Fishing with Luvpt and grandson. Thank you.

My wife and I recently took a little vacation to Alabama. We had an extra day so I messaged Blue Thunder and Luvpt to see if they would
carry us fishing on one of the Mississippi lakes. David was tied up with kids ball, but Steve and Atticus came over and took us on an
awesome Grenada Slab hunting trip. Carol and I had a blast fishing with one of the best trollers in the business and his grandson.


The friendship started just prior to the spring camp at Chicot a few years ago with just a casual exchange of some lake
information and a few phone calls. This resulted in my first crappie ever to hit 2lbs. Over the years, we found our life paths often took parallel tracks with aviation, both of us being licensed pilots, ham radio, both licensed in the 70's and even family connections through the company I work for. This was our first, and hopefully not the last time we share a boat.


The morning started at 2:30am with Steve and Atticus driving over from Arkansas to Grenada. Carol and I had stayed at Grenada so it was almost a regular morning wake up for us. The plan was to meet at the ramp at 7am. We didn't want to be late, so we arrived early and got to watch the parade of boats launching on a Saturday morning. It is always a show at a busy ramp. The rookies and experienced quickly identified themselves by their speed and efficiency at the ramp. We even got to see one small truck drive down the ramp nose first till his tires touched the water where he quickly made a U turn and backed the boat into the water and was gone in a matter of seconds. Captain Steve and First mate Atticus arrived promptly at 7am and they quickly launched the "boat". I had seen this "boat" from a distance a few times and had actually took a couple pictures of it while driving down at the road at the 2014 Crappie masters National Championship at Greenville, MS. When I walked up to the big Ranger, I realized that it would be the first time I ever crappie fished from a ship. The Ranger was spacious and Steve had it set up this day to catch a crappie, spider rigging, long lining, or cranking. We set out from the ramp and had gone a short distance and I said, "we gotta turn around and go back. I have left a small box of the most deadly crank bait ever known to man on the dock, and we do not need that to get into the wrong hands". Steve patiently turned the ship around and we made our way back to the ramp where we found the crank baits still sitting where I had left them.


After the crank bait delay, we set out across the lake. We had traveled a short distance when Steve said, "here is a bunch of fish that look like crappie on the sonar". From this point forward, I will call that spot "X". We passed it and headed on up the lake. The ride of the ship on the big water was the best I
had ever experienced and Captain Steve quickly navigated us to some good fishing water. He asked us how we would like to fish, and we decided to drag some cranks so we could cover lots of water and hopefully help find some good fish for the 2016 Crappie masters Championship which was to be held 3 weeks later. The poles were quickly rigged and deployed and our education began. Steve was full of information, and I did my best sponge imitation trying to absorb all the tips and techniques that was freely being offered. Everything from pole storage to prevent tangles, speeds, drift management in the wind, multiple rigging techniques, and keeping alive your fish and minnows, were discussed. I know these tips will make Carol and I better at crappie fishing and some have been put into use already.


Throughout the day, between a few bass and cat tangles as well as catching big slabs, we passed the time conversing with first mate Atticus about deer hunting, dove hunting, girls, sports, cookies, cookies with crappie slime, the finer arts of netting fish and missing fish with the net, more cookies and more cookies with more crappie slime and I'm sure, many more important subjects . This young man was a blast to fish with, and he is welcome on my boat or in my duck blind anytime.


After fishing till mid afternoon, we decided to troll on back to "X" and then finish up for the day. When we arrived at "X", we found a hand full of spider riggers had found the crappie Steve had earlier seen earlier on the sonar. We made one pass, and doubled up on one pole, a pair of fine Grenada slabs, then called it a day. Not one time had I noticed the chop on the water or even the wake from passing boats. The big Ranger was a stable, comfortable, and safe fishing platform. At times, all of us were going different directions tending poles, or fighting fish, and not one time did the "ship" feel unstable. What an awesome fishing platform.


Thank you Steve and Atticus for your sacrifices to carry Carol and I fishing. We are so humbled at the thought of someone getting up at 2:30am and driving several hours to take us on an awesome fishing trip that all we needed to do was show up, ride, and reel. We were certainly treated like royalty, and are greatly indebted to you. Thanks to crappie.com, that brought this connection together, and to the Good Lord for creating this wonderful silver sided fish we all love to pursue, and for such good friends.

We did catch a slab or two....or three....or......



Trying to do a Arkcrappie imitation. I just can't figure out how he pulls it off. Maybe I need a beard.



Practicing my photo bombing skills. The fingers in a V is not a 1960's peace sign, but rather a 1940's V indicating Victory over crappie, both large and small.