Issue #7 - the Magnolia Crappie Club

Transcription

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Magnolia Crappie Club Adventures
2014-15 Issue 7 March 21, 2015
As most of you know we (MCC) went back to Grenada on Saturday,
March 21, 2015 for what we call our Spring Big Mama Open and Club
Tournament. Man, let me tell you about our adventures. I’m kind of at a
loss of words to describe my fishing experience other than awesome,
breathtaking, spectacular, and magnificent; you get my drift. As an avid
long-time crappie fisherman, I get blown away when catching 3+ pound
crappie is the norm. Grenada is a lake where this happens on a regular
basis.
During my pre-fishing on Friday, we consistently landed 2+ pound crappie
and several over 3 pounds. I just knew tournament day would be “Off the
Chain”. Well it didn’t work out that way for me, but it did for my other
tournament brothers and sisters. I was fishing with a guest, long-time
MCC member Kenneth Pickett from Crystal Springs, MS. Ken is no new
comer, he’s been on the scene for a while. The guy can fish. My regular
partner, Don Terry is a so-called Trash (Bass) Fisherman. He loves the
sport and he can’t resist donating his money to younger bass fishermen.
All I can tell him is, if you like it, I love it.
Drew & Matt Morgan
I got a chance to meet Matt Morgan with Lucas Oil, our Grenada BMO sponsor, his two sons, Dylan (10), Drew (12), and his partner Kent Watson from Noblesville, IN. Talk about a super-nice bunch of guys. These guys love the sport of crappie fishing; they’re
superb ambassadors for the sport. Matt’s bringing his boys up the way my dad did me, on the lake. Dylan is the youngest at 10
and never gets bored while he’s on the lake. Matt and Kent split up the boys in separate boats. Dylan fished with his dad Matt
and Drew fished with Kent. I watched Dylan set the hook on a huge Grenada slab and his dad land the fish. Talking about like
father, like son. Matt supplied us with lots and lots of Lucas Oil products. Lucas makes great marine and automotive products. I
urge all MCC members and family to use these products.
Now speaking of big fish, Lance Evans and his nephew Layne Carpenter (12 years old) did what every crappie fisherman in the
world could only dream of; catch a nearly 4 pound crappie. Yes, I said 4 pounds (3.92). Lance is the kind of uncle that I was
blessed to grow up with. He takes his nephew fishing just like my uncles did. Layne has no idea what a feat he has accomplished.
This is a one-in-a-lifetime fish, a MCC Club Record, the biggest crappie ever caught in a MS tournament. I could go on and on; I
think you get my drift. I say congratulations to Layne for catching the fish and to Lance for being an angel of an uncle. Lance, you
are an asset to MCC; we need more men like yourself.
From the Editor’s Desk
Be Safe & Have a Blessed Day,
Bernard Williams, Vice-President & Editor
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2014-15 Issue 7 March 21, 2015
Grenada Lake Winners - Top 5
1st Place Winners Hugh Krutz and Steve Stevenson
weighed 18.19#’s to blow everyone else away. Hugh
and Steve are no strangers to the winners circle. Hugh
says they fished the North Greysport area with 2” tubes
filled with crappie nibble and tipped with small minnows
on 3/8th on jigs.
Steve says he rolled several fish that would have put
their weights in the 20# class. They weighed 4 fish at or
better than 3#’s. I fished near these guys early morning
and experienced the slow bite. They were the 1st boat
to move to a more productive area before the bite
stopped. Congratulations guys, ya’ll did extremely well
on a day when other teams struggled. Grenada has always been good to you guys.
2nd Place winners Tim Blakley and Jack Wells
weighed 17.39#’s. That’s right, no miss-print, Jack
Wells B’n’M CEO and Owner actually fished with us and
came in 2nd with a little help for Tim Blakley. Tim says
they pushed Strike King tubes on B’n’M rods in shallow
water north of Greysport and caught huge crappie. They
had several over 3 pounds. A 3.43# crappie was their
big fish.
Now guess what? Jack is talking about buying a boat;
no Ranger for this guy, he’s going with War-Eagle. All I
can say to Mike Ward at War-Eagle, you better get ready
Jack’s coming your way. Jack says he had a blast; we
know he’s hooked deeper than some of those crappie
they had on the line. Way to go my friends. Good Job.
Steve Marquis and Troy Garrett weighed 17.19#’s to
finish 3rd. These guys are excellent fishermen; it shows
by the number or top-5 finishes. Just last week they finished 2nd in Crappie Masters at Lake Washington. They
are on fire; keep up the good work guys, this is your year.
I fished close to Steve and Troy for most of the morning near the Greysport road. They struggled as we did
until they decided to move to the Skuna side of the lake.
Good fishermen always have a backup plan when their
main plan doesn’t work. They went to their backup plan
and as Steve says, “We caught several 3+ pounders. As a
matter of fact, they were tied for the new club record
(3.51#’s)until Lance and Layne weighed their fish. Good
job guys; You got to top it off at this week’s Crappie Masters on Grenada. My money is on y’all.
Jeff Riddle and Tony Hughs weighed 16.68#’s to place
4th. These Reelfoot, TN guys did not pre-fish one minute.
I met them late Friday night at the motel. They asked if
our club tournament was an open tournament because
they were planning to fish the Big Mama Open. I informed them that it was and they were welcome to join
us. Well you see what you can do if you know the lake.
They actually came down to practice for Crappie Masters
on Grenada this following weekend.
Jeff and Tony are super guys; they fished the upper
end of the lake, near Gums Landing. They say the fish
were in 3 to 4 feet of water about 18 inches deep. They
pushed jigs and minnow combinations. Jeff says they
caught most of their fish early. It seems that the flood
gates opened around noon and the bite stopped almost
completely. You guys are great fishermen and good guys
to boot. They weighed several 3+ pound fish.
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2014-15 Issue 7 March 21, 2015
Grenada Lake Winners - Top 5
Danny and Ronald Wade finished out the top 5 with
16.06#’s. Their biggest fish was 2.99#’s. I saw them
pre-fishing the Young’s Landing area on Friday. I knew
it was big fish in the area. They did what we should’ve
done early. They started the morning on the big fish.
Danny says they caught over 20 fish early morning
pushing minnows in 3 to 4 feet water.
Congratulations Ronald and Danny. This makes two
north MS lakes you’ve showed your stuff. I’ve got to
figure out who’s running the show; if I ask Danny he
says Ronald; if I ask Ronald he says Danny. That’s the
essence of a good team. Nobody is in charge, you do
what it takes to win. In this case it takes experience,
patience and practice. Time on the water tops them all.
From the Tournament Director’s Desk - Michael Nowell
Grenada Lake shows why it has been voted the #1 crappie lake in the nation multiple years
in a row. I mean WOW! What a weigh in! And it was not even a good fishing day. Cold, windy,
raining and we still weighed in 13 fish 3 pound or better. All I can say is WOW!
Well I guess it is safe to say Paula and I got our little bubble busted. Not once but twice.
We knew we would be close to breaking our own record but we never thought that would not
be good enough to win. I mean it is a rare accomplishment to catch a 3.5 lb crappie. But a 3.92
is absolutely amazing! All I can say is Layne, you are the man!!! Your new club record could
really stand for a long time. Congratulations!!!
I want to say thank you to Katie Womack and Neil and Donny Dempsey for all your help at
the weigh in. And also to anyone else who may have helped to setup and break down. You are
really appreciated.
Next up it is on to big bad Barnett Reservoir. This will be our first Big Mama tournament on
Barnett and this could be another record tournament. If we have some good weather we really
could break that 100 boat mark. To accommodate all these possible entries we are setting up
multiple registration times. Please make an effort to come to one of the early registrations
because the Saturday morning registration will be real short and the parking will be really
Michael Nowell - Tournament Director MCC packed!
REGISTRATION at the Flowood Academy Sports store
Saturday April 4th 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Friday April 10th 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Tournament morning late registration 5:00 AM to 5:30 AM @ Tommy's Trading Post Hwy 43
Start Fishing Time 6:30 AM
Stop Fishing Time 2:00 PM
Weigh in 3:00 Pm @ the Flowood Academy Sports store
You must have your weigh ticket turned in before 3:00 PM
The Weigh-Master’s– Larry Nipper
Grenada Lake – Truly as Good as it Gets!!!
