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Hey y’all – hope you’ve been whackin’ a bunch of slabs! Back with another Target Crappie loaded with juicy crappie content!

Got some nice bycatch when I was bass fishing on Lake of the Pines, TX this weekend. I don't know what my actual PB crappie is (still looking to join the 3-lb club( but I do know that I caught it on a YUMbrella Flash Mob Jr a few years ago in college...on Lake of the Pines. 😅

Did you know YUM makes a Flash Mob A-rig specifically for crappie fishing?

If a buddy shared this with you, make sure you sign up here to get the free weekly email straight to your inbox. Hope you enjoy this one!

Hard baits catch big ones any time...

...and anywhere, says Berkley's head of hard bait and terminal tackle development, Dan Spengler.

Dan's constantly rolling out pictures of giant crappie and bluegill on Facebook, and he's catching 'em all on hard baits! You know we had to reach out and see what the deal was, so here's the 🧃 from Dan!

What role should hard baits play for folks targeting crappie or panfish?

> "I think it's a bigger role [than people think]. They're so effective. 

> "I grew up fishing all kinds of little gravel pits, farm ponds. I fished all kinds of baits and did a lot of experimenting with things like spoons and little tiny crankbaits. Certain times of the year – especially pre-spawn, spawning – I could catch fish just as well with a hard bait as I could a soft bait. 

> "The cool thing about [hard baits] is, when you hook them with the treble hook, they rarely come off.

> "The other cool thing is they'll target that little treble hook. You can fish little, tiny crankbaits...and they'll almost always isolate that back treble hook. By the time they bite it, it's too late. You had them hooked. 

> "The other beauty about hard baits is I don't have to re-rig a plastic, but I can catch 'em just as good. I feel like if guys fished them enough and knew what was out there, I think a lot more people would fish them."

What kind of situations are you pulling out hard baits over traditional crappie jigs?

> "I like baits like the little [Berkley] Finisher 4 – I specifically worked on the action in the scaling of this bait to make it a really good lure for panfish, especially like giant bluegills.

> "When bluegills get bigger, they have that ontogenetic [development] shift, where bigger gills start feeding more on minnow-style prey items. Crappies are usually minnow-based.

> "That [Finisher] I gravitate towards...I can feel confident fishing...it off the bank or in a boat, and catch fish on it."

Follow-up: How are you targeting panfish with that Finisher 4?

> "The Finisher is a hovering hard bait...an angler-induced action bait. It was kind of created like northern-style glide baits [like a Jigging Rap], but it's a lot more versatile because it has a plastic body and it's a little bit lighter.

> "Basically, I use it with like a small hopping cadence or a quivering cadence, and that's kind of my main technique for the big ones.

> "If you flick your wrist, you're going to cause that bait to dart or glide laterally in the water column like a darting preyfish.

> "Most people think bluegill are on structure. These big bluegills, once they hit about 10", are pelagic – they're cruising, and they don't stop moving. 

> "What I do is I use my Lowrance ActiveTarget, and...I will make a precision cast to the school and just hover the bait. 

> "I cast it out, and basically reel it in really slow, and just quiver my rod tip, and it'll just go thump and then they'll be on there – almost every single one is on the back treble hook.

> "These big bluegills are picky. You have basically 1, 2, maybe 3 casts to get the fish to react to the bait before the school moves. 

> "If I don't get one hovering it on my first cast and they chase the next cast, I just give it 1 little pop, and I let it sink down on tight line and wait for him to thump it. 

When you're designing hard baits, what fish behavior do you take into account when you're trying to figure out how you want that bait to act? 

> "I think of predator-prey relationships. 

> "In a minnow-specific bait, I'm thinking of a minnow in a school of minnows and predator fish encountering them. They scurry and kind of scatter or dart in an evasive maneuver to get away – erratic actions. 

> "I'm trying to do that with the Finisher. That's what we did with this bait. I just tried to make a bait that looks like it's trying to evade predators. It has that darting, erratic motion that triggers a strike response.

