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Hey welcome to the first weekly issue of Target Crappie! Only THE BEST tips, news and other stuff from the wide world o' crappie. Our 2 main guys are Brett Jolley from TX and Joel VandeKrol from IA, but we will take any tips or heads up anyone has! Thanks for reading, and let us know how you like it or what we can improve just by responding to this email. Bless you!

5 questions with Mr Crappie himself, Wally Marshall

We wanted to kick off Target Crappie with a bang, and what better way to do that than to spill some juice from the legend himself, Wally Marshall. Here's 5 with him:

1. What's the first thing you're doing when you get on the water this time of year?

> "I'll start fishing in some creeks. The shad are in the creeks. Nobody knows about [those crappie] because they live there.

> "I'm using the [Humminbird] MEGA Live units...fishing deep bends in the creek, ledges where you got a dropoff, or it makes a swing in there and there's a ledge right there. And I'm also looking for any kind of structure that's underneath the water.

> "What I like to do is go up the creeks til I run out of bait, and then turn around and start fishing back. Because if there ain't no bait, there ain't no fish."

2. Y'all have been working on the Strike King Teen-Zee Series. What was the motivation for that?

> "The Teen-Zee Series is for these LiveScopers. In the summertime...all they want is minnows. All they want is meat, and they get real finicky on plastics.... And so you go to the Teen-Zee series to size down, and you can whack 'em.

> "...the [Mr Crappie] Shoo Shiners [jigs] or the Teen-Zee Series. The Teen-Zee tails with the twin tails on it is awesome."

3. Do you catch a lot of fish off the bottom?

> "There's so many crappie on the bottom man. When they're not on the piles, they're out roaming. I love catching them like that."

4. Are there any new baits or profiles or colors that are coming to the crappie game right now?

> "Mr Crappie is introducing the 'soggy shiner.' 'Soggy shiner' is a golden brown with a pink hue belly. It looks just like a shad. It looks just like a minnow...a mud minnow...like bait fish."

[Wally said it's based on the crankbait color "wakasagi" which is a Japanese smelt but looks identical to some minnows over here. But he didn't want to call it that.]

> "I said...'We're gonna call it a 'soggy shiner.'

> "And another color that I came out with this year that nobody's got...it's called 'prism.' In all of my baits, Crappie Thunders, Slabalicious, Jokers, Teen-Zee – everything I do in plastic I have [the clear 'prism' color] now.

> "Some minnows are iridescent to where you can see through the bait. Fish can see that – they see that baitfish in the water and clear works. And if you hit it with some of my Mr Crappie color scents by Spike-It, they just explode with the most vibrant colors because they're iridescent."

5. What's the best piece of fishing advice you've ever received, and who gave it to you?

> "Truel Peacock. Lived in Garland, TX – he was my neighbor. We were wade-fishing on Lake Tawakoni back in the early '80s. I didn't have no waders. I couldn't afford no waders. And it gets cold when the water's 57 degrees and you're walking out there....

> "I was walking behind him and we were fishing along the edges. We were out in front of the coontail moss, fishing towards the bank, and he's catching them and I'm not. After a couple hours, I said, 'Hey, how do you know where to put the bait?'

> "There's all kinds of cracks and holes in this coontail moss. He said, 'You look for the holes that are the murkiest because the fish are down there, fanning the bottom of the lake to make the beds.'

> "And so you look for that murky stuff...it comes up and that the coontail moss will hold it there. It'll be clear 2' from it, then it'll be murky."

Bonus Q: If you could only fish one lake for the rest of your life, what would it be?

> "I'd say the St Johns River in FL. It is so fertile, that whole river system. ...you got saltwater fish and the freshwater fish, the whole deal. The crappie there eat shrimp.

> I'd move to FL if that's all I had to do. I bet I caught 400 crappie there...last year, Jun 16 through the 21st...fishing the St Johns. Did a 2-day TV show with Pro Team Journal....

> "And there ain't nobody else out there fishing, really, because they quit fishing for crappie. You know, 'they get mushy.' Well, have you ever heard of an ice chest?

