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Well folks, I'm temporarily out of commission in the boat arena – had a wheel bearing weld itself to my spindle and in the process of trying to find the load capacity of my axle, I found some SERIOUS fiberglass damage on the bottom of my rig. 😖

Not happy about the situation, but I'll call it a blessing in disguise – just happy my hull didn't delaminate while I had family or clients in the boat. That'd be no bueno, man.

Thankfully, I'm getting a new trailer out of the deal too, which I'm in dire need of – gotta take the rig slabbin' in the Northwest in May...👀

How Les got the solo W on D'Arbonne

That's a feat, man! Lake D'Arbonne, LA has some intelligent fish swimming around, and OK's Les Standstipher got the right 10 crappie all by himself this past weekend for a 2-day total of 23.37. Just a 0.17 margin over 2nd = tiiiight!

Here's the 🧃 on how he got it done.

Practice

> "[In practice] I looked at an area that was mid-lake, saw a few decent fish in an area called Stow Creek, and found what I thought was a solid bag there.

> "I wanted to check a few more areas. I fished a little bit of history [then] ran into a buddy of mine that was about half a mile from the area I wanted to fish. I told him I was gonna get out of his way. 

> "I took a shot in the dark and dropped the trolling motor down in this area by the dam. The first fish I see is a big fish – 32' deep. Thousands of baitfish were on the graph.

> "I was running my graph at 35' deep, 50' out, and I see these fish sliding in and out of these baitfish – just kind of catching glimpses of 'em. I dropped down [on the big one and] as soon as she saw that bait, she grabbed it. It was a 2.25.

> "I scan for probably another 150 yards in that same area, and I see 7 or 8 absolute giants [so] I just got out of there. There was no point in sticking any more fish."

Tournament

> "[On the 1st morning of the tournament] I made a run to my first area – I knew I could catch 5 2-lbers. By 3 minutes after 9:00, I had 11.23.

> "I made a run [to the dam area] and a boat was easing across it. I slid in behind him, and I could see [the other boat] out in front of me at 75-80'. Underneath his [engine] was a giant fish.

> "I let him get about another 50-75 yards up, rolled over and dropped on her and she was a 2.86.

> "That culled a 1.99 and put me at 11.76. I knew with 11.76 that I was going to be in the hunt, so I left that area and went searching for another kicker for the rest of the day. I never stuck another [tournament grade] fish in 5 hours. 

> "[On the 2nd tournament day] I turned the corner to go back to the spot where I had started on [the 1st] morning, and 20 of the 60 boats in the field were in that area.

> "I went straight back to [the dam area], lines in at 7:00, and at 8:03 I had 11.64 on my scale. 

> "I spent the next 7 hours of my day hunting the kicker I thought I needed, and I never put another fish in the boat. I literally caught everything in the first hour, only dropping on the right type of tournament fish."

Winning bait/rig

> 1/8-oz Crappie Slammers Sickle Hook Jig Head (unpainted), Crappie Slammers Shimmer Stick (purple), 1/8-oz pegged egg sinker, 10-lb mono, 3 Pound Fishing Spinning Reel (1000 size), 15' 3 Pound Fishing Savage Scoping Rod.

Dam ends of lakes are not typically white crappie territory – what made that area so special? 

> "I knew people had been there all week pre-fishing. I had seen pictures all over the internet of [other competitors] down there just beating the faces off 'em.

> "There's a ski area and a huge flat with a channel that runs right down through the middle of it. There were boats all in the middle of the channel in that southeast end [of the lake]. 

> "The more pressure those crappie got, the further they push towards the dam to get away from people."

You're saying the actual boat presence was moving those entire groups of crappie? 

> "Absolutely. The water temperature was 56-57 degrees. As soon as the days start getting to that 12-13 hours of daylight, they'll be ready to spawn. 

> "If there's a bunch of boats [around staging fish], they're either going to move further out, or they're going to slide up on the flats away from everybody. 

> "They're like big deer – they start to feel that pressure, they get smarter and they start pushing away a little bit."