All I can says is WOW. It was one of those tournaments you dream about; weather not
bad, fishing great for some, not to good for others. Ken and I were the lucky ones. We got
on good fish early and laid the wood to them. We weighed our heaviest stringer of the year,
14.64#’s. That weight on any other lake than Grenada would have won, it’s only good for 7th
place at Grenada. Oh well, it doesn’t matter when you had a good time.
Special thanks to the guys from War-Eagle Boats for the excellent food they prepared on
Friday evening. These guys are special to MCC and we all appreciate everything they do.
Thanks to Matt Morgan with Lucas Oil for sponsoring the Grenada Big Mama Open and
providing every MCC tournament angler with a Lucas Oil sample. Thanks for the excellent
door prizes you provided. Lucas Oil makes excellent products; been using them in my boats
and RV’s for years.
Now its on to Barnett, the spawn should be in full bloom. Lets pray for good weather and
lots of fishermen. It’s setting up to be one of our best ever. We may see more record catches, never can tell. This is a great fishery and it can produce excellent catches. See you at Barnett.
Larry Nipper, Weigh-Master MCC
Thank You,
Larry
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2014-15 Issue 7 March 21, 2015
Magnolia Crappie Club would like to thank Allen Dykes of Backland Taxidermy for donating a full fish mount to
Layne Carpenter and Lance Evans for catching the new club record catch. Thank you Allen. Backland Taxidermy is now our official sponsored Taxidermy Service for all member mounts.
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2014-15 Issue 7 March 21, 2015
Starting Crappie Fishin'
I was at Academy Sports the other day looking for what's new in fishing baits and tackle. A man
asked me if I was a bass fisherman. No was the answer
(jokingly I said) "I don't fish for trash fish, I'm a crappie
fisherman." This question may have been asked because I was looking around in the bass baits isle. Since I was a crappie fisherman he
wanted to know what I thought was the best poles and reels to buy for crappie fishing.
What he didn't know was I'm an old time Magnolia Crappie Club Member who's
going to find out the best crappie fishing tools and how to use them. If you're into tournament crappie fishing you better have the best and learn from the best if you're going
to compete.
I told him crappie fisherman probably outnumbered bass fisherman 10 to 1. The
main reason is well known, they're good to eat. Crappie can also be fished year round
without spending a fortune on baits and tackle. "The crappie don't care how much the
boat, baits, and tackle cost."
Just getting started I told him you need to keep it simple. Since he had already purchased a War Eagle boat, I asked if he was a local, and he said "yes." That's great
because in my opinion you live close to one of the best overall crappie fishing lakes in
the country, Barnett Reservoir. If you're looking for world class 3 lb. plus crappie go to
Grenada Reservoir in downtown Grenada, MS. Two other north Mississippi 3 lb. crappie producing reservoirs are Enid and Sardis. For ideal overnight accommodations between these two reservoirs it's Batesville, MS on I-55.
Lake Washington near Greenville, MS. and Eagle Lake are old Mississippi river
lakes, no longer connected to the river, where you can go and catch big 3 lb. plus crappie. The Clarion-Ledger Thursday's paper has fishing reports on Barnett or you can go
online (Clarion-Ledger Outdoors or MDWFP) and find out where crappie are biting most
MCC Charter Member—Rabbit Rogers everywhere and how other fishermen are catching them.
Spawning crappie on Barnett Reservoir Finding out is simple enough but after getting this information it gets complicated and personnel preferences go
in different directions.
After we introduced ourselves and he knew more about me and my experience crappie fishing he
wanted to know lots more. He may have been just picking me but I told him there are several ways to fish
for crappie and you should try different techniques to find out what suits you best. You can anchor down
and set out poles with straight hooks and minnows under a cork, jig fish structure, multi-pole drift fish,
Continued on page 15
long line, or power troll.
Special Thanks to Grenada Tourism Commission—Larry Harges, Samantha Hilmus, and Phillip Mixon.
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2014-15 Issue 7 March 21, 2015
From the President’s Desk - Kenneth Middleton, II
Y’all said it was going to happen one day
And it did. After calibration and the 1st basket weighed was close to 14 lbs.
Larry and I looked at the fish, then each other; “uh oh”. In a good way; that
meant our fish were bigger than we thought. We’re getting ready to see some
pigs.
The end result? A storybook ending; Hollywood couldn’t have scripted it any
better. A young man (Layne Carpenter) with a single jig pole comes to his first
tournament and sets a record in front of a huge Grenada crowd. It made us
proud to witness this moment of history; Layne you are the M-A-N.
Thanks so much to Matt, Dylan and Drew Morgan; not only for sponsoring
the Big Mama, but also for fishing with us. You guys are class acts. Great ambassadors for the sport of crappie fishing.
Also thanks to the Grenada tourism board for sponsoring 2 MCC tournaments and 2 Big Mama Opens this year. We’re always happy to promote your
lake for tourism.
Once again, War Eagle Boats went above and beyond cooking for the teams
Friday night. The War Eagle boats on display looked like a showroom. It proved
once again MCC walks the walk and talks the talk. We promote our sponsor
products.
Kenneth Middleton, II, President MCC
I don’t think I have ever seen Jack Wells, owner of BnM, smile that big for
so long. He presented Layne and Lance with $500 worth of B’n’M Bucks to use on any B’n’M products in the store.
Come on back, Jack, we love having you around.
It was great seeing Mike and Suzette Valentine owners of Crappie Masters fishing with us. They’re wonderful people
and a pleasure to work with. We work together scheduling tournaments to gain maximum participation from both organizations.
Get ready for Big Bad Barnett!! We’re headed to the Academy Sports Big Mama and MCC Cub Tournament April
11th. This is another open tournament, anyone can participate; no membership necessary. A polygraph will be administered on site for the winners; this is done to ensure a level playing field. We may do boat checks Saturday morning,
maybe.
Once again, congratulations to Hugh and Steve, and to Lance and Layne. A great memory for both teams.
More To Come ………
Ken
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2014-15 Issue 7 March 21, 2015
Grenada Lake Big Mama Open Winners
Lance Evans & Layne Carpenter - 1st Place Big Fish - 3.92#’s
Steve Marquis & Troy Garrett - 2nd Place Big Fish - 3.51#’s (Tie)
Paula & Michael Nowell - 2nd Place Big Fish - 3.51#’s (Tie)
Jack Wells & Tim Blakley - 3rd Place Big Fish - 3.43#’s
Ken Middleton, MCC President—Les Smith—John Harrison—A.E. Smith
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2014-15 Issue 7 March 21, 2015
MCC Anglers of The Year - Top Teams
1st Place—Clint Egbert & Jeremy Aldridge
2nd Place—Kent Driscoll & John Harrison
3rd Place—Rabbit Rogers & Pat Jeffcoats
4th Place—Charles Lindsay, Sr. & Graham Taylor
6th Place—Vic Finkley & Kim Gray
5th Place—Larry Holmes & TJ Ferguson
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2014-15 Issue 7 March 21, 2015
MCC Anglers of The Year - Top Teams
7th Place—William Tyer & Richard Sanders
8th Place—Shelton Culpepper & David Thornton
9th Place—Steve Marquis & Troy Garrett
10th Place—Brad Calhoun & Tommy Moss
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2014-15 Issue 7 March 21, 2015
The Morgan Boys – Future Crappie Champions
By Bernard Williams, Magnolia Crappie Club
I often wonder what I would be in life if my dad and uncles wouldn’t have taught me about the great outdoors;
fishing, hunting and how to respect nature. It’s scary. It’s the same feeling I get when I see kids getting in trouble
at such a young age and ruin the rest of their lives. Somebody in their
lives needed to do what my parents and family did when I was a kid.
Get them involved in an outdoor sport. I say that to say this; not all kids
now days are bad kids.
I got a chance to meet some awesome young men this weekend; Dylan and Drew Morgan; their dad, Matt is a professional crappie fisherman that hails from Noblesville, IN. Matt fishes the Crappie Masters
and Crappie USA national circuits. As a matter of fact, Matt is one-half
of a Crappie Masters National Championship team along with his partner Kent Watson. They just finished a tour of the Florida lakes a few
weeks back. Matt and Kent won the Crappie Masters St. Johns River
tournament and finished 3rd in the Harris Chain of Lakes in Tavares,
FL.
Dylan (10) and Drew (12) are becoming excellent fishermen. I think
it’s in their blood. Guess you can’t help but be good when your dad’s a
champion. Kind of like Dale Jr., like father like son.
