Crappie fishing in late August when the heat index is 105 degrees doesn't sound right, does it? I didn't think so either, until professional crappie fisherman, Travis Bunting, called me wanting to know if I'd take part in a crappie fishing media event recently on Truman Lake. I was hesitant, but now I'm real glad I went.
Sweat was already dripping from my forehead while standing on the boat ramp at sunrise. As my daughters and I were waiting on our fishing partners, the girls kept begging me to let them jump in the lake.
"It's so hot, daddy. Can't we swim?" they pleaded at 6:30 a.m.
I was thinking it was going to be a long day. Then I saw the bass boat come screaming around the bend, rooster tail rocketing out from behind the oversized outboard, and I got excited about going fishing.
Kevin Jones and Jon Gillotte compete as a team on the Crappie Masters tournament trail. They compliment each other well. Kevin's specialty is big, open water crappie fishing. Lake of the Ozarks is his home water. Jon is more of a Truman Lake kind of guy. He excels at fishing brush.
I enjoy learning. When it comes to fishing, I know a fair amount. But every time I get around professionals, I feel like a little kid again, because these guys know so much more than average anglers, like me. I was expecting some elaborate crappie tactics to be unveiled. I must admit, I was quite relieved when Jones handed me a long B'n'M "dipping" pole with nothing more to it than a sinker, hook and minnow.
"Fish this minnow down about 8 feet next to that tree on the shady side," he said. "If you don't get one, drop it to about 12 feet. That'll put you below the thermocline."
He went on to explain the thermocline is the transition line between warm surface and cold deep water. I asked if it really matters to fish in the shady side of the tree.
"Oh yeah," Gillotte said. "You'll catch way more fish in the shady side of the tree than you will on the bright side."
Just then his theory proved true. A nice 11-inch crappie slammed my minnow. I couldn't believe how aggressive the bite was. I dropped the fish in the livewell and put on another minnow. A minute later, I was dropping another keeper in the box.
Now the girls were interested. Jones helped Bailee catch fish after fish, while I worked with Annabel. Gillotte maneuvered the boat through the standing timber. Over the course of the a few hours, we compiled a real nice mess of fish.
"These timber filled flats are productive all summer long," Gillotte said. "But the fish aren't real aggressive on jigs. You really need to use minnows."
Keeping minnows alive during the hottest part of summer can be a challenge. Another good lesson I received during this trip is how well the Engel Live Bait Cooler with an aerator works for keeping minnows alive. You need to keep minnow water cold and oxygenated and this contraption does both. Another tip for keeping water cold is to fill empty plastic water bottles with lake water and freeze them at home. Drop one in your bait box each morning. Between that block of ice and the insulated cooler walls, your minnow water will stay nice and cold. Also add a shot of U2 Pro Formula water conditioner to stabilize the minnow water.
See you down the trail. ...
Brandon Butler is an outdoors columnist for the News Tribune. Contact him at [email protected].