Page 14 - Crappie NOW - November 2017

BASS PROS CRAPPIE FISH

fish breading mix. (By the way, I’ve tried
it and it is yummy!)
I had the opportunity to go fishing
with Terry “Big Show” Scroggins earlier
this year. Terry is a BASS Elite angler
who has qualified for the Bassmaster
Classic 12 times and has 46 top 10
finishes in BASS tournaments. We
started the early afternoon bass fishing
on Toledo Bend. Well, long story short,
our photo work only took about two hours
so Terry said, “Want to go catch some
crappie now?” I looked at him and said,
I didn’t know you like to crappie fish and
he said heck yes! So we stowed away
the bass gear and broke out a couple
of light spinning outfits rigged with just
a 1/16th ounce jig head tipped with a
Bobby Garland Baby Shad. He watched
his Hummingbird graph as we motored
off shore to a huge brush pile in 25 feet
of water. His unit lit up like a Christmas
tree with crappie surrounding the brush
pile that was standing over 15 feet from
the bottom. The wind was blowing pretty
well and two-foot swells were pounding
the boat. But we dropped our jigs down
about 8-10 feet and then the tick, game
on!!! We ended catching about 60 Two nice keeper black crappie. Bass pro
crappies with 40 good keepers in less Terry Scroggins loves to catch crappie
than 2 hours. Some things I learned from especially when the fish are needed for the
Terry that day, 1) crappie fishing is great main course at dinner.
practice to learn using your electronics,
2) off shore fishing is not too difficult Having grown up in Texas, Sprague
and 3) the Minn Kota Ultrex trolling learned crappie fishing at an early age
motor is a “must have” to effectively and continues to fish for them as time
fish offshore. Terry is also well-known permits, which is mostly during the
through the fishing circles as a top notch winter and early spring. Like most bass
griller and cook. Go to his website to see pros, Jeff enjoys using a Lew’s ultra-
some outstanding fish recipes at http:// light spinning outfit with 6-pound test
bigshowscroggins.com/grill.php . Hi-Seas fluorocarbon line rigged with a
Also had the opportunity to visit with Jeff Bobby Garland jighead with a monkey
Sprague earlier this year talking about milk colored Baby Shad and during
bass and crappie fishing. Jeff is a FLW the spring, rigged under a float. When
Tour competitor who has qualified for the crappie get shallow vertical jigging
four Forrest Wood Cup championships. becomes the norm for him where he
He is also known as an excellent grass said, “Nothing like feeling the tick and
fisherman. When asked why he likes to setting the hook. This helps me maintain
fish for crappie, he said, “Crappie is the the feel of a bite which is useful when I
filet mignon of fish”. I agree with him. fish for bass”.

14 Crappie NOW November 2017