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Hey y'all! Joel and Brett back with this week's edition of Target Crappie! If you haven't already, go check out our Facebook and Instagram to keep up with everything in the crappie world between these weekly emails!

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Hope y'all enjoy this one, God bless!

The juice on Rick Fishback's LOZ slab smackdown

MO's Rick Fishback put on a Sunday afternoon crappie clinic on Facebook, so we had to get the details. Got with him for the full rundown:

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BEEER9HEn/?mibextid=wwXIfr

> "My success today for crappie fishing was a Bojangle Baits 2 Bominno in shad color paired with an Apex Head 1/16-oz Blankenship shooter head in pink.... That 1/16-oz head allows you to keep the bait in the strike zone a little longer.

> "I would side-scan secondary points with wind on them to search for schools. I was utilizing my new Humminbird XPLORE graphs paired with the new [Humminbird] MEGA Live 2 once I found them to pick them apart."

Running MEGA Live 2 at 100' lets him a huge edge in finding fish before making a move.

Rick found 'em hanging in 8' of water, and it's all about what the bait is doing:

> "...the wind would blow the shad up shallow, and the fish would follow them.... They are staging on these secondary points before they push to the backs of the creeks.

> "Longer pea gravel-type secondary points seemed to be best for the larger schools."

> "Water had 4-5' of visibility, and baitfish had to be present. This time of year, with the water color being so clear, I believe natural colors are very important since they can see it so well."

Rick's already all-in on the new MEGA Live 2:

> "I love the ability to see very far out with the new MEGA Live 2. I leave it on 100' and have no problem searching for them at that distance. Having that advantage of locating them that far ahead of time allows me to slow down and sneak up on them.

> "The separation between structure, fish, and my bait is amazing. I am very excited to chase the fish with this new technology this year. Having great equipment allows me to have no bad days – that's my motto."

Catch Rick here:

Facebook

Instagram

TikTok

YouTube

They're cruisin' creeks so give 'em some flash

TN crappie hammer Richard Gene of the YT Richard Gene the Fishing Machine talkin' how to catch some slabs on underspins this pre-spawn – some excerpts from his video:

> "Today we're probably going to throw an underspin because it's cloudy. There's going to be some wind hitting the top of the water. The water's been very, very clear this year but they'll still eat up this bait right here.

> "These fish will load up in these creek channels because they're pre-spawn crappie, and they'll relate right on the edge of the breakline where it falls off. The reason why is because shad are traveling the edges of those breaklines, and this bait right here, crappie feed up."

That "bait right here" is:

> "...it's an orange head with a Crappie Magnet on the back of it...natural-looking color but that orange head catches me a lot of fish.

> "I use a lot of different colors when it comes to underspins, but for the last couple years that orange head seems to be a great color for crappie.

> "Depending on the position of the sun is how I will approach fishing drops like this. You're going to be a lot better off paralleling the drop. You can keep it where it needs to be for a longer period of time, right where those fish are. If the sun is higher, you'll catch more fish by throwing across the drop.

> "This bait right here falls about a foot a second. I'm catching these fish anywhere from 4-5' of water. I'm keeping a constant retrieve...keeping it at that key depth...."

Gene's Gear: Leland Crappie Magnet (shonuff), Crappie Magnet Fin Spin (orange), braid to 5' fluoro leader, L-action spinning rod.

Quick rundown of your new FFS best friends

Cool deal by Mike Pehanich in Game and Fish Magazine on the baits that show up the best on FFS (forward-facing sonar). Here's a few of 'em:

Z-Man Micro Shad HeadZ

The 3D eyes distributes more of its weight laterally. Pairs well with buoyant crappie plastics like the ones Z-Man makes.

Leland's Lures Eye Hole Hammer Head

Gives a good return on live sonar, and that space in the head enables you to add scent.

Bobby Garland Head Turn'R Jighead

Twin willow blades at eye level create a new soft-plastic delivery system. Available in 1/16- and 1/8-oz sizes in "ghost", "pink" and "chartreuse" colors.

Berkley PowerBait Power Switch

Comes in a weight-forward, horizontal-hang design specifically with FFS in mind. Soft-plastic body over a long-shank Berkley Fusion19 hook. Comes in many sizes but for crappie look at the 2.5" 1/4-oz and 3" 3/8-oz sizes.

