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Hey y’all, hope you’ve been whackin' a bunch of slabs! Back with another Target Crappie and it's a good'n! 🤠
Quick story: While our own Brett Jolley was on the phone with Crappie Masters natty champ Kayle Ward, he was walking around outside. The info was so good, he got distracted and hit his head on the same tree not once but twice – in front of a restaurant. Every time he walked by after that, a whole group of eating folks were yelling at him, "Look out!" 🤣
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Kayle Ward won fishing shallow
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We got a natty winner! That's OK's Kayle Ward who just won the Crappie Master's Nat'l Championship on Lake Eufaula, OK. He went wire to wire for the solo to win – and did it without a net in the boat! 🤯
We got with him to get the juice on how he caught 'em and some good fall fishin' info:
Kayle's pattern
> "It's kind of always won in a different area, but the south end has never been a player – it's got good fish, but it's never had enough good fish.
> "[But] the south end's kind of on its upper cycle right now. I just knew that from guiding. And another tournament in early summer was won on the south end.
> "I went there the 1st day of practice. It's transition time, so I'm gonna start checking the creek channel. I honestly wanted to find roaming fish in the creek channel.
> "They weren't roaming. I got up on the [channel] ledge around noon...and caught a couple big ones. I ran that pattern for a little bit, and I caught a pretty good bag of fish pretty quick.
> "The next day, I took the same pattern to the north end and checked it. Same pattern worked...running creek-channel ledges.
> "The fish wanted to be on top of the ledge, not on the break or on the bottom side. They wanted to find the hard spot. If that ledge had a spot that came up a little higher than the rest of it, that was the key.
> "These fish that I was targeting wanted to be shallow – I stayed in 4-8' all week...the depth of water I was fishing on top of these ledges.
> "They were primarily sitting close to some kind of structure – bigger rock...but most of them were around some kind of wood, and most...were sitting on bottom."
Tournament rundown
> "The backs of the coves had some really good fish in them, somewhat shallow too. I started there and caught a couple keepers, then moved down the lake to the Gaines Creek area on the south end and caught those fish.
> "Day 2 I started in those same coves but did not catch a good one. I saw some, but couldn’t get them to bite. I...moved down south....
> "I just decided, Hey man I gotta do something. I started...fishing water I had scouted, but not water I had caught fish on on day 1. I managed to catch a couple pretty good ones.
> "Day 3 I opted to just stay on the south end and cover more water fishing the same pattern.
> "I fished through the key stretch from day 1 and got a couple. The stretch from day 2 did not produce. I had to start running new water.
> "On the far south end there’s another major creek called Coal Creek. I'd found the same pattern [in practice there] up on top of the creek ledge – about a 300-yard stretch.
> "I watched it all week, never saw a boat in there. I was saving them until I absolutely had to.
> "I went to them later...on day 3, caught 2 of my better fish late, and that sealed the deal for me."
He noted that the weather didn't change much, and said he spends 95% of his fishing time doing an "S" pattern with his trolling motor! 😳
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How did you cover all of that water efficiently?
> "I was running just a couple deals...a 1/16-oz jighead with a Bobby Garland Baby Shad on it. If they would not bite that, I would instantly switch over and put a minnow on.
> "I was trying to fish aggressive. I tried to put the bait on their nose as quick as I could and almost get a reaction strike out of them."
Was there anything about your approach that would surprise people?
> "I think a lot of people were shocked I was fishing that shallow. I’d say 70% of my tournament fish came in 6' or less.
> "Most guys said, 'Man, we don't even look that shallow in Sept.' I think a lot of people just missed it. To be honest, it wasn’t my plan either. I stumbled into it.
> "That first few hours of practice, I found them shallow. That gave me confidence and I stuck with it. The lake was also turning over – fall transition time.
> "I think some fish were pushing shallower while others were going deeper. Some guys did well extremely deep, I was on the extreme shallow end.
> "I also don’t think anybody else was looking at the exact stuff I was fishing. That saved me – I didn’t have to share fish."
Any other tools help you this week?
> "Boat control was huge. Power Brakes let me cover water, then stop the boat without prop-washing fish. If I had to rely on just the trolling motor, I’d have blown fish out. Having a brake system 30' away from the fish let me set up clean.
> "Rod-wise, I fished by myself all week, and the Power Crappie (now Power Fishing) rods were key. The 13' Jerry Hancock Patriot model was perfect. It’s got a softer tip but plenty of backbone.
> "I couldn’t have netted those fish – they were too shallow. I had to set the hook and boat-flip them. That rod let me flip 2-lbers with ease.
> "Other than that, it was just about being efficient – cover a lot of water, stop fast, put the bait on the fish, and flip them in quick. I probably covered 4-5 miles of water a day."
His winning setup
> Bobby Garland Baby Shad (diamond mist), 1/16-oz Cyclops Jighead, 12-lb fluoro, baitcasting reel, 13' Power Crappie Patriot Jerry Hancock Signature Series Rod.
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5 Qs with the Natty Champ
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1. Do you think crappie are shallow more often than people realize?
> "On certain lakes, absolutely.
