New to Crappie Tournaments

Ok guys I have the opertunity to fish in a crappie tournament on saturday, and since i have never fished in a tournament is there any advice you guys have about thing I may need or things I should not do. I have always just trolled pulling crankbaits and plan to do that on friday. they only difference is I have to keep the fish alive all day until weigh in, normally I just throw the ones I keep on Ice and clean them when I am done fishing, how do I need to go about keeping the fish alive and healthy all day long in the summer heat.

add a frozen bottle or two of water to the livewell to cool the water down and turn the timer on your livewells to recirculate every 15 minutes or so.

Hatchieman, I generally turn my aereator on and leave it on in my live well the entire day. I also put my first 7 fish in the live well. When I catch another, I cull one out. That way I only keep 7 fish in all day. The ones I cull out, I put on ice.

If you don't have a live well, I'd be glad to share some information on building one that you can put in and take out of your boat as you wish.

Where are you fishing? I'm thinking you are headed to Grenada considering your screen name, you live in Tennessee and there is a tournament on Grenada Saturday with the Crappie Masters.

thanks for the info guys

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Originally Posted by arkcrappie

Hatchieman, I generally turn my aereator on and leave it on in my live well the entire day. I also put my first 7 fish in the live well. When I catch another, I cull one out. That way I only keep 7 fish in all day. The ones I cull out, I put on ice.

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This is spot on, exactly what I do and have been keeping fesh alive all summer.

You might also consider getting some "stay alive". just put some in with the fish and it does help keep them alive. might need other frozen bottles in your cooler, as depending on how hot it gets you may need to replace the originals. Cool water and oxygen are the most important factors. Might consider getting an inexpensive set of scales. Some fish are so close in size you cant tell the difference, but an oz. is sometimes a lot in tourneys. Make sure you don't run out of trolling motor, so use the big motor when moving any distance. If several tourney fisherman are launching at same place, expect a delay at the end of the day. Either leave 1st if you think you got a chance or stay till last if in doubt.

I have a decent set of scales and a set of makers that you can set the weight of the fish on each one, we fish a 7 fish limit for the tourneys so I keep 8 fish alive and take anything else out of the livewell.

How did the tournament turn out? Tough conditions on Saturday.