Winning team of Robert