I'd been slowly formulating a plan of attack for months. I had set goals for each monthly tournament of the Midwest Kayak Fishing Series. The computer desk was a mess, highlighters and empty cans of Coors Banquet sat on lake map printouts as I scouted and researched the internet. I would have one weekend open to travel. It wasn't hard to choose, one of the best crappie lakes in the midwest was only three hours away. I would fish local waters when I could and hit the big lake on the last weekend of the tournament. I had a goal of 3 fish that went 15" or better. Crappie month would end up being the most challenging for me.
In the months before the tournament was underway, my fishing buddies and I talked often about our strategies. Almost immediately the trickery, lies and trash-talking began. We had all planned to fish together but everyone became quiet and branched out on rogue missions when April rolled around. I had shared my plan of going out of state but I wouldn't reveal which lake. My time for fishing was very limited and as the tournament got going I was immediately feeling pressured.The corn coast crew was out fishing and I couldn't seem to make it out. Finally, I was able to go to a sand pit that I knew contained big crappie. I'd caught several in the 15" range while bass fishing and I hoped to locate some although I'd never targeted them there. It was a cold day and we'd had a cold spring. Water temps were in the upper 40's. I spent a couple hours making passes with the electronics. After awhile, I found a brush pile in 14 FOW with fish on it. I was drifting my favorite crappie bait, The Slabmaster. I had a few fish slash at the bait but no real takers. I downsized to a pumpkin tube, added some Hog Tonic and started catching fish. There were some nice fat slabs but nothing over 13". I spent a few hours working the area and went home with 3 decent fish logged for the tournament.
I only made it out twice after that day locally. On one occasion I was skunked on crappie but landed a 23" freshwater drum. On the other, I caught one 9" crappie. I was feeling nervous as some really nice crappie were being entered. One friend of mine had entered a 16" fish and several people had 14" fish including one of my brethren in the corn coast crew. I had my fingers crossed my month end trip would pay off big....three outings, thirteen hours spent fishing so far and not much to show.
When the end of the month finally came about I was loaded to the gills with jigs, roadrunners and crank baits. My fishing buddy from work was joining me for the weekend. We had a light camping set-up, twelve rods, two coolers and an ambitious determination to go hard-core for some monster slabs. Mother Nature decided she wasn't going let that happen without a fight. After some campfire drinks and a fit of sleep under the stars, I woke up ready to hit the water.
I began dissecting a cove that held some of the warmest water in the lake. The morning bite was slow with a smallmouth bass and a drum being the only catches. Mid-morning I passed over a school of fish and felt a light thump on the slabmaster. Moments later a fat slab appeared beside the kayak. I thought for sure she would go 16" but she measured an even 14". The fish helped spark my high hopes again and I buckled down and focused on what I was doing. My efforts were fruitless however and by the time we stopped for lunch, 60 mph wind gusts were rolling across the lake and our little bay was rocking.
With every wave, the hull would lift and crash down sending a constant spray into my face. Our anchors would not hold. The fish had disappeared and the bay had filled with big boats trying to get off the main lake. We threw in the towel for the afternoon and began driving around scouting the lake. At one of the boat ramps I saw a familiar boat docking and recognized a fishing friend from Nebraska. We exchanged pleasantries and he gave me the down low on a spot he'd been catching some nice fish in. We decided to hit that area in the morning and headed to the dam where we'd be out of the wind for the evening bite. The calm water was a relief. The sun began to sink behind the horizon and the water lit up in pinks and oranges. A few casts in and the arc of my line twitched on the retrieve. Then there was simply weight and the rod slowly bending. A set of papery lips appeared revealing a throat full of crank bait. It was a sign of things to come. The rest of the evening provided a consistent bite. The slabs were inhaling a yo zuri rattle-n-vibe. I caught some nice walleye to boot and probably 15-20 crappies between 11 and 13 plus inches. I had upgraded my three crappie at the end of the first day but I was nowhere near my goal for the month. However, after hours without a bite it was a good way to finish the evening.
On day two of the trip we had some good luck and some bad luck. My friend's advice had been right on the money. The first fish of the morning bit in 30 FOW and was wearing the neat tuxedo spawning colors of male crappies. I could see crappie chasing food just below the surface of the emerald water. The entire morning held good fishing and I was able to upgrade with two 14" fish. My final entry would be 3 fish all at 14" for the tournament. I was shy of my goal but was extremely satisfied after how challenging the month had been. We paddled for shore in the early afternoon to pack up and head home. When we arrived at the truck we realized we'd had some gear stolen. We filed a police report and did a little investigating on our own but did not recover our stuff. It was a sour end to a great day on the water. With the exception of a few hours, the month was extremely tough. In the end my three fish would be enough for second place but I had to work for them. The best part was sending my buddies fish pictures after the trip. They didn't tell the whole story but maybe made them jealous of the success of my secret plan. A bit of a cheap reward in our rather competitive circle. With crappie month over, I thought perhaps the May Slam would be a bit easier but there would be more jammed gears and thrown wrenches.
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