> "I used to throw all kinds of bluegill or baitfish under a bobber and watch bass behavior. Bass would sneak up on it, and it wasn't until that baitfish felt uncomfortable and started to dart to try to get away that the bass would hit it. 

> "That's the trigger, that's what we tried to build into these baits." 

When people are looking for crappie, is there a fish behavior that should cue people to pull out the hard baits? 

> "Anytime they're schooled together, which is a lot. 

> "Crappies eat minnows. That's one of the #1 things they eat. Whether it's a hard or soft bait, I feel very confident I can trick crappies into biting any of those baits. 

> "Typically, the hard-bait offerings are not as well-established [in crappie fishing] because they're...like little floating crankbaits, and sometimes the crappies are down further in the water column.

> "The Finisher allows you to present that minnow profile anywhere in the water column. 

> "I know a lot of guys this fall...a bunch of big schooling crappies on Spirit Lake [MN] and they were just casting the Finisher to the schools of crappies. 

> "Anytime I feel like I could catch one on a soft bait, I feel like I could catch it on a hard bait."

If you could have 1 Finisher, size and color, what would it be?

> "For crappies and panfish, it's the size 4, designed specifically for those species. It's small enough to catch all the good eating size, but big enough to catch the big ones too. 

> "I can hover it really good, it's weighted in a way that you can cast it far. I can make a really long cast with it off the bank and docks too – it's not just a boat-fishing bait.

> "...I fish it pretty much any time of year. 

> "[For colors] if the fishery has clear waters, I'd pick natural colors. Dirty waters, I'd pick some brighter colors."

Dan's Finisher 4 setup

> Berkley Finisher 4, 4-6-lb Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon, 4-lb Berkley FireLine Braid, size 20 Pfluger President Spinning Reel, Fenwick HMG Spinning Rod.

7 winter crappie tips

It's COLD, and MO multi-species guide/pro Terry Blankenship has got some tips for you to stay on 'em this winter! From this Lurenet post:

1. Fish mid-lake flats

> Mid-lake areas typically offer a good blend of flats, coves and creeks with protection from current. Spend more time thoroughly examining and fishing such areas vs running up and down a lake.

2. Don't be afraid to fish shallower

> Crappie like the cold, so don’t be afraid to fish shallow all the way through winter as long as there’s a food source in the area.

> As the water color clears, baitfish typically hang deeper and the crappie [go] with them.

3. Focus on shad profiles

> "Match the hatch" is always a good practice. The Original 2" Baby Shad is always a top choice. The 1.75" Live Roam'R provides a good in-betweener size option.

4. Watch your line for weak strikes

> A 1/16-oz jighead provides great line control and "feel" when fishing flats in 6-20'.

> Be a line-watcher if you’re pitching to cover and letting the jig swing back or fall. If you see the slightest line twitch, set the hook.

[Bobby Garland Brush Off jigheads are 30% off on Tackle Warehouse right now. 👀]

5. Don't pass on scattered cover

> On flats, you’ll likely find that logs on the bottom – especially those with a root ball – and other pieces of isolated cover will outproduce big brushpiles.

6. Keep a good distance from your target

> Stay away from the cover on approach, casting or pitching to it first.

> Compensate for the fall rate to allow the lure to reach the required depth before working it back over/through the cover or you’ll often miss the sweet spot.

7. Fish slow, then slower

> Be patient, sometimes holding the bait still for as long as 30 seconds. Often no lure action is better than any angler-applied action.

Gitcha a crappie kit or 2!

If you're needin' some last minute giftin's for someone (or yourself? 😁) check these out!

Here's a few and bear in mind – one of the great things about crappie baits is they're so versatile you can catch just about any fish species on 'em.

1. Bobby Garland Crappie Kit and Crappie Deluxe Kit

The Bobby Garland Kits come in a bigger and smaller package ($14.99 and $29.99) respectively. They include plenty of options of colors and head sizes/types...might just find yourself a new favorite plastic/ jighead combo!

