My Table Rock Fishing Trip Wasn’t Crappie
My good friend Samantha Sukupcak and I traveled to Table Rock Lake at the end of April to fish with veteran bass angler, guide and instructor Chad Morgenthaler. Although I’d fished the lake several times before, this was Samantha’s first time. Our goal was to catch all three species of bass -- largemouth, smallmouth and spotted – but we wouldn’t reject anything else that was willing to pull at our string.
One non-bass request we both had was to catch a few crappie so that Chad could show us how to filet them. With that in mind, on our first morning Chad took us to his “guaranteed” crappie spot where we caught one largemouth, one spotted bass, and yes, one crappie. Then the bass decided they really wanted to eat so we had fun just catching bass and temporarily pushed the crappie aside.
Chad later mentioned that he wanted to show us how to catch crappie under the marina floats and boat lifts. Were we up to the challenge? We didn’t hesitate one bit, so he quickly gave us a lesson in “shooting” for crappie.
What is “Shooting for Crappie”?
Shooting is a technique that involves a small jig on light line with a very limber rod. You use the action of the rod to propel the lure into tight overhangs and narrow gaps. Here are the steps:
Crouch down close to the water
Let the bait out so it hangs half way down the length of your rod
Hold the line against the rod, flip the bail, and grab the bait by the head with the hook point up
Pull the bait back, bending the rod, and point the rod where you want the bait to go
Let go of the bait and the line you are holding against the rod at the same time
If you do it right it should skip across the water’s surface and land exactly where you were looking
Next, let the lure fall – take your time, as the jig is light so it will take a while to get to the bottom
Don’t move your rod as the jig falls
If you don’t feel a bite on the fall, slowly lift your rod up
If you don’t feel a bite as the lure rises, slowly put the rod down.
When you feel resistance, start reeling. You don’t want to hook set as crappie have paper-thin mouths and you will lose your dinner. You will literally “rip lips.”
What Equipment Does Dock Shooting Require?
Lew’s Wally Marshall Speed Shooter Series 6’6” medium light rod
Lew’s Wally Marshall Speed Stick 10’ light power, moderate action rod (2 pc)
Gamma Braid main line 5-lb test Fluorocarbon leader
Strike King Mr. Crappie Jig Heads (1/16 oz.) – Pink, White, Yellow
Bobby Garland Original Baby Shad – Silver, Chartreuse, Monkey Milk
Practice Makes Perfect
I’ve shot both a handgun and a bow, and in both cases I’ve developed enough skill to occasionally hit the bullseye. Sam has even more experience shooting – she dispatched a bear and a deer from a tree blind and has a freezer full of meat as a reward. This was an altogether new kind of shooting.
The more we “shot” crappie, the better we got, but we’ll need more practice to really get proficient like Chad. This method isn’t easy, and while we brought some crappie home we didn’t quite fill our freezers with filets. We definitely had fun trying. If you go to Table Rock – or even if you’re just fishing on your local lake – try this technique sometime.
Next Wednesday I’ll show you what happened to the crappie that we brought home.
If you are in the Lake of the Ozarks or Springfield, Missouri area and want to go fishing (for crappie OR bass) and/or learn about electronics, please contact Chad Morgenthaler.
