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Hope y'all had a great 4th! I (Joel) spent a couple days in western IL (Peoria area) and had a little time to chase specks in an old sand pit. No lake map, no electronics, just a flat-bottom boat and a few baits.
Took me a while but found them trolling cranks suspended off a small creek. Nothing huge (as you can see lol) but gotta say – really enjoyed the challenge of finding and catching 'em with what was available.
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This week's drop is loaded to the gills with good info – hope you enjoy it! Thanks for reading – we appreciate you!
Heads up: No TC email next week because we'll be at the ICAST fishing tackle trade show hunting down good crappie stuff!
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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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Details on the new/upcoming Northland Tungsten Crappie Queen jig
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We got with Northland's Jace Peterson to talk about this just-announced bait. He didn't hold back – let's dig in!
> "We're pumped about the Tungsten Crappie Queen...built for panfish, crappies and bluegills...in the Northern region/Upper Midwest.... This dressed jig is killer for bigger crappies.
> "It's tungsten, which is 70% denser than lead.... We're offering it in 1/16-oz and 1/8-oz sizes...those are the main panfish sizes that work best up here...
> "A 1/16-oz is the size of a 1/32-oz lead jig...that density gives a harder return on FFS, huge for crappies when they suspend.
> "The Queen's got metallic angel-hair tinsel and it glows.... Not just the head – the tinsel glows too, which is probably my favorite part...gives a bigger profile [which helps catch] the 14, 15, 16-inch fish.
> "Colors [will be] 'bubble gum', 'moonlight glow', 'parakeet', 'bumblebee', 'super glow white', 'super glow pinky'.
> "I fished it this spring under a bobber...worked great in pencil reeds.... Also fished it without a bobber...the 1/8-oz was killer in early summer on cabbage flats...put a Pan Candy Grub on it...and it fishes almost like a mini swim-jig. ...helped me pull 12 to 14-inch crappies out of schools with smaller fish.
> "I like to fish the smaller size [1/16] on a 6' 6 UL spinning rod in 0-6' around structure. I throw the larger size in 6' or deeper when crappies are suspended, [on a] 7' light rod....
> "I use straight 4 or 6-lb fluorocarbon on both setups...our water's clear, so fluoro is a better fit for stealth [and it] doesn't jump off the spool like like heavier flouro does....
> "Comes 2 to a pack, $7.99. You know what? Brosdahl's been fishing it since last fall, you should talk to him...."
We did that!👇
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3 Qs with Brian "Bro" Brosdahl about the Tungsten Crappie Queen
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If you're not from the Upper Midest, you might not know who Brian is. To keep it short, we'll just say that he's one of the most well-known and diehard multi-species anglers there is. Period!
1. What's the deal with this new tungsten Crappie Queen?
> "The whole deal with this lure is letting those little fibers of hair move around to attract fish, even if it's dead-sticking under a bobber, tight-lined or dropped into weeds.
> "It's a go-to bait for big panfish, period...especially in spring and fall. It's unique, ahead of its time in design and look.
> "Controlling a crappie jig in deeper water with good action is super important...it's tungsten...so it gives you a nice, tight jig you can control at any depth...
> "Try it with a little bait – maggots, wax worms, a minnow or just a minnow head – or nothing at all. ...don't over-bait it, though."
2. Your favorite time of the year to fish it?
> "It's an all-year-long bait [but] I love it early season on large water, searching through pockets of fish to find big crappies. Sometimes they're scattered or in heavy weed growth, so I'm pitching and jigging it back.
> "It's awesome for tight-lining in tall weeds, dropping it vertical under the boat in 10' or deeper, even into the 20s...the way it plumes out draws out [basin] fish...they just come up and smack it.
> "Or under a bobber in emergent vegetation, plunking it in pockets of cane or bulrushes. It's a universal bait...it gets down quick [and] has a nice wobble."
3. You got a favorite color?
> "...crappies love different colors...having those options has saved me plenty of times, whether I'm guiding folks or just fishing for fun...the colors are killer, real vibrant....
> "'Pink and white', no question, regardless of water clarity. I'll go to chartreuses and greens in clear water with lots of weeds, but pink's my mainstay.
> "In dark water, something darker like 'bumblebee'...black and yellow works great.
> "'Glow white' is fantastic for sunset or in tannic, stained water, like darker reservoirs."
Believe this bait will be out spring '26 – hurry up Northland! 😁
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Snatchin' ledge slabs with Andrew Nordbye 🔥
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When Andrew isn't chasing bass on big stages, he's targeting slab crappie on Lake Guntersville, AL's ledges. He says big crappie stack up like bass. Here's 5 tips from Andrew, shared via ACC Crappie Stix, for pickin' off ledge slabs.