How Les stayed sneaky

If you've been there, you know those D'Arbonne fish are finicky. Whoever won that tournament was going to have to sneak around like a ninja! 🥷

Here's a few Qs about how Les kept from spooking those fish:

What gear helped you keep from spooking those fish?

> "The biggest thing was going directly upwind onto the flat...turn and come back [directly downwind] down the break [into deep water].

> "[Going with the wind] I used my Power Brakes to keep my tail into the wind.

> "When I would get over those fish, I would just hammer on those brakes and hold myself over the top of them where they couldn't hear that boat slap. [Avoiding] boat slap was a big deal."

How were you presenting your bait to those fish in a way that would not spook them?

> "When you pitched out, you didn't want your jig to splash on the water, even though the fish were 30' down. If it splashed and they heard it, they would get in those balls of baitfish and hide from you.

> "Once [the bait] got about 6-8' over the top of them, I started slowing the drop down, waiting to see which direction that they would push, and I would just point the rod over.

> "I was moving the bait to where they were going, not where they were.

> "Once you got [the bait] in front of them, you could just deadstick it – you may have to hold your bait on that fish for 20-30 seconds before it finally reacted. It was just a really subtle deadstick where you didn't move the bait at all."

Is there anything that you do, no matter what lake you're on, to not spook fish?

> "I do a lot of scanning at 50' moving about 2.2-3.0 [mph and] scanning 10-2 [like a steering wheel 10-2] all the time.

> "When I see a fish at 30', I let off of my trolling motor, keep my eyes focused on the fish and let my boat drift.

> "When I get to where I'm in pitching range, I'll touch my brakes to keep the noise as far back as possible.

> "I'll pitch out past the fish, and as I'm drifting forward to the fish, I let the bait pendulum down. When I get right over the top of the fish, I reach back, touch my brakes and I stop the bait right over the top of them.

> "You also need to identify the head and the tail of the fish – a D'Arbonne fish, especially. If the bait comes from behind him and he feels vibration, it's like he's got a rocket in his tail. You have to come in from the front of them."

Follow the shade – everywhere!

Even if it's not under a tree or a dock! Here's a little old-school crappie fishing wisdom from Crappie Wisdom: An In-Fisherman Handbook of Strategies (1985) posted by The Old Tackle Box. The book was written by a bunch of hammers, including one of the 🐐s of fishing, Al Linder.

> Ever notice how a rockpile can be loaded at sunrise...then feel empty an hour later? The fish didn’t leave – they just slid with the light. Early-morning crappies cruise the top of the pile while the sun is low and they’re comfortable feeding high in the water column.

> As the sun gets higher, they shift to the shady side and stack along the first breakline. That edge becomes the ambush lane where minnows pass over deep water, and suddenly a tight school replaces the scattered roamers.

> By midday, they drop deeper and hug the steep side of the structure, especially near weeds or irregular spots. Same piece of structure all day – you just have to follow the sun instead of running to the next spot.

The cool deal about this is it's universal for all kinds of structure! Keeping the shade line in mind can reveal those good grasslines, and sides of brushpiles and docks fish will be stacked on.

I see this kind of thing happen all the time on Sam Rayburn. Usually on those brushpiles out there, even if there's 50 fish on it, there's normally a "spot on the spot" – a shade pocket on the brushpile.

A lot of crappie will tuck behind the sides of the piles, depending on the position of the sun, and those are normally the fish that are easiest to catch because they're sitting there waiting to ambush.

Just something to keep in mind!

Would you fish a fuzzy bait for crappie?

Fuzzy and dice baits seem to be takin' over the pro bassin' world right now. So...would crappie be all over 'em too?

The bass guys are suing them with Scope, but it doesn't have to be just a LiveScope deal. The bassin' guys are throwing those fuzzy dice weightless, Neko-rigged (wacky style with a small inserted weight) or dropshotted.

