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Hope you're having a grea week on and off the water! Big ol’ thanks for choosing Target Crappie as your fishing fix – you're the best! Please let your crappie-chasing pals know they can get it free by singing up right here. Let's get to it!
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If your email program cuts off the bottom of the email click "View this email in your browser" up top to see the whole thing. Sorry about that – email programs keep changing stuff!
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Big bright baits are the deal now for Kayle Ward
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We got with crappie pro Kayle Ward (left) at last week's 2025 Bassmaster Classic. Kayle runs Reelin’ Them In Guide Service outta Mead, OK and shared some generous juice about catchin' em in south OK and north TX. Here we go:
How are you targeting crappie right now?
> “What I'm doing is targeting the pre-spawn fish moving in. On Lake Fork and Bois d’Arc Lake, the spawn is just getting started. Meanwhile, you still have fish in a winter-to-spring pattern farther north on Eufaula.
> “I'm getting into the creeks and coves, fishing for the fish coming to me. We're working the dirtier, dingier water where the creek water temperatures range from the mid to upper 50s.
> “Even though the spawn is just beginning, I’ll keep targeting pre-spawn fish. They’ll be aggressive, hitting hard over the next couple of weeks.
> “Another 30 days down the road, some fish will already be moving into a post-spawn pattern – then I’ll focus on those fish. I just try to stay ahead of the fish as much as I can.”
What's keying you in on when crappie are actually in full spawn mode?
> “One of the key things I start focusing on is when you begin catching males that are already colored up, showing their springtime hues – your male fish tend to darken during this season.
> “From a guide’s perspective, when cleaning these fish, I’ll occasionally spot a female that’s spawned out. That’s when I know the spawn is starting.
> “That trend progresses into cleaning more and more post-spawn fish, and catching an increasing number of colored-up males.”
What baits are you relying on the most this time of year?
> “Fishing that dirty, dingy water, I'm running some of the bigger baits...the 2" Slab Slayer, the 3" Slab Slayer, the 2.25” Slab Hunter, and the Bobby Garland Baby Shad from time to time.
> “Everything I'm running – we're long-pole vertical-fishing for these fish...13-15’ rods, and right now fishing that dirty water.
> “I'm keying in on bright, aggressive baits – that the Mo’ Glo Mud Dauber has been a hot bait here lately. Black/chartreuse and Junebug/chartreuse have been really good lately.
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> “I use brighter [pinks], bolder [blacks], and bigger baits to separate my bait from a natural shad...if they see it, they will generally eat it.
Good stuff! Connect with Kayle and follow follow his guide service here!
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Bite report: Target Crappie takes on Sam Rayburn
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Fresh off the Bassmaster Classic, some of the Target Crappie crew (Chris left, Brett right) headed to Sam Rayburn Rez, TX to chase shallow slabs. Seems like an ideal time to head to the bank, but we found the opposite. Here we go:
> Brett, who knows Rayburn: "The water was high enough for them to be up in the bushes so we showed up expecting them to be stacked in shallow brush and cypress trees. The water temperature and timing were screaming ‘bank’....
But:
> "...the Corps of Engineers is currently drawing down the lake, which is a big deal when they're trying to spawn. They don’t want to be up there, even though all the other conditions are perfect for them to be on the bank.
> "We did find a few fish in the shallows, but they were only up there chasing bait.”
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> "My gut told me they were likely staging on some mid-depth [10-15’] brushpiles, so that’s where we headed when I saw how they were acting in the shallows.
> "The piles closer to shore or next to a flat that still held the right depth were absolutely loaded with fish. That’s actually where we ended up catching our biggest fish of the day.
> "We eventually found some old submerged bridge pilings in 10-12’ with some cover buildup – same deal, loaded.
> “Every fish hit a 1/16-oz jighead with a Bobby Garland Original Baby Shad and a #5 split shot about 8 inches above the jig.
> “It was a heavier rig, but with slick, calm conditions most of the day, I wanted that jig to pendulum down as slowly as possible.
> “We probably caught close to 60 crappie. Every single fish came on that jig.”
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> "We cast past brushpiles, letting the jig pendulum down real slow right over their heads, then used the rod to hold it steady and keep it just above the pile the whole time.
> “You had to watch it the entire time – it was easy to get hung up, so getting dialed in on what the bait was doing with FFS was crucial.
> “After we sat there and caught them off the top of the pile for a while, they sank down into the middle, almost to the bottom.
> “The only adjustment was letting it sink down into the pile a bit instead of swinging over it.
> “You had to have a feel for it – just let the line hang over a branch. If it was in the fish’s face, they’d eat it and come right out of the pile every time.
