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Hey y'all! Hope you've been on some good fish! Back with another Target Crappie for ya, loaded up with juicy summer slab stuff!

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"It's kind of like pullin' a badger out of a 55 gal barrel..."

🤣 Only the "broke the mold" Wally "Mr Crappie" Marshall would say that about his favorite slabbin'! technique! Caught up with Wally this week to see if he'd spill the dock-shootin' juice – and he did so let's roll!

What are you looking for in docks to find the most fish?

> "When the fish are in summer mode, crappie will start pulling out towards the mouth of the coves and main-lake points.... I like docks that provide a lot of shade near deep water. 

> "Shade is the #1 structure. It really helps because those crappie get way back in there in those dark docks and wait for those big schools of shad to come by.

> "I look for docks that are in that deeper water [and also] where the main channel runs close to the shoreline, within 50 yards. If you've got a creek channel that cuts into a bay – especially if it ever goes underneath the dock...man, that's the bomb.

> "Those docks can reload with fish...[you can] catch them 1 day, [and] you can catch them the next day."

What's your thought on how crappie set up relating to the sun?

> "They don't really move from dock to dock. You know what I'm saying?

> "They get on a dock that has a lot of shade and and a lot of times you gotta get your jig way back in there...you're dodgin' minnow buckets, all kinds of ropes, floats for the pontoons and other stuff. 

> "I like to find docks that have pontoon boats that are in the water because I can shoot that jig between the motor and the pontoon way up underneath there and catch a lot of fish.

> "A lot of people bypass that – [maybe they're] afraid to shoot it in there...afraid they're going to hit the guy's boat or whatever."

Biggest mistakes folks make when they're dock-shootin'?

> "They reel too fast and they fish too fast – especially right now. With the hot water the fish are lethargic....

> "Most guys don't work the docks enough. I work every edge, every angle of a dock.

> "I'll drop to a 1/32-oz jighead with 6-lb test...I want that slow fall. You can't shoot it as far with a 1/32-oz, but you can get it back up in there far enough to catch a fish. 

> "I'm lookin' for a certain money shot [on the side]...an angle across the dock...[but] it just depends on how the dock is built and how [far] you can get under there to those pilings.

> "Another mistake people make is they use too big of a bait and too heavy of a bait. You really gotta size down on your baits in the summertime...in that 1/16- to 1/32-oz range."

You talkin' about those support pilings in the middle of the dock?

> "Yeah – crappie love vertical structure....

> "Look for docks made out of wood. They like those concrete docks too...those hold a lot of fish.

> "I'll go around to the back of those docks, around the side of 'em...go in the back – whatever it takes to pull 'em out. It's kind of like pullin' a badger out of a 55-gallon barrel, you know...."

What are your favorite jigs for shootin' docks?

> "I like the Slab Daddy Live Hair Jigs and the new Teen-Zee series – both are deadly on them docks. The Teen-Zee Tails, Teen-Zee Slabalicious and the Teen-Zee Fry work real well...you talk about sizin' down, those right there will get the job done.

> "I like the Shadpole a lot too – it skips well on a 1/32-oz jighead and has a real slow fall.... It's a bigger bait, but it's a killer."

You doing anything special that to get more bites?

> "1st cast...I let the bait fall to the bottom and retrieve it back. 

> "2nd cast...I'll shoot it way back in there and reel it a little bit faster. I'm tryin' to find out where they're hangin' out...what kind of mood they're in.

> "...when I'm retrieving that bait I'll pop the end of my rod down. That little twitch lets that bait jump just a bit...puts it right in their face, gets their attention and triggers a reaction strike. That deal is called the 'Wally Wiggle'.

> "That's the key to catching a lot of crappie, keeping that bait up high in the water column with a slow fall.... I use that Mr. Crappie high-viz line – especially in low-light conditions...I can see that line jump before I feel it on the rod."