Why hasn't the fuzzy dice bug caught on to crappie fishing? Even just rigging 'em like a traditional crappie plastic like that Z-Man Fuzzy TRD I have rigged in the pic. 🤔

Not sure but have you tried it yet? If you're interested in giving it a shot, here's a few crappie-sized dice/fuzzy baits on Tackle Warehouse – including a few I've actually thrown for crappie. 👀

Z-Man Fuzzy Nuggetz, Fuzzy Bugz and Fuzzy TRD

Coming in at 0.5", 1.75", 2.75" (body) respectively. They're all made of Z-Man's floaty and ultra-durable ElaZtech plastic, so you're not just getting a couple of fish out of 'em. All 3 are $9.99 for a pack on Tackle Warehouse.

Yamamoto Fuzzy Nut

This guy has a 1.5" body and is a little more streamlined – might be a good deal for casting? MSRP $9.49 on Tackle Warehouse.

The OG in this category is the OSP Dice Rubber in the salted and non-salt versions – they're 0.5" cubes.

OSP Saikoro Dice Rubber

The dice that started it all! A little spendier at $19.99 on Tackle Warehouse with a salted and unsalted version. Something about the way this thing moves (or...doesn't?) just drives bass crazy, especially in clearer water. Could be a move for the slabs!

What you throw it? 🤔

Ya never know, man – fish will bite some crazy things!

"We used to brag about 'he who drilled thousands of holes would usually win'. Now the guy who drills the least amount of holes and catches the most fish wins."

- That's MN guide Brad Hawthorne talkin' in a Humminbird YouTube video about how much efficiency matters now when you're chasing fish on hard water.

Cool deal, definitely worth a watch, showing you how to chase big 'ol schools of crappie using Humminbird MEGA Live 2 without having to make your area look like it just took an artillery shelling! 😅

Tap the pic to see that video! 👇

Btw, MEGA Live 2 live sonar is on on sale at Tackle Warehouse right now. And so is a lot of Minn Kota stuff!

1. TX pro Clay Gann says look for low-water crappie spawning on stumps

And trees!

2. LA: Catch 'em on Cross Lake...

...on or near structure in creeks, bayous and open water, especially where bait is present, as they ease out of winter patterns and stay tight to the bottom.

3. TX: Crappie bite 'excellent' on...

• Dunlap: Crappie are excellent on minnows.

• Cedar Creek: Target crappie with small jigs and minnows in 7-12' around bridge pylons, brushpiles, and docks. Anglers are finding success by staying mobile, catching several fish per spot before moving on.

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

4. AR: Plenty of slabs to be caught on...

• Monticello: This lake is as healthy as I have ever seen it. There are not too many places in the state, or even the country, where you can boat that many quality fish in half a day.

• Greers Ferry: Crappie are being caught mainly in 20-25' on brushtops throwing a 1/2-oz white or silver jighead with a 'monkey milk' or threadfin shad-pattern jig.

• Lake Maumelle: Crappie are fair. They’re being caught in 20-30'. Crappie are hanging in the channel, roughly 30-40' deep. Jigs and minnows will entice the most active fish to bite.

• Little Maumelle River: The river is at normal height but murky. Crappie were biting well before the rain in 8-9'. Crappie had been biting on both jigs and minnows. Blue/black jig color.

• Arkansas River (Little Rock area pools): Crappie can be found around wood or rock piles in the backwater. Black/chartreuse crappie jig or hair jig.

• Bull Shoals: Crappie are being found in and out of the creeks. Brush in the 20' range has been good if you find cooperative fish. Minnows or 1/16-oz jig.

• Dardanelle: ...scattered and on the move.... 'Monkey milk', black/red and pink have been working. Seen in different depths and on different structure.

• Lake Ouachita: Crappie are very good. Small minnow-colored jig over brush in the 30-50' range. Crappie are slowly moving up and staging.

5. Time cold/warm fronts right in the Carolinas' rivers

Anglers are catching crappie during warming trends by fishing tailrace eddies and rocky banks with large minnows under slip floats. Best bite comes on the 2nd-3rd day of warmer weather, especially in calm water behind rocks and downed trees.

