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Hope you’ve been whackin' a bunch o' slabs! We're back with another Target Crappie email loaded with crappie juice! 😁

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Fish docks now, especially in creek arms

Here's some tippage from a Lurenet.com post:

> The bulk of the baitfish spawn is typically over in the South, but you'll still find late spawners throughout the month [close to shore]. It's a great time to pitch and shoot docks, especially in creek arms.

> ...crappie schools that favor shallow water will move away from shore in the afternoon to feed and take cover for the night, then return mid-morning.

As water temps rise:

> ...shade and depth become extremely important, making docks a hotspot for crappie schools.

> Most lakes are at their fullest during June. Dam operators will usually be releasing water, which means there will be current in the main lake. Look for areas away from the current like creek arms and marinas.

Stealth is key – crappie love the shade and baitfish hiding there, so try skipping light jigs (1/32-1/16 oz) under the docks.

> Keep your bait horizontal or slowly moving in 1 direction for the best results.

Adults and fry hang around the same areas so you can catch 'em on a lot other things – like the Bobby Garland Stroll'R, Slab Hunt'r, 2" Hyper Grub, and 2" Swimming Minnows to name a few:

> Clear water – Use natural shades like 'monkey milk' and 'crystal'. 

> Stained water – Bright colors like whites, reds and greens. 

> Muddy water – High-contrast colors like chrome, gold and black/pink.

FFS calls for 20'+ rods?? 👀

There's plenty of folks getting out to 16-18' rods here and there, but consistently using 20'+ rods to sneak up on crappie with FFS??

Yep says an interesting post from B'n'M Poles with the pro team of Ronnie Capps and Steve Coleman. Talks about why they're using telescoping rods. Here's Steve:

> "Everyone thinks it's the sonar that spooks crappie, but I've spent a good bit of time watching how these fish react on the sonar screen and a big crappie is like a big buck – he's only going to let you get so close in a boat before he's up and out of there."

So the guys worked with B'n'M to make the Ambush rod – a 24.5' rod that condenses to just 30"! Dang!

> Now with [FFS] pro anglers are deciding that at least a 20' boundary between the angler and the fish is needed to keep the big ones from spooking.

> The Ambush is designed to allow you to single-pole jig and keep the boat far enough away so that you don't spook crappie.

> With no reel or reel seat in the design, line is meant to be pre-measured and tied directly to the tip of the rod like an old-fashioned cane pole.

> Steve: "I generally measure out line by the depth of the water I'm fishing in. If I’m fishing 12' of water, then I've got 12' of line on the rod but I'm only lowering the bait...to the precise depth the fish are showing up at."

He sets his forward sonar distance out to 30' so anything he sees is within reach and he can see a fish's reaction to his bait:

> "Once you hook [the fish], you can pull a couple of these sections in and work him toward the boat – that makes it easier to reach out with the 12' landing net I use and get him in the boat.

> "It takes a little bit to get used to the feel, but the rod is amazing light for such a long pole...plus this is a really fun way to catch crappie.

> "...when you see that fish kind of flutter [on FFS], that means he’s had all he can stand and he’s eaten that minnow."

Looks like the Ambush rod is sold out right now. If you know of any other similar sticks, please let us know!

Red-nosed crappie are insect eaters?

Such a great example of paying attention to detail! We came across a piece of a podcast from The Crappie Connection on YouTube on how you can tell if crappie are eating bugs by the way their nose looks:

> "Ever seen that red nose – like they've been caught over and over again? I think – just my opinion – those fish are pecking insects off stumps or brush.

> "It's almost like if you took your fist and hit a wall a few times. Eventually it's gonna turn red, get bruised or cut up.

> "When I see that on a fish, that's when I know I want to go after it with a bait that has an insect profile. During that funky stage, the Itty Bit Mayfly will shine."

That pic above is from a Bobby Garland post that's sharing some similar juice 🧃!

> Red lips or bloodied skin around the nose indicates the fish is feeding off of hard structure like rocky bottom or wood. That usually means a creature diet like bugs and [crayfish].

So – if you're pullin' in crappie with a messed-up nose or upper lip, time to whip out those Itty Bit Mayflies and serve 'em what they're cravin'!

Snatch 'em on the weedlines

Big grassy patches near deep water are gonna be crawlin' with crappie. WI guide Jeff Evans spills the tea on snatchin' slabs from weedlines in this Seaguar post that breaks down how to hook 'em all year long:

> "After they spawn and transition to the deeper weed edges and weedy points, they will usually be in those places until they head to the basins in the fall.

Jeff's weapon of choice = 1.5" tube jig on a slip bobber:

> "...it's a super-versatile way to fish [all season long] because you can easily adjust your bobber for the depth...we probably catch 90% of our crappies that way. ...[we fish] all sorts of colors but always seem to come back to pink and white.

> "...if you have a breezy day, the waves will give the bait all the action you need...when it's calm, you can pull the rod and get the action – it keeps the bait right in front of the fish."

He likes to fish a 1/32- or 1/64-oz head but has a hard time keeping those down – so he pegs a 1/8-oz egg sinker to a barrel swivel and leader:

> "That's a great way to keep your bait below the surface, but it also helps with casting so you don't tangle the slip bobber as much....