1. Hit big stumps in current
> "Some of the best crappie fishing that I've done in the summertime is on big ol' stumps on the main river edge on the drop – anywhere from 10-30' right in the middle of the current.
> "The stumps provide a big current break, and those crappie will stack up behind them. The current will sweep baitfish right next to these stumps.
> "The crappie don't ever have to go or move anywhere – (the bait) comes to them. They just wait there for another bait ball for them to ambush."
He also said that the current deal is real good when current volumes are 20,000-30,000 fps. And that 80,000-100,000 will blow 'em out.
2. Drift a jig
Andrew likes to cast a 1/16-oz jig. If they're deeper, he adds a small splitshot up the line.
> "I cast into the current and drift it as slow as I can with the current past that stump. Usually I don't have to drop it all the way down.
> "They will be fired up, and I usually catch one on the first cast, a big ol' black crappie. White crappie are usually floating around in the creeks out of the current. I normally chase the black crappie in the summer because they form up more in the current."
3. Catch them one at a time
> "Black crappie are among the most finicky fish out there. I normally catch one on the first cast, and even if there are 10 or 15 more, you can hardly catch another one.
> "You might as well move on to the next stump. I like to have 20 to 50 stumps on a couple miles of river ledge [to] hopefully catch most of my limit."
4. How to target 'smart' fish
> "I actually don't think it's the fishing pressure as much because I never see another boat on these stumps.
> "I don't know why they are that smart, but they see their buddy get caught and it's hard to catch another. I don't know if they give off something that spooks the school. You can still see them on LiveScope
> "They will follow a bait after you catch one. You can change colors or do something different and possibly catch another one, but eventually they will just quit following. I haven't figured out how to fire up a school to catch multiple fish."
[That's a big statement from a high-level bass fisherman because they know how to fire up bass on ledges.]
5. Gear up right
Andrew's preferred setup for casting to crappie involves either the 7' 1-piece ACC rod or the 7' 6" 2-piece paired with a Lew's Speed Spin Reel. He spools with 10-lb braid and attaches a long leader, about 20' of 10-lb fluorocarbon, with an Alberto knot.
> "That long leader really helps out if you break off – you don't have to re-tie like you would if you were using a 6' leader."
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Find old wood on channel edges for summer slabs
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We talked to TN guide Greg Grogan about how he catches 12-14" slabs in the dog days of summer:
> "We've had a ton of rain in middle TN...feels like 2-3 inches every other day...water temps are 86 degrees with 18-24 inch visibility.... I'm finding them hangin' around old wood on channel edges....
> "...they were around some scattered milfoil, but they've moved deeper to 10-22' as the water heats up. We're catching limits of 12-14 inch crappie in a few hours, with 20-30 fish possible. Quality has been really good....
> "Start with jigs in the morning when fish are active and suspended...switch to live bait as fish tuck tighter to brushpiles by midday. I'll catch 1-2 on jigs, then 2-3 more on minnows per pile [before] I move on.
> "I like to use 6-lb line around thick brush to muscle fish out.... I will use 4-lb in open water when I can get away with it.
> "Throw a 1.5-in Charlie Brewer Slider ('trout' or 'monkey milk') on a 1/32-oz ballhead jig.... I'm targeting brushpiles in 10-22' on river channel edges...casting to brushpiles where fish suspend over or beside in the morning. I've been using the B'n'M Godwin's Crappie Cast Spinning Rod with 6-lb line for easier hooksets around thick cover...."
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He mentioned that he really likes a jig and bobber setup right now using a Stan's Slip Bobber:
> "It has machined aluminum end with metal inserts [to] ensure the line glides through the bobber. They also make custom small-diameter bobber stops to feed smoothly through guides...much better than the other bobber stops I've used....
> "...[it] also balances really well and lets you fish fast without hanging up. Big names in crappie fishing have used it for years, but it's still under the radar for a lot of folks....
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Less is more right now? 🤔
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Getting that time of year when it seems like no action = more action. Target Crappie's Brett Jolley has been seeing it firsthand on TX's Sam Rayburn catching more crappie on certain plastics than on minnows.
To back that up, Bobby Garland's Skylar St Yves had this to say on what summers are like for the Garland team:
> "We're deep into baby shad season right now. You can fish the [Original Baby Shad] actively, and that's exactly what it was made for. As fish get more aggressive post-spawn and start to school up, the Baby Shad really shines – whether you're casting, swimming, strolling, spider-rigging or trolling.
> "It's also a great time for anglers not using electronics. We're seeing solid catch rates from folks marking piles or structure with traditional down-scan, tossing a buoy and just casting to it."
Those light-action baits like the Baby Shad give those fish an easy meal as those fish get finicky during the hottest time of the year.