Winter Spring is coming

Even if you're drilling through ice to get to the slabs, spring will be here sooner rather than later. When we think of spring crappie fishing, we all think of one thing – the SPAWN! Here's some stuff from a neat CrappieNow post on what to expect this spring so you can right to catchin'!

> "While the dates will vary some, depending upon where you live, Spring marks the crappie spawn. One thing to remember, however, spawning time is always spread out, usually over a 3-4 week timeframe.

> "There will be a few days, maybe a week, when the largest number of crappie are spawning, but there are always some fish before and after that peak spawning."

How to get on 'em at the right time:

> "Water temperature is the primary trigger for crappie spawning. Nesting typically begins when the water reaches 56 degrees, with peak activity occurring between 58 and 60 degrees."

> "Sunrise-sunset tables can also help pinpoint peak spawning times. As fisheries biologist Dr. Fred Vasey found in a study on MO's Table Rock Lake, spawning begins when daylight averages 13.2 hours and ends around 14.6 hours. By tracking the number of daylight hours, you can estimate when crappie will be bedding in your area."

Targeting spawning fish:

> "To pinpoint hotspots, study a bottom contour map. Look for underwater creek channels leading to shallow areas...crappie use these paths to migrate. The backs of feeder-creek bays and shallow areas near stumps, fencelines or weedbeds also provide ideal spawning conditions."

> "The key combination is shallow water with abundant cover and a firm bottom.

> "During the early stages of the spawn, larger crappie often remain in deeper water, while smaller males prepare the nests. Savvy anglers target...sometimes as far down as 7-15' to catch trophy fish."

> "Fish each area thoroughly, moving your bait or lure just a few inches at a time. Crappie beds can span areas as large as a school bus, each holding dozens of fish. Stay until the bite slows...."

Gettin' 'em on the line:

> "Whether fishing from a boat or the bank, a long pole allows precise placement of your bait. A lightweight jigging or cane pole works well, especially if you're dropping bait near dense cover. If using minnows, hook them lightly through the back or lips and add a small split shot to sink them into the strike zone."

More good stuff in the post.

"It's like they were schooled up tight, except they were all laying on the bottom..."

- That's GA crappie guide Joey Mines talkin' in a B&M Rods post about going after bottom-dwelling crappie in the winter:

> "They were huddled up on that muddy bottom, trying to stay warm, and weren't really feeding.

> "The pattern starts when the water temps dip below 60 degrees and only gets better the colder the water gets. I've caught fish like this when the water temperature was 39 degrees....

Joey focuses on deep-water flats near the mouths of major tributaries, looking for muddy bottoms with no structure. He also watches for layers of baitfish above the area, which in winter typically stack up between the surface and 3/4 of the way to the bottom:

> "Crappie aren't actively feeding on this bait, but they're following it, or at least hanging out below it. You won't see these fish on LiveScope because they are right on the bottom and not moving, they'll just gently suck the bait in and if you don't set the hook right then, they'll let it go."

> "I use 12-lb high-vis yellow line on a small baitcating reel. The rig is a 3-way swivel with two 18-inch droppers. At the end of 1 dropper is a 1-oz weight and the other has a #2 Aberdeen hook with a live minnow. The droppers are the same length, so the weight is touching the bottom and the minnow is fluttering right down there with it, about a foot from the weight."

Mines drops the bait to the bottom, tightens the line, and slowly moves with the trolling motor, watching the rod tip closely:

> "The upside is that once you get that first fish on, it's not uncommon to catch several more or even limit out in a 50 sq ft area. It's tough fishing and it requires you to really watch the rod tip to see the bite. But for wintertime crappie, I don't think you'll find a more consistent pattern."

Joey's Gear: #2 Aberdeen hook with a live minnow, rigged on a 3-way swivel with two 18" droppers, 1-oz weight, 12-lb high-vis yellow line, 12' or 14' B'n'M Buck's Graphite Jig Poles.

1. Smaller limits = bigger crappie?

Interesting deal from CrappieNow talkin' how strict crappie harvesting limits could grow bigger fish and also got Al Lindner's 2c on the deal.