Wally's favorite dock-shootin' set up:

Wally Marshall Classic Signature Series Spinning Rod

Wally Marshall Pro Target 100 Spinning Reel

6-lb Mr. Crappie high-viz mono

How to chase slabs after dark

If you've never done it, it's a big thing in some parts, including the Carolinas. And some people are hardcore about night-fishing for crappie, including Pete Jordan from Wake Forest, NC, who's been at it most of his life.

Check out these excerpts from a good Carolina Sportsman post:

> "Years ago, most fishermen used regular white lights...[but] the powerful green lights seem to be the [deal].... As the forage species gather...they'll begin to literally swim in circles around the light...and crappies move in to feast.

> "By Aug and Sept...crappie are generally in deep-water patterns...in the mainstream part of a lake...[or] the lower end of major tributary creeks...deep-water access nearby is crucial....

> "[Target] humps, points and ledges along the river or large creek channels...[near a] deep-to-shallow water access.

> "I also use my graph to search for schools of baitfish [and] I don't have to see a lot of fish on the graph in a specific area, but I want to see some."

What to look for:

> ...crappie use ledges and channels...deep water, mid-lake intersection[s] of a major feeder creek [near a] main river channel.

> "...a secure anchor setup is crucial.... Crappie often move shallow around the light, often feeding at 10-12' or less.... That's why anchoring over deep water works.

> "[They] congregate around the edge of the circle of light. ...put the light on the end of a pole to keep it farther from the boat. ...lowering lights directly over the side of the boat works fine too."

Pete says a healthy medium-sized minnow is the deal but he catches 'em throwing light jigs that mimic shad. Here's a few starters if yer interested! 

1.25" Bobby Garland Itty Bit Mayfly

2" Bobby Garland Original Baby Shad

1.75" Bobby Garland Slab Hunt'R

Big cranks are the deal for big slabs?

OH crappie angler Todd "Skippy" Hoffman thinks so, anyway – and it's something he learned after a work injury forced him to change tactics to stay on the water. Here's a little from an In-Fisherman post talkin' about trolling larger shad-style baits for catching bigger fish:

> "1 day I tied on a Berkley Flicker Shad...I didn’t troll 100 yards and had a 14-incher." He opts for shad colors in clear water and bright colors in stained to dirty water. 

> When he needs to troll deeper...he ties a 1-oz inline sinker 1" below a 3-way swivel, which is 3-4' in front of the crankbait.

> He pulls crankbaits with 8' M trolling rods...[and] line-counter reels filled with 4-lb high-viz fluorocarbon...trolling speed varies from 0.8 to 1.6 mph. He tends to troll at the higher speeds in clear water and under choppy conditions. 

> "I do better when it's cloudy – the crappies move up off the bottom a little more then, and don't have as far to go to come up for my crankbaits.

> "On lakes that have swarms of small crappie, the challenge is finding the pods of bigger fish. They tend to group by size and...if the wind is blowing, the bigger fish will be on the upwind side of the pile."

Todd likes the Flicker Shad 5, Flicker Shad 6, Rapala Shad Rap 5 and Flicker Shad 7 for bigger fish.

"How many fish for 1 lb of filets?"

That's a great question and the answer might surprise you.

Real quick – MN's panfish populations are struggling, so the folks at the MN DNR launched an effort to protect and boost trophy-class panfish in select lakes:

> The initiative increased the number of lakes with reduced bag limits from 60 (as of 2020) to 225 (as of 2022). These regulations will be monitored during the next decade to determine their impact and effectiveness.

Al Lindner dives into it in this Lindner's Angling Edge vid. Believe he's chasin' big gills on 1 of those lakes with special regs – also sounds like he's all in on the deal and here's why:

> ...when people critique these smaller bag limits...[the fact is] the more bigger fish you grow, the less fish you need to harvest for the same amount of meat. It's just that simple. 