Matt along with Lucas Oil was gracious enough to sponsor our Grenada Big Mama Open this year. I mean Lucas Oil paid all the prize monDylan Morgan—One Half of Team Morgan & ey for the Big Mama Open winners. It just goes to show you, if you do
Morgan
the right thing, good things will follow you. If you’re being blessed you
need to bless someone else. That’s how things work.
Enough about Matt and Kent; I’m here to tell you about my new found friends Drew and Dylan. They love
crappie fishing. Drew is a Go-Cart racer with numerous wins under his belt. While Dylan just loves crappie fishing
and hanging out with his dad; Drew is kind of at that age where he’s almost a teenager and still considered a kid.
You know that in-between age where you can easily get side tracked. Matt knows that and he keeps them busy in
all types of sports. I enjoy seeing well disciplined kids. Continued on Page 13 …..
Congratulations to Earl Oswalt & Logan Guice—14.14#’s to finish 9th—Great Finish
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2014-15 Issue 7 March 21, 2015
Page 13
M a g n o l i a C r a p p i e C l u b Ad v e n t u r e s
2014-15 Issue 7 March 21, 2015
The Morgan Boys – Future Crappie Champions -Continued from page 11
Dylan says, “Man I love fishing at Grenada, the fish are soooo big. They have mouths almost as
big a bass.” Well Dylan you’re right. The reason for that is Grenada crappie feast on Gizzard Shad.
They’re much larger than Thin-Fin Shad. It takes less shad to
get a full meal. It’s also the reason you have to use big minnows at Grenada to catch the big fish.
I asked Drew what kind of boat does he like; Drew says,
“I love my dad’s Ranger; it has a 250 Mercury OptiMax and a
Lucas Oil wrap. I like the Minn Kota Talons on the back that
lets us stop and fish a location without moving. The double
consoles keep me dry on days we have to go out in the rain.
My dad loves going fast. It’s an awesome boat. I’m going to
buy me one when I get big.” I asked Drew what poles do he
prefer. Drew says, “We only use B’n’M poles. They have a
pole for any type crappie fishing you like.” Talking about a
salesman.
Matt’s partner Kent Watson gave him a hand with the
boys at Grenada. I didn’t know it but the boys very competitive. They had their own tournament going on between them.
Kent Watson and his teammate Drew Morgan
Kent and Drew fished together in his Big “O” Boat and Dylan
and Matt fished in the Ranger. It was tight race but I think Drew and Kent edged out Matt and Dylan. All I know is Dylan wants a re-match. Great job guys, that’s what I call creating memories. Like
the title said, I see future crappie champions, who knows, anything is possible. If your mind can
conceive it and you can believe it, you can achieve it. Bernard
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2014-15 Issue 7 March 21, 2015
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To provide a range of integrated insurance and financial planning
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Page 15
M a g n o l i a C r a p p i e C l u b Ad v e n t u r e s
2014-15 Issue 7 March 21, 2015
Starting Crappie Fishin' - Continued from page 6 ……..
It's jig fishing that I know best but not always the most productive. Believe me, there is an element of expertise to jig fishing and it takes more
practice than most people are willing to
spend. My advise is multi-pole drift fish
(spider rigging) with minnows. It's not
going to be easy though, have patience
and remember, there are no secret honey holes, crappie may be here today and
gone tomorrow. It's a multitude of things
you need to know about the lake like water temp, water clarity, is the water rising
or falling, is there current, what's the
wind speed and direction, and then how
is this going to affect me. At different
times of the year, Winter-SpringSummer-Fall, crappie follow certain patterns. It would be wise to make notes on
a calendar.
Back to the point, I would buy 14
ft. B'n'M Pro Trollers with B'n'M Reels. To
drift fish you will need to set your boat
up with Tite-Lock Black Hawk pole holders. A good minnow bucket with a 12 volt DC aerator to keep minnows lively is a necessity.
Rabbit and his #1 Fishing Partner—’Ms Jane’ Rogers
If you think that's all there is to it, think again. How do you rig the poles? What line, hooks, jigs, and
weights do you use? The best crappie fishermen consistently catch fish because they learned how. But how
did they learn? From whom did they learn? If a person wants to be the best at something they need to find
out who is the best and learn from them. The Magnolia Crappie Club has some of the best crappie fishermen
in the world. If you join the Magnolia Crappie Club and tournament fish you will not fail to be a better crappie fisherman. Tournament fishing is not for everyone but to a few of us it is very exciting and addictive. I
can't wait until the next Tournament Adventure because it adds a rush for me. Just everyday fishing is like
ball practice. Practice is OK, but I want in the ballgame, put me in, coach. The anxiety and intensity level
goes way up on tournament day no matter how old you are or how many tournaments you've fished. Man,
how the times flies, before you know it, it's weigh-in time.
Back to my Suggestion to you, for right now rig your B'n'M Poles with 10 lb. test line, tie on a 1/16
ounce jig with a pinch on # 5 sinker about 12 inches above the jig. Go by the bait shop and get a bucket full
of medium minnows. When you get to the lake I'd go to where the boats are and note the depth of water
and how deep they're fishing. They are not there for nothing. Hook a minnow thru the lips on a jig, set out
the poles and start fishing. As soon as you learn the basics and get a little experience under your belt at
catching crappie you can think about tournament fishing. It always helps to go with a tournament fisherman
if possible. Maybe, after a little practice, you may be a candidate for tournament fishing and can say, "put
me in, coach!"
Just remember, "Nothin' is easy"
"Good Luck"
by the Rabbit
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2014-15 Issue 7 March 21, 2015
Magnolia Crappie Club - Anglers of the Year Race
Place
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
60
60
Team
J.ALDRIDGE‐C.EGBERT
K.DRISCOLL‐J.HARRISON
R.ROGERS‐P.JEFFCOATS
C.LINDSAY‐C.LINDSAY JR
V.FINKLEY‐K.GRAY
L.HOLMES ‐TC FERGUSON
R.SANDERS‐W.TYER
S.CULPEPPER‐D.THORNTON
S.MARQUIS‐T.GARRETT
T.MOSS‐B.CALHOUN
B.BURNETT‐J.GROSS
M.NOWELL‐P.NOWELL
J.WALKER
M.BLOUNT‐K.SULLIVAN
C.HORTON‐K.HORTON
R.WOMACK‐K.WOMACK
D.WADE‐R.WADE
P.JOHNSON‐H.DUCKSWORTH
T.STEWART‐T.STEWART
J.SMITH‐R.SMITH
C.STARNES‐G.FRAZIER
B.WILLIAMS‐D.TERRY
K.MIDDLETON‐L.NIPPER
N.DEMPSEY‐D.DEMPSEY
B.CHAPPELL‐B.HUDSON
D.MCWILLIAMS‐R.NIVEN
B.TAYLOR
H.KRUTZ‐S.STEVENSON
S.TURNER‐A.TURNER
A.SMITH‐L.SMITH
S.STEEN‐S.STEEN
E.OSWALT‐J.ROBERSON
D.WHITE‐H.STRICKLAND
R.BOUCHILLON‐J.LOWREY
D.COLLINS‐N.NIXON
L.EVANS
K.HOLMES‐A.MORGAN
M.HIGGINBOTHAM‐N.POLAN
J.CARPENTER‐T.CARPENTER
R.CLARY‐P.KIRK
R.MOODY‐S.MOODY
M.HAMBERLIN
J.CORMAN
S.WHITE‐D.WHITE
J.WARD‐M.WARD
J.PITT‐R.CATALANI
N.SULLIVAN‐J.PITCOCK
M.BAKER‐K.HUGGINS
T.BLAKLEY‐J.WELLS
D.NEWMAN‐A.NEWMAN
J.BARNES‐R.BARNES
J.BERSHEARS‐B.KELLY
B.ROBINSON‐J.SCOTT
S.CLARK‐J.RILEY
A.MORGAN‐J.MORGAN
C.PATTERSON‐J.FORD
D.ABERNATHY‐B.BARNETT
C.MATTIESEN
C.WRIGHT JR‐C.WRIGHT III
C.HEMPHILL‐S.HILL
M.VALENTINE‐S.VALENTINE
C.MAGNUM‐M.CAROLL
TeamNo
73
9
7
10
20
42
44
5
69
11
60
37
30
4
36
3
22
1
26
34
65
8
23
89
19
53
59
35
93
31
28
54
57
6
51
71
24
43
40
25
90
72
17
78
18
92
94
81
121
107
122
120
117
91
45
76
67
75
79
86
118
123
Wolf
Grenada
15.44
24.42
15.54
22.38
17.77
18.45
18.79
20.65
16.14
20.98
11.83
26.55
17.14