> "I like to use a 1/8-oz Thill Wobble bobber and adjust the slip to the weight. For my mainline, I like 15-lb Seaguar Smackdown [Braid] in the flash green color. It casts incredibly far and is good at holding the slip knot in place."

He has a 6-lb Seaguar Gold Label fluorocarbon leader under his swivel – about 12" long:

> "6-lb is perfect for crappie because it's such a thin diameter and gives you a nice natural finesse presentation for your jig."

Target Crappie's Brett Jolley said:

> "A slick slip-bobber setup works in way more spots than just shallow cover – like Jeff's talkin' about with offshore grass – and I've even had clients crush it using 'em on piles in 15-20' of water. You can do so much with that rig."

Count the crappie rings?? 🤔

Ever wondered about the age of crappie you catch? Check this vid where MO fish biologist Chris Brooke shows how he ages crappie by counting rings on their tiny ear-bones (otoliths):

 > "We're removing the otoliths from crappie...[it's] kind of like their ear-bone...they've got rings on them like a tree...you can also see the distance between [the rings and] amount of growth the fish is putting on each year...

 > "A lot of people ask me...'Why don't we go to a 10-inch minimum length limit?'.... To answer that question, you have to know how fast the fish are growing..."

Chris mentions that some fish are having a hard time reaching 9-10" – some of 'em are 6 years old too:

> "[Crappie] tend to have asymptotic growth where they'll grow faster, and then it'll slow down as they get older quite substantially...by the time those fish get 5, 6, 7, 8 years old, they're not gonna grow 3 inches every summer forever.

> "We just looked at a couple black crappie that were 5 years old and 12.5 inches...and [hybrids that are] 5 years old and 14.5 inches...you don't want to set a regulation that's higher than what those fish are ever going to get to."

1. OK: Check out this speckled pig! 🐷

Here's a 16"+ grown one that put Jon Self (Self Outdoor Guide Service on Lake Eufaula, OK) into the 3-lber club. From Jon's Facebook post:

> I have caught 1,000s of crappie and had clients in my boat that have caught 1,000s more. None of them mean quite as much as this one does to me.

> I have looked for a 3-lb fish for a very long time and the chase finally came to an end today. She will be put on the wall for the memories and conversations for many years to come. 

> I thank the good Lord daily for allowing me to pursue something I enjoy daily....

That fish is FAT! Congrats Jon!

2. AR is droppin' slab habitat from helicopters??

Part of a project to build spawning areas and cover for crappie and other fish on Conway:

3. TX: Crappie are excellent on...

Bois d'Arc, Coleman, Cypress Springs, Nacogdoches, Naconiche. Also:

> Brownwood: Crappie are good to 16" on minnows and jigs in 18-25' on deeper large docks with brush on the main lake and at the 279 Bridge.

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

> OH Ivie: Crappie are suspended 5-8' down around isolated timber in 25'. Minnows are best.

4. MN: Mississippi River has world-class fishing...

...on the BANK near downtown St Cloud and surrounding. Word is the crappie are pretty decent-sized and you can find 'em by the storm sewers on shore. 👌

5. Check out Bandit's new crappie crank colors

A limited run for the summer so get 'em while you can! 😛

6. Gamakatsu has a 1/96-oz jighead

Looks like it's got that slick Nano Alpha coating, hook sizes from #2 to 3/0. Could be a killer finesse setup with bigger 4-5" baits?

7. New slab snack from Evergreen

> "The Last Ace 45 is right-sized for keeper crappies, bream and white bass...[it] sports a naturalistic 'slime coat' spray-coat with a clear overcoat...that emulates real baitfish."

1.8" – can be rigged weightless, nose-hooked, on a jighead (with or without FFS), on a dropshot, etc. Find it on Tackle Warehouse here!

8. Z-MAN's new slab-sized ChatterBait 👀 

The Chatterbait MICROmax its about 15% smaller than the MiniMax and mainly built for finesse bass fishing stuff. That said, grown crappie have no problem eating the bigger one so we wouldn't be shocked if they are chompin' on that MICROmax too!

9. New soft-plastic storage from Flambeau

It's got 4 big storage compartments with 3 Zerust Dividers, made to fit factory bait packaging too – 'cause we all know how much of a pain it is to deal with those crappie plastics bags!

10. New shades from RLVNT

New shatter-proof lens material supposedly cuts glare on sonar screens, 15 fresh frames droppin' at ICAST next month.

11. In-Fisherman has a new publisher

Tim Carini will oversee print, digital, and broadcast stuff. 

Ever tried the non-slip loop knot?

Cool YT tip from SaltStrong on the non-slip loop knot – perfect for baits like tubes, swimbaits and minnows. Tag end points towards the bait which helps keep it weed-free too. Short version:

> Make a simple overhand loop in your line.

> Pass the tag end through the hook or lure eye.

> Bring the tag end back through the overhand loop.

> Adjust the loop to your desired size.

> Wrap the tag end around the main line twice.

> Pass the tag end back through the overhand loop.

> Pull it tight to secure the knot.

> Cut the tag end to avoid snagging weeds.

Brett says a loop knot usually outfishes a regular knot – give it a shot! 👌

This one came in from Target Walleye's Chris Philen...I think he went too far looking for those Berkley Crappie Nibbles:🤣

Looks like those BaitFuel NanoShads did their job! Snagged this from the BaitFuel IG:

National Professional Anglers Assoc.

MN-FISH