1. sports
2. fishing

October 2012 - Issue #20
C at c h i n g C r a p p i e W h e n L a k e s T u r n
Ov er
W o r k i n g D oc k s F r o n t t o B a c k
I t ’ s All I n Y o u r H e a d
a n d How t o V i d e o s w i t h TJ S ta ll i n g s
& Pa u l M i c h e l e
Content
October 2012
Advanced Seasonal Structure - Balls of Baitfish
....4
Balls of Baitfish by Tim Huffman
Fall is a time of year when baitfish play a big role in catching crappie.
Catching Crappie When Lakes Turn Over....6
by Keith Sutton
Tactics, places and baits to try when the frustrating fall
turnover period hits.
Crappie Basics #39 Setting the Hook....9
Working Docks Front to Back....10
by Vic Attardo
A logical approach to dock fishing will give you more crappie on
the end of your line.
Crappie NOW How to Video....13
Events Calendar....14
Regional Crappie Clubs & Events....15
Vern’s Cooking & Tidbits....19
by Vernon Summerlin
Crappie Bake with Cream Cheese
It’s All In Your Head....21
By Tim Huffman
An introduction to the jighead. An important element of a fun
crappie bait.
Crappie NOW How to Video....22
Crappie Basics #40 Who Needs a Guide?....23
Crappie NOW How to Video....24
What’s Cooking?....25
Uncle Elmer - Butch, the Game Warden....26
by Bill Braswell
Butch was famous for sniffing out squirrels and fish. Here’s
the real story.
EDITOR/ SR. WRITER
Jeff Samsel
Vic Attardo
Hal Schramm
Copyright 2012
Cover Photo
Jerry Blake with a nice
Arkansas slab.
Photo Keith Sutton.
Opening Cast
Thank goodness for fall
weather. The fish get more active
and so do we. The break from
this year’s long, hot summer is
welcomed.
Readers often ask how we
choose our topics and fishermen.
The topics usually come from our
writers. For example, if writer Darl
Black goes out with a fisherman who
has a dynamite way to fish a structure, lake or use
particular bait, he will let me know. If it’s a subject
we believe you’ll find interesting or educational it
will be added to our schedule.
We also listen to our readers. In a recent facebook
survey, we received good questions, suggestions and
hints. We’ll use as many of your suggested topics,
places and fishermen as possible.
The fishermen featured in our magazine depend
upon several factors. The first criteria is that the
fisherman, or woman, is knowledgeable about the
subject. If it’s an article about bridge pilings it must
be someone successful at fishing them.
One thing we are proud of at CrappieNow is
that you don’t see the same fisherman over and over
every issue. That’s on purpose. We want to give you
a variety. However, some of the same fishermen will
pop up periodically because they are top fishermen.
You see the top bass fishermen and Nascar drivers
over and over, so it should be no surprise you’ll see
the elite crappie fishermen more than others. That’s
not a bad thing because they are up to date on
the latest gear, tactics and tips. You should want to
learn from the best.
We thank everyone who responded to our
facebook surveys. Our purpose is to provide what
you want to see each month so your suggestions
and ideas are important. We will be making changes
along the way. We’ll include some of the topics you
specifically asked us to run. You may email us any
time you have a comment.
Please check out the political candidates and
go vote in November. Your sport, way of life and
your country depends upon it.
Good fishin’ & God Bless,
Tim Huffman, editor
3 Crappie NOW
October 2012
Balls of Baitfish
The Basics
Some fishermen may have a problem
identifying balls of shad as structure. By strict
definition a school of baitfish isn’t a structure.
But for the purpose of catching fish from an
identifiable object, we’ll consider the baitfish
balls as structure.
Where you find these depends upon the
lake. In general, the baitfish move up into middepth and shallow water in the fall, but they
can suspend over deep water. In the mornings
you can often see these bait schools on top of
the water. You might see a flicker or you’ll see
rippling of the water. As the sun gets up they’ll
move down.
Finding them requires paying attention,
watching the water and watching your
locator.
Techniques
A few different tactics work well for
catching fish hanging out under and around the
balls of shad. One way is to cast. Something
like a Road Runner with a curly tail is a good
bait. Be sure to use the one with a silver
spinner to closely match the bait. Cast past
the school, let the bait fall to where it will be
at the bottom of the school and use a slow
Side Imaging makes finding schools of baitfish much easier. Notice that along with the ball of baitfish
you can see fish moving along with the bait. You’ve got all the information you need; location and depth
of the fish. (photo provided by Humminbird)
4 Crappie NOW October 2012
retrieve or a pump-and-pause action. Casting
keeps you a distance from the baitfish so they
won’t spook as easily. Plus casting, setting the
hook and reeling one to the boat is fun.
A few fishermen throw crankbaits. The
big bulky ones will probably trigger strikes
but a long, slender minnow style bait is best.
Crappie will hit a surprisingly long minnow like
you would throw for bass.
The most popular method is to slow troll
for the fish. Slow trolling gives you multiple
baits so you can vary depths and vary the type
of baits you show them. Slow trolling lets you
stay with the school as it moves around. This
isn’t always easy but a little searching can put
you back on them. Also note that sometimes
the baitfish scatter and you have to find another
school with active fish under them.
This is a good time to slow troll with the
longest poles you have. Deep baitfish schools
are not a problem but get them near the
surface and you need all the distance possible
between the boat and fish.
