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Hey y'all! We're back with this week's Target Crappie email! If you haven't already, please follow our Facebook and Instagram to keep up with everything in the crappie world between these weekly emails!

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Hope y'all enjoy this one, God bless!

Matt Adams gives the juice on how to catch FAT post-spawn crappie

Got with certified slab snatcher and AL guide Matt Adams to find out the 🧃 about what's going on in his local clear water rez: Guntersville. Where they're at, what they're doing and how to catch them:

> "We're in that post-spawn stage where a few late spawners are still shallow on grasslines with stumps, but most fish – especially the bigger ones– have moved out to 8-12' transition areas near spawning grounds: brushpiles, trees, stumps, close to creek channels or drops.

> "They're not in a summertime holding pattern yet, but they're heading that way. You can tell they're post-spawn...fish that were 2.5 lbs are now about 2 lbs, but they'll beef up quick. Water clarity's around 3', temps are 67-72, hitting 73-75 in hot bays.

> "The lake's population is strong...no trip had under 40 fish. Some double trips have clients catching 50 each. Recently, we had 14 fish over 2.5 lbs with several pushing 2.8-2.9 lbs.

> "One day we caught 60 – both livewells full. We dumped them into a normal-size garage trash can and it was within 3 inches of the top – that's how thick these fish are.

> "We throw back anything under 11 inches or over 2 lbs to protect breeders."

How are you targeting post-spawn fish?

> "...the lake's 2' lower than normal, which might be pushing the late spawners out early.

> "Fish are less aggressive. Use your side scan to find stumps, trees or some grass in 8-12' just outside spawning areas. They're easy to spot glued to cover, mostly around wood rightnow.

> "Early on, some will smack a bait cast over their heads, but most need vertical fishing, keeping it right on their nose.

> "Scent plays a bigger part [than boat distance] this time of year. I stay back at first, but in deeper water you can get closer without spooking them.

> "Here's something cool: we've got a heavy shad spawn going on, and everybody thinks about catching bass but crappie are gorging on them too and you can catch them on bigger baits.

> "For the first 45 minutes to an hour before the sun's up, you can cast a 3-inch bait to grasslines or bars where they slide up shallow to feed. After that, they seem to drop back to deeper cover."

What's bait has put the most slabs in the boat for you this spring? 

> "Man, for deeper fish, I'm all about a 1/32-oz jighead paired with a 6th Sense Clobber Minnow – killer setup. I do keep a rod rigged with a splitshot and light-wire hook for live minnows in case they get picky, but honestly I hardly ever need it.

> "6th Sense...pour their soft-plastics – like the Clobber Minnow and the 3-inch Strobe Minnow – right here in the USA. So...keeps the supply flowing no matter what's up with overseas restrictions."

Btw Gville is a clear-water lake with a lot of vegetation, in case one of your local waters is similar!

"The 17-incher…stared at the bait for TWO MINUTES before it ate."

Caught up with Declan Bernardin in MN about breaking his PB crappie 3 TIMES THE SAME DAY!! Happened on a small MN lake he found ice fishing and went back when the ice was gone. Here's the juice:

> "Ice fishing for crappies is tough so we used a team approach: 1 guy on LiveScope, another drilling holes and someone ready to drop a bait. We pulled some 13-15 inchers this winter but couldn't land the giants we saw on the Scope.

> "Once the ice melted, we fished it regularly.

> "I wasn't big into trophy crappies before – usually targeting 8-12 inches for a limit – but these [PBs] were absolute monsters.

> "These fish were fussy. We used VMC Bucktail Jigheads, 1/32- and 1/16-oz...caught some on 'pink/white' but 'chartreuse' worked best for me. I fished with a 7' 6" JTX MAG Light and a 7' Panhandler ultralight rod [both are JT Outdoors rods].

> "We used slip bobbers since fish were anywhere from 2' to 6' down. Adjusting the float quickly and casting precisely was key.

> "The longer rods helped with accuracy since the fish were suspended 2' under the surface in 8-14' of water. Without Garmin LiveScope you wouldn't know they were there, roaming the middle of the lake.