> "So you got it all. You can shoot docks. You can fish the grass. You can fish the lilypads, especially right now, because that's a spawning season down there."

Bet you wish you had this tied on?

Pearl River, MS hammer Kyle Metger was telling Louisiana Sportsman how he uses shrimp imitations to slay crappie that other folks just aren't catching:

> Metzger started out as a bass guy who started crushing largemouth when he started using a 3" artificial shrimp. But..."As he fished with the shrimp lures, he would also catch sac-a-lait. 'If I can catch crappie with a 3-inch shrimp, imagine what I can do with a smaller shrimp."

His adjustment to start honing in on crappie was the Crappie Psychic Iddy Biddy Shrimp – small hand-tied crappie jigs made to look like juvenile shrimp:

> "I liked the way it looked. It had large eyes like a shrimp, and the skirt was long and slender."


> The weight in the jig is distributed throughout the body, allowing it to fall slower. "They have a nice, slow fall that looks really good in the current."

How he's targeting fish with it:

> Metzger uses Humminbird 360 but also gauges the grass on the surface by sight. "I just look at the surface grass and key on the sections of the bayou where the grass extends off the surface. Then I look at 360 to spot some pieces of grass where they might be holding.

> "I like to use the Humminbird to see how far the grass extends out into the bayou. Many times I find a stray piece of grass that they will be holding to."

Kyle's gear:

> Crappie Psychic Iddy Biddy Shrimp (black body, white tail, orange eyes), 6-8 lb Vicious 100% Fluorocarbon, ML spinning rod.

Makes us think: Are shrimp a viable option for crappie in lakes too? Turns out there's a pretty big population of native freshwater shrimp (Ohio shrimp and glass shrimp, along with other non-native species) all along the East Coast all the way through the midwest and into TX. 👀

Bass pro Mark Davis spoons deep for offseason slabs

It ain't all just about bass for MLF Bass Pro Tour pro and fishing guide Mark Davis. MLF posted how Mark how will chase crappie with his family and clients on his home lake, Lake Ouachita, AR, during the offseason:

> As fall gives way to winter, crappie can do 1 of 2 things. If the lake level rises, they often move shallower.... However, if the water drops – more common on man-made reservoirs that time of year – crappie head to some of the deepest haunts they'll inhabit all year.

> "I'm not saying all of them do, but the vast majority of them go out and they start getting out there in that 50-60' range.... They go really deep on this lake. And then they really get hard for the average guy to catch when they do that."

Instead of going with the classic approach of a jig, Mark prefers a 2.5-3" jigging spoon. He'll fish 1/4- to a 1/2-oz depending on depth and wind. And he's using a light casting setup with 12-lb fluorocarbon.

> "You kind of jig that spoon around.... You don't really jerk it hard like you do bass fishing. You just kind of wiggle it around and pump it up and down real slow around those crappie...."

He will break out a jig depending on the behavior of the fish:

> "...I prefer a 1/8-oz jighead fished on 4-lb line. Some days I'll drop to a 1/16-oz head to generate strikes.

> "Crappie are weird in that it's such a precise game as far as where your lure has to be for one of them to bite it. They're not going to travel. A bass will travel to bite a lure. Crappie, they don't. You've gotta get it right in front of 'em for one to bite it...."

Check out this 18.25" speckled giant!! 🤯

Marc @marc.nfish caught it on the ice in MN. Said it weighed 3-lb 8-oz, and we believe it was caught on a CLAM Tikka Flash.

BIGGER baits for big winter crappie?

Even though with fishing pressure and forward-facing sonar (FFS) it seems like smaller baits are the trend, well...not necessarily. Here's some interesting nuggets from a good Lurenet.com post:

> Most crappie have high-tailed it out of the shallows by Jan and are either schooled up or roaming in deep water. In these environments, crappie are most likely to feed on shad and other open-water baitfish.