A silver spinner matched with a curly tail jig is a good
bait for casting to fall crappie.
off to the side of the boat without having to
go over them. You spook less bait and fewer
crappie.
Factors
Sunny/ Cloudy Day: Cloudy days the fish
will be scattered and shallower. Sun pushes
Electronics
fish down.
You can see the schools of fish on your Wind: Strong wind makes fish less
locator. However, the boat spooks them if you spooky. However, water slaps on the boat and
get right on top of the school. So a locator with boat control can be a problem.
a super-wide cone angle is preferred.
Water Temperature: Look for fish to be in
Tip
When you’re not finding fish under balls of shad it’s time to change tactics.
Continue fishing the same depth as the balls of shad, but move into cover. For
example, find brush or stumps on a drop-off the same depth as the baitfish.
Crappie will often choose to be tight to cover due to water/weather conditions
or light penetration. Crappie still feed on the shad when they swim by but the
fish won’t leave the cover to chase the bait.
This is one tactic where Side Imaging is a
huge advantage. You scan a much wider area
on each pass. Also, when you find a school to
the side you won’t be spooking them with the
boat.
Make passes in likely areas. Creeks, middepth water near spring spawning sites, and
big flats are a few possible sites to find them.
Once found be sure to put your baits near the
bottom depth of the school.
Sometimes the advantage of Side Imaging is
just less time spent scouting. It’s much more
important during this time of year. You not only
save time but you can locate schools of shad
shallower waters when water cools. Fish move
in and out a lot in the fall.
Strong Front: This bothers the fish and causes
a slow bite.
Pleasure Boaters: On most lakes traffic greatly
decreases.
Fishing Pressure: Depends upon the body
of water, but a lot of sportsmen are in the
woods.
5 Crappie NOW October 2012
- Tim Huffman
Story & photos by Keith Sutton
Autumn fishing frustrates many crappie anglers. During fall, America’s favorite panfish often
are scattered and hard to find. Crappie may be deep one day, shallow the next and suspended at
mid-depths the next. Fish may be feed ravenously in the morning and get a bad case of lockjaw
in the afternoon.
On the lakes and reservoirs targeted by
crappie anglers, summer crappie usually stay
in or near the thermocline. Shallow-water action
might be good during cool, low-light periods, but
crappie rarely venture to the “dead zone” below
the thermocline. For this reason, pinpointing
schools of summer fish is relatively simple;
find the cool, oxygen-rich water that forms the
thermocline and you’ll find crappie.
This changes in fall. Cool weather lowers
the surface water temperature. As the upper
layer cools, it becomes heavier and sinks.
This action forces warmer, lighter water below
back to the surface. This water subsequently is
cooled and descends as it cools. This mixing
or “turnover” continues several weeks until the
thermocline disappears, and all water in the
lake is roughly the same temperature. This
mixing effect also replenishes oxygen in deep
water.
Fish formerly restricted to narrow bands of
acceptable oxygen and temperatures no longer
are limited in their movements. Crappie once
barred from the coolest depths because of low
oxygen levels roam freely to much deeper water.
And fish that could not spend extended periods
in shallows due to high temperatures and low
oxygen now find these areas acceptable.
Crappie are deep, shallow and in between.
During the fall turnover period, the best
fishing
Some
waters don’t experience turnover because
often is in shallow water following
they don’t stratify in summer. Rivers are a case
several consecutive days of warm
in point. So are many large, shallow, windswept
weather.
lakes. Others are reservoirs with lock-and-dam
facilities or hydroelectric generators.
In waters where fall turnover does occur, however, the angler must dig deep into his bag of
tricks to zero in on crappie schools. And it never hurts to have a few new tricks in your bag. Here
are some tricks that could help.
Find the Crappies’ Comfort Zones
The secret to crappie-fishing success any season is realizing crappie always concentrate
in areas providing the most comfortable living conditions and learn how to identify those areas.
In fall, conditions are theoretically such that crappie can live anywhere within a lake. Actually,
factors such as oxygen content, light penetration and food availability still influence a crappie’s
choice of living quarters.
Consider, for example, that all the debris and poorly oxygenated water being pushed
6 Crappie NOW October 2012
Catching Crappie When Lakes Turn Over
upward from depths when turnover begins
temporarily “trashes” the whole system. Crappie
respond by seeking good quality water. To find
the fish, savvy anglers do likewise. An easy
way is working tributaries bringing fresh water
into the lake. Another way is looking for areas
where turnover has not begun. On some large
reservoirs, different arms turn over at different
times; anglers can concentrate efforts in areas
that aren’t visibly affected.
When turnover causes excessive
amounts of decaying debris to circulate in
the water column, sudden significant drops in
oxygen can result. When this happens, crappie
must find oxygenated water immediately. They
frequently solve the problem by going to the
nearest source, which is surface aeration from
wind and waves. Consequently, windswept
shorelines with shallow cover may be productive
crappie-fishing spots.
Your first task when fishing during turnover
should be finding comfort zones such as those
just described and working them systematically
to pinpoint crappie.
Try Standing Timber
Fishing around straight, standing timber
in water as deep as 20 or 30 feet is a tactic
smart anglers often use to catch October’s
turnover slabs. The tactic works where you find
“slick” timber much like telephone poles. Bigger
crappie seem to like this better because they
can move around the brush-free poles better.
Crappie a pound or less prefer to have some
branches or brush, but larger crappie don’t.