> "The biggest deal was the Original Baby Shad in the exclusive 'Lonestar shad' color [right] that was only available at the Classic."
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> "We tried switching up some colors – same tackle, method and everything – but they wouldn’t hit it the same."
Rumor has it Bobby Garland might bring these to market...👀
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Spawn cold front? Head to docks/marinas
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From an older but still juicy In-Fisherman post:
> "I can't tell you how many crappie trips have been saved by visiting marinas when offshore fish proved elusive. I've seen it happen from Lake Shasta in CA to Lake Okeechobee in southern FL, and at many lakes in between.
> "...when severe cold fronts drive crappies out of the shallows as they get ready to spawn, they often head to nearby marinas and suspend under floating docks."
> Plankton and shad are attracted to lighted areas at night, and crappies inevitably follow. The fish become accustomed to feeding in that area and remain for extended periods.
> The late winter marina bite may last until water warms into the 50F range...in many highland...impoundments of the central US and mid-South, this pattern can last several months.
> During this period, you can also find crappies bunched up along creek channels, holding from 15' to 50' down, depending on reservoir type, structure, and position of shad schools.
> "Crappies are prone to dramatic shifts in depth, and vertical structure like a bluff bank allows them to shift shallower and deeper without having to move over a broad area.
> "In Brownlee Reservoir on the Snake River, it's not uncommon to find fish 12' down one day and holding at 40' the next – at night they may feed near the surface. Crappies shift depth in response to temperature changes or to follow the shad, which in turn are tracking zooplankton."
> "One of the best all-time spring crappie locations is a bluff area that tapers shallower at one end leading to a pocket with timber, stumps, or brush. The fish gradually move closer to the bay as the water warms....
> "If a cold spell drives them from the shallows, chances are they moved back to that bluff, where you can continue to catch them."
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Last ice – get in the weeds!
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From Hall of Famer Gary Roach (from an Outdoor News podcast):
> “Good crappie fishing right now thrives in the vegetation...that’s where the big ones have migrated to. You can still catch some fish over those deep holes, but to land those big fish, you’ll need to hit the weeds.
> “...drill over the deeper edges of the vegetation and maybe inside that weedline...drop a heavier lure, a jigging spoon, or a beefier jig down through the vegetation.
> “...tip it with a minnow or a plastic body – doesn’t matter as long as you punch through whatever vegetation you’re fishing.
> “...I know anglers prefer green vegetation, but right now, it doesn’t matter. Anything standing will produce fish.
> “These big crappies move in there not only for the cover it provides – those big pike roam and devour anything they can snap up. ...plenty of forage also fills that vegetation now, and that’s why the crappies stick around.”
Target Walleye's Brett McComas agrees – pulled this from a recent vid:
> “It’s a magical time of year...not many people on the ice...if you’re willing to walk out, check ice conditions, and inspect accesses, you can find fish up shallow in skinny water, delivering some of the season’s best fishing with no one else around.
> “...[the bite] heats up with late ice [when snow melts] and water runs back into the holes. That snowmelt floods water back into the holes, re-breathing life into the system...that causes active fish to slide up. ...so many fish push way shallower than you’d expect.
> “With late ice, you also get a shot at landing an absolute giant.”
Go aggressive
> “My first late-ice crappie tip: fish aggressively [when the] temps rise – they’re feeding hard.
> “I’ve nabbed 10-12 fish in a row without bait...[this time of year] you don’t need [bait] when they’re in the right mood.”
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> “Work backwards – start where you know they’ll be in spring. Hit the shallower side first, then work deeper from there.
> “Spend time scanning [with FFS]...when you find them wadded up, it’s worth it."
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Pull your boat to Kentucky/Barkley lakes!
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Couple years of strong spawns have crappie populations booming in lakes Kentucky and Barkley in KY/TN. What KY fisheries biologists had to say about it:
> ...much of the positive results [for anglers] stem from strong crappie populations.
> ...[with] tolerable weather and water conditions through the approaching spawning season and beyond, 2025 should deliver a memorable crappie fishing year.
> Lake Barkley is largely booming...with numbers of keeper crappie.... White crappie spawns in Barkley were good in 2019, 2020 and 2022, while...2021 was even better....
But KY Lake's pumping out numbers and bigger slabs:
> ...It takes about 3 years for freshly hatched crappie fry to grow to the 10” legal size, standard on the 2 sister lakes. Fish from all those positive spawns should be keepers.
> ...KY Lake’s crappie population thrives in numbers [and now] produces more of the larger, ‘slab’-sized crappie.