19.80
17.71
22.24
10.00
20.01
15.37
21.78
17.29
23.49
16.33
20.94
13.26
23.92
15.07
22.95
18.64
17.63
14.41
21.30
14.76
14.79
16.48
19.90
15.26
23.67
15.83
14.14
16.68
18.15
11.75
20.73
10.00
14.41
16.74
14.18
0.00
25.09
14.81
18.37
15.36
17.20
0.00
20.80
0.00
19.81
10.00
18.72
13.65
19.47
15.00
15.79
15.33
17.81
0.00
15.87
10.00
18.14
14.70
0.00
0.00
12.46
0.00
20.25
0.00
22.17
0.00
21.72
0.00
16.52
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
20.99
0.00
16.83
0.00
11.32
0.00
23.68
0.00
18.02
0.00
0.00
0.00
10.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
19.35
0.00
0.00
16.71
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
11.70
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
Enid
Chotard OkatibbeWashingtoGrenada II
20.23
20.78
17.19
19.86
25.64
21.86
21.12
15.55
17.54
19.61
17.17
23.15
18.83
14.16
23.23
20.76
22.78
17.72
10.00
19.47
18.72
22.89
17.90
10.00
21.32
15.08
17.26
18.74
17.90
19.58
13.20
17.34
15.28
20.51
21.40
13.84
23.24
16.32
10.00
20.42
17.62
21.40
15.86
10.00
27.19
14.43
19.45
16.23
11.55
22.91
11.85
20.62
18.97
10.00
19.12
10.00
14.27
16.25
19.03
24.04
17.01
18.23
17.45
10.00
20.86
12.56
22.98
16.22
11.35
18.66
13.98
22.29
16.87
11.97
16.84
12.98
19.60
15.59
10.00
23.94
20.46
16.24
15.24
10.00
26.06
13.70
20.53
15.23
14.15
14.75
15.16
20.19
15.39
14.01
10.00
17.88
23.44
17.09
10.00
14.87
23.50
11.01
16.04
10.00
17.81
17.78
19.09
14.49
11.39
15.70
11.73
21.96
15.44
11.67
24.64
12.54
13.68
17.56
13.34
18.57
22.13
20.46
0.00
13.08
24.43
0.00
20.90
16.51
10.00
22.26
16.07
10.00
10.00
10.00
16.46
0.00
22.35
10.00
10.00
28.19
10.00
17.93
15.34
10.00
18.12
10.00
10.00
10.00
10.00
20.19
0.00
10.00
10.00
10.00
23.31
10.00
19.72
0.00
0.00
24.14
17.64
0.00
14.44
0.00
15.28
0.00
19.33
17.13
0.00
21.93
0.00
10.00
15.88
10.00
10.00
0.00
15.12
16.60
11.96
14.94
0.00
10.00
15.49
10.00
17.64
19.71
0.00
0.00
0.00
21.90
14.59
0.00
0.00
0.00
18.31
0.00
22.05
0.00
0.00
10.00
13.60
0.00
0.00
0.00
22.33
0.00
20.89
13.53
11.12
0.00
10.00
21.00
0.00
0.00
10.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
17.00
0.00
10.00
10.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
24.04
10.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
15.45
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
27.39
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
15.34
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
23.40
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
22.10
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
20.16
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
17.53
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
14.52
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
13.82
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
10.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
10.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
10.00
Total
143.56
133.60
132.76
130.17
127.95
126.94
124.67
123.77
122.08
121.72
121.34
120.86
120.73
119.79
118.22
117.82
117.55
114.74
113.68
113.25
113.19
110.93
109.85
106.61
105.19
102.85
95.09
91.34
91.20
88.91
86.43
84.65
80.50
74.26
74.02
73.32
65.59
61.86
55.07
53.77
52.45
45.54
41.00
37.99
36.83
35.36
33.68
33.47
27.39
25.34
23.40
22.10
20.16
19.35
17.53
16.71
14.52
13.82
11.70
10.00
10.00
10.00
Page 17
2014-15 Issue 7 March 21, 2015
Big Year for Magnolia Crappie Club
By Paul Johnson
Folks, I’ve been here since day one, and I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly with MCC. I won’t stress on our
low moments—trust me, we’ve had a couple. Instead, let me opine
on our current really high benchmark.
You’re living it, friend, and you’re one of the reasons for it.
Go ahead. Pat yourself and your fishing partner on the back. You
deserve it. We deserve it. As a group, as a fishing family, as a dynamic organization, MCC has never been healthier.
How do we measure the “health” of a club like MCC? Glad
you asked—let me preach on it. It’s in the numbers, baby, and here
are a couple. Our tournament participation level is as high as its ever been—exception, the bad weather event at Lake Washington.
We’ve attracted as many, maybe more than ever, new members to the club this year. Did you see all the new faces at the Grenada BMO? And, a lot of those joined the club for the first time.
Plus, don’t know if you’ve been counting, but I have, we’ve had more
new kids fishing with us this year than ever before. I’ve happily
handed out more than 20 rod/reel combos to our “first time kids”!
That’s a great number!!
And, speaking of kids—what about first time fisherman
Layne Carpenter!!! I don’t think Layne understands what a star he
really is, do you? Man, a 12 year old kid with zero fishing experience
lands the fish of a lifetime!!! Admit it, friend, you are just like me—
very proud of the young man and just a little jealous. Way to go,
Layne. Come on back, bud, and fish with us some more. Thanks,
Lance, for introducing Layne to crappie fishing and MCC.
Other indicators of a really great year include things like the increased number of sponsors and sponsorship money.
As a member of the BOD, I’ve seen these numbers, and trust me, they’re higher than ever!! Thank you, Johnny Walker,
Kent Driscoll, Rod Womack, Robbie Nivens, the Nowells, Jeremy Aldridge and Clint Egbert, Chaney Starnes, Les Smith, Don
Terry, and all the other members who have brought in sponsors. Our post-season payouts will be at record highs because
of your great involvement.
And, did you see the parking lot at the weigh-in at Grenada? Don’t know where we would have put another rig, do
you? We had a “house full” of folks—with lots of new faces—under the Pavilion at 3:00 on Saturday. Wonderful, just wonderful—great job, everybody!
Now, I’ve got a favor to ask of all of us—myself included. Not a big deal, just a pet peeve of mine, and I know you
aren’t aware of what I’m about to tell you. One of the great things about a crowd like we had at the weigh-in at Grenada is
that you get to “visit” with likeminded folks. We enjoy one another’s company. It really is like a big family reunion. It’s
fun. Please don’t think me to be Mr. Scrooge with this request. Look, I’m more guilty here than most.
Okay, here’s my request. Please be cognizant that up front there is a program going on. The President has a few
words to say. Our special guest or sponsor would like to address the crowd. Announcements need to be made. Important
information, scores, weights, questions, answers, important stuff needs to be spoken and heard by everyone in attendance.
Please take your conversations away from the “audience” of the weigh-in program. If you must tell your buddy
something, take it outside, will you? Show the folks on the microphones and at the scale a little respect and appreciation.
And, participate, friend. When something good happens show your support by clapping and hollering congratulations. That’s the time to make a joyful noise unto the crowd.
Okay, I said it. I’m through. We’re having a really good year. Enjoy it. MCC is a great bunch!! Can’t wait to beat
your butts at Barnett. Look out, here it comes! P.J.
Page 18
2014-15 Issue 7 March 21, 2015
Page 19
2014-15 Issue 7 March 21, 2015
Page 20
Sponsor
2014-15 Issue 7 March 21, 2015
Magnolia Crappie Club - Sponsors
MCC Team
Current Thru
Sponsorship Level
City of Batesville
Jeremy Aldridge /Clint Egbert
10/1/2015
ULTIMATE SPONSOR
Grenada Co. Tourism
Tommy Moss / Les Smith
10/1/2015
ULTIMATE SPONSOR
Academy Sports
Paul Johnson
Kent Driscoll / John Harrison
9/4/2015
2/27/2015
EXCLUSIVE EVENT SPONSOR
B & M Pole Company
Elite Optical
Terry / Tonya Stewart
9/5/2015
Farm Bureau
Shelton Culpepper / David Thornton
5/30/2015
Lucas Oil Products, Inc.