A good lure here is a Yum Wooly Beavertail
or Yum Wooly Zapper on a 3/16-ounce jighead.
Drop the lure next to the timber and hold it as
motionless as possible for a minute before you
move it. If you don’t have a bite by then, move
“A lively minnow is one of
the best turnover crappie
enticements.”
the lure up very slowly. Fish it slowly all the way
around the pole, then, if you still don’t catch a
fish, move to the next pole.
You may have to come back and fish
around the same pole five times before a fish
Small spoons are great lures for quickly
reaching crappie that move deep during
the passage of cold fronts or as turnover
waters begin to clear.
will hit. Crappie sometimes leave their pole to
go feed, then return to rest. And after you finally
catch one, there may not be another fish on the
same pole that day.
Bigger baits, slick structure and repeated
offerings: those are keys for catching October
slabs in tall timber.
Dealing with Cold Fronts
Successful turnover anglers know how
crappie react to changing weather patterns. This
season has lots of bumps, starts and backups.
Warm trends are interrupted by sudden cold
fronts. Crappie migrate from deep water to
shallow and back several times before settling
into cold-weather patterns.
The best fishing is usually after several
consecutive warm days, especially if the
7 Crappie NOW October 2012
Lake ForkCrappie
Slabs When Lakes Turn Over
Catching
weather report indicates passage of a coming
cold front. During this time, lots of crappie feed
heavily on baitfish in the shallows. Therefore,
focus fishing efforts on shallow waters where
feeding activity is greatest.
When a cold front hits, crappie move
deeper, holding near bottom structure where light
penetration is minimal and cover is abundant.
Deep timber along channel edges or underwater
humps is a favorite retreat. The more severe the
front, the deeper the fish withdraw.
If weather remains sunny and begins
warming before the passage of another cold
front, crappie gradually return to shallow waters.
Rainy weather, especially a warm rain, sends
them scurrying to shallow reaches.
Consider all these factors when selecting
areas in which to focus your fishing efforts. And
if necessary, keep moving until you find actively
feeding fish.
Selecting Lures/Baits
In fall, as during other seasons, lure
selection depends primarily on water and
weather conditions, available forage and
physical characteristics of the area you’re fishing.
Remembering these tips should help you make
the best selection.
•
If visibility is restricted due to circulating
debris, crappie rely more on sound, vibrations
and odor to find food. Using lures with rattles,
flashy spinners, spray-on scents and other
attention-getters may improve success.
•
Because crappie in stained water hold
tighter on structure, work jigs and minnows closer
than usual to cover in dingy water. Bumping
cover may be necessary to elicit strikes.
•
As turnover waters clear, crappie move
deeper. That’s when it’s time to use small baits
on light line. Small jigs, spoons, bladebaits and
vibrating plugs are among the best.
•
Don’t depend only on lures. A lively minnow
is one of the best turnover crappie enticements.
Smart anglers carry a variety of lures and a
good supply of minnows when fishing this time
of year.
In Conclusion
The transition from summer to autumn is
jolting for fish and fishermen. Crappie find their
once secure world turned over on them. Anglers
find their quarry more unpredictable than ever.
Overcoming this seasonal nemesis will require
all the skill, knowledge and patience you can
muster. But when you finally zero in on a school
of hefty autumn crappie, you’ll find the rewards
make the extra effort worthwhile.
“During autumn, crappie schools often hunt
shad on big flats. On breezy days, I catch them by
‘sailing,’ placing sixteen 8- to 16-foot B’n’M rods in
Driftmaster T-Bar holders and letting the wind blow
me across these flats. My lures—1/8- to 1/16-ounce
leadheads with Road Runner bodies—are set from
8 to 15 feet deep until I determine the depth where
crappie are feeding. As I drift, I use a Humminbird
787 sonar/GPS combo to mark my path. This allows
me to retrace a path when I start catching crappie,
using my trolling motor to keep me on course. If
it’s extremely windy, I put out one or two MinnKota
drift socks to slow the boat to 1.6 mph or slower.
This is one of the best ways I know to find and catch
crappie this time of year.”
--Tennessee fishing guide Jim Duckworth,
www.jimduckworth.com
8 Crappie NOW October 2012
- Keith Sutton
Crappie Basics
Crappie Basics #39
Setting the Hook
Last issue we had a good show-and-tell on setting a hook with a long pole.
Some fishermen say that not getting a good hookset is the number one
reason for losing a big fish. “Getting a hook through the lip of big crappie
can be difficult. A 1.75 pounder or larger has a tough mouth. Most people
are too easy on them.”
So what does this mean? A limber pole with monofilament line means
getting serious with the snap when setting the hook. You want it to penetrate
a big crappie’s upper lip. Set a little lighter when using a stiffer pole and/or
braided line. –T.H.
9 Crappie NOW
October 2012
Story & photos by Vic Attardo
The sailboat was stationary. Moored
between two wooden docks, a web of lines
extended from the boat’s bow, sides and
stern, to cleats on the slated platforms.
The lines were so entwined, it didn’t seem
as if a fly could escape the web, let alone
have a weighted jig and bait successfully
placed into the crisscross of openings.
But that’s what Chesapeake Bay
captain, Bob Couch, managed. With a
deft underhand flip, he sent the jig and
crappie chunk through the first knotting of
moorings to the dock’s outer edge near
the sailboat’s stern. The jig with a balsa
float above it, dropped like a feather.