2. AL: $10,000 crappie swimming in Weiss Lake

Annual Weiss Lake Crappie Rodeo began Feb 1st with 1,001 tagged crappies worth more than $134,000. 53 fish are $1,000 each, 474 are $100 each, and 473 worth $50 each – and there's ONE FISH WORTH $10,000!

To get in on the action you need to get a Rodeo badge from a merchant around the lake. Badges are valid for the entire event through Apr 30.

3. TX: Crappie "excellent" at Nacogdoches

> 1/16- or 1/8-oz jigs in standing timber in 15' of water.

4. TX: TPWD Crappie spawn full rundown

PDF from TX Parks and Wildlife with more spawning info than you though you needed!

5. SC: Fish habitat getting dunked in Murray

> Nearshore, shallow structure – or littoral habitat – in reservoirs serves as spawning habitat, protective cover and attracts food sources for adult and juvenile fish.

6. KY: 2024 DFW fees went to...

Report from Monday lays out where 2024 fees went and what KDFW did with the dough.

7. Buy 2 spools of Berkley line, get 1 free

Only at the Berkley site, and DOES include the ultra-thin new Forward Braid.

8. New Rapala filet knife

Available in 6, 8, and 10in sizes. Whatever helps you get those filets in the bag quicker! 🔪

9. Minn Kota spring promo deal now extended to ULTREX! 👀

Was just Terrova QUEST, offer ends Mar 31:

10. Revolution Sonar rotary pedal now for sale

Outed it last year, now finally available. Rotary pedal setup that moves your Live sonar transducer separately. So far it looks like just Garmin and Lowrance options, costs $2K.

11. VT: Methane fire injures 3 during ice fishing trip

New fear unlocked: 😳

> The Wilmington Police Dept said an adult and two children were ice fishing at the Harriman Reservoir on the morning of Feb 1 when they were injured in a vapor cloud flash fire.

12. Jeff Dunn new CMO at Sportsman's Warehouse

Chief merchandising officer, came from Walmart and Sam's Club.

13. DC: Lakes Act would let Corps retain fees

Intro'd in Congress:

> The Lake Access Keeping Economies Strong Act would allow the Army Corps of Engineers to retain 80% of fees collected at its recreation sites to improve access and infrastructure.

> Unlike National Parks and US Forest Service sites, local Corps site managers cannot [currently] retain revenue from fees collected on-site. Any fees collected at a given site are not certain to support the operations and maintenance of that site.

Doesn't say where all our fees have been going?

14. DC: Boat assn's new gov't relations is a former Dem aide?

> She was a key member of senior US Sen. Patty Murray's (D-WA) leadership team. Before her time in the Senate, Usyk served as deputy chief of staff and legislative director for US Congressman Tony Cárdenas (D-CA)....

Not "bad" to be a Dem, just to me seems odd given a transition to a Rep-dominated gov't right now? Hope it all works out....

15. Autocorrect, other AI pplications, biased against rural language...

...like hunting and fishing terms. Pardon me? 🤣 Maybe take that with a grain of salt....

Dock shootin' with former crappie national champ Mike Parrott

From Carolina Sportsman:

> "On many clear lakes such as Lake Wylie on the NC-SC border, crappie movements may be more vertical than horizontal as the seasons change.

> "Everything these fish need can be found around these big docks: depth, food and cover. I think these fish even spawn under these docks. All they have to do is move from shallower to deeper as the weather dictates."

Parrott uses the shooting technique to get under the docks at those fish: He holds a small crappie jig in one hand while keeping the line tight to the spool of a spinning reel with the other.

> "It takes a bit of practice – you bend the rod over and hold the jig between your thumb and forefinger under the reel. Release the jig and simultaneously release the line. This slingshots the bait forward, parallel to the water, causing it to skip up under the boat or dock or whatever you're shooting at."

Winter on Wylie means a very light bite.... Mike uses 4-lb line and a 1/64-oz jig, and lets the jig free-fall after the shot. Then he intently watches the line for the slightest tick, movement, or simply piling up on the surface. That shows a fish has inhaled the jig."

Check this derp crappie! 😆 Caught by Ben F with a Panfish Pop Grub on a 4mm Chekai Tungsten Jighead through the ice. Looks like this guy got a grease bath too! 🛁

National Professional Anglers Assoc.

MN-FISH