Crappie USA anglers had their last chance of the year to qualify for the annual Crappie USA Classic. The Saturday Sept. 24, 2016 event was held on Kentucky and Barkley Lakes.
More than 160 anglers in 84 boats and 2 kayaks competed for the various divisions of the trail. Anglrs came from several different states to compete for $13,125.00 in cash and prizes and the opportunity to advance to the prestigious Cabela’s Crappie USA Classic to be held in October.
Weather conditions were more summer like than fall. Sunny skies, humid conditions and temperatures in the 90’s greeted the anglers. Reasonable wind speed of 5 to 10 MPH caused no serious challenge to the competitors.
Pro Division Results
A total weight of 10.91 pounds told the tale as Shane Moore of Milan, TN and John Eubanks of Trenton, TN claimed the first place prize in the Pro Division. The Tennessee team earned $2,200.00 for their efforts.
Moore and Eubanks fished Paris Landing area very close to the weigh-in site. They were using multiple colored jigs, all tipped with Johnson Crappie Nibbles. They reported catching 80 to 100 fish for the day from 9 to 11 feet of water. “If the nibble came off, you were not going to get another bite,” said Eubanks.
The second place spot went to the team of Cliff Edwards of Murray, KY and Jerry Trimble of Hardin, KY. Their weight of 9.9 pounds earned them a check for $1,100.00.
The Kentucky team fished the North end of Barkley Lake in 22 to 24 feet of water. They targeted man-made cover using chartreuse jigs tipped with live bait. They reported landing 24 keepers during the event.
Tim Blackley of Hornbeak, TN and Jackie Van Cleave of Samburg, TN weighed in 9.86 pounds to earn checks for $875.00 and $500.00. The bonus check was for having second place Big Fish.
Blackley and Van Cleave fished Eagle Creek in 11 to 15 feet of water. They were using bluegrass color jigs that were tipped with live bait. That combination allowed them to catch over 100 fish on Saturday. Ther second place Big Fish weighed 1.84 pounds.
Mike Johnson of Milan, TN and Brad Essary of Brownsville, TN claimed the fourth place prize. They had a total weight of 9.76 pounds and earned a check for $600.00. The team caught more than 60 fish. Johnson and Essary used various colored jigs, tipped with minnows, in 9 to 22 feet of water.
The next spot was taken by Dewayne, Robert and Reed McCord. They all hail from Wingo, KY. Team McCord weighed in 9.56 pounds to earn $500.00. They also picked up an additional $250.00 Ranger Cup Bonus.
The team fished Cypress Creek in the North end of Kentucky Lake. They reported catching their fish in 15 feet of water early in the day and moving to 22 feet of water later Saturday afternoon. They used crank baits and some minnows to catch their fish.
Big Fish honors went to Matthew and Brandon Tosh. They weighed in a 1.96 pound fish to earn a check for $1,100.00 and Big Fish braggin’ rights.
Ronald and Terry Barker won the Talon Award of $250.00.
Amateur Division Results
Kris and Terry Mann took first place in the Amateur Division with a total weight of 8.84 pounds. They earned $1,200.00, plus an additional $250.00 Ranger Cup Bonus.
The Mt. Sterling, KY team fished Blood River to Big Sandy in Kentucky Lake. They reported an early bite that ended by noon. Nevertheless they were able to catch more than 200 fish for the day with 80 being keeper size. They fished in 12 to 18 feet of water using Crappie Magnet pumpkin seed color jigs.
Second place went to Sonny Sipes of Moody, AL and Ronnie Bleas of Ohatchee, AL. They had a total weight of 8.72 pounds and earn $700.00 for the day. They fished all over the mid section of the lake in 20 feet of water using live bait. They caught more than100 fish for the event.
Third place went to the team of David and Jerry Rodgers from Georgetown, KY. They weighed in 8.52 pounds and earned $500.00. Unfortunately the team left before revealing their fishing secrets.
Tyler Morrow and Zack Clapp from Mayfield, KY claimed the fourth place spot in the tournament. Their total weight of 8.46 pounds earned them $400.00. The team fished North of Paris Landing bridge in 15 to 20 feet of water. They were pulling blue/silver crappie crank baits to catch more than 60 fish for the day.
In fifth place spot was Jimmy Riley, Jr and David Butler. Both anglers reside in Benton, KY. They weighed 8.15 pounds and earned $300.00. The team fished the North end of Kentucky Lake in 18 to 20 feet of water. They focused on heavy wood cover using live bait to land more than 150 fish for the tournament.
Conserving a precious resource is one of the best things anglers can do. All the teams are commended for taking excellent care of their catch. It takes a little more effort when water temperatures are high to keep the fish in good condition for release. The extra effort to get fish to the release boat and oxygenated water helped the fish recover to fight again.
Kayak Division Results
Corey Wilkerson of Jacksonville, Alabama took first place in the Kayak Division. He measured an 11 1/2 inch crappie and earned $100.00.
Crappie USA Free Kids Fishing Rode
In conjunction with the tournament, Crappie USA held their Kids Rodeo on Saturday morning with several children attending the event. All the participants signed up for a chance to win one of six $1,000.00 scholarships to be drawn for at the Cabela’s Crappie USA Classic.
Crappie USA and their participating anglers have contributed nearly $334,000.00 to the “Crappie Kids” Scholarships since 1997. They report being very proud to be a part of the education process for the youngsters who participate in their tournaments as adult/youth teams and those who fish in the Crappie USA “Kids Fishing Rodeos.
For a complete list of tournament standings and downloadable photos for this event visit www.crappieusa.com then go to Tournament Results also be sure to check out their Facebook page for some great photos from the event.
Crappie USA gave a special thank you to all the businesses around Paris, Tennessee for making anglers and staff feel welcomed. They also issued a special thanks to the folks at Buchanan Resort for all the assistance in housing, weigh-in site, Kids Rodeo site and seminar site for the weekend. “All of our anglers really enjoyed the hospitality at Buchanan Resort,” reported a Crappie USA spokesman.
For more information please call Crappie USA at 502-384-5924. Be sure to check out our website at: www.crappieusa.com and like our Crappie USA Tournament Trail Facebook Page. Both sites contain new and exciting information on our events along with special information for catfish anglers everywhere.
The next CUSA event is the Classic. It will be held October 27 to 29, 2016 on Kentucky & Barkley Lakes, at Paris, Tennessee.