In seconds, the float stood up,
indicating that the jig had descended the
full length of leader and wasn’t hung on
the bottom, or elsewhere. Couch gave
the float a slight forward twitch and the
indicator sunk out of sight. After a brief
fight a beefy crappie was pulled up and
out.
But unfortunately success breeds
competition.
Two or three docks away, a not-very
considerate angler pulled in on a moored
powerboat in an adjoining slip. The other
angler barreled to a gliding stop, dropped
his trolling motor with a splashing kerplunk
– everything that Couch hadn’t done – and
proceeded to cast deep into the dock’s
recess, bumping into the front pillars as
he did.
I watched, through a camera lens,
from the stern of Couch’s Ranger.
In short order, my boat leader lifted another
puffy white crappie from the first shadow near the
stern. When he hooked the fish, Couch escorted
it quickly into open water ahead of the pilings.
The other angler pulled an equally nice crappie
from the rear of his dock. But unlike Couch’s, the
crappie on a longer line dove down into the back
end and this angler had to use his trolling motor
to get further along the dock to lift it up. I think he
hit every pillar on the way.
Over the course of the next fifteen to twenty
minutes, my guy pulled out more crappie from
The benefits of working a dock front to back.
the front of the dock, proceeded to work an Lshaped turn on the platform where he produced
another two fish, and then hit a mini-jack pot by
catching three or four crappie along the bulwark
and the bow of the sailer that was parked frontin. While the space two docks over was equally
adjacent to a marina channel, had deep water
in the front of the platform and deeper water in
the back by the bulwark, the noisy, aggressive
angler managed just one more crappie.
Throughout it all, Couch just smiled.
Eventually the other angler went away.
“Thirsty?” asked Couch when he finished
10 Crappie NOW October 2012
Working Docks Front to Back
scouring his dock.
“Sure,” I said.
“Well, let’s drift off and take a break.”
If you haven’t figured out where this is
going, let me get to the heart. Our
break lasted on the long side of
ten minutes, then Couch went
to the dock the other angler had
vacated. He began working the
outside shadows, the front part of
the dock. Going further and further
along the powerboat he proceeded
to catch – if recall serves me – at
least a half-dozen crappie from
this slip: a half-dozen crappie that
the angler who banged his way
around and worked back to front,
never had a chance on.
“You have to work front to
back,” Couch said later -- when I
had a notebook and not a camera
in my hands. “There’re going to
be fish at the back of the dock but
if you go in and disturb everything
along the way, you’re lessening
your chances of a big catch.”
Attention to detail is the hallmark of all
successful fishing and fishing docks is no
exception. Few shore-based docks have the
same depth along their entire length. Most likely
the front of the dock will be deeper than the back,
especially if a long platform leads to the moored
boat. The platform tells you the dock
“I’ll have two to four rods rigged
owner had to extend the planks to cross shallow
water. However, if the platform is short or if there
is a high vertical bulwark at the back, chances
are there is deep water in the rear of the dock as
well.
When working front to back, adjustments
will probably need to be made. The most important
adjustment is a lengthening or shortening of the
line below the float. The adjustment corresponds
to the changing depths along the dock.
11 Crappie NOW
Steve Reese is a New York angler who
works the scattered docks and marinas of
Oneida Lake and others.
“Adjacent bank contours are very
Angler casts to front edge of dock.
important,” said Reese. “The back end that is in
a foot or less of water is probably not a hotspot,
but if the back of the dock contains several feet
of water, then you have to play it as if it holds big
crappie.”
Marina slips that have boats moored to
a central dock are probably the same depth at
least along the length of the boat but marina
slips often have the added feature of current
passing along or through. In
angler adjustments, changes
in current translate in changes
and ready.” in the weight of the offering
or the speed in which it’s
retrieved.
Reese will keep a couple of
rods rigged with slightly different weight jigs or
varying weights of shot attached to a number of
lines.
“I don’t want to be fussing with rigs while I’m
fishing, so depending on what I think I’ll be doing
and where I’m going, I’ll have two to four rods
rigged and ready.”
Reese often casts a one-sixteenth ounce
jig with the added bulk of a one-inch Yum
October 2012
Working Docks Front to Back
Delicately working a marina slip.
Beavertail but he has another
rod rigged with a one-eighth
ounce, or a Road Runner,
for deeper water or more
current.
“In many New York lakes
currents pop up with the wind
or the opening of gates. These
currents are here one minute
and gone the next. When
they’re active, they turn the
fish on so you have to watch
and be ready.”
Changing lake currents
mean that what was the “front”
of a dock can suddenly be
the “back” of the dock, Reese
explained. Yet his pattern
still goes front to back. He
never travels over the water
to reach one end without first
working the area closest to
his boat position.
“Current passes under open marinas in all sorts of ways and it’s necessary to work down
to about a foot above the bottom. The once constant in all these situations is that you cast at the
current and retrieve the jig back with it.”
One afternoon I was with Reese when he carefully circled the end of a dock that showed a
distinct current. He kept away from the dock and cast to the side where the current pushed his float
and jig to the outer edge. At this front part it was grabbed by a two-pounder.
“Just like it’s supposed to happen,” he smiled.
Working docks carefully is an important part of the crappie game. Being a bull in a china shop
certainly is not the way to go and wherever possible you should go through the front door and work
your way to the back.