> By winter, only adult baitfish are around. Crappie will look for meals that warrant their effort. Crappie must expend energy to hunt, eat and digest, all while attempting to conserve energy in the cold water. This makes bigger, calorie-rich meals the preferred choice, especially when prey is steady or abundant.

> ...vertical and deadstick presentations can work best during the winter. Try to always keep the bait quivering without moving it too rapidly. This can be achieved with rod taps or soft rod tip shakes. Work the bait through the water column a foot at a time. Pausing at each depth for several seconds or even minutes while working the bait’s tail.

Here's Bobby Garland's fishing staff's go-to choices for Jan:

3" Slab Slay’R – Top colors include 'bone white'/'pearl white', 'sour milk', 'sweet tea with lemon', 'Cajun cricket' and 'junebug/pearl chartreuse.'

2.25" Slab Hunt'R – Top colors include 'monkey milk', 'purple monkey', 'bright white', 'live minnow' and 'Grenada gold.'

2" Original Baby Shad – Top colors include 'monkey milk', 'crystal', 'pearl white', 'live minnow' and 'blue ice.'

1. GA: New Satilla River record black crappie

Chas Strickland caught it on Jan 19, weighed 2 lbs 2.88-oz. Ate a live minnow on a high-water day at dusk:

2. AR stacking up TONS of great habitat in Wilhelmina!

Incredible! Here's just some of what they are doing:

> "We've placed a lot of artificial structures in the lake in the last 2 months. We built 60 GA cubes using PVC and irrigation pipe in some of the deeper areas. On one large flat we stacked 3-6 cubes together to build an offshore reef where there had been virtually no cover...." Crews also created more than 40 log cribs constructed of rough cut timbers.

> Lake Wilhelmina was the home of the latest state record black crappie, a 5-lb giant caught by an 11-year-old angler in 2011.

3. 4. SC DNR dropped 23 reef balls in Murray...

...since the start of the year and more are on the way: 💪 #stout

> These mini manmade concrete structures are being deployed at shallow-water locations throughout Lake Murray. Measuring 1.5' tall and 2' wide, the concrete "balls" feature holes that allow fish to swim in and out of, perfect for protection against predators and as a gathering place for fish.

4. GA: Lanier crappie suspending under docks

5. TX: Crappie fishing "good" at LBJ

> Crappie are good in 20-25' of water with minnows.

6. KY: Most Kentucky Lake crappie still out deep

> ...deep structure out on main lake ledges and humps. Depths of 9-14' have given up fish around submerged structure such as brushpiles and stakebeds.

7. TN: Here's where the better bites are

> Center Hill: Large crappie are abundant in the main channel areas if you don't mind spending the time finding the right school.

> Normandy: Crappie are doing good as well on standing timber and brushpiles.

> Tims Ford: Several guys have caught some really nice slabs using minnows and artificial grubs around laydowns and brush on the deeper docks.

8. OK: Crappie U coming to Tulsa Tech Owasso

> Feb 13: Brady Coyle, an angler with experience fishing Keystone and Oologah

> Feb 18: Gary Dollahon, alongside Gary Rowe from Fort Gibson, and Jim Neal, a former Bass Pro marine electronics specialist, will talk about electronics

> Feb 25: Todd Huckabee, a well-known crappie fisherman from Lake Eufaula, will speak

9. MN DNR keeping an eye on FFS...

...in case limits need to be changed for catch/keep fish like crappie.

10. onX hunting mapping app now getting into fishing

Believe they are starting with MN and going from there.

11. SC wardens confiscate 64 crappie

From the article:

> The wardens said they acted on a tip...and stationed themselves at the Hartwell State Park.

> ...they stopped a man and found 27 crappie in his live well. Additionally, they said they found a cooler in the back of his truck, which had another 37 crappie.

12. KY: Limit in 2 hours in a blizzard! (YT video)

Don't see that every day in KY!

13. Skeeter has a new multi-species boat

More space, more storage, more horses:

> ...WXR2260, a new deep-V model... Powered by a Yamaha 350-hp outboard and designed for deep water and big waves....