Don Terry / Bernard Williams
3/3/2016
10/22/2015
The Crawley Law Offices, PLLC
Washington Co. Tourism
PRADCO / Bandit Lures
Ken Middleton / Larry Nipper
Brad Taylor
2/6/2015
10/31/2015
Yazoo Co Tourism
Charles Lindsay / Charles Lindsay, Jr
Roger / Katie Womack
10/16/2014
10/6/2015
Desiccare, Inc.
Taylor Made Labels, Inc.
9/4/2015
SPECIAL SPONSOR
Cannon Chevrolet
Johnny Walker
9/24/2015
PLATINUM SPONSOR
Chicky Tackle Co. (Rockport Rattler)
3/3/2016
PLATINUM SPONSOR
Counce Marine
Chaney Starnes
8/2/2015
PLATINUM SPONSOR
American Eagle Knives
10/9/2015
PLATINUM SPONSOR
Gateway Tire
Johnny Walker
8/6/2015
PLATINUM SPONSOR
Huskavarnna
Johnny Walker
8/25/2015
PLATINUM SPONSOR
Kirk Auto Company
Johnny Walker
8/28/2015
PLATINUM SPONSOR
Lakeway Sporting Goods
Johnny Walker
8/1/2015
PLATINUM SPONSOR
Performance Marine, LLC
10/1/2015
PLATINUM SPONSOR
Rankin First Economic Develop
Tommy Moss / Brad Calhoun
5/30/2015
PLATINUM SPONSOR
Southern Belle T-Shirts
3/15/2015
PLATINUM SPONSOR
Tite Lok/Black Hawk
Ken Middleton / Larry Nipper
11/19/2015
PLATINUM SPONSOR
TLC Marine
Johnny Walker
8/25/2015
PLATINUM SPONSOR
War Eagle Boats
John Harrison
8/6/2015
PLATINUM SPONSOR
Dunlap & Kyle
Johnny Walker
10/1/2015
MAJOR SPONSOR
East Side Motel
Johnny Walker
8/18/2015
MAJOR SPONSOR
Jake and Rips
Johnny Walker
8/6/2015
MAJOR SPONSOR
Pete Patrick Tire Service, Inc
Hugh Krutz / Steve Stevenson
3/11/2015
MAJOR SPONSOR
Lake Harbor Trading Post
Charles Lindsay / Charles Lindsay, Jr
4/16/2015
MAJOR SPONSOR
Scott Petroleum Corporation
Johnny Walker
8/20/2015
MAJOR SPONSOR
Woods Home Building & Repair
Robbie Niven / David McWilliams
7/31/2015
MAJOR SPONSOR
Yazoo Body Works
7/29/2015
MAJOR SPONSOR
49 Tire & Auto Service
9/8/2015
2/27/2015
PATRON SPONSOR
7/29/2015
2/4/2016
2/26/2016
2/26/2016
2/26/2016
2/26/2016
3/21/2016
3/21/2010
3/21/2010
PATRON SPONSOR
A-1 Gear & Auto, Inc
Alfa Insurance
Caruthers Marine, LLC
Bank of Commerce
Mid Delta Auction Company
333 Restaurant
Pap's Restaurant
Backland Taxidermy
Ivy’s Marine Service, LLC
The Prop Shop
Johnny Walker
Johnny Walker
Johnny Walker
Johnny Walker
Johnny Walker
Mike Nowell / Paula Nowell
SPECIAL SPONSOR
PATRON SPONSOR
PATRON
PATRON
PATRON
PATRON
PATRON
PATRON
PATRON
PATRON
SPONSOR
SPONSOR
SPONSOR
SPONSOR
SPONSOR
SPONSOR
SPONSOR
SPONSOR
Page 21
2014-15 Issue 7 March 21, 2015
Anglers Need New Products and Lures
By Brad Wiegmann
Lure companies are always coming out with new products. It is a never-ending flow, but really do most anglers need more lures
and fishing related products? The answer is yes, however, it may not be for the reasons you think and why Arkie Jigs continue to
produce more and new products every year.
Every year, crappie seem to get a little wiser. What caught them the preceding year doesn't get as much as a sniff from a crappie now.
Over the years, crappie seem to have been conditioned about the danger of biting lures with hooks. It's not just one lure either
as double crappie rig hook setups allow anglers to put multiple lures along with several poles. Unless it's new lures on these multiple rigs, the crappie have probably seen them before.
There are more anglers out there crappie fishing than ever before. It's true. Just go out on most Southern reservoirs you will see
boat after boat lined up to launch. The growing number will only continue to expand putting more fishing pressure on crappie.
In the past, anglers had only one source of credible information such as a father or relative. Now with the internet and cell
phones, anglers can communicate even talk with other anglers on the water about techniques or fishing conditions. The internet
also offers a bazillion YouTube videos on every technique, lures and how to catch crappie videos.
Equipment crappie anglers are fishing with has also taken a great leap forward. It's almost unbelievable how sophisticated fishing lines, reels, rods, trolling motors and other fishing equipment has come over the past few years.
Even rod holders have evolved with new and improved models coming out all the time. The value of adjustable, durable rod
holders cannot be overstated. Although a few techniques require crappie anglers to hold on to a rod, spider rigging and long poling
involve multiple rods rigged up while placed in holders firmly at the right angle.
One of the biggest advancements is in marine electronics. Now anglers can get picture perfect, photographic images of below
the boat and side-to-side views with affordable units. It's never been easier to view below the surface allowing anglers to find cover,
structure, baitfish and crappie quickly even on unfamiliar bodies of water.
Crappie anglers do have the advantage over crappie with new lures and terminal
tackle. Lures get all the press in magazines, but some products with less fanfare often
help anglers catch more fish every day. Terminal tackle such as jig heads, Tied Minnow Teasers and crappie rigs by Arkie Lures maybe the last thing on any angler's
mind, however, it's the one thing that should be for successful fishing trips.
"Demand for new lures and products by weekend and professional crappie anglers
has driven the market, so in order to meet the request Arkie Lures has designed, manufactured and now selling several new lures and products," said Mitch Glenn, Marketing Manager at Arkie Lures.
Interestingly, crappie anglers wanted bigger sizes of original lures. "The larger size
of traditional baits like our 1 1/2-inch Curl Tail Minnow and 2 1/2-inch XL Pro-Model
Tube is driven by tournament crappie anglers targeting bigger crappie. They are willing to sacrifice bites to catch the bigger crappie. So we now have a 2 1/2-inch model," said Glenn. Continued on page 23
Thanks to Mike & Suzette Valentine, CEO of Crappie Masters
Thanks to Mike Ward & Staff from War Eagle Boats
Page 22
2014-15 Issue 7 March 21, 2015
Magnolia Crappie Club - Sponsors
Sponsor
BFMW Group CPA
MCC Team
Current Thru
Sponsorship Level
Johnny Walker
8/22/2015
PATRON SPONSOR
B's Grocery
Johnny Walker
8/21/2015
2/18/2015
PATRON SPONSOR
Central MS Cemetery
Collins Bait & Tackle
Johnny Walker
8/29/2014
PATRON SPONSOR
Crystal Grill, Inc.
Johnny Walker
8/22/2015
PATRON SPONSOR
PATRON SPONSOR
Country Catfish
Johnny Walker
11/14/2014
PATRON SPONSOR
Custom Printing
Johnny Walker
8/21/2014
PATRON SPONSOR
D & D Gas , LLC
8/11/2015
PATRON SPONSOR
David Thornton Guide Service
Johnny Walker
9/4/2015
PATRON SPONSOR
Don Bass Insurance Agency
10/30/2015
PATRON SPONSOR
Dry Dock Bar & Grill
9/22/2014
PATRON SPONSOR
Duncan Marine & Outfitters
Johnny Walker
8/25/2014
PATRON SPONSOR
Dunn's Store
Paul Johnson
5/3/2015
PATRON SPONSOR
Edward Jones
Johnny Walker
8/20/2015
PATRON SPONSOR
Executive Planning Group
8/21/2015
PATRON SPONSOR
Fratesi Grocery
Johnny Walker
9/9/2014
PATRON SPONSOR
Green Thumb's LLC
8/11/2015
PATRON SPONSOR
Greenwood Nursery & Boat
Johnny Walker
8/22/2015
PATRON SPONSOR
Grenada Lake Field Office
Johnny Walker
8/25/2015
PATRON SPONSOR
J. Harrison Crappie Guide Service
Johnny Walker
9/4/2015
PATRON SPONSOR
Jeffery Wilson State Farm
Mike Nowell / Paula Nowell
9/3/2015
PATRON SPONSOR
Jeffrey’s Grocery & Sporting Goods
10/13/2014
PATRON SPONSOR
KAJCP Parts & Supply
Johnny Walker
10/7/2014
PATRON SPONSOR
Laney's Boat Camp
Shelton Culpepper / David Thornton
10/25/2014
PATRON SPONSOR
Leflore Hardware, Inc.