> "We kept the trolling motor on low, stayed 50' away to avoid spooking them and made pinpoint casts. The 17-incher took a 50' cast and stared at the bait for 2 minutes before it ate.

> "That day will go down in my books as one of my most legendary fishing outings ever. Breaking my PB crappie 3x in one session with a 16-inch, 16.5-inch,and a 17-inch fish – in that order."

> "The lake's like a fishbowl – no real structure. They were roaming mud flats, likely feeding on bugs as the water warmed up pre-spawn. Mostly solo or in 2s and 3s.

> "The 16-incher I caught was with another fish. Made a 40' cast and they raced up to hit it – no hesitation.

> "We used 1/2-oz Tail Fin Slip Bobbers since fish were anywhere from 2' to 6' down. Smaller bobbers helped detect bites since some fish just plucked without pulling it under. Adjusting the float quickly and casting precisely was key.

> "Some were picky. I let the bobber dead-stick, drifting 30-40’ [in the boat], watching it on Livescope."

"Pearlescent" is the deal? 

In case ya missed last week's TC email, Skylar St Yves from Bobby Garland gave us the juice on how the Bobby Garland pros have been catching 'em all over the country. One bit of 🧃 really got us thinking about our color choices:

> "What we've learned – like with 'monkey milk' – is that it's not just color, it's how it absorbs and reflects light. That pearlescent base refracts light based on conditions – blue in bright sun, pale in cloud or mud. 

> "It's a perfect match for what fish are used to seeing underwater."

So then what are some under-the-radar colors that fit that bill? 🤔 We went ahead and wrangled up a few from BG's Baby Shad line – which top to bottom are: 'glacier', 'diamond mist', 'blue ice', 'purple passion', 'eclipse' and 'blueback shad' (very similar to their unreleased 'lone star shad'):

They had the 'lone star shad' at the Bassmaster Classic and that color was the deal on Sam Rayburn!

If you know of any any more (any brand), hit us back with an email with what they are!

MN guide iced 7,337 slabs on Upper Red Lake 😳

Check this out, from a FB post by Upper Red Lake MN guide Josh Leesberg – believe he caught a few fish this winter lol:

> From Dec 11 until Apr 15 I spent all but 4 days drilling holes in Upper Red Lake. In 121 days I did 89 trips.... My days off were spent searching for more fish.

> Total fish caught: 7,337. Out of the 194 people I took out...870 [fish were] used for meals. Which is a 4.48 fish kept per angler...ended up being about 82 fish caught per trip. Seen many fish over 2 lbs...I even broke my lake PB at the end of the season.

TC's Joel VandeKrol actually had the chance to fish with Josh this winter and says Josh is a Scoping fool who works real hard for his clients – good to hear. Congrats on the great season Josh!

Ever had morel-buttered slabs?? 🤤

Us neither but it looks GREAT!! Might have to spend the afternoon in the woods...

Ingredients

• 1 whole black crappie or other panfish, scaled and cleaned
• 1 cup cultured unsalted butter, or enough to submerge the filet
• 1/4 cup morels
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1-2 cups micro-greens or spring greens
• Black pepper, to taste

Preparation

> Melt butter in a cast iron skillet over medium heat.

> Clean morels, lightly rinse if needed, slice lengthwise, set aside.

> Rinse panfish, pat dry, score skin crosswise, salt generously.

> Clarify butter by skimming off solids as it heats.

> Place fish in butter. If it sizzles, cool skillet to poach, not fry.

> Poach fish 10 mins per 1/2-inch thickness (about 15 mins for most).

> Add morels during the last third of cooking.

> When mushrooms are done, remove fish.

> Serve fish on greens, drizzle with morel butter, season with salt and pepper.

1. IA: Crappie are "starting to move into the shallows"

Sounds like the spawn is just around the corner in a lot of places if it hasn't started already!

2. OH: May crappie tournament...

> ...at Cowan Lake State Park runs all May, offering anglers a chance to win part of a $1,000 prize pool for the largest crappie....