> I can't help but remember [this quote from] the Spider Man series...'With great power comes great responsibility'. That reminds me a lot of today's electronics...

> ...we're we're so tuned in to how to find these fish so fast [with FFS]...thank goodness we are – there's nothing wrong with that...[but] we have to manage these ourselves.... We can't harvest fish...the way we used to because we're sharing a resource with a lot more people."

Was curious about crappie, so I dug around and found this In-Fisherman post Worth checking out, but here’s a quick visual on how many crappie make 1 lb of fillets:

Who knew!

Is it okay to keep trophy slabs? 🤔

Jake Normal from the TX Parks and Wildlife says so in this post from Outdoor Life:

> ...the crappie in Lake Fork are short-lived but fast-growing. "We have some of our lakes where fish can reach 10 inches in 1 year, which is legal length and sexual maturity.

> "So by 2 years, pretty much all of our crappie are 10-plus inches and reproducing...their max lifespan is 5-7 years and the average is 3 to 5." 

Jake says big crappie pump out tons of eggs, but they ain't the top breeders. The young ones (1-2 years old) are the real MVPs for spawning:

> "They may or may not produce quite the capacity that the largest fish do [but] they're very viable eggs and they're more than capable of sustaining a population.

> "When you're catching 2-lb+ crappie, they're at the end of their life. ...they're not as valuable or as important to sustain the population as people think."

Good to hear because the big ones taste good! 😊

Lake Fork has some real quality fish. That pic above is the lake record white crappie – 17.5" long, 16.25" girth, 3.55 lbs, caught by Craig Carpenter on Feb 4, 2018.

Craig said the fish was suspended in a treetop 22' down over 37' of water.

1. TX: Catch 'em like crazy on...

> Bob Sandlin: Crappie heavy on structures 10-30', best on brushpiles and shallow timber. Jigs outperformed minnows this week.

> Coleman: Crappie to 14" excellent on minnows in 8-15' under docks in Rattlesnake Cove, right side.

> Cypress Springs: Crappie abundant on structures 10-30', best on brushpiles and shallow timber.

> Nacogdoches: Big crappie in standing timber, smaller fish in brushpiles on secondary points.

> Houston: Crappie strong on east fork and Luces Bayou, hitting jigs and minnows near laydowns and stumps.

> Cedar Creek: Crappie guide Kyle Myers is catchin' 'em on minnows and 1/32-oz hair jigs around brush and laydowns in 13-18'. Typically catching 5-7 fish per pile and often enough [they] land on a pile that produces 15-25 keepers.

2. OH: Shreve Lake ready to fish again

Was closed to do some dam work, now open. The OH DNR says crappie are deep right now but can be caught on minnow rigs.

3. OK: Grand Lake is tough because...

There's TONS of bait! 👀 From Pritchard's Guide Service:

> ...people wonder why the crappie will hardly bite...[It's] like this ALL over the lake right now.... A huge threadfin population is good for the fish but bad for the fishermen!

4. IL: Lake Shelbyville slab report

> The biggest crappie in the lake are chasing shad balls and not on cover much. This makes it hard to get fish over 10 inches. ...been catching...limit of crappie in the 9.75" range [with] a slip-bobber and minnow rig.

> Cubes and downed trees have the majority of crappie....

5. Russ Bailey is a Hall of Famer

> A retired police sergeant, Bailey has secured a notable 14-time national qualifier status in crappie fishing, with his career originating from the Crappiethon days. He has previously hosted the Midwest Crappie Show and currently hosts the Brushpile Fishing Show, now in its 11th year.

> Bailey's sponsors include B'n'M Pole Company, Crappie Magnet, Cornfield Fishing Gear, Driftmaster Rod Holders, Mossback Fish Habitat, Power-Pole, Garmin, Miller Tech, Slime Line, Offshore Tackle, Stan's Slip Bobbers, War Eagle Boats and Purpose-Built Optics.

Russ created the B'n'M Russ Bailey Signature Series Rods.