Now is Good
With falling water temperatures, crappie are on the feed in many Northeastern waters. From the
brackish rivers that lead into the upper Chesapeake Bay and the lakes of New York, Pennsylvania
and Connecticut, top crappie waters will produce fish from now until the ice forms. Isolated docks
near deep water and collective docks in marinas will play a key role for crappie anglers. Be sure
to work from front-to-back.
- Vic Attardo
12 Crappie NOW October 2012
Vern’s Cooking & Tidbits
How To?
Story & Photos by Jeff Samsel
Crappie NOW - Barbed heads with
TJ Stallings
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870-935-4914 or 888-935-0189
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MIDSOUTH TACKLE
www.midsouthtackle.com
128 CR 108
Jonesboro, Arkansas 72404
Manufacture of quality tube skirts for over 30 years.
Tip of the month - Double-Hook Jig Rig
By Jackie Vancleave
Double-hook rigs have been around for years. My partner and I
decided we wanted something a little different. We use a
1/16-ounce on top, a 1/4-ounce sinker, and a 1/8-ounce jig
on bottom. The rig will work whether moving or stopped.
Also, it’s good in stumpy lakes because it will bump around
them where minnows hang up. Our jig bodies are Strike
King Slab Hammer tube jigs. We tip with minnows, wax
worms or Crappie Nibbles; whatever it takes.
One other thing that helps when spider rigging is to have
individual rod holders (not all holders on the same rack).
When we get a bite or when we move a pole the other poles
aren’t bothered. That’s important to getting more bites and
seeing more bites. We use the Driftmaster Crappie Stalkers. They are very
easy to adjust while fishing.
Jackie VanCleave is a crappie fishing guide on Reelfoot Lake, TN. 731-5382547; jvancleave@gmail.com. Sponsors include: BnM Poles; Strike King;
Driftmaster; Vicious Line
13 Crappie NOW
Ocotober 2012
NATIONAL EVENTS
Crappie Masters
www.crappiemasters.net
Paul Alpers, Pres 573-280-8020 | Bobby Brown, Vice-Pres 417-532-0244
>Truman Lake, Aug 25th. David Cox and Steve Hocket won the tournament with 9.14
pounds. They fished the Osage Arm using their own chartreuse/green jigs tipped with
minnows. They caught some of their fish in 3 feet of water and other in 10 to 20 feet. They
won $4000 and prizes.
Second place went to Travis and Charles Bunting with 9.00.
They spider rigged and jigged. They caught fish both from wood
and from Porcupine Fish Attractors. Third place was Kevin
Pipes and Jason Meacham with 8.86.
Top male-female team was Dianne and Lonnie Stevens with
8.08 and they had big fish with a 1.72. Top adult-youth was Bob
and Douglas Blum with 6.84.
Missouri State Champions. Truman Lake was the third leg for a
battle for the state championship. Jim Dant and Donnie Zuffall
won with the most combined points from tournaments on Ozarks, Mark Twain and Truman
Lake. They finished fifth at Truman wrapping up the points needed for the title of Missouri
Champions for 2012; and $1600 in prize money.
>Crappie Masters National Championship Classic will be held October 5-6 on Tom-Bigbee
Waterway at Columbus, MS.
Crappie USA
www.crappieusa.com
office@crappieusa.com 270-395-4204
Darrell Van Vactor, Pres. dvanvactor@crappieusa.com
>Cabela’s Classic will be held October 24-27th on Kentucky/Barkley Lakes.
14 Crappie NOW
October 2012
EVENTS CALENDAR
Columbus, MS
Berlin Lake
Wolf Lake
High Rock, NC
Paint Creek
Shelbyville
Grenada, MS
Dillon Open
Holt
Mark Twain
KY/Barkley, KY
CLASSIC
club
club
club
classic
open
qualifier
open
club
club
CLASSIC
November Events
3
Southern
8-9 Slab Masters
10 Magnolia
10 West AL
17 Southern
Jordan, NC
Oconee; Sinclair Barnett, MS
McConn/Forkland
Oconee/SC/GA
club
club
club
club
club
15 Crappie NOW October 2012
Oct. - Nov. 2012 Calendar
October Events
3-6 Crappie Masters
6
NE Ohio
13 Magnolia
13 Southern
13 Buckeye Challenge
13 Springfield
19-20Crappie Masters
20 E. Buckeye
20 West AL
21 Springfield
24-27Crappie USA
REGIONAL CRAPPIE CLUBS
REGIONAL CRAPPIE CLUBS
(Note that club news and results are taken from websites around the 5th of each month.
Only those who provide information through their website or by email will have updated
information and results included.)
Clubs
AL- Shoals Area Crappie Association
www.shoalscrappie.com
shoalscrappie@yahoo.com
Keith Dodd 256-679-1826 keithsguideservice@
yahoo.com
AL- West Alabama Crappie Association
westalabamacrappie.com
pres: Jesse Wright 205-932-3997 crappie1@
centurytel.net
vice-pres: Steve Minor 205-932-5257
AZ- Arizona Crappie Association
www.azcrappie.com
Bill (Piscolli) Eveland
Piscolli@cox.net
GA- Slab Masters Tournament Trail
www.slabmasterstournamenttrail.net
slabmasterstournaments@live.com
Dan Sidle@hotmail.com 478-214-3207;
Jamie Moore 478-230-7703 tourn. dir.
