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Hope you’ve been whackin’ a bunch of slabs! Don't know about y'all, but I LOVE DIAGONAL TREES. Seems like 75% of the time, if a tree or stump is at a 45-degree angle, it's got fish on it.

Here's a couple trees I've been fishing lately for black crappie:

Seems like these things always have something to catch on 'em!

Pre-spawn creek fishing 🧃

If there's anybody in the country that can catch a crappie up a creek, it's this guy – Wally 'Mr. Crappie' Marshall. Not just talking little creeks either. I'm talkin' lake tributaries, creeks off rivers, any defined creek you can get a boat in.

Here's his rundown of how we should be fishing creeks this time of year:

What things do people overlook this time of year when fishing creeks? 

> "One thing that they mess up on is fishing too fast. The water's still cold. It's pre-spawn. Water temperature might be in the low 50s or 40s.

> "You have to slow down. You have to hold that jig in there just a little bit longer.

> "Or you need to leave a float out there with that jig on it just a little bit longer. Don't move it as fast. Let it sit. Twitch it in place. Make a little sound. Crappie will find it.

> "A lot of people don't fish this time of year because they can't find 'em.

> "If the water temperature is cooler than 55 degrees, I would be looking for crappie suspended out over deeper water.

> "When we were little kids, my parents took us fishing in the creeks when it was cool like this. We would throw a bobber out over the center of the creek and only have it down like 3' [and catch crappie]. 

> "What's happening is, the sun's beating down on the water – that top 3-5' is the warmest. The crappie are coming up and suspending out over deeper water. When that happens, you can't see them on your depthfinder.

> "When that happens, there's nothing on brushpiles. They've all pulled off of that because most of them are staging in the mouths of the [main-lake] creeks and are out in the middle over deeper water." 

How do you find those suspended fish?

> "Creeks change from year to year. That log that was there last year may not be there this year. I start going up those creeks...and whenever I stop seeing baitfish, I stop and fish back out.

> "You can do that with any regular 'ol depthfinder."

Do you look for a certain water temperature or just the presence of bait?

> "The presence of the bait out over the center of the creek, but you need to be looking for water temperatures in the mid-50s and on into 60 degrees. 

> "When it starts to get right at 60 degrees, a lot of those crappie will stick their nose right against the bank. They're not spawning yet, that's just where the warmest water is."

What are the high-percentage areas in shallower creeks right now?

> "I just start looking for visual structure – laydowns, where a creek makes a bend and it's got a sandbar that comes up with a little dropoff. 

> "A lot of times I like to go around the banks, but I keep my jig in the water when I'm moving from one visual structure to another. There might be a little limb lying there or a dropoff with some fish on it." 

Is there one specific type of cover that's the best?

> "Laydowns or log jams out in the middle of the creek that come up to about 4-5' under the surface – that's money right there."

_____

Here's Wally's creek casting setup:

> Mr. Crappie Shadpole ('hotchicken.com', 'limetreuse'), 1/16-oz Mr. Crappie Sausage Head Jig Head, 6-lb Mr. Crappie High-Vis Mono, Mr. Crappie Peg-eez cigar float, Wally Marshall Pro Target Spinning Reel, 7' Wally Marshall Pro Target Spinning Rod.

Why do crappie love tubes? And some tube options

It's one of the oldest baits in the book, but what in the world does that thing even look like? A shad? Kinda but not really. A bug? Kinda but not really.

I asked Wally that question since it's the 25th anniversary of the Mr. Crappie Crappie Thunder. Here's his 2c:

> "It bumfuzzles me why they like that bait.

> "It's kinda like a baitfish, but it could be representing a little creature bug. I just think it's some type of creature – it's only 1 5/8 inches long, but that fat body gives a big image, especially murky, stained water.

> "It's deadly around bushes, any kind of structure."

I got to thinkin' – there's a bunch of different tube baits out there that are pretty neat, so I rounded some up:

Z-Man Llama Tubes

These tubes are pretty cool – they're that ultra-durable, floating Z-Man plastic, and because they're technically made for bass, they have a little bigger profile. It's a 2" bait but has a pretty wide body, so it moves a ton of water – could be killer in dirty water right now! 👀

They MSRP $5.99, check 'em out on Tackle Warehouse!

Great Lakes Finesse Micro Juvy Craw Tube

Don't sleep on the craw-shape baits! A 2" craw similar to this is what got the team of Dan Langston and Colby Barnett the W this time last year on Lake Eufaula Crappie Masters!

I've mentioned the Great Lakes Finesse baits on here a few times – they're made for smallmouth, but I think they're super slept-on for crappie. Anyways, the Micro Juvy Craw comes in at 2" and is another bulky presentation for that size.

$6.99 on Tackle Warehouse but they're 25% off right now with TW's spring sale!