> "I’ve always said from Jul until about Oct, crappie are shallower than they are in spring. Once temps start dropping back into the low 70s, they spread.
> "In Aug, when water temps are in the 90s, I catch some of my shallowest fish. That’s when the thermocline is set the hardest. Sometimes fish don’t have a choice – they have to go shallow to survive.
> "The muddier the water, the more true that is. At places like Hugo and Eufaula, those guys hardly ever fish deeper than 10'. There’s even a running joke that OK guys don’t have enough line on their poles to fish deep."
2. You mentioned turnover. How have you seen that affect crappie?
> "I’ve always felt like turnover makes things harder – more hit or miss. A
lot of times I’ve rushed deep when it happens, and in cleaner water I think [crappie] do push deeper.
> "[This tournament] was the first time I’ve really seen them push super shallow during turnover. Honestly I’ve never looked that shallow during turnover. It opened my eyes – I’ll be doing things different from now on."
3. How can people get better at putting their jig on target when they’re zooming around looking for fish?
> "Boat control. Always have control of your boat before you try to put a bait in the water.
> "Most people try to fish before they’ve got the boat settled. If you don’t have boat control, you won’t have rod control.
> "Get the boat set, then use your LiveScope to know where that target is, and then precisely put your bait there."
4. Do fish in your area trigger better if you drop right on their nose, or do you pendulum past them?
> "In muddy water, I want it on their nose fast. No pendulum. Around here [in dirtier water] the fish aren’t in a chasing mood.
> "I want to put it right in their face and get that reaction strike – like throwing a ball at your face, you react without thinking."
5. What do you look for in a good area – bait presence, clarity, trash – or lack of – in the water?
> "I was focused on dirtier, dingier water. That’s what I’ve always targeted for white crappie. Bigger white crappie love dingy water.
> "Not saying there weren’t tournament fish in clean water. There were. In summer and early fall, you get better bites and healthier fish in dingy water. Same year-class of fish, but they weigh more.
> "I think those fish feed off lateral lines more than sight. Spring is different – cleaner water can be better. But late summer/early fall, dingy water is what I always look for."
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Catch 'em on the transition
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Up north, crappie don’t just flip a switch when fall hits – they slide their way from late-summer weeds toward deeper basins. Those transition zones can be tough to figure out, but Nicole Stone's good fall breakdown on virtualangling.com gives some insight on how to stay on ‘em as temps drop. Here's some excerpts:
> During late summer they can still be found in the weeds, but are often starting to transition heavily off of breaklines, deeper structure, and near submerged cover (or cribs) as day shortens, temps quickly cool....
> Catching them during the transitions can be tricky, but you can either troll through these zones or rely on [live sonar] to scope them out.
> Day to day changes coincide heavily with the weather as they navigate the quickly-changing water temps.
Tactics to catch 'em
> Once the water cools down, finesse becomes more important.... Identifying a pod 20, 30 or 40' off of the boat is key. Find your favorite lightweight gear and pitch small jigs, plastics, and especially live bait.
> The key is to let the light presentation fall through the pod of the fish, then initiate a slow retrieve.
> When fall is in full force and the crappies hold even deeper, vertical jigging...allows more control of the lure, and even the smallest changes in technique can make a big difference in the number of crappie you [catch].
> ...light and ultralight setups, 4-lb line, and tiny lead or ice tungsten.... A 1/24 to 1/8-oz jig is usually effective.... As a rule of thumb, the tougher the bite, the smaller the jigs.
> ...white, chartreuse, and pink are always good places to start.
> During a tough fall bite I dig out the live bait. A minnow paired with a Bobby Garland Mo' Glo Jighead or Lindy Tungsten Toad are key....
Nicole's fall setup
> Crappie Mo' Glo Jig, Lindy Tungsten Toad, 4-lb Berkley Trilene 100% Fluoro, 6' 4" St Croix Panfish Series Light & Ultralight Rods.
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Start TX-rigging your tubes
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Ever tried TX-rigging a tube for crappie? Scott T shared this trick in the Charlie Brewer’s Slider Fishing Users Facebook group – he’s catching slabs right out of the weedlines on it. Here’s how he rigs and fishes it:
> I prefer using the Slider Fishing 1.5" tubes over other 1.5" tubes (so the plastic doesn't cover the hook). Slider tubes are small diameter and slightly shorter.
> Slider Fishing doesn't make these tubes in a lot of colors, but 'white/chartreuse' and 'black/chartreuse' will catch anything that swims.
> The hook is a Gamakatsu #6 Octopus Hook. Octopus hooks...have different hook gaps for the same size hook. The Gamakatsu works perfect.
> A 3mm bead between the hook and the tungsten bullet weight...prevents the tungsten bullet weight from pushing the tube ever so slightly back on the hook.
> The tungsten bullet weight is a Nako 1/16-oz. You can also use 1/32-oz. I typically use the 1/16-oz because of wind and current.
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How to rig it
> Start by putting the point of the hook dead center in the front of the tube. Turn the hook point down and come right back out of the tube. Keep the distance short from entry to exit. Next, rotate the hook 180 degrees and orient the plastic on the hook.