Johnny Walker
8/26/2015
PATRON SPONSOR
Middleton Farm Company
3/20/2015
PATRON SPONSOR
Outlaw Sporting Goods
Johnny Walker
9/5/2014
PATRON SPONSOR
P-Reaux's Cajun Mudbugs, LLC
7/25/2015
PATRON SPONSOR
Rankin County Towing
Roy’s Store
Ken Middleton
2/14/2015
PATRON SPONSOR
10/6/2014
PATRON SPONSOR
Service Auto Parts, Inc.
Johnny Walker
8/26/2015
PATRON SPONSOR
Smith & Company Outfitters
Johnny Walker
9/1/2015
PATRON SPONSOR
Spencer's Dairy Cream
Johnny Walker
8/21/2015
PATRON SPONSOR
Stub's Restaurant
7/29/2015
PATRON SPONSOR
Sunset Chrysler Dodge Jeep
Vic Finkley /Kim Gray
9/5/2015
PATRON SPONSOR
The Biscuit Pit
Johnny Walker
8/6/2015
10/6/2014
PATRON SPONSOR
PATRON SPONSOR
The Chuck Stop
Jeremy Aldridge /Clint Egbert
Top Dog Power Sports
Johnny Walker
8/27/2015
PATRON SPONSOR
Trustmark National Bank
Johnny Walker
8/26/2014
PATRON SPONSOR
Vans Deer Processing
2/27/2015
PATRON SPONSOR
Vic's Bait & Tackle
Vic Finkley /Kim Gray
8/18/2015
PATRON SPONSOR
Wade Inc.
Johnny Walker
8/14/2015
PATRON SPONSOR
If you would like to become a Magnolia Crappie Club sponsor, contact us at [email protected] or call Ken Middleton, President - 662-907-4080. You can also go to our
website at www.magnoliacrappieclub.com and print a sponsorship form, fill it out and mail your checks to:
Magnolia Crappie Club - 3616 Kim Dr. - Lauderdale, MS 39335
Page 23
2014-15 Issue 7 March 21, 2015
Continued from page 19….
Another Arkie Lures (www.arkielures.com) bait upsized was the Crappie Crankbait. Once only available in the smaller 220
series, the newer 350 series Crappie Crankbait is bigger and can dive deeper. "The 350 series Crappie Crankbait has an in-between wobbling action of a Wiggle Wart and tight wiggle of a Shad Rap,
the action is irresistible to crappie," said Glenn.
Diving down to 11 feet deep, the 350 series Crappie Crankbait targets crappie in deeper offshore
structure and cover without adding a weight. "Other features crappie anglers love about the new
350 series Crappie Crankbaits are the larger hook size on the lure, longer castability, it's high pitch
rattling sound and it's super buoyant making the Crappie Crankbait ricochet off cover or structure
erratically enticing strikes from crappie," said Glenn.
Due to demand, Arkie Lures has also come out with nine new colors in the Curl Tail Minnow and
12 new color patterns in the Crappie Crankbait series of lures. Although,
the Crappie Crankbait series still comes in the original color patterns,
Glenn feels the real excitement comes from working with renowned lure
painter Scott Vance. "Vance's color patterns are all proven crappie catchers. These are also exclusive color patterns designed by Vance and only
available on our series of 350 and 220 Crankbait Hots," said Glenn.
Arkie Lures has also redesigned the Crappie Tube line of lures.
"Crappie Tubes have been redesigned and improved. The 1 1/2-inch and 2
-inch Crappie Tubes are dipped and salt impregnated. This makes the
tubes tougher. Crappie will also bite and hold on to our Crappie Tubes longer because of the natural
favor salt gives the lure," said Glenn.
The process of dipping a tube increases, the cost of tube style lures. However, Glenn noted it's
worth it because they don't tear up as quickly as other plastic tubes.
A growing number of crappie anglers have began using teasers to attract and entice crappie to bite. "Our Tied Minnow Teasers not only adds color, but flash to any minnow or artificial
lure presentation. The hand tied teasers with rubber legs and Flashabo have a light wire hook
so it won't impede the action of a lure or minnow; in addition to coming in new glow colors
patterns," said Glenn.
One other product Glenn was extremely
proud of was Arkie Lures Double Hook Crappie Rig. Designed to meet the demand by
crappie anglers spider rigging. "It's all rigged
and ready to fish. All you have to do is add
our new Ball head Jigs with double end barbs,
our new Tube Insert Jig Heads, teasers or
hooks. The design allows it to be used with
fishing line up to 20 pound test as a main line
and still have a natural presentation without
collapsing or having to re-rig.
It's not just the crappie being conditioned. "It's the nature of anglers to
watch
other anglers to see where and what they are fishing. Anglers know if they see a big, bright buoy, you are crappie
fishing a brush pile. If you are catching them, they will see
that too," said Glenn.
To keep from attracting attention to your secret spot,
Arkie Lures designed the new Stealth Buoy. The miniature
marker buoy easily fits in a pocket and the small size
keeps other anglers from seeing them.
Successful crappie anglers fish with the latest products. New lures or different sizes can even trick crappie on
lakes with lots of angling pressure into biting.
Anglers can also check out the Youtube video of new
products at: https://youtu.be/14He4zwOyts Brad
Page 24
2014-15 Issue 7 March 21, 2015
I’ll Have One Limit of Crappie – On the Rocks with Brush-Piles on the Side
The winter of 2014/2015 has been exceptionally cold and harsh compared to previous ones. Seems like it’s a never ending saga; each week another storm rolls thru dumping rain, sleet and snow on our southern states. Now it’s the first
week of March; temperatures should be in the 60’s and 70’s not 20’s and 30’s. Where’s the Global Warming they’ve
been preaching about?
Here in central Mississippi we’ve had a few days where the temperature reached the high 50’s low 60’s; just not enough
to make the crappie get in pre-spawn mode. I know spring weather is coming, it’s got to and I’m ready for it. The forecast for the weekend called for low 60’s and I couldn’t resist hooking up and giving my favorite fish (crappie) a try.
My partner, Don Terry of Jackson and I loaded up and headed to Barnett just to see if we could get lucky. We gave the
morning time to warm into the low 40’s before we launched. That put the time around 9:30 am. We had one spot in
mind, a deep hole near the Hwy 43 Bridge. This spot had huge rip-rap rock lining the bank. My theory was when the
sun hit these rocks it would warm the 40 something degree water a few degrees warmer. This would bring in the bait
fish and thus crappie would follow.
After a few minutes of searching we discovered our plan would work. I did some side-scanning with the Lowrance HDS
12 Gen2 Touch using its fantastic Hi-Definition Structure Scan feature. The fish were holding tight to whatever structure was near the
bottom. To be effective we had to get our baits down to where the
fish were; inside and above the brush. It was going to take some
finessing. Trying to jig fish this cover would spook the fish with lots
of hang-ups. We had to be able to feel our way down into the brush
piles.
Crappie fishermen should take note from the bass fishermen; on this
particular day there were lots of bass fishermen positioned up beside the rocks on both the north and south side of the road. All
these boats lined up along the rocks were a dead give-away that the
active fish, whether bass or crappie would be in the warmer water
near these rocks.
We decided to change our approach from traditional spider-rigging to something new to us; Bottom Bouncing. We
would employ a B’n’M Sam Heaton Super Sensitive 11’ rod with a B’n’M Pro Staff Reel and do what my friends up north
use this time of year. I’d read articles and watched videos on the technique but never felt confident enough to try it.
Today would be the day since no one seemed to be tearing them up. Don says, “Let’s give it a shot; what do we have
to lose other than a few hours.”
We rigged our poles with 6# test line; Rockport Rattler 1/16th oz. jig attached to the line above a 1/4th oz. bell sinker
attached 2’ under the jig. We
understood that
most bottom-bouncers use a minnow but for our sake we were going to use soft-plastics. We knew for this technique to
work, we needed a very sensitive rod to stay in constant contact with the bottom, feel the bite and get a solid hook set.
