Last few weeks we were busy moving, did not wet a line for 3 weeks. We settled down now, and I did have little bitty time for myself, so I picked up my crappie rod, and headed to Lewisville barge couple of times. Both outings, I did managed to ketchn 10, 11 crappies. But no keepers. Biggest 3 were 9.5", and the rest were 5" and under. I used different size of jigs, different color of plastics. It didn't matter. I just can't catch me a keeper. I was wondering why: was it my crappie ketchn skill rusted? was it my presentation bad? Or was it my lures not up to crappies' taste? What I suppose to do now?
With my wondering mind, I read every posts of crappie ketchn on TFF, paying close attention to those members who had high success rates in Kaboom time. So naturally, Ketchn's (Mark)posts stand out: ketchn's posts are not only entertaining, are also full of information. weight of the jigs, color of the lures, floats, length of the leader, and how to work the lures. You name it. There are all there for members like me to learn. To be successful in ketchn, the easiest way for me is to duplicate what other experts' doing. ketchn uses gold head jig. I don't have that color, so I make some. Ketchn uses lil fry silver flash. I do have that. So this combination is ready to go. Ketchn went to a barge ketchn crappies using a green belly, black top plastic, had a good kaboom time. Wait a minute, a fishing barge? ketchn keeper size crappies with plastic of what color? green belly with black top? from Bobby Garland? I went through all my bags, looking, looking, and looking hard. Voila! I found it: Bobby Garland baby shad, Lights Out. I have 2 bags of them, hardly ever using them. Now it's about time to put them to the test!
So I went to the barge Sat. morning, tandem rig my lures: 1/16 jig (no paint) with Lights Out at bottom, 1/32 gold jig with lil fry silver flash 16" above. The result speaks for itself: 12 fishes total: 11 crapes, 1 sun fish. I did ketchn me 4 keepers size crappies: 10.5" to 12", I ketchn keeper size crappies on both lures. The sun fish took the Lights Out. Thanks to Mark, I did have a very good kaboom time.
And I did also paying it forward: let other fish men know what lure I was using.

Way to go Moonriver Ketchn crappie is a chore we Ketchers don`t mind at all.

the fruits of ketchn it seems may very well be dinner served
good job on them fishes sir
public barges seem to be some of the most difficult places to fool fish
they get to see lots of presentations and tend to be skeptical at times when it comes to biting
by the way ...that's a rite dandy bluegill ya got there
and for sure
KABOOM

and I suppose we are to assume you practiced ketchn and releasing as well correct ?

well there ya go... TFF at its best!well done MR,,,

She cleaned them, cooked them for lunch. It's delicious.

My wife moans and groans about all the time I spend creek or lakeside, until the REAL crappie season gets here and I bring home, clean and fry up a mess, then she's too busy stuffing self to complain about anything! Oh the golden moments of silence!

Gotta love it!

Rudy