Available through select Skeeter dealers in late Jan.

14. SC might reduce taxes on boats/motors?

Crazier things have happened, but not sure taxes ever go down? Anyhow, in SC each boat hull and motor you own gets separately taxed. But under a new bipartisan proposal:

> ...proposes a 50% reduction in property taxes on boats...also seeks to eliminate the outdated requirement for outboard engine titles, a move that aligns the state with 44 others....

SC taxes boat hulls and motors separately, but a new bill could cut property taxes by 50% and ditch engine titles. Instead of sales tax, SC charges a 5% excise tax (max $500) – but the 10.5% annual property tax still stings.

CA, VA, and NC have similar tax requirements.

15. Megabass has new partnership with L Catterton

Hard to tell exactly what it is but it sounds like maybe an investment/ownership?

16. New juice from Norsk Lithium


For solo FFS setups, kayak anglers and ice fishermen up north.

17. Open source sonar coming?

Maybe, but judging from this video it's got a LOOOOONG way to go to get to where electronics are now.

18. Yamaha's Harmo 'lectric outboards now available

19. Brunswick had significant declines last year

> Brunswick's propulsion, engine parts and accessories, Navico [Lowrance] and boat units all reported declines for the year and the [4th] quarter. The most significant net sales declines for the year were in the propulsion and boat categories, which were down 25% and 21.9% respectively.

20. IL: State fighting expansion of toxic waste dump

Along Lake Michigan shoreline.

21. Golden Crappie awards??

Who knew the Bravo channel had awards called the Golden Crappies?? Not going to watch though....

22. NE: New record longear weighs...2 OUNCES 🤪

Came from the Little Blue River – non-native in NE, likely swam up from KS.

Upcoming crappie events

NC: National Crappie League
High Rock Lake, NC | Feb 7-8, 2025

KY: Catfish & Crappie Conference
Louisville, KY | Feb 21-22, 2025

MO: $50k BIG CRAPPIE CHALLENGE
Lake of the Ozarks, MO | May 17-18, 2025

MS: Crappie Masters National Qualifier

Grenada Lake, MS | Feb 28-March 1

LA: Crappie Masters National Qualifier

Lake D'Arbonne, LA | March 21-22

OK: Crappie Masters National Qualifier

Lake Eufala, OK | Apr 4-5

AL: 2025 MinnKota/Humminbird Owners Tournament

Lake Eufala, AL | March 28-30

Counter-intuitive FFS stuff?

Lots of people think FFS is "video-game fishing" but it's not that easy. IL guide Kyle Schoenherr talking in a great post on gameandfishmag.com:

> How quickly or slowly a bait falls and the way it falls can also be quite important. For this reason– and due to crappies' varying dietary preferences – anglers should keep a range of plastics (and live bait, if so inclined) and jigs of various weights, sizes and head shapes on hand. All affect drop rate and bait action.

> "...every day is different. Profile and size are more important than a specific color or bait brand. But presentation is more important than either. And what the fish prefer can change, sometimes hour to hour."

> Compact tungsten jigs get baits down quickly – a clear advantage when crappies are positioned deep. But a buoyant plastic on a light jig or a jig/plastic or jig/minnow combo suspended beneath a sensitively balanced bobber might be a better choice with fish positioned high in the water column.

> For fish positioned low in the water column, Schmidt prefers a dropshot rig with buoyant plastics like the Z-Man StingerZ or Shad FryZ. A long dropper line can extend the range of the rig's effectiveness.

> "The biggest mistake people make with FFS is trying to drop the bait in the fish's face. A shad is not going to swim right up to a crappie.

> "The key is to keep the bait above them – close enough so they can see it...you want them to come to you. You may have to do different things—pop it on them, swing it past them, zip it over their head."

Ottertail County, MN is a special place – more 15" crappies there than anywhere else in the state! Here's one of 'em, shot by Blake Tollefson talkin' at a recent shoot in for Norfin USA:

National Professional Anglers Assoc.

MN-FISH