Check out the Crappie Kit here, and the Deluxe Kit here.

Academy also has a great Bobby Garland Kit that has the juice!

2. BaitFuel Nano Crappie Fishing Kit

Comes with 54 BaitFuel-infused crappie baits that can expand the strike zone because of the scent. MSRP just $7.99! For a 60-piece kit, dang that's good!

Maybe pick up some BaitFuel Fuse Gel to go with it – some guys say it's the deal! 😏

3. 6th Sense Crappie Terminal Bundle Chamber

Cool deal because not only do you get a good "terminal chamber" that keeps your hooks from rusting, but you get a little bit of every crappie jig type – jighead/plastic, tinsel jigs, feather jigs.

Quick note: If you're looking for that new Josh Jones designed 6th Sense Frequency Minnow, Tackle Warehouse has 'em here! Josh is known as a big-bass hunter, but started out and still is a crappie guy!



4. Crappie Magnet Kits

Best of the Best Kit – 112-piece kit with a little bit of everything. MSRP $16.99 on Tackle Warehouse.

Fin Commander Favorites Kit – 84-piece kit full of Fin Commander's John Godwin and Justin Martin's favorite baits and jigheads. MSRP $24.99.

Hammer Kit – This kit pairs a big-profile Hammer bait with Eyehole Hammer Head Jig Heads to show up better on FFS. Made for targeting big open-water crappie. MSRP $16.99.

5. Rapala Panfish Ice Box

This one's just for northern crappie folks! Ice fishing is getting into full swing so here's a great gift for it. The kit has some great stuff from Rapala, Sufix, 13 Fishing and VMC. Check it out here at Scheels, MSRP $39.99.

"There's really not a scenario where traditional batteries are going to be better than lithium."

That's Amped Outdoors owner Matt Lardinois (middle), talkin' the advantages of lithium batteries over traditional lead-acid and AGM batteries. We got on the phone with him to see what the hype is with the lithium game – here we go:

How does better battery performance translate into more fish caught?

> "...quite a few different ways...lithium [Li] batteries are better than both in lead-acid and AGM. 

> "First thing – trolling motors. When you have a traditional lead-acid or AGM battery, the battery starts at about 12.8v per battery. If you have batteries in series it's obviously a higher voltage, but then the voltage will gradually decrease as you're using it.

> "Lithium iron phosphate [LiFePo] batteries...could be between 12.8 and 13.2 discharge volts, but it stays at that voltage throughout the day while you're [using] it. 

> "[So with Li] you don't have that [voltage] drop. You're not noticing that your trolling motor is slowing down.

> "Also, a lead-acid battery is 50% efficient, an AGM battery can be up to 80% efficient, where a Li battery traditionally is going to be 100% efficient, if not better. 

> "If you have a 100ah lead acid battery and a 100ah Li battery, the Li battery is going to give you double the operating time of the lead acid. Not only get better performance, but you'll also get longer operating times out of them."

[All you long-pole guys that are tired of your trolling motor going at 4 speed when it's on on 10 at the end of the day, take note!]

> "As far as Li performance with electronics, it's going to be very similar.

> "Modern-day electronics draw a lot more power. By running a Li, you get a higher efficiency rating – longer run times out of them – double that of lead acid or AGM. 

> "The other advantage is that, just like with trolling motors, a Li battery is going to stay between 12.8 and 13.2 [and] higher voltage gives better image quality pretty much the whole time you're using it.

> "People have [also] noticed that instead of running all your electronics on your starting lead acid and AGM battery, running a dedicated Li battery to their electronics eliminates electrical interference within your entire [electronics] system."

What's a big misunderstanding people have about how batteries affect their electronics?

> "Your fishing electronics, in general, work best above 12v.

> "A lead acid and AGM battery, especially with modern-day electronics, the power draws can drop below 12v pretty quickly – that's where you start to lose performance. 

