Posted By: Beltonbanger�
What does it take to win Crappiefest??? - 03/20/18 02:02 PM
Last winter I called an old school friend and asked him if he would be interested in coming down and fishing Crappiefest. We had gone to school together over 40yrs ago, and used to fish quiet a bit back then. BUT....as things change in life, we moved separate ways and though I continued fishing..... Ed didn't. He hadn't had a pole in his hands for years, but agreed to drive to Texas and "just fish for fun"!!! We prefished one day, I caught a spawning male crappie early and told Ed that I would keep it and mount it for him. The fish was 2.07# and beautiful. I caught 3 fish over 2# that day, but Ed was struggling. I had Ed rigged up with a drop shot rig and braid....I didn't want to be retying him continuously. I could see him get bit, but hook setting was not his shining star. The day of the tourney I told Ed we would fish until 9am. because I needed to get to the weigh in area to set up for the photos of the fisherman. Ed had forgotten his sun glasses and hat in the truck, so he was struggling at the very start with the sun coming up straight ahead. I caught several fish with the biggest at 1½# but Ed couldn't get a fish in the boat. There was a enough of a breeze to keep the boat jostling. I came to a tree and told Ed to drop in front of it and I saw his line jump as it descended so he set the hook. Ed reeled up the winning fish for 2017 and went home.......$5,000 richer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Last year's Crappiefest never produced a 3# or better fish. Ed didn't care!!! We were the first guys in and Rhonda exclaimed, NICE fish as Ed raised it out of the livewell. What is it going to take to catch the winning fish this year???? Just might not take a pro angler!!!!