Sounds like black crappie also are coming on strong, in Barkley in particular:
> KY Lake: ...black crappie pulled off a strong spawn in 2019 [and 2022], yielding some outlandish large crappie...which should mean plenty of fresh 10" fish this year.
> Barkley produced a rather strong spawn of black crappie last year, making it the second spring in a row that the black crappie class actually exceeded that of white crappie. Those fish won’t be keepers until 2026 and 2027, but they’re coming.
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1. TX: Pending white crappie record on Bois’d Arc
No pic of it we could find, but Nick Hauk nabbed a [pending lake record] 2.74-lb white crappie on Mar 10 at Bois’d Arc Lake using a prototype Toad Thumper swimbait – spotted on LiveScope while bass fishing.
> “...[I've] heard several other reports of large crappie hitting artificial baits intended to catch bass.”
2. IL: Midwest slabs are heating up
Water’s warming – crappie are staging shallow for the next 30-45 days. Anglers are slamming ‘em on 1.25" split-tails and minnow baits.
3. LA: Toledo Bend spring slabs
Hit 12-15’ timber and brushpiles with live minnows or Phat Shads (DC Special, Monkey Milk and Highlighter).
Also catching ‘em using 1/32-oz jigs or Aberdeen hooks with splitshot.
4. GA: Shallow slabs in the SE
> Savannah River: Crappie are slamming minnows.
> Dodge County and Alma ponds kickin' out numbers shallow.
> Chartreuse jigs and live minnows rule.
5. OH: State record crappie surprise
18.5” 3.91-lb white crappie almost didn’t get weighed – it beat the 29-year state record by 0.01 lb:
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6. IA: Crappie bite is slow but steady
Docks still out of the water. Water temps in the 40s – crappie are fair to slow around brushpiles and shallow ledges at Geode, Macbride and Wapsi River.
7. WI: Strong shallow weed bite
Crappie are active in 5-8’ weed edges – mornings and evenings shine with flashy jigs tipped with waxies or minnows.
8. PA: Keystone Lake heating up
Crappie are waking with the weather at Crooked Creek.
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9. NY: Steelhead alley slabs
Crappie are in the canals – water temps 48-52° F.
10. TN: 5th Annual 'Big Crappie Bash'
Hosted by ACC Crappie Stix: $12k purse with a $5k grand prize – Apr 26th on Watts Bar Lake
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11. TX: Lake Fork Crappie Fest
THIS SATURDAY on Lake Fork: $5K top prize, $10k for a 3-lb slab or state record, plus kids’ cash. 400+ anglers expected.
12. Sufix's new ultra-finesse braid
Called Sufix Revolve and is specifically designed for finesse applications with spinning setups – Brett McComas from Target Walleye talkin':
> "I had the chance to run a couple reels with 10-lb (perfect all-around size) in the 'neon lime' color last season and it's LEGIT.
> “Casts soooo dang smooth – I could get an extra 30’ casting distance or so when throwing 3/16-oz jigs.
> “Very thin diameter: 🤯 10-lb Sufix Revolve has the same diameter as 6-lb Sufix 832.
> “Used it all last summer – a TON of casts – and never did get a wind knot."
Also has a color-break indicator to equally spool 2 reels.
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13. Good comparison of Humminbird's APEX 13 and XPLORE 12
From The Technological Angler, who's been running both side by side:
> APEX 13: Full-HD resolution, networking, 800 kHz DI – best for big boats, big batteries, and deep wallets.
> XPLORE 12: Built-in Lakemaster maps, uses less power, great value –ideal for smaller rigs or tight budgets.
14. Last call! Win the latest Humminbird and MinnKota stuff
New Humminbird XPLORE 12 fish finder, new Humminbird MEGA Live 2 FFS, and a MinnKota Ultrex QUEST!
All entries are due by 11:59 pm CT on Monday, Mar 31.
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Designed by central TX guide Barry Dodd. What he says in that video:
> “...the payoff’s in the tapered design that allows it to slide through guides effortlessly…joining dissimilar lines without bulk or breakage.”
> 1. Start with an overhand knot in the leader, leaving enough tag to wrap – stick your finger in to hold it.
> 2. Feed the braided line through the knot, pull it down a bit, then wrap the braid around all three strands 15 times.
> 3. Take the braid’s tag, thread it back through the loop, wet the knot, and pull both ends to tighten.
> 4. Grab the leader’s tag, pull it to tuck the knot under the wraps, then yank both main lines tight.
> 5. Trim the tags close with clippers.
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Just gotta throw it back to this slabosaurus – that's Doug Borries' tall-tackle WR 15.35" white crappie. Caught on Oct 22, 2022 on Grenada Lake on a hand-tied jig. 🤯
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