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With the appearance of reasonably priced, forward-facing sonar, crappie anglers have develop into spoiled in recent times. Do not forget that in 2022, a single day of crappie fishing on Mississippi’s Grenada produced over fifty 3+ pound fish. That may have been unimaginable 20 years in the past.
Outdoors of Grenada and some different lakes which are thought of among the many greatest crappie fishing spots on this planet, nonetheless, touchdown a fish over three kilos is taken into account fairly the achievement – it’s one the vast majority of anglers won’t ever expertise.
For one Tennessee angler, nonetheless, the elusive feat got here on Saturday, March 4 whereas fishing a event on Kentucky Lake.
Proper on the Cusp
Elliott Tomlinson has caught greater than his fair proportion of crappie over time. The aforementioned Grenada Lake in Mississippi produced 2.90 and a couple of.97 pounders for Tomlinson in March 2022, however entry into the elusive “three pound” membership had eluded him till not too long ago.
Whereas fishing the West Tennessee Crappie Path – a neighborhood path beforehand affiliated with Crappie Masters that he has been fishing for a number of years – Tomlinson secured a second-place end with a 14.64-pound bag. He barely missed the highest spot, which was secured with a 14.87-pound bag.
The almost $600 runner-up was supplemented by a good $120 “large fish” bonus, nonetheless.
Tomlinson’s large fish of the day was a large 3.20 pounder that comfortably turned the massive fish of the crappie profession to this point.
It was additionally one which will have gotten away had he not ready himself with the right rig.
Sniper Braid to the Rescue
Regardless of having two staples in his boat through the catch – a Jenko X-13 rod and a Hawg Fishing internet – there was a second when Tomlinson was frightened he won’t have the ability to carry the fish into the boat.
“(I) set the hook and I knew I used to be coping with bother,” he instructed Premier Angler. “It was simply me within the boat. I had my Hawg fishing internet however couldn’t attain it.”
Tomlinson ended up flipping his huge crappie into the boat.
He credit the 30 lb. Sniping Braid he makes use of usually for being sturdy sufficient to carry the fish.
“Yeah, I’ve been tremendous grateful for that,” Tomlinson stated. “I like that line. If it wasn’t for that line, the fish wouldn’t
have been within the boat.”
The strike got here on a Jenko Tickle Fry, which is one other staple in Tomlinson’s repertoire.
The lure, which Tomlinson explains is actually a “swimbait for crappie,” has been a go-to for him not too long ago.
“It’s most likely my favourite plastic bait,” he stated. “The rationale I prefer it a lot is as a result of I pitch 20-30 ft and let the bait drift again into the fish and the swimming motion is one thing I like.”