IL- Springfield Crappie Club
www.springfieldcrappieclub.com
Jerry Jallas doublej.j@hotmail.com
MS- Magnolia Crappie Club
www.magnoliacrappieclub.com
Paul Johnson, Pres. 601-624-0359 dipnet@
comcast.net
MS- Fruit Jar
www.crappie.com MS
Tommy O’Keefe 601-941-0059
Open to anyone; $60 each. See calendar for
schedule.
MO- Eastern Missouri Crappie Club
www.easternmocrappie.com
vogelslacker@yahoo.com
John Martens, 314-221-0004
OH- Eastern Buckeye Crappie Club
Easternbuckeyecrappieclub@yahoo.com
16 Crappie NOW
October 2012
REGIONALCRAPPIE
CRAPPIECLUBS
CLUBS
REGIONAL
With An Unfair Advantage.
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CRAPPIE! #2
B’N’M PRO STAFF
FISHING
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PC. GUIDES
4444444444444444 44 4444444444444444 44 4444444444444 444 PA- North East Ice Tour
www.northeasticetour.com
Bryon Eckardt Byron@
northeasticefisherman.com
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PA- Keystone Crappie
Club
www.keystonecrappie.com
myk59@comcast.net
Check crappie.com
under the Pennsylvania
board for postings.
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AnyTime, Any Place,
In Any Water CRAPPIE NUMBER TWO!
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ANYTIME, ANY PLACE,
IN ANY WATER
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2012
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for
OH- Northeast Ohio
Crappie Club
www.
northeastohiocrappieclub.
com
northeastohiocrappieclub@
gmail.com
Dan Elko 412-721-0372
SC- Southern Crappie
Association
www.southerncrappie.com
Melissa Hinson 803-4324342; 803-572-1558
melissamoments@yahoo.
com
TOOLSOFTHE
TRADE
It’s How The Professionals Fish
I
OH- Buckeye Crappie
Challenge
www.
buckeyecrappiechallenge.
com
buckeye@
buckeyecrappiechallenge.
com
Jeff 419-305-8762
H
Tim 740-658-3782 evenings
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FISHING
B’n’M Pole Company
P.O. Box 231, West Point, Mississippi 39773
www.bnmpoles.com • 800-647-6363
New BnM Sunvisors
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Celebrating Our 75th Year
And Third Generation Of Quality,
Value & Service To Crappie Anglers.
!!!
TN- Middle Tennessee Crappie Club
middletennesseecrappieclub@gmail.com
Tracy Farmer 931-652-9638 farmertracy21@yahoo.
com
TN- West Tennessee Crappie Club
www.westtncrappie.com
George Pruitt 731-267-2322 georgespruitt@yahoo.
com
17 Crappie NOW October 2012
REGIONAL CRAPPIE CLUBS
REGIONAL CRAPPIE CLUBS
TX- Crappie Anglers of Texas (CAT)
www.crappieanglersoftexas.com
CAT@crappieanglersoftexas.com
Events/Tournaments/Other Contacts
(see calendar for event dates)
IBBFA
ifbba.com 704-784-4348
Authur Bronson
ifbba10@yahoo.com
MS- NWSCC
Loyd Gibson 662-526-1875; Holiday Landing 662-526-5392
18 Crappie NOW October 2012
Crappie Bake with Cream Cheese
Cream cheese is a soft, sweet, mild-tasting, white cheese with a high fat content and a slight tang. The only cheese I would eat as a child. Traditionally, it is made
from un-skimmed milk enriched with more cream. According to Kraft Foods, the first
American cream cheese was made in Chester, New York in 1872 by dairyman William
Lawrence. In 1880, Philadelphia was taken as the brand name, after the city that was
considered (at the time) to be home of top quality food in the USA.
A cheese distributor soon commissioned the dairyman to produce the cream
cheese in volume under the trade name Philadelphia Brand. The company was eventually bought by Kraft Foods in
1928, and remains the most
widely-recognized brand of
cream cheese in the United
States.
Cream cheese is similar to French Neufchatel in
that it is made from cow’s
milk, but differs in that it is
un-ripened and often contains emulsifiers to lend firmness and lengthen shelf-life.
USDA law requires standard
cream cheese must contain at least 33 percent fat and no more than 55 percent water,
although there are low-fat and nonfat varieties now on the market.
There are references to cream cheese in England as early as 1583 and in France
as early as 1651. Recipes are recorded soon after 1754, particularly from Lincolnshire
and the southwest of England.
The technique is known to have been in use in Normandy since the 1850s, producing cheeses with higher fat content than the US model, and Philadelphia cream
cheese has been suggested as a substitute when petit Suisse is not available. Following successful marketing by Kraft Foods in Spain, some people there refer to “queso
filadelfia” instead of “queso crema” or “queso cremoso” (whatever that means).
Try this recipe with crappie you’ve cooked until flaky in a microwave.
1 3-ounce package cream cheese
1 cup dry macaroni
1 10-ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cup cooked, flaked crappie
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
2 tablespoon prepared mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Allow cream cheese to soften at room temperature. Prepare macaroni according to package directions. Drain. Blend soup and cream cheese
with an electric mixer. Stir in macaroni, fish, onion, green pepper, mustard, salt, and
milk. Place mixture in a 1 1/2-quart dish. Sprinkle with Corn Flake crumbs. Bake for 20
19 Crappie NOW October 2012
Vern’s Cooking & Tidbits
to 25 minutes.
Makes 4 servings.
