2010
I ordinarily leave my “as big as they grow” comment to the last paragraph of this monthly column. However, this month I just can’t help myself. I’ve got to tell you about two of the very best days I’ve ever had catching ‘em as big as they grow.
As usual, one change leads to another
December 2009
The New Year is right around the corner, and with ’10 upon us, I find myself experimenting with my crappie fishing, trying some things new to me.
Ingenious invention keeps tourney fish alive
November 2009
The crappie fishing season — at least the crappie tournament fishing season — is in full swing. The last few years have brought more and more interest in fall crappie fishing. The tournament circuits have recognized this, and the two national circuits — Crappiemasters and Crappie USA — have moved their National Championship tourneys to the fall.
Is there a better month than October?
October 2009
October has become my favorite month of the year. Readers of this monthly column know that I prefer to fish in the fall, and for me, October is when the crappie action starts getting good.
Here’s the crappie gear that I like
September 2009
I would never say that I have the best equipment or the only equipment that catches crappie. I do, however, have some things that I know work and give me dependable service.
Long-lining delivers summer monsters
August 2009
It’s summertime, folks, and the fish are biting. It’s prime time for hot-weather crappie fishing on North Mississippi’s big reservoirs. Great reports are coming to me from Sardis and Enid especially this summer.
Blacks, whites welcome on my boats
July 2009
Do you know the difference between a white crappie and a black crappie? Lots of folks don’t. During the spawn, the male white crappie turns black, and is often confused with his double-first cousin, the black crappie.
Has-beens can be downright innovative
June 2009
It’s funny how the more things change, the more they stay the same. I pride myself on trying new fishing techniques, new lures, new poles, new line, etc. I’ll often be one of the first to buy the latest, greatest thing.
Right partner makes all the difference
May 2009
Crappie fishing in Mississippi is alive and well, and often we fish with a buddy, a fishing partner. I enjoy a day on the lake when I share it with a fishing buddy more than I enjoy fishing by myself. Don’t you?
The question, hollered at no one in particular, was a short, cynical editorial designed to relieve the tournament fisherman’s frustration on a day when the crappie were not cooperating. The non-response he got spoke volumes from his tournament competitors who were in earshot and not catching fish.
Time to get while getting’s good
March 2009
Hey, friend, it’s that time of the year again. That’s right. If there is such thing as a fishing season here in Mississippi, consider this to be the opening weekend, and you don’t want to miss it, do you?
Three who are gone but not forgotten
February 2009
Some of my favorite memories are about the people who became good friends and with whom I shared a passion for crappie fishing. I want to tell you a few “short stories” this month about three of my fishing buddies. All three are deceased — have been for a few years now — so you’ll just have to take my word that most of the following is true.