The author field tests two St. Croix rods during 2022 and 2023 — one heavy-power Victory Series casting model, and one Panfish Series spinning model.

A crappie weighing 2 pounds is huge; this one tipped the scales at a hair over 4 pounds!

When water temps drop into the 40s in the North and Midwest, crappies set up in deep holes, making them easy to find — and catch.

A cork board fishing lure display is a clever way for avid youth anglers to celebrate their PBs (personal bests).

During the recent Crappie Masters national qualifier tournament on Grenada Lake in Mississippi, anglers caught numerous giant crappies, including four that tipped the scales at more than 4 pounds.

The winning team at the recent Crappie Masters tournament on Grenada Lake in Mississippi checked in 14 crappies for a total weight of 42.84 pounds, which is a 3.06-pound average.

A black crappie weighing 4 pounds, 5 ounces, was caught from Clear Lake on Feb. 17, 2021, and pending certification it will become California’s new state record.

According to these three hardcore ice anglers from Minnesota, some of the biggest crappies in the state live within 60 miles of downtown Minneapolis. And this video proves it.

You can’t catch big crappies when your lure is in the mouth of small ones. By choosing the right size lure you can weed out almost all of the smaller fish.

Crappie can be caught in winter if you know where to find them and what to use. Veteran angler Tony Adams of Alabama reveals his secrets to catching winter crappie.