2.5" NetBait STH BaitFuel Finesse Tubes

These NetBait STH BaitFuel Finesse Tubes are built a little differently than your regular tube – 40/60 body-to-tail design gives better hook exposure, and they’re loaded with BaitFuel’s X55 scent.

Good deal when the bite gets tough, and you need something with a little extra edge!


MSRP $5.49 – check 'em out on Tackle Warehouse!

Cold muddy water? You can catch 'em! Some tips...

If you follow the Grenada Lake, MS crappie scene, you know Jamison Carr. Jamison is an AL crappie pro and guide who spends a pile of time on Grenada and 100% knows how to track down slabs in muddy water.

Caught up with Jamison at the Grizzly Jigs Show, and he shared some cold-water, dirty water juice you’ll want to hear:

What are the main things people need to think about when they're fishing really muddy water?

> "Early in the spring use really bright baits, something fish can see. I use a lot of chartreuse and orange.

> "Certain times we do use a little garlic to see if it helps out. Some days you can tell a difference, some days you can't if they're hitting on sight."

> "[You also need the] patience to sit there in the wintertime and hold that bait on the fish long enough for them to hit it. Sometimes it may take 5 minutes to sit in there with a bait on his nose til he actually decides to hit it.

> "Don't get in a hurry. Give that fish a chance to see that bait and decide he wants to hit it. Don't just drop it on him and then move on."

When those fish are being stubborn like that, are there any little things you can do to trigger the bite? 

> "Sometimes you might use a little motion – we tap the rod [to give it] a little vibration.

> "But, that's the last resort – you might spook him. But if he's not wanting to commit at all, tap your rod a little bit, get a little vibration. It might make him react to it."

How are you finding fish in muddy water after cold snaps?

> "After a big cold snap, fish get out and set up 2-3' [under the surface], usually out in the middle of the lake right now.

>"We'll be fishing sometimes in 18' of water, but the fish will be up 2-3' deep.

> "[When they're that shallow] you don't want to drop it right on his head. 

> "We try to drop it in front of him and pull it back to him, or go behind him and ease the bait over the top of him and let it down. Don't run right up to him and just splash the bait right on the water right on top of his head."

Good stuff! Here's Jamison's setup:

> 3" Bonehead Tackle Slim Stick ('Grenada gold', 'confetti chartreuse'), 1-oz pegged egg sinker, Grenada Lake Tackle jighead, 45-lb 4-strand braid, Diawa Laguna Spinning Reel (2000), 16' Dobyns Hyperlite Series Rod.

If you wanna see a cool vid of how Jamison drops his jig on fish, check out this YouTube short of him stalking and catching a biggun!

Crappie can't hear your sonar but...

...they can definitely hear your trolling motor. This deal became a hot topic when we really started to see FFS "affect" fish. Quote marks because – what's actually affecting them?

I've always been in the camp of "don't ya think they're a little more worried about the 19-21' of noise-making stuff behind the FFS 'ducer?" Just thinkin' out loud, I'm no rocket surgeon! 😅

Whether you believe fish hear sonar or not, check out this post from the Technological Angler breaking down what fish actually hear:

> Can fish detect sonar? Here's what the biological and behavioral science says about fish detecting sonar. In a word....NO. 

> The vast majority of fish cannot detect the typical sound frequencies we use – from traditional 2D sonar all the way up to FFS. 

> It has been well established...that most fish cannot detect sound frequencies higher than 2 or 3 kHz. Keep in mind that the lowest available frequency on common 2D sonars is 50 kHz. 

> That story tells us what fish can't detect. What kinds of sounds can they detect? LOW-FREQUENCY noise. What creates low-frequency noise?

> Running outboard motors, trolling motors – especially old, creaky ones, opening and closing compartments, stomping around on the deck, digging around in the cooler, dropping a box of leadhead jigs on the floor.

> Low-frequency noise CAN be detected by fish and cause them to change their behavior. High-frequency sonar CANNOT.

Btw The Technological Angler, Dr Jason Halfen, has a PhD in chemistry from the U of MN and has authored 60+ scientific journals and knows boat tech inside and out.

I thought – besides your buddy rummaging around in the cooler stealing your snacks, there's really nothing the fish can hear from you when you're panning around looking for 'em...except your trolling motor and boat slap.

With all the pressure now, it seems like one of the best ways to adjust to that noise sensitivity is to make sure you're getting around real quietly on the trolling motor.

I've been using the Minn Kota Ultrex QUEST since Oct and have noticed a huge difference in noise output. I just don't get that loud, low, mechanical whir that I did with my original Ultrex.

On top of that, you don't get any of that creaking noise when you're turning or thrusting – real solid frame on the QUEST and I really do believe the low volume paired with the speed of that thing puts a lot more fish in the boat.

Btw, Minn Kota Ultrex QUESTs are on sale right now on Tackle Warehouse. If you're hunting for a new trolling motor, now might be the time!