Vern’s Tomato Pie
9-inch piecrust
2 to 4 tomatoes
Dash seasoning
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/8 cup chopped fresh chives
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup cheddar cheese
Heat piecrust to 425 degrees for 5 minutes. Slice thickly tomatoes to cover bottom of
piecrust and sprinkle with Dash seasoning. Sprinkle basil and chives over tomatoes.
Mix mayonnaise with cheddar cheese spread over the top to seal tomatoes. Put in
oven for 30 to 35 minutes at 400 degrees.
20 Crappie NOW October 2012
Jigs are both fun and productive. When
crappie are banging a jig you can catch two
fish in the time it takes to catch one fish on
a minnow. The jig is faster because you don’t
have to pause to re-bait every time you get a
bite. Also, the jig can get into and out of places
a minnow won’t go. Here are the basics.
By Tim Huffman
Use Your Head
A jighead does two basic functions. The
first and most important is to add weight so the
bait sinks to whatever depth you’re fishing. The
second function is to properly hold and present
a jig body. That’s why it has the 90-degree hook
and different type collars.
Heads vary in looks and design. For most
stained and muddy waters the shape does not
matter. In the clearest waters it might make a
difference because crappie can closely examine
the bait.
The biggest way to visually enhance a
head is with paint. For example, an orange
head in very stained water can be outstanding.
Eyes on a bait look good but I do not know of
a study that proves better catches due to jig
eyes.
You can have weedguards, bent hooks
for weedless rigging, and a variety of other
configurations. Use them where they work for
your fishing situations. If they are not needed,
you are better off with a standard round
jighead.
A tiny sampling of the many different type jigheads.
You can match the best heads with the type bodies
you use.
A key factor is jig weight. There are very few
totally right or totally wrong guidelines. Some
fishermen like a lighter jig while other fishermen
prefer a heavy jig. The number one rule is that
you must use a heavy enough jig to get to the
strike zone. Depth, current, speed, wind and other factors determine the weight you need.
1/32-ounce. This is considered light although some anglers, especially ice fishermen,
will go lighter. A 1/32 is a light jig weight that will let you stay high in the water while trolling
or casting/retrieving. Its slow fall is perfect for a natural presentation when vertical jigging
21 Crappie NOW October 2012
It’s All In Your Head
relatively shallow water. Or, when shooting docks. You must watch your line for bites when
using lightweight jigheads. You’ll see more bites than you feel.
1/16-ounce. This is the most popular size. It’s a good all-around head with average
characteristics. It’s in-between a 1/32 and 1/8-ounce.
1/8-ounce. An important head for jigging, trolling and casting because it lets you get to
greater depths. It also allows maximum feel of the bait because it keeps the line tight. You
feel bottom, limbs and bites.
1/4-ounce. A decade ago you
seldom heard a 1/4-ounce mentioned
for crappie fishing but it has become
more popular. A big crappie can easily
eat it. The big weight gets down
deep and keep lines straighter when
trolling.
Hooks
Many fishermen accept whatever
hook size and type that’s on the shelf
at the bait shop. There’s a little more
to it. Here are a few tips.
A hook should be thin wire if you
intend to try to bend it to get it off of a
hang-up. However, they are not so thin
that the weight of a crappie will bend it.
So for recreational fishing, you should
stick with a thin wire jig hook.
Size is important. Unless you’re
fishing a lake loaded with very small
crappie, stick with bigger hooks. For
example, a 1/32-ounce jig may have
a #6 or #8 hook. Look until you find
one with at least a #4. You get a better
catch ratio with larger crappie. As you
go up in weight your hooks should
increase in size, too.
Does hook color matter? Sometimes. A lot of fishermen like gold color in clear water.
Red can be good in any color water. You have bronze, black, gold, red and maybe others.
Your best bet is to try different ones to see which you like best.
Collars
Your jighead can have a plain hook for solid plastic bodies. It can have a collar that is
barbed, double-barbed, ribbed or other design. Match the collar to your body. It should hold
a body without tearing it.
Closing
Your jighead doesn’t have to be expensive but it must be proper size, with thin wire,
and have a sharp hook. Pick the right weight and you’re in the business of jig fishing.
We’ll cover advanced jigheads in a future CrappieNow issue. We’ll also discuss some
of the types of bodies you need.
- Tim Huffman
22 Crappie NOW October 2012
Crappie Basics
Crappie Basics #40
Who Needs a Guide?
I’ve heard people say, “I’m not going to pay a guide $200-$300 to fish.”
Every day a guide must clean and prepare his boat. He often has to fight cold, heat,
wind and rain. He has the cost of keeping up a good boat. He has other expenses for
equipment. I won’t even question if a good guide earns his money. But is it worth the
cost to the fisherman? Here are two good examples.
You fish less than a week a year. The upkeep of the boat, batteries, license and
insurance plus the time of doing repairs can be costly. Also, if you don’t fish often,
you’ll likely not find and catch fish when you go. Hiring a guide several days a year will
increase your chances of catching fish, let you enjoy your time off and probably won’t
cost a lot more than the upkeep of a boat and equipment.
You own a boat. You and a buddy are headed for four days of fishing on Slab Lake
where you’ve never been fishing. Invest in a guide the first day. Tell him what you are
doing and let him know you won’t steal his holes. However, you do want him to teach
you the pattern and general areas to fish. You can have a good day with the guide and
then three more days on your own catching fish instead of struggling. –T.H.
23 Crappie NOW October 2012
How To?