6. OH: Expect a 🔥 crappie spring bite on...

...Alum Creek, Hoover, Caesar Creek and other area lakes. Crappie are sliding from deep winter holes toward creek beds, brushpiles and wood.

7. Cold fronts fire up Florida slabs

Black crappie spawn Nov-Apr across FL with a 25-fish daily limit (no size limit). Lots of folks spider-rigging open water with 1/16-oz jigs or minnows on 8-lb mono, adjusting depth as fish suspend and follow bait.

8. ND: Crappie population growing in Jamestown Rez

9. Top best-budget fish finder options

Compiled by Outdoor Life:

• ​Best overall: Garmin GPSMAP 8616xsv
• Best for a tournament boat: Lowrance Boat in a Box Elite FS 10
• Best under $400: Humminbird Helix 5 GPS G3
• Best under $150: Lowrance Eagle Series 4X
• Best for ice fishing: MarCum LX-7 Digital Sonar/Lithium Shuttle Combo
• Best underwater camera: Aqua-Vu HD7i-125 Gen2 Underwater Camera
• Best for mapping: Humminbird XPLORE Series

10. Would you try BFS for crappie?

If you're unfamiliar, BFS stands for bait finesse system. It's an ultralight baitcasting setup.

That reel is the KastKing Kestrel BFS, built for throwing ultralight 1/32- to 1/8-oz jigs and small plastics with better accuracy and control than standard baitcasters – and maybe even spinning gear.

A shallow spool and low startup inertia help cast tiny baits farther with fewer backlashes. Might be a deal for pitching hair jigs or finesse plastics to pressured crappie around docks and brush.

Would you use it? Check out that Kestrel here on Tackle Warehouse. 👀

11. Check out the Duck Camp Grandpa Crappie snapback

Pretty sick! Catch it for $36 at Scheels!

12. Check out BeatDown Outdoors's new Transom Saver

Heavy-duty polymer support system designed to reduce engine bounce and transom stress while trailering. Fits most Mercury (150-250 HP 2018+, 175+ HP 2023+), Yamaha 150-250 HP & SHO, Honda, Suzuki and Tohatsu outboards equipped with dual trim rams. MSRP $129.99.

13. Tackle Warehouse Spring Sale still happening!

14. In-Fisherman has a parmesan-crusted slab recipe for ya

15. Wisconsin Fishing Expo is Feb 27-Mar 1

At the Alliant Energy Center in Madison.

16. Mitch Feathers is the new Yamaha Marine ops manager

17. John Bretza is the new Okuma Fishing VP of product dev

PSA

Reminder Humminbird and Minn Kota have that Season Opener Sale happenin'!

Up to $500 off Humminbird and $300 off Minn Kota. Sales end MAR 25.

Fish contour changes right now

I know us crappie guys can get so dialed on cover that we can forget to look at the contour changes behind 'em to really follow the fish. Here's a bit from a Crappie Magnet post talkin' how we can use the contours to stay on fish this winter:

> When we say contour, we are talking about a defined edge where a flat section of the bottom meets a channel. It doesn't have to be a defined channel, but we often find in the winter the harder edges hold a lot of fish.

> These creek channel ledges offer a contour change, which black crappie often prefer this time of year – as well as [being a] natural location where a lot of natural cover exists on many lakes.

> You can move from very deep water to very shallow water in just a few feet. So if the crappie have slid up shallower because it's calm and sunny, and they want to absorb some warmth or follow the bait up into some shallow cover, you can find them.

> Or if they are holding off the edge waiting for conditions to improve you can also find them.

I think it went something like that! 😂

Woah! Don't see that every day! Lauren Smith (@fishingwithlauren) caught the MEGA crappie on a 6" Yum Dinger Senko-type worm in the new 'junebug red/red firetail' color.

Maybe we need to start throwing junebug/red tail crappie baits in dirty water? 🤔

National Professional Anglers Assoc.

MN-FISH