> Lay the hook next to plastic and note where the hook will need to go through the body of the tube. You will want to put the hook through the tube, slightly behind this point (about 1mm). This will help keep the tube pushed up against the nose of the hook.
> Now put the hook point perfectly vertical through the tube, coming out on top of the tube. You can ever so slightly skin hook the point in the tube if needed. I prefer not to.
How to fish it
> ...throw it into the weed edge and...let it sink to the bottom, give it 2 or 3 hops with my rod tip, and let it sink again.
> Don't be afraid to make those hops be 1-3'. The fish will usually hit it on the fall or as soon as hits bottom. I also have good luck hopping this over submerged vegetation, bouncing along the top of the weeds.
> When casting into the weed edge, weeds can wrap around the bullet weight. If you feel this happening, just give it a rip with your rod and you can usually clear this. Be sure the tube is pushed up against the hook point when casting.
Great tip, thank you Scott!
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Congrats fellas! Check out the juice from their prior Rend Lake, IL win here in a previous Target Crappie!
3. TX: Where to chase slabs rn
Sounds like it's on so here's the full rundown:
> Arlington: Crappie are great as fish begin to put on more weight for winter and big schools of crappie can be found around brush and timber around river and creek channels.
> Athens: Crappie are schooled up on main lake brushpiles and deep grass lines in 12-20' hitting crappie jigs or minnows.
> Bob Sandlin: Crappie are excellent in timber, brush and around docks with jigs or minnows. The best bite is...8-15'.
> Bois d'Arc: Crappie are excellent. Fish are starting to transition to deeper water to a fall pattern, but can still be shallow. Use hand tied jigs or minnows...concentrating efforts in 15-25'.
> Brownwood: Crappie are excellent on minnows and jigs off deeper large docks with brush on the main lake and on scattered brushpiles in 10-20'.
> Cypress Springs: Crappie are excellent in 12-25' on brush and docks with hand tied jigs or minnows.
> Fork: Black crappie are stacking up in huge numbers this week on brush piles and other structures biting small hand tied jigs swam over them or small jig heads tipped with minnows are working to get them in the boat.
> White crappie are also showing up on timber along creek channels in 18-28' That bite has gotten stronger and the minnow tipped jig heads are working well on those fish.
> Granbury: Crappie fishing continues to be excellent on small minnows and jigs.
> Nacogdoches: Crappie are excellent in 12-18' with bigger fish in timber, and smaller fish in the brush with crappie jigs. Best color jig will be chartreuse due to the water stain.
> Naconiche: Crappie are excellent on the biggest brush piles you can find. The best lure has been white and chartreuse crappie jigs.
> Houston: Crappie are biting well in the East Fork, holding tight to structure in 12-14' and hitting minnows or small hand-tied jigs, especially before 10 a.m.
4. NC/SC: Hit these 4 lakes for fall slabs
Carolina Sportsman has the details ^, but here's the lakes: High Rock, Jordan, Wateree and Greenwood.
5. CA: Lake Isabella crappie are on
> ...finding submerged structure is the key for crappie which are plentiful throughout the lake. The best numbers are found near Red’s Marina with mini-jigs, live shiners, or small Keitech swimbaits.
6. AR: Crappie aren't on yet
But you can still get your pole jerked for sure. Full report at the link ^.
7. Easy way to dial in your MEGA Live 2
Awesome vid from Target Walleye (Target Crappie...but for walleye 😃) with 3 easy steps to calibrate your Humminbird MEGA Live 2 and get a super clear image.
8. Check the Z-Man Micro Finesse size comparisons
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Looks just like those horseflies that tear your ankles up in the spring! Match the hatch lol!
11. New Lund 1700/1800 explorer aluminum boats
The Explorer series is available in 2 sizes: 1700 (17') and 1800 (18') with multiple configuration options to match a variety of fishing styles:
• Tiller – Hands-on control with maximum floor space
• SS (Side Console) – Simplified steering with room to fish
• Sport (Dual Console) – Added protection and versatility
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Use live crawfish too too?
Where else would you expect a crawfish crappie tip from? 😁 Here's some juice from Louisiana Sportsman – LA crappie pro Jason Thomas talkin':
> "Crappie tear crawfish up, but you won’t see many folks fishing with them.
> "These things are full of nutrients and are all over the place, especially around shallow cypress trees and the grass mats. It’s the same principle as fishing grass shrimp, but with a little bigger profile."
> The ideal size crawfish for crappie is around 2", but in a pinch you can use 3-inchers.
> Usually the bigger fish will go for bigger crawfish. [Jason] said that if you want to try fishing with a live crawfish, rig one up under a slip cork with a small weight and fish it close to structure, like boat docks and cypress trees.
> Try to put the hook through the bait where it won’t stop the bait from moving its tail and having plenty of action.
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Check out this golden slab – and it ain't even fried yet! 😆
This (not so) black crappie was caught by DE's Michael Brown on MD's Lake Wilson and could be the first ever golden black crappie ever recorded in MD. Michael released it so maybe it can make some more golden slabs! 😍
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