Slab crappies are meat eaters—sure enough minnow munchers. They take artificials well at times, especially jigs—but big crappie will turn their noses at even the best of the best crappie lures.

Next time you grill salmon, throw a few extra fillets on the grates so you can make one of these dishes the next day. Kristin Donnelly is a writer with nearly two decades of experience crafting ...