by Tim Huffman
Bass Pro Shops Crappie Madness took place all over the country with many different pros presenting seminars about catching crappie. My visit was to the BPS in Little Rock, Arkansas, where they were featuring tournament fishermen and Crappie Masters Sportsmen of the Year recipients, Jim and Jason Westerberg. The following tips are from their seminar.
Slow Trolling
-Designed to cover a lot of water.
-It’s a good year-round technique.
-It’s not too difficult but takes a lot of practice to learn.
-Pre-fish a lake by studying maps so you will have a plan when you get on the water.
-Target mouths of creeks, channels and bays in prespawn.
-Target shallows and the rear of creeks during the spawn.
-Check the middle of creeks in post spawn.
-Look for brushpiles and ledges in summer and winter.
-0.2 to 0.3 mph is our key speed. Speed is critical.
-Go against the wind. When you get to brush or stumps you can let off of the trolling motor and drift back.
-Go with the wind when it’s strong. Use Drift Paddles or drift socks to slow the boat.
-1/8 and 1/4-ounce jigs are good for slow trolling. Bigger fish like the big bait.
-Use a scent with jigs. We like garlic.
Bart Turbyfill, Bass Pro Shops GSM of fishing, says, “Crappie Madness is a popular event here at our Little Rock store. It’s great having Jim and Jason with us because they can talk about local lakes and tips because they fish here. Our fishermen want to hear about how they can catch crappie locally. These are the best seminars we have here.”