3. OH: SW OH crappie are big and plentiful

> A recent survey by the ODNR there found that...many [crappies] or exceeding 12" and nudging up to the 13" required to qualify for a Fish OH Award.

4. OH: Black crappie stocked into…

..Moraine's Deer Meadow Pond through a partnership with The Lake Doctors. 💪

5. TX: Crappie fishing "excellent" on…

...Bob Sandlin, Bois d'Arc, Cooper, Cypress Springs, Granbury, Martin Creek. On the NETX lakes:

> "Crappie are post-spawn with more and more fish relating to brushpiles and timber. Plastics are out producing hand tied jigs and minnows."

6. MN: Shore fishing and opener tips

Better getcha a pair of waders to get to the juice!

7. TN: Crappie fishing "excellent" on… 

Great Falls, and are getting stacked up shallow on Woods, Watts Bar, Tims Ford.

8. ID: Ramps closing briefly for maintenance

Find where and when here.

9. Crappie Masters on Rend Lake May 16/17

Probably won't be won using FFS...lol not! 😁

10. WA: Angler earns $164k by catching…

...16,150 fish 😳 – that averages 44 fish every day. Impressive! Deal is to get rid of a fish that supposedly eats young salmon:

> ...a new program record, surpassing the previous highs of $119,341 and 14,109 fish set in 2016.

> To qualify for a cash reward, northern pike minnow must be at least 9" long and caught within the program boundaries....

11. FL: Toho getting sprayed this week for hydrilla

12. AL: Gone Fishin', Not Just Wishin' event

Oak Mountain State Park, May 7-9 – teaches fishing and outdoor skills to students with disabilities.

13. WY: Advisory board meets to discuss…

> ...recommendations that will address waterway congestion stemming from commercial guide boat activity, and serve to help improve the overall fishing experience for the public in WY.

14. Garmin posted their Q1 results, overall up 11%

15. Check out the new THILL Sharp Shooter Float

> The Sharp Shooter boasts all the features of a great float: high-visibility colors, exceptional sensitivity, balanced buoyancy, remarkable range and precise accuracy.

16. Sea Drone for surveillance is now a thing...

> The SD-88 is an autonomous electric stealth watercraft that takes the DNA of a recreational Sea-Doo...[and] would reduce the need for human patrols in dangerous locations....

> It could also have conservationist applications like performing wildlife protection in marine reserve, or running surveillance missions of keynote species in the Arctic and Great Lakes.

17. New PFD "belt"...

> ...the Super Belt delivers 25 lbs of buoyancy when fully inflated. Designed for chest sizes from 30" to 56", it's intended for anyone 16 years or older. 

Costs $239 – DANG!

18. DC: Tackle industry assn asks for immediate tariff relief

Headline of the Week

Crappie Time Was Had by All

Now that's what we're talkin' 'bout! 😆

"It isn't the knot, it is what the knot is allowing your bait to do."

That's LA crappie pro Steve Danna talkin’ on LA Sportsman about why the loop knot is the deal for finicky crappie.

First off...wow – don't know that we've ever seen a loop knot that big! Anyways, from Steve:

> "That's one decision that should be easy to make...tying on your bait with a loop knot. The loop knot does make a difference.

> "Everything will be the same, but 1 angler will be catching a lot more than the others...the fishermen who aren't catching fish are tying directly to the lure.

> "Your jig will float level and move realistically through the water with even the slightest movement.

> "There are so many types of jigs and colors...but under normal circumstances and especially in a tough bite, the knot makes a difference."

Just beware that some folks say that a loop knot is weaker (more breakoffs) than a regular knot. Another possibility is adding a splitring to a jighead, which we will talk about in a future TC!

Bemidji, MN local Tyler Brick is on 'em! From his FB page today:

> “Things are happening fast up here in the north woods! Temperatures are warm, and a lot of panfish are making their beds while getting ready for the spring spawn. Such an exciting time to be on the water 🙌.”

National Professional Anglers Assoc.

MN-FISH