Crappie NOW - Navioncs with Paul
Michele
If You’re Not Using Driftmaster;
good luck!
.COM
MADE IN USA
ROD HOLDERS &
TROLLING SYSTEMS
BLACK RIVER TOOLS INC.
24 Crappie NOW October 2012
803-473-4927
What’s Cooking?
Baked CRAPPIE Filets w /RIVERIA SAUCE on Grilled BAGUETTES
By: Gene Westbrook @www.magnoliacollectionrecipes.com - An Online Cookbook
4 to 6 fish filets
Salted and freshly ground black pepper
(for the fish)
3 T. real butter
1 tsp. cornstarch
2/3-cup milk
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp. garlic powder
2 T. finely-chopped, oil-packed sundried tomatoes
2 T. drained capers
1 Baguette loaf, cut into 4 portions
Salt and pepper the fish filets on both sides and place into a spray-oiled glass-baking dish.
In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter; then stir in the cornstarch, milk, pepper,
and garlic powder. Bring the mixture to a boil and whisk for 1 minute; then reduce heat to
medium, and whisk until sauce has slightly thickened. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and
capers to blend.
Cover the tops of the fish filets evenly with sauce and bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for
about 20 minutes. Fish cooks quickly so do not overcook. It is cooked when the fish color
changes from translucent to white, and the fish is flaky when lifted with a fork.
Spray a large skillet with olive oil and slowly grill the inside of the opened Baguette portion
until very lightly browned.
To serve, place a fish filet with the sauce on top across the opened, grilled Baguette like an
open-faced sandwich. Repeat with the other fish fillets.
Makes: 4 to 6 servings.
25 Crappie NOW October 2012
Another character that was ever
constant in Uncle Elmer’s life was Butch,
the state game warden assigned to the
county. Butch and Uncle Elmer were
good friends and both seemed to have an
equal respect for each other. It was with
this respect that Uncle Elmer helped Butch
earn the legendary status as a most feared
fish and wildlife crime fighter.
Uncle Elmer was fed up with all the
talk going around the neighborhood about
the Looney brothers catching and keeping
undersize largemouth bass from the river.
It was time to get Butch involved and see
what could be done about these two outlaws.
Uncle Elmer agreed to accompany Butch
since he was more familiar with the area many times but he didn’t remember this
of the river where the brothers might be particular incident the brothers were talking
located.
about.) This conversation was suddenly
Sure enough, late one night Uncle interrupted when one of the brothers caught
Elmer and Butch observed the Looney a largemouth bass about 10 inches long, 2
Brothers and four of their friends fishing inches shy of the legal limit of 12 inches.
along the bank of the river. Butch advised They proceeded to put the undersize fish
Uncle Elmer that
on a rope stringer
they would sneak up
and walked about
close to the outlaws Butch couldn’t smell a skunk if he tripped 20 yards down the
and observe their
bank and hid the
over
one.
activity for a while.
fish from plain view.
He wanted to be
After a few minutes
sure each one was
two more undersize
actually involved in the act of fishing before fish were added to the stringer. It was time
confronting them.
to confront the fish poaching outlaws.
As both of our crime fighting hero’s sat Uncle Elmer had an idea and
watching the fishermen, both were shocked whispered his plan to Butch. What was
when all of a sudden one of the Looney to follow would make the warden a legend
brothers began talking about Butch. “Yeah, among poachers around the campfire. They
that guy would arrest his own mother”.
then proceeded to approach the fishermen
The other said, “I know some fellows and Butch asked to see their fishing license.
that he caught with 20 squirrels over the Surprisingly, the Looney brothers did have
limit”.
a fishing license, but two of their friends did
“They had those squirrels hid at their not. He then inquired if the anglers had had
campsite and Butch smelled them out”. any luck this evening. They all responded
(Butch later stated that he had caught that they had not caught anything. Butch
hunters with over the limit of squirrels began writing a citation to each of the two
26 Crappie NOW
Ocotober 2012
without a fishing license. Suddenly, Butch
stopped writing and began to “sniff” the air
around him. “Are you sure you boys hadn’t
caught anything this evening”?
“No”, replied the anglers.
He continued writing only to stop again
a few minutes later and sniff the air again. “I
smell fish. I think you boys are lying to me”.
Butch continued sniffing the air as he walked
the 20 yards down the bank and found the
stringer of illegal fish. The fishermen were
stunned.
Butch asked, “Who caught these”? The
fishermen all sat in silence. He then ordered
all of the fishermen to stand up and hold out
their hands as he began to sniff each of the
angler’s hands. This was Uncle Elmer’s
plan and it was working beautifully. Butch
then picked out the three fishermen that he
and Uncle Elmer had actually seen catch
the three fish and announced that he had
smelled the fish on their hands and therefore
they were guilty. The fishermen were totally
convinced they had been discovered by this
bloodhound sniffing game warden.
This incident took place many years ago
and has since been retold and exaggerated
each time by the fishermen involved. They
were so impressed with Butch that their
participation in the incident was looked at as
a badge of honor. Butch on the other hand
never denied that he smelled those fish. He
only confided to his close friends that his
smoking habit ruined his sense of smell and
he couldn’t smell a skunk if he tripped over
one.
Uncle Elmer again pulled one over
on the Looney brothers and the talk in the
neighborhood of the Looney brothers taking
illegal fish soon stopped.
27 Crappie NOW October 2012