Junk Fishing for Crappie - by Brad Wiegmann

It’s near the end of April and for crappie anglers the challenge is not where you are going to catch crappie, but how. Crappie can be caught in shallow water, on ledges or roaming in deep water. For Beaver Lake crappie guide Greg Robinson picking the right technique and lures is the biggest challenge to consistently catching limits of crappie.


“I know this time of year I’m likely to do more junk fishing for crappie than any other time,” Greg Robinson with Greg’s Guide Service (Cell: 479-601-1683) continued, “I will bring a number of different rods for different techniques and be ready for whatever the crappie want to bite that day.”

While having a game plan for each trip out before unloading the boat it doesn’t always go as planned on guide trips noted Robinson. The exception is when it comes to spider rigging or trolling for crappie with crankbaits when Robinson has to bring longer, technique specific B’n’M Pole Rods.

“Anytime I’m spider rigging or trolling crankbaits,” Robinson went on, “I have to have the longer B’n’M Original Buck’s Graphite Jig Pole for spider rigging along with pre-rigged terminal tackle. For trolling crankbaits I will bring Pow-R-Troller and Pro Staff Trolling Rods and a tackle box full of crankbaits.”


The bottom of Robinson’s center console Avid Boat was a clue to what he had been fishing for the past couple weeks. It was easy to see how Robinson had been changing up lures and lure colors constantly throughout the day fishing. The pile had Bobby Garland Itty Bit Slab Hunt’R, Bobby Garland Mo’Glo Baby Shad, Bobby Garland Slab Slay’R, Bobby Garland Itty Bit Slab Slay’R and more; in fact, the only one style I didn’t see was a Bobby Garland Mayfly and that was because he had probably run out of them. In addition to numerous soft plastic lures Robinson had Bobby Garland Jigheads and a few PICO Lures Scope Eye jigheads.



He was also stocked up on Thill Bobbers and Bobber Stops which wasn’t surprising as we had planned on doing some bobber fishing for crappie before heading out from the ramp to go fishing. Robinson had Thill Slip Bobbers along with the traditional cork style. Also on the floor of his boat was his secret go to scent when the bite gets tough. “I’m a big believer in scent when the crappie refuse to bite my lure that’s right in their face,” Robinson continued, “Some days having the Bobby Garland Mo’ Glo Slab Jam is the only way I can get them to bite.”


Two rods Robinson has on his deck for junk fishing is the 13 ½-foot B’n’M Poles Diamond Series Jig Pole and the 75 Series Combo that’s 7 ½-feet long. “The Diamond Series is perfect for pitching lures for roaming fish that could be in shallow water or out offshore on legends. The stiffer backbone, but sensitive tip lets me feel the bite and set the hook,” Robinson continued, “The 75 Series Combo has the right action and balance for my clients or me for casting to targets or roamers.”


Weather, boat traffic, angling pressure and water clarity is factors that decide how Robinson is going to fish or guide each day. Windy weather can influence the technique before Robinson even leaves the house. For Robinson strong winds means he isn’t going to go spider rigging or heavy boat traffic Robinson will change to a casting presentation.


In years past Robinson might have resorted to chunking and winding, but with his Garmin LiveScope his game plan normally changes to casting to roamers or brush piles. Beaver Lake is an Ozark Highland reservoir with tall bluffs that can also buffer the strong southern winds that is common in the springtime.


While the seven P’s calls for prior, proper, planning, prevents, piss, poor, performance: sometimes Robinson noted you just have to go junk fishing!