The rod needed a solid backbone to get the crappie out of the cover and to the surface. We’ve found the rattling jig
attracts more strikes when fish are holding tight to cover.
The Sam Heaton SS Bottom Seat comes with a Portuguese cork handle that makes it a lot more sensitive than the foam
rubber rods. This rod has the reel at the back of the pole to give you greater balance and it makes the pole feel lighter.
The “Touch” System (a cutout in the cork letting your index finger to keep direct connection with the rod blank) gives
you a major advantage in sensing the soft bite. I hold my index finger on the blank and run the line thru my other fingers. I can feel any contact with my bait or my bell sinker. The Sam Heaton rod is so sensitive that when a crappie hits
it aggressively it feels like a firecracker exploded in your hand. Fellow Magnolia Crappie Club Member, Jimmy Smith
says, “I can actually feel my trolling motor running through the rod handle”. Continued on page 25
Page 25
2014-15 Issue 7 March 21, 2015
Continued from page 22
Behind any bridge or roadbed you have what’s called and eddy; a circular movement of water, counter to a main current, causing a small whirlpool. Bait fish will stage up in these areas waiting for the current to slow and the water to
warm before they make their up-river quest. Eddy’s are a superb place to locate fish in these conditions.
Water temperatures near these rocks were 3+ degrees warmer; it was a perfect location to begin our search. It would
be a matter of finding structure that’s holding fish. The bite would be
light and soft. We trolled up to a couple spots we had placed structure
on last winter and began our mission. During the winter we place brush
tops and Christmas trees in these eddy areas to attract crappie during
the year. These attractors produce lots of fish if you keep them a secret,
but it’s nearly impossible to hide something with the Lowrance HiDefinition Structure Scan as we demonstrated. The 8 or 10 tops and trees we
placed along the rock ledge paid great dividends; we ended up with 16 keepers;
the largest 3 or 4 weighed a little over 2 pounds. Not too shabby on a day when
other anglers were struggling to catch a fish.
So to sum it up you need the following equipment:
 B’n’M Sam Heaton Bottom Seat Super Sensitive Rod 10’ or 11’
 B’n’M Pro-Staff Spinning Reel
 6 or 8 pound Vicious Hi-Vis Line
 Lowrance HDS 12 Gen2 Touch with StructureScan
 Navionics Lake Map
 Minn Kota Terrova Trolling Motor
 Lake Fork Trophy Lures – 2 ¼ inch Baby Shad – Albino Shad, Black/Pearl, Blue Pearl, Red or Chartreuse Glow
 Rockport Rattler 1/16th oz. Panfish Rattling Jig – Black, Glow or Orange
 Brush piles placed in or near deep water
Bernard
Page 26
2014-15 Issue 7 March 21, 2015
14/15 Tournament Season
Regular Tournaments
Sep 6
Wolf Lake
Oct 25
Grenada BMO
Nov 15
Enid
Dec 13
Chotard/Eagle
Jan 17
Okatibbee
Feb 21
Washington
Mar 21
Grenada & BMO
Apr 11
Barnett BMO
May 9
Sardis
June 12-13
Finals
Batesville
Minimum participation level for Post-Season qualification is to enter 7 tournaments and earn at least
90 points. You get 10 points for entering and 1
point per pound of weighed in fish.
MCC Governing Board 2014-15
President, Kenneth Middleton
662-907-4080
Vice President, Bernard Williams 601-454-0196
Kevin & Chris Horton—Splash-4-Cash Coordinators
Ok teams, it’s time for Splash-4-Cash. Again this year we welcome Kevin & Chris Horton as our S4C Coordinators. These guys
have the tickets and as you know each member is responsible for one
book (25) tickets at $5.00 each. New rule change this year, every
two books of tickets you sell after your initial required two
books, your team will receive a free tournament entry for
one tournament.
Kevin & Chris will be glad to answer any questions you may have
concerning Splash-4-Cash. This is one of our few fund-raisers that we
use to fund the MCC Finals. The finals location & date have been set,
so plan on fishing Sardis / Enid next June. Our finals are the biggest
payouts of the year. Each day of the 2-day tournament is just like a
single day’s tournament, plus if your combined weight is the heaviest,
you win another $500. You can contact Chris or Kevin for questions.
Thank you Kevin and Chris.
Kevin Horton - C: 662-588-5379 - [email protected]
Chris Horton - C: 662-515-1363 - [email protected]
Sec/Treasurer, Paula Nowell
601-917-1787
Tournament Dir., Michael Nowell
601-917-1787
Weigh-Master, Larry Nipper
662-827-7470
Imm Past President Paul Johnson
601-624-0359
Director 2015 - Don Terry
601-291-2987
Director 2015 - Brad Chappell
601-317-6681
Director 2015 - Ricky Smith
601-757-5406
Director 2016 - Jimmy Smith
601-757-1142
Director 2016 - John Harrison
662-983-5999
Director 2016 - Charles Lindsay
601-624-6348
Director 2017 - Tommy Moss
601-260-6267
Director 2017 - Terry Stewart
601-502-5699
Director 2017 - Rod Womack
601-942-8907
Page 27
2014-15 Issue 7 March 21, 2015
What to Do When the Fish Stop Biting – Do Some Scanning
Have you ever been fishing on days
when the weather was great, no
wind, not much sun, plenty of bait
fish showing on you electronics?
Well if not; I’m here to tell you
there’s going to be days like that.
Kind of reminds me of the old song
by Van Morrison, “Oh, my mama
told me, there’ll be days like this”.
You know you’re in the right location, been there before and caught
tons of fish sitting in this exact location. What’s the problem? I’ve
tried an array of lures and live bait
to no avail. I’ve tried shallow, deep,
the open water, the back of the
creek, fishing fast, slow and even
A good sign of when you can roll up the poles and do something different
dead still. What’s the solution? It
becomes a waiting game. I know sooner or later they’re bound to turn on. When you encounter situations like I mentioned, your patience gets stretched passed its limit. You have a decision to make; do I continue to set here, try another location, or call it quits? I’ve made all three choices at different times.
I know I got all the right equipment: B’n’M poles, Roadrunners, Bobby Garland soft plastics, Lowrance Electronics, Minn
Kota Trolling Motor, Vicious Line, you name it, I got it. Nothing is working; been at it for over 4 hours.
Here’s what I would do because any day out on the water is a good day. I would do some side scanning with my electronics. Lowrance has some of the best marine electronics on the market today. They’ve just announced the HDS Gen3 line of fishfinder/
chartplotter displays.
The Gen-3 combines simultaneous use of CHIRP sonar technology and
StructureScan HD to give you the best possible view of fish and structure, below and on each side of the boat. It’s much faster than previous
generations. It has superior visibility on bright sunny days. You no longer need a hood to see the screen, which comes in handy on our southern lakes on those summer days when glare becomes a problem. Something I forgot to mention, they put the buttons back on the front; I love
that.
Another feature included in the Gen-3 is full boat integration and system
control. You now have total control of the trolling motor, outboard motor and the entire electronics system. SmartSteer
allows seamless switching from electric-steer trolling-motor and outboard autopilot steering.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WHgcs5vEzVI
See the latest Video on the Gen3
The GoFree on-the-water wireless feature allows fishermen to download and upload maps, software and other fishing
apps all from a cloud based server. You can connect to Insight Genesis and retrieve sonar logs that keep your maps
updated to the latest lake contours. Oh, did I mention they put the buttons back on to front.
Broadband Radar, SonicHub Marine Audio, SiriusXM Marine Weather and Audio, and MotorGuide PinpointGPS make this
unit the latest and the greatest fishfinder on the market. I could go on and on but this is something you need to try for
yourself. When you see it in action you’re going to say, “Hey, I gotta get me one on those”. Bernard
Page 28
2014-15 Issue 7 March 21, 2015
Crappie Fishing in High Wind – Making the Adjustments
By Bernard Williams
Sometimes it’s just not a good day to fish. That’s a natural occurrence when you tournament fish. You don’t have a
choice if you want to compete. The purpose of this article is to enlighten you on a few tips and techniques that might
just save the day when the wind is blowing, howling, gusting or white-capping.
Find a Protected Spot – Common sense must dictate when it’s safe to fish; the wind is something you should
not be afraid of. High wind causes fish to become less spooky. You should always have a few backup spots
just in case the wind rises. The spots can be in a creek, behind a point, in a cove, or in and around boat
docks.
