It’s dawn and I'm in a race with the sun to make it to that serene spot on my favorite lake. With the sound of chirping birds, quacking ducks and the occasional lament of a bull frog, I quietly drift around a bend to the little coveted cove, reaching my destination just a hair shy of the sun rising.

Thermals or Shorts?

That's how the weather has been in some states but we all know that is going to change. Winter is in view and that doesn’t mean it's time to clean out the boat and put up the rods for the year. Experts say winter is one of the best times to catch trophy size crappie. I had an opportunity to reach out to several crappie professional anglers and guides that live in OK, MO, PA, SC, MN, IN, AR and asked them how they are and will be fishing for crappie this winter. Here is what they had to say.

Have you ever heard someone say, It's not going to happen to me? Maybe you haven’t heard anyone say that but their actions said it. Many times we will hear, read or see something happen to other people and feel sad for a moment and then continue to live our lives like, What Ever.

I must say, I was not shocked when I found out that Jay Stone and John Godwin won the Bass Pro Shops Crappie Masters Tournament on Lakes D'Arbonne, Caney and Claiborne. I’ve had the privilege to talk with Godwin several times at the Montgomery Production Shows and from our conversations, I can tell he is eating up with crappie fishing. It’s amazing to be around these guys because even though they are nationally and internationally known, they are down to earth.