Wired2fish connected with Jack Linton and Holly Linton (The Green Machine) on Missourri’s Truman Lake for a lesson in safely navigating and finding and catching crappies in standing timber. Truman Lake is known for its depth changes and boating hazards. Jack Linton discusses how he safely navigates using mapping. From there, the crappie fishing duo dives into the nuance of catching crappies from standing timber utilizing a combination of crappie jigs and plastics and slip bobbers with live minnows.
TACKLE USED (retail links)
JIG SETUP
- PLASTIC 1 – Freaky Frank’s Lil Freaky Worm: Check Out at Freaky Frank’s
- PLASTIC 2 – Freaky Frank’s Freaky XL Worm: Check out at Freaky Frank’s
- JIG – Crappie Jig, 1/8-ounce w/ #2 hook: Panfish Jigs at Bass Pro Shops
BOBBER SETUP
- HOOK – Eagle Claw Plain Shank Hook, size 4: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- BOBBER (aka float) – Thill America’s Favorite Slip Float: Buy at FishUSA
- SLIP BOBBERS at FishUSA
- BOBBER STOP – VMC Sinker Stops: Buy at FishUSA
- WEIGHT – VMC Tungsten Worm Weight: Buy at FishUSA
- BAIT BOX – Frabill Aqua-Life Bait Box with Aerator: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
ROD SETUP
- ROD – Freaky Frank’s Custom Tackle 12′ Prototype: Check out Freaky Frank’s
- REEL – Ming Yang CL25 Fishing Baitcast Reel: Buy at Amazon
- LINE – Sufix 832 Braided Line Ghost, 15-pound: Buy at Tackle Warehouse
USING ELECTRONICS FOR NAVIGATION AND FISHING
Jack Linton emphasizes the importance of electronics in navigating the lake safely. You can avoid obstacles and find the best fishing spots by keeping one map zoomed in to watch the immediate surroundings, and another zoomed out to anticipate upcoming hazards. They pinpoint specific tree rows in the lake where crappies are likely found. Check out our Best Crappie Lakes list to find a productive lake near you.
CRAPPIE TACKLE SELECTION IN TIMBER
Holly Linton dives deep into the tactics of fishing in and between trees, stressing the carrying capacity of the tree rows. The duo discusses their preferred baits for the day, which usually consists of a combination of plastics and live bait. They highlight their go-to jig and plastics and a simple live bait setup consisting of a hook and minnow suspended beneath a bobber. Both setups excel for crappie fishing timber, with some fish preferring one over the other. The video provides insights into fish behavior, highlighting how sunlight affects their movement and reaction to different baits.
CRAPPIE FISHING TIPS
Throughout the day, the Lintons explain their strategy and how to adjust to the fish’s mood. On high sun days like this, crappies seek shade and hold tight to the cover. Jack stresses the need to drop the bait vertically on the crappies, being sure to hold the presentation still when a fish responds. They share tips on changing your boat angle to get the best view of the fish using forward-facing sonar, interpreting the fish’s mood, and how to effectively use different types of bait.
FISH FINDERS & BOAT CONTROL
- FISH FINDER (bow) – Humminbird APEX 19 MEGA SI+ Fish Finder/GPS Chartplotter: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- FISH FINDER (console) – Humminbird HELIX 12 MEGA SI+ GPS G4N: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- LIVE SONAR – Humminbird MEGA Live Imaging: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- 360 SONAR – Humminbird MEGA 360 Imaging: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- TROLLING MOTOR – Minn Kota Ultrex: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- MAPPING – Built-in Humminbird Basemap: Learn More at Humminbird
- ELECTRONICS MOUNT (bow) – BeatDown Outdoors The Ultimate: Check out at BeatDown Outdoors
- ELECTRONICS MOUNT (console) – BeatDown Outdoors Dual Console Mount: Check out at BeatDown Outdoors
