Best New Crappie and Catfish Gear for 2026 from B'n'M Poles

February 05, 2026

B’n’M Pro Staff Manager Kent Driscoll said he’s excited to see what 2026 has in store for anglers. And he is equally excited to see how people like the three brand new products that B’n’M has added to their already stellar lineup of fishing tackle for this year. On his way to the Grizzly Jig show in Missouri, he shared what all the excitement was about.

“Number one on the list would be the longer length choices to our number one selling rod the Buck’s Graphite Jig Pole,” he said. “Everyone has their own spin on forwad facing sonar and techniques like trolling, but one of the consistent customer requests was longer lengths in the BGJP line-up. Now you will able to get these awesome rods in lengths of 18 feet and 20 feet with the same kind of performance and feel you’ve come to know and love.”

Secondly, since becoming one of the major players in the catfish rod market, B’n’M improves and expands its catfish line of rods with a new model for 2026. B’n’M partnered once again with Mossy Oak to produce a line of catfishing rod called the B’n’M / Mossy Oak Moonbeam Catfish Rods. These awesome rods are designed for night fishing and come in 7-foot lengths with all the performance options you’ve come to expect from B’n’M.

“Catfishing is a big part of the company and these hi-vis blacklight rods are gonna shine all through the night for our catfish customers,” said Driscoll. “These are some good-looking rods.”

Finally, in the rod and reel combo market, B’n’M now offers the B'n'M Crappie Combo that comes in a 6 1/2-foot length. The rods are made of a strong but sensitive composite blank that can handle just about anything you can get on the line. It’s paired with our upgraded B’n’M spinning reel featuring a 3+1 ball bearing internal drive for the smoothest operation and instant anti-reverse. To top it off, the reel is pre-spooled with premium 6-pound monofilament line.

“This is a great combo for anybody who fishes,” said Driscoll. “It’s got a solid foam handle that fits easily into a rod holder or in your hand and casts like a dream.”

Driscoll said in between boat and tackle show appearances, he’s been spending some time on Percy Priest in his home state as well as Lake Sardis in Mississippi. The mild winter so far has been good to him, and he’s caught some slabs in both locations. With the brunt of winter still ahead of us, he urged crappie anglers to stay vigilant whenever they’re out on the water and offered a few tips as well.

Tips for Late Winter Crappies 

“When the weather and water turn colder, like I expect will happen with these late January cold fronts, it’s time to use lighter line and smaller jigs to catch crappie,” he said. “I can’t stress these enough, whether you’re trolling jigs or pitching them to fish on the live imaging sonar. It’s time to go small and slow down and here’s a great way to do it.”

Driscoll starts out re-spooling with 2 to 4-pound monofilament line and tying two Crappie Magnet Eye Hole jigs in 1/64-ounce onto the line. On each jighead, he impales a 1-inch Trout Magnet body. Because winter water is usually the clearest of the season due to lack of algae and plankton in the water, he opts for natural bait colors like Tennessee Shad, Sho’ Nuff, and Cookies ‘N Cream.

“Then go looking for bends in the channel where crappie like to hang out in the winter,” said Driscoll. “In most lakes, crappie will just suspend in the water, hanging out around schools of baitfish.”

How to Fish Jigs for Winter Crappie

For scoping crappie in these conditions, Driscoll said it’s of utmost importance to put the rig right on the nose of the fish you’re trying to catch. The good news is that with two jigs in the water and fish holding in close proximity, it’s not impossible to think another fish might grab that spare jig.

Trolling anglers can tie the same rig on a tightline pole and push it out of the front of the boat. Some additional weight may be required to hold the tiny baits down in the water, but the selling point is pushing the baits slowly right into suspended schools of crappie.

Driscoll invited anglers to come and visit him and a whole host of B’n’M pros at the Grizzly Jig Show in Caruthersville, Mo. from January 28 – February 1, 2026 and be sure to register for the 5th Annual Sore Lip ’Em All Getaway hosted by B’n’M pro John Godwin.

Article by Phillip Gentry

Wherever fishing takes you, B’n’M has been there.  

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