Also: Even science says/thinks bass can't hear FFS, in pressured lakes they for sure sometimes react when you turn it on!

Check out this icy up-bite 👀

Check out this sick vid from MN panfish 🔨 Travis Tut of Tut Outdoors showing a prime example of what an "up-bite" looks like out on the ice! Crazy how little that crappie had to move up to knock complete slack in the line and make that bobber fall over!

Same deal happens to us Southern guys too – just another example of why it's so important to watch that rod tip and see if it loses any bend!

Btw, if you're looking to get into the underwater camera game to make sure you know exactly what's going on around your bait and make sure you don't miss any bites, the Aqua-Vu AV822 [8" display] HD Pro Camera and the Aqua-Vu Multi-Vu Revolution [made to be used with an existing compatible screen] are both on sale on Tackle Warehouse right now. 👀

1. Why Eric Watts like the new 'splatter' Baby Shad

Says it works "tremendously well in clear water on bright sunny days." Check that color out along with all of the new Bobby Garland Baby Shad colors here on Lurenet.com!

2. IA state record got snatched on Super Bowl Sunday

A 3.95-lb black crappie! 🤯 That's Clear Lake, CA caliber! That giant was caught by Micaiah Thompson when he skipped the Super Bowl to head out to Lake of Three Fires.

Beat the previous state record of 3.88 lbs and caught it on a green ice jig tipped with a minnow.

Congrats on the fish of a lifetime – looks like he got all the football he needed! 😅

3. Crappie Chronicles got the biggest WI crappie ever...

...caught on camera. A 16.5" monster, and they just used a flasher on a Humminbird Helix 7! Check out the full video here!

4. Big Minn Kota and Humminbird sale still on!

Upgrade it all if you can!

5. MN: Crappie caught in 24'+ have high barotrauma death

> The highest rates of mortality were associated with fish caught from deep water, and ranged from 50% in deeper water to 10% in water shallower than 24'.

Couple thoughts:

• Only 10% mortality shallower than 24'? I feel like 24' is way deeper than you would think to see that mortality rate take an exponential turn – I'd expect 15+.
• If you're a C&R guy, you might want to consider harvesting if you're catching 'em real deep.

6. AR: 77 new crappie piles dropped on Lake Ouachita

Check out the DNR map here to see where they placed the new ones along with EVERY fish attractor location in the state.

7. AR: Norfolk crappie are munching...

.> "...8-12' deep over 15-20' of water."

8. TX: Crappie bite on 🔥 on...

• Cypress Springs: Crappie are excellent as fish migrate shallow to spawning grounds. The fish will spook easily, so cast versus vertically jig.

• Fork: Crappie are stacked up on deep timber along the main lake creek channels. Look for fish in the 35-60' depth range with fish around 15-30' down.... Small hand-tied jigs and minnows are working well.

• Cedar Creek: The crappie bite continues to improve...with small jigs and minnows in 14-22' around bridge pylons, brushpiles and docks.

• Lake O' the Pines: Crappie are good at the mouths of coves on timber...bigger fish are shallower in 10-20'.... The best bite is with 1/16-oz hand ties.

As a Pines local, I can confirm that they are indeed getting stacked there around the 155!

9. Have you fished this crappie-fied "Alabama rig"?

That's the Road Runner Reality Shad Buffet Rig – looks juicy! You can troll or cast it.

10. IN DNR hiring more conservation officers

11. Andrew Gritzbaugh is new Grundens CEO

Worked at MeatEater and most recently Grunt Style.

12. Yamaha FY '25 revenue about flat but income down

Revenue down 2%, operating income down 30%:

> The company cited tariffs among the reasons for the declines, noting that it has already paid $354.7 mil in tariffs in 2026 compared with $111.6 mil for all of 2025.

Random

WI man turns an old porta-potty into an ice shack

Whatever it takes man! 😬

Find heat conductors

Yeah! Cuz the fish gotta stay warm too. Sneaky tip from a B'n'M Poles post with Brushpile Fishing TV host Russ Bailey talkin' why "heat conductors" can be loaded with crappie in the pre-spawn:

> Russ Bailey's favorite early spring fishing spots on any lake are around aluminum boat docks or anchored pontoon boats.

> He said the aluminum in the water is a good conductor of heat early in the season, and crappie will gather under and around aluminum structure as it transfers heat to the water during the day.

Those black dock floats on lakes with a lot of floating docks hold a ton of heat too.

Looks like this guy has it down, my only recommendation would be to add a little more Tony's! 😉 🤣

That's MS crappie 🔨 and guide Hayden Jeffries holding 6.78 lbs of Clear Lake, CA crappie! Dang! He said in his post from Jan 20 those fish broke his PB twice in a day!

National Professional Anglers Assoc.

MN-FISH