> "...higher voltage gives better image quality. A 12.8v LiFePo battery will discharge between 12.8 and 13 – that's perfect. 

> "All these screens are made to work up to 17,18, 20 volts, depending on the brand. ...what [anglers] don't understand – the reason why they're getting better image quality is that they're going from lead acid battery to Li [constant power]. 

> "You're not going to get a better image quality going to a 16v battery versus a 12.8v battery. [As long as it stays above 12], it won't matter what the voltage of the battery actually is."

Any common issues with boats and electronics that Li batteries essentially eliminate?

> "The biggest issue outside of what we discussed already...is just overall capacity. 

> "Today, we're not in the days of running small 5-9 inch screens anymore. People are running 9-16 inch screens – the most popular are 10-12 inch screens. Those draw sometimes 2-4 times the amount of power of the smaller screens of the past. 

> "With having that higher draw, having the more-efficient, higher-capacity Li batteries are going to allow them to run a full day or even multiple days and not have that battery die prematurely."

At what point should people seriously consider switching to Li batteries? 

> "There's really not a scenario where traditional batteries are going to be better than Li within the fishing industry.

> "If it's electronics, there's a 100% advantage of going to the Li. They're lighter, they last longer. 

> "People think they cost more upfront. That's very true, but in the long run it ends up paying off.

> "A lead-acid battery's typical life-expectancy is 2-3 years. A Li, if you properly take care of it, will last 10 or so."

For someone with a typical setup you see a lot today – 2 10-12" screens and a FFS transducer and black box – what battery setup would you recommend?

> "That's where it can get confusing. Our advantage is that we have the calculators available on our website. You just input your electronics into that chart, select the battery and it'll tell you how long it's going to last."

A little more from me

That battery selection tool really is a neat deal. Here's my Amped setup: 1 12.8V 130ah Dual Purpose for my electronics and 2 36V 50ah Deep Cycle Batteries in parallel for my trolling motor:

Those trolling motor batteries are some beasts man! HUGE difference in performance in my Minn Kota Ultrex QUEST when I made the switch from lead.

Amped also has an app you can connect your batteries to to see what % they have remaining. Even after a full day of Scoping, my trolling motor batteries are are 75%. 🤯

Stay sneaky during early ice

As long as we're bringing back a pile of something for the grease, all good! 😅 Here's some multi-species panfish tips from Seaguar with WI guide Troy 'Mr Bluegill' Peterson on how to stay sneaky and catch panfish up around the grass!

> "The panfish are typically still very shallow around weeds, and you'll find a lot of bluegill in that 3-5' zone.

> "With only a few inches of ice and clear, shallow water, being stealthy is so important. They'll be there until the vegetation dies off, then start migrating out deeper and suspending when there is less oxygen up shallow."

> ...prefers longer 4-5' rods and will drill several holes in proximity so he can dip into more than one without moving too much and stay back a little further.

> "The biggest thing is being quiet – that's partly why I don't wear cleats on my boots and drill several holes in the same area.

> "You can spin around and dip into those holes and not make any extra noise or shadows. It's so shallow, so the less movement the better."

> ...prefers 4 and 5mm tungsten jigheads with small plastics in natural browns and black hues to imitate small insects. "As the fish become more pressured later in the season, we'll use smaller jigs that are 3mm."

> For his line setup, [Troy] will use both Seaguar IceX and Gold Label fluorocarbon, but often leans toward Gold Label due to its ultra-thin nature.

> "When we first get out there and we're working the bigger baits, you can get away with 4-lb Gold Label...we go down to 2-lb when we are using the smaller baits.

> "I like Gold Label because it's so soft, and it keeps everything very natural when you are using that small of a jig. Plus, it's so thin that you can get more movement on your jigs, and it helps with getting more bites when the fish are pressured."

1. New Bobby Garland Baby Shad colors coming Jan 2!

Also, Lurenet has a bank/ creek fishing subscription box. Plus new subscribers can get a $25 gift card to Lurenet right now!

