Page 6 - Crappie NOW - November 2018

NON-TRADITIONAL PLACES

than the size of a boat,” Outlaw said. “Others
may be up to an acre.” Matt Outlaw pulls a good crappie from the
A key, Outlaw noted, is being prepared for base of a cypress tree. Outlaw suggests
the possibilities. fishing around cypress trees year-round
“I always have a rake with me,” he said. rather than just during the spawn.
While some fishermen deploy a regular
garden rake mounted on a long handle, that
combination can be unwieldy and tiresome single hole is all that is needed at times on
to use. Others use a three- or four-pronged smaller mats.
potato rake to create holes, but Outlaw has “It’s just like any type of structure; the fish
adapted his own tool to open up fishable are not everywhere under a mat,” he said.
openings in the grass. He now uses an 11- “Most of the time they are concentrated in
foot length of metal conduit with a 90-degree one area. I will fish each hole fairly quickly.
bend at the very end that serves as his “rake.” If they are there, they will usually bite pretty
“You can make a hole plenty big enough quick.
to drop a jig through,” Outlaw said. “It doesn’t “The same is true about small mats. There
have to be very big. You might scare some might be 50 fish wadded up on one end of a
fish off if you tried to make the hole too big. mat the size of a boat.”
The metal conduit with the 90-degree bend Outlaw generally uses a 1/16th-oz.
works well for me.” Rockport Rattler or ProBilt jig head paired
On larger mats, Outlaw makes a series with Crappie Magnet or Midsouth plastics.
of holes around the perimeter of his boat. A His color choice is almost always chartreuse.

6 Crappie NOW November 2018