Page 5 - Crappie NOW - December 2017
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CRAPPIE USA 2017 CHAMPIONSHIP
driving stakes vertically in the mud to
create cover for the fish. They say the Jim Freeman and Garret Bridges wins the
key to their success was having different Semi-Pro division.
beds in different locations.
“Practice helped a lot,” said
Freeman. “We needed to find out whether relatively shallow. They tipped jigs with
minnows and vertical jigged to catch their
the fish were deep or shallow. We did the winning fish in 3 to 5 feet of water. They
basic run through in shallow water and did not catch the numbers of fish others
then moved out into deeper water. We did, but they caught solid fish.
tried shallow and deep at different times “We knew we had to be around the
of the day to see if there was a morning right kind of fish,” explained Freeman.
bite or an afternoon bite and what time of “We didn’t catch a lot of fish. We just
day and what depth of water that bite was tried to target fish that we thought might
on.” compete.”
“We narrowed it down after two or “Practice was the most significant
three days of practice so we knew what thing,” confirmed Bridges. “We eliminated
we needed to do to compete. It was just a a lot of areas that we knew we didn’t need
matter of whether we were locked in deep to fish. By eliminating some bays we knew
or if we were locked into 10 feet of water, where we needed to spend our time, and
or locked into 3 feet of water.” that’s what we did.”
Practice fishing revealed to Team “It was a tough bite,” offered Freeman.
Freeman/Bridges that the good fish were “When we came in with 9.75 pounds and
5 Crappie NOW December 2017
