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.
Stubborness not a crappie angler’s friend
January 2009
Recently, I made a trip to one of my favorite fishing holes, Chotard/Albermarle. The fishing reports had been poor to moderate at best.
Unusual techniques pay crappie dividends
December 2008
Remember my telling you about catching fall crappie using crankbaits in a recent column on these pages? In November 2007, Jim McKay and Tommy Moss, both of Brandon, surprised us all by catching the winning weight on Ferguson Lake using Bandit crankbaits they borrowed from me.
Crappie action is absolutely exploding
November 2008
“Paul, you need to come on up here right now,” Mrs. Cordell told me over the phone as I tried to make a reservation for a cabin on Lake Washington. “Robert (that’s Mr. Cordell) is catching limits of big fish every day. If he goes by himself, he comes in with one limit. If he takes someone with him, they have two limits. Been doing it since that last 12-inch rain. Honey, it just doesn’t get any better.”
Break out cranks for super action
October 2008
Are you ready for some football, I mean, some crappie fishing? Well, it’s here. That first little cool spell that we Mississippians call “football weather” is upon us. And, for me and lots of you, that first cool morning signals the beginning of one of the very best times of the year to catch a mess of white perch.
Not a champ, but not a chump either
August 2008
I just had one of the best crappie-fishing experiences ever, and I’d like to tell you about it. The Magnolia Crappie Club held the Magnolia State Crappie Championship on beautiful Wolf Lake recently. This was one of the best tournaments in the 16-year history of the state’s largest crappie club.
Is hell hotter than a Miss. summer?
July 2008
Hot enough for you? Man, I’m burning up. The older I get, the less tolerant I am of our typical, tropical summers. O.K., I admit it: The air conditioning and soft living have turned me into a woos.
Spring marked by many highs, lows
June 2008
Wow! What a spring we’ve had. I can’t possibly cover everything related to weather, high water, high gas prices and crappie fishing in this little column, can I?
Currents
As Big as they Grow 