Congrats Russ! 👏

6. MO: Here's the bait that was working at Lake Jacomo

Trolling. Post says the guys camped on brushpiles didn't do nearly as good.

7. ACC Crappie Stix sale: 20% off your second rod

8. LA company gets patent for adding flash to lead

> ...company founder Collier Thornton learned to tie hair jigs from his grandfather, who swore the secret to catching crappie was the silver holographic flash woven into every jig. Decades later, during a frustrating day on the water, Collier recalled that wisdom – and envisioned combining the proven flash of hair jigs with the versatility of a tube jig.

> In 2021...Collier began developing a “tube jig” [for crappie] that fused these elements. After 18 months of relentless trial and error, he perfected the process and launched Flashin’ Assassin Fishing Lures, which now offers both crappie and inshore saltwater jigs with the flash permanently embedded inside the jighead.

Here's their website, here's what it looks like:

9. TX: More about that sonar + AI device rescuers are using

Check this out – Corpus Christi, TX firefighters are using a new gadget called the AquaEye to assist in water rescues and recoveries.

It's a handheld sonar that uses AI to locate subjects underwater, even in tough spots a boat can't reach. Wonder when we'll see this tech rolled out for fishermen...?

10. onX Fish is expanding pretty fast

It's a big deal up north cuz it pulls state fisheries data and slaps it onto a map. You can hunt for lakes by species, check fish numbers, and even see how primo they are. Kicked off in MN, now it’s got WI, MI, ND, and IN in the mix. Fingers crossed it heads south soon! 🤞

11. Canadian province bans fishing??

Yep – hiking and camping on public land in Nova Scotia's getting shut down too. They’re blaming it on forest fire risks and "climate change," of course.

> "...what we see here is a reliance on the climate change narrative to take away people's freedom. And that is an issue that should be a great concern to all freedom-loving Canadians."

Sounds like satire but it's not. 1 guy is suing Nova Scotia – he was fined $25k for walking in the woods.

> At the same time, "people can use a short trail from a parking lot to a beach but cannot take a long hike through the woods to get to beaches or lakes."

If true, no bueno. Could it happen here? In 1 way it already is – this deal, which Canada is a part of too. The US gov't rejected it in May, but some states and local gov'ts are still going after it. Gotta read between the lines a little...guess we'll see what happens?

12. New 6-hp Newport electric outboard = $2,500

Sounds like quite the kayak pusher except it doesn't come with a battery – so add another $2K...yikes!

13. New Stream2Sea sunscreen safe for all water critters?

Says its SPF40 and sounds like the IGFA had a hand in the development:

> ...it's bait-safe, fish-friendly...[and helps] anglers reduce their risk of skin cancer. "...we created this balm so anglers can finally have a high-performance sunscreen that’s safe for their skin, bait, and the environment."

Lighter baits = more fish right now?

Crappie Masters champ Jordan Sanders thinks so cuz the fish suck 'em in way easier, specially when it's hot! 🥵 He said he downsized from 1/8-to 1/16-oz and it made all the difference:

> "In the summertime, these fish get real lethargic. Just like us, if we're out working in the heat, you don't want to sit down as soon as you're done sweating and just eat a burger.

> "[Crappie] are the exact same. They don't want to exert a bunch of energy to eat...the lighter the tackle, the better off you are."

Brett actually does the same thing casting to brushpiles on Sam Rayburn. If the fish are active but just nipping at the bait, Brett will go up on the splitshot weight above the jighead but go down to a 1/32-oz Bobby Garland Overbite Sickle Jig – or all the way down to the 1/48 or 1/64-oz Itty Bit Jigheads! 👀

Florian Matuszak caught this 3.09-lb 17-incher at "a Lake County Forest Preserves lake on a homemade spinner," according to the Chicago Sun Times. Nice one, congrats!

National Professional Anglers Assoc.

MN-FISH