2. Could we see Kistler crappie rods soon? 👀

Kistler rods are some super high-quality rods, made in TX and veteran-owned! Owner Trey Kistler said we could be seeing some high-quality crappie rods coming this January! 😃

3. Tackle Warehouse's 12 days of savings is still on!

4. JT Outdoors 12 days of Christmas sale also still on!

5. IA: The crappie bite is on, on...

• MS River Pool 12 (Dubuque): Excellent panfish populations in backwaters
• MS River Pool 13 (Jackson): Excellent panfish populations in backwaters
• MS River Pool 14 (Clinton): Good panfish populations in backwaters
• Alice Wyth Lake (Black Hawk County): Black and white crappie good

6. TX: Crappie are 'excellent' on...

• Bob Sandlin: Excellent in timber 20-40' with jigs
• Bois d’Arc: Excellent on treetops in river channels with minnows on a 1/16-oz jighead
• Murvaul: Excellent on chartreuse/black crappie jigs; deep suspended timber
• Stamford: Excellent on concrete structure, docks, and at the crappie house with smaller profile jigs

7. WI: Free fishing weekend is Jan 17-18

> ...residents and non-residents may fish most state waters without purchasing a fishing license, trout stamp or salmon stamp....

8. MN: Red Lake slabs show up suspended on electronics

> "These crappies are typically suspended and easy to mistake for other species on electronics, so anglers are advised to raise baits to marked fish rather than dropping past them."

9. KY: Christmas trees become crappie cover

KY Fish and Wildlife is sinking donated Christmas trees to create fish habitat that often becomes reliable crappie spots. GPS locations for these fish attractors are posted on the 'Lakes with Fish Attractors' page and in the FishBoatKY app.

10. UT: Black crappie among millions of fish stocked statewide

UT stocked black crappie in multiple waters during its 2025 fish-stocking effort, part of a statewide program that put more than 11 million fish into lakes and rez's.

11. Ice season prep tips from In-Fisherman

12. How did Minn Kota get its name?

> “Our Mankato headquarters is right down from Fargo, ND, where O.G. Schmidt invented the first gear-driven electric trolling motor in 1934. The idea took off with anglers looking for more boat control, and Schmidt named his growing company for the land he called home. In the heart of fishing country, on the MINNesota and North DaKOTA border, Minn Kota was born.”

Things have sure come a long ways!

Check the Minn Kota offerings on Tackle Warehouse.

13. Animal rights group pushing to ban live bait fishing.

Yeah...I'd like to see them try to shut down the live bait industry. #justiceforshiners 🤣

Use a sliding weight system

Good tip from TX pro Tommy Ezell on why he opts for a sliding weight system for long-poling vs a weight, swivel, leader setup:


> "I came up with that right after LiveScope came out. I did that because everybody was putting fixed weights above their jighead, and I thought, I'm not doing that.

> "I use a fluorocarbon leader and a sliding weight system above my jig. I just like the way that sliding weight system works on the fluorocarbon rather than the braid-weight [and swivel] system.

> "I use a 6th Sense Peg X stop, then whatever size weight you want, then another weight stop.

> "I got to playing with a weight system, and that's what I came up with – it'll slide. If you set the hook on a big fish in a tree, and for some reason that weight gets hung in the tree, it will slide down to your jighead, and the fish will come free, and all you do is slide it right back up and go.

Bet no one has seen a 'skeeter way up north in a while! 🥶

Check out this TUBBY feller sent in by LA's Parker Emery. Parker said he was bass fishing on the Atchafalaya Basin in South LA with an 8" jighead minnow for bass when he caught this! 👀

That Turtle Box in the picture is 12" wide...so do the math with how much that tail and head are sticking out!

By the way, if you're hunting for a Turtle Box for a Christmas gift, Tackle Warehouse has 'em!

National Professional Anglers Assoc.

MN-FISH