Here's 4 baits you can break out right now to give fish that easy meal:
Bobby Garland Baby Shad
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- Original straight-tail shape
- Streamlined body
- Tail's subtle quivering action imitates a minnow naturally swimming
Brett likes these especially for brushpiles and standing timber because fish on those types of cover wait to ambush baitfish. The subtle action is great for imitating clueless baitfish.
Bobby Garland Itty Bit May Fly
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- Small (1.25") profile
- Can fit on ultra-small jigheads (1/96-1/32 oz)
- Thin tail and small appendages give it a natural profile and allow it to glide and swim like a real bug
> "[Skylar:] A big part of a crappie's diet is made up of small forage – stuff on a micro scale. Even bigger fish feed on phytoplankton, bugs, larvae and anything else swimming around. When it's available, that kind of food makes up a substantial portion of what crappie eat."
BaitFuel Crappie NanoSnak Pintail Worm
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The Pintail has a subltle quiver on a straight retrieve or can be fished on a pendulum/vertically. And of course the BaitFuel scent can be great for getting fish to commit and hold on vs nip.
Here's what American Crappie Trail National Champion Clay Wilson had to say about it:
> "You can cast it out and move it pretty fast, and the fish will see it coming and smell the BaitFuel coming off – it's a strong trigger. That scent and speed combo works better than live bait in a lot of cases, because you just can't make live bait look natural at faster retrieves. It won't hold up or stay in the strike zone the same way."
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Believe it or not, this is one of the most old-school fish-catchingest baits out there. This is every Sam Rayburn crappie hammer's secret bait. 👀
The jointed body allows for a swimming action that is more natural to the body movements of a fish – swims with its tail only.
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There's a lot of new stuff being announced just before the ICAST trade show, here's some of it!
1. More new crappie candy from Northland...
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Northland Twitchin' Puppet
> "Drop it down, give it a double twitch, and get ready to set the hook. The shape makes the Twitchin' Puppet change directions quickly like a fleeing baitfish, and it works great on slab crappie, jumbo perch, big bluegills, and even on walleye and trout. It's truly a great lure that simply catches everything."
2 sizes and 10 colors:
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2. New VMC crappie-sized jighead
It's called the Minnow Shaker Jig, made for shaking a minnow but not only! Believe it will come in sizes down to 1/8-oz:
> ...[it has a]unique 45-degree line tie – the only jig in the market with this angle – which maximizes the rolling action of the minnow.... [it has] dual mono keepers [to] lock the bait in place and keep it there, fish after fish...
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3. KastKing has a new TITANIUM finesse baitcaster
> ...the world's first low-profile baitcast reel with a full titanium spool and shaft...offering the castability of a wide range of lures from 0.05- to1-oz....
> Available in R- and L-handed retrieve [and a] 7.2:1 gear ratio...debuts at ICAST with a $299 MSRP.
We have used the original MG-12 and gotta say it's a great reel for the finesse stuff. This should be even better:
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5. Garmin has a new trolling motor for 'yakkers
> ...a brushless motor purpose-built for kayaks with full forward and reverse thrust that makes it easy to navigate in any direction, weave through tight timber, turn in a tight circle, sneak along shorelines or creep through weedbeds while fishing.
> ...available with or without a GT56UHD transducer for a suggested retail price of $4,599.99 and $4,799.99, respectively.
Also lightweight (< 25-lbs), 1-hand stow/deploy, supposedly simple to install.
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6. New Garmin 16" EchoMap Ultra 2 unit 👀
> "The bigger screen with full HD resolution allows them to see the difference between fish and structure in incredible detail, even on bright and sunny days."
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Josh Jones: Color and size are secondary to bait action?
While many anglers obsess over color changes (🙋♂️) Josh said he usually sticks to 1 or 2 colors and doesn’t swap baits much. For him, the biggest variable is how you work the bait. Deets from one of his YT videos:
> "I just use what I’ve got tied on. If I miss one, I don’t switch, I just fish better."
He’s seen too many anglers spend their day cycling through a dozen different colors trying to "match the mood":
> "People change colors 20 times a day. I might change twice all week."
He focuses on reading the fish and perfecting the presentation with forward sonar: fall rate, angle, cadence:
> "The fish don’t care what color it is if you present it right. You’re not gonna out-color a bad presentation.
> "I’ve caught fish on the ugliest jig you’ve ever seen, because it looked alive."
And of course...confidence:
> "The best color is confidence. If you believe in it, you’ll fish it better."
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"...as far as I am concerned it is the 2nd-best (lake) in the country behind Lake Grenada."
- That's Clay Gann, crappie guide and tournament fisherman, talkin' about Lake Fork, TX. He explained it this way:
> At Grenada it consistently takes 16 lbs a day to win, but the last 2 times Crappie Masters was on Fork it took over (5-fish) 17 lbs a day to win."
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