Use High Quality Poles – I prefer B’nM poles because they make poles for all conditions. I like to add extra
weight to the line. My pole of choice it the 14’ Pro Staff Trolling Poles. The long poles tend to bow in high
wind. With the PST poles you can add over an ounce of weight and it not affect the pole tip. The heavy
weight creates a shock absorber allowing your baits to remain rather still. The advantages of these poles:
 Heavier – They don’t bow in the wind like the flimsy poles.
 Stiffer Tips – The tips are stiffer, they don’t bow down with the added weight
 Use Shorter Poles – 12’ to 14’ poles are recommended. They work well in wind.
Continue on page 29
Page 29
2014-15 Issue 7 March 21, 2015

Use Heavy Weights and Make Your Hook Spread Wider – I use the Capps &
Coleman’s Double Minnow Rigs exclusively. I’ll use the ¾ to 1 oz. on windy days because it has the longest dropper line. The longer dropper absorbs the bounce better and
keeps your bait still. The dropper line is the line connected to the 3-way swivel and the
line from the sinker to the hook. In cool water situations fish will not hit fast moving
baits.

Add a bobber – Adding a bobber to your crappie rig can almost eliminate the bait
bounce. A bobber will go through a wave causing your bait to stay still on the bottom and not
bounce. It’s more work to watch the bobber and not the pole tip but at times it can make the difference.

The Silent Stalker – This product can eliminate the noise created by wave action against the side of
your boat as you troll into the wind. This noise spooks most game fish. If you fish within close proximity to the boat, even in slightly windy conditions the silent stalker can eliminate this fish spooking
noise.

Drift Socks – They will put the brakes on you boat. This works in open water very well; it does not work in
stump fields. You’ll need at least two to hold your boat in high wind. I’m not recommending a specific brand; depending on your boat size you can follow the chart listed below.
Drift Control Drift Sock Recommendations
Light/Breezy
Boat Length
14' or smaller
18"-24" Sock
Boat Length
16' to 18'
25"-30" Sock
Boat Length
20' or larger
36"-42" Sock
Moderate
25"-30" Sock
36"-42" Sock
48"-60" Sock
Heavy/Strong
36"-42" Sock
48"-60" Sock
72" Sock
Wind Conditions
Continued on Page 30
Page 30
2014-15 Issue 7 March 21, 2015

The Minn Kota – MKA 27 Pro Drift Sock and Harness is the perfect combination to slow your troll and keep
your drift sock out of your boat engine. A drift sock entangled in the propeller can cause major frustration. I suggest using several of these around the boat.

Log Chains – If you’re fishing stump fields drift socks tend to hang on underwater stumps. I take a 20’s 3/8th
chain and cut it into 2 pieces with an angle grinder. I then attach a 50’ rope to each 10’ piece of chain. I can adjust the boat speed by the amount of rope I let out. The disadvantage to this method is it stirs up the bottom.
It’s not advisable to repeat your exact trail. I use a 5-gallon bucket to store the chain when I retrieve the chain;
this keeps the mud and sediment out of the boat.

Power Poles with Drift Paddles – While this is not an economical way of controlling your
boat this is by far the most convenient and efficient way to control your drift. Drift Paddles
allow you to control your drift in deeper water. Your angle of drift can be controlled by making adjustments to the paddle angle. All this can be done with the touch of a button. The
drift paddles will slow your boat by 50%. The paddles allow you to follow the contours of the
shorelines better than drift socks or log chains. They can be controlled by a smart phone app
from any location in the boat. Power Poles are a perfect solution to any shallow water anchoring solution. They come in lengths from 6’ to 10’ and several models.

Quality Trolling Motor – A good high quality variable speed trolling motor is a necessity if
you plan to fish for crappie in the wind. You should always buy more trolling motor than the manufacturer recommends. If your boat calls for 50# thrust trolling motor, buy a 70# trolling motor. You’ll be glad you made the
choice. Fishing into a mild wind is sometimes the best bet to catch crappie; a 24-volt trolling motor will give you
more trolling hours than a 12-volt. My motor of choice is a MK Terrova 24V 80lb with iPilot. The hands free remote allows you to maintain control for turns and also pull gently against the wind socks to keep you straight.
One mistake anglers make is too much hold in the wind causing your boat to surge forward. By applying a low
speed troll you eliminate the jerk caused by a wave pushing you forward.

Add Extra Weight to the Front – If you fish on windy days you’re going to encounter windy situations. If you
lower the front of your boat it catches less wind. I place 3 to 4 - 60# to 70# sand bags to the front storage box
on my boat. This lowers the front end of my boat allowing it to catch less wind. The bounce is reduced by 50%.

Install an Automatic Bilge Pump – Often times when you try to eliminate one problem you create another.
When you deploy any of the above mentioned techniques to slow your troll you cause waves to come in the back
of the boat. I’ve seen boats with chains deployed almost sink because no one was noticing the back of the boat
until the boat was nearly half full of water. I installed an automatic 1100 gallon per hour pump and this problem
was eliminated. I use the same philosophy with the bilge pump as with the trolling motor, the more the better.
I sincerely hope these few tips and techniques help you increase your catch ratio on windy days. Each and every angler should use caution when choosing to fish in windy conditions. Know you boat limitations. It’s not advisable to go
out on the lake with wind advisories or warnings; use good judgment and be safe. Bernard
2014 Barnett Winners Charles Lindsay, Jr. & Grandson Taylor Martin, & Charles Lindsay, Sr. with a 7-fish limit weighing 14.79#’s.
Page 31
WEIGH-IN PARKING
From Lakeland (that’s Hwy 25) go north to the
THIRD red light and hang a left onto Flowood
Dr.
2014-15 Issue 7 March 21, 2015
Turn off Old Fannin Rd
onto Flowood Dr.
Enter on the back side of the store from
Flowood Dr.
Parking will be on the half-circle street that
runs in front of Academy Sports Flowood
store.
There will be parking assistants stationed on
site to assist parking. We will be parking 3 or 4
abreast on a portion of Freedom Bend Lane.
It is important that you enter from behind the
store off Flowood Dr.
Do not enter from Old Fannin onto Freedom
Bend in front of the store. You’ll be going
bass-akwards. PJ
or L
25
y
Hw
a
r.
dD
n
a
kel
Welcome to Academy Sports + Outdoors, Flowood, MS.
Academy Sports is proud to be a part of the Barnett Big Mama Open on April, 11. Having been associated with
MCC the last few seasons as a Sponsor, we jumped at the chance to be involved with our first ever Big Mama
Open on The Rez. Especially when it was suggested that we hold the weigh-in at our new store in Flowood.
Thank you, thank you, thank you MCC. We look forward to making the tournament truly eventful.
In fact, our promotional activity will begin 3 weeks prior to the actual tournament date. We plan to have tournament announcements in each of 3 weekly ads immediately preceding the tournament date. Additionally, we will
be doing in-store signage in both Jackson-area stores. And, MCC is bringing in a dynamic, multimedia digital signage presentation to the Flowood store which will run for 3 weeks prior to the tournament. And, last, but not least,
MCC will be setting up early tournament registration the weekend before the tournament in our Flowood store.
On T-Day, Academy Sports will have a free hot dog stand for competitors and weigh-in observers. We want to
make everyone feel welcome. We hope to have lots of door prizes provided by some of our fishing-related vendors, and we’re making room under one of our store awnings for the scales and weigh-in equipment—just in case
it….oh, man, don’t say it...rains.
A word about the parking arrangements...Our hope is to make a portion of the street in front of our store available for parking competitors’ trucks and boats. If you’ve been to our Flowood store you know that Freedom Bend
runs in front of our store and makes basically a half circle around the store. We plan to, with the City of
Flowood’s approval and assistance, block off the portion of Freedom Bend between two of our parking lot entrances.
You need to enter our facility from behind the store, off Flowood Dr. Parking assistants will be there to
direct you into your parking spot on Freedom Bend Lane.
We’re super excited to host MCC’s Barnett Big Mama Open. We hope we have perfect weather, and that we draw
record-breaking numbers for the event. Welcome to Academy Sports + Outdoors, Flowood, MS, y’all.
Page 32
2014-15 Issue 7 March 21, 2015
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2014-15 Issue 7 March 21, 2015
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2014-15 Issue 7 March 21, 2015
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2014-15 Issue 7 March 21, 2015
127 Woodlands Green Drive
Brandon, MS 39047
(601) 874-1863
[email protected]

Issue #7 - the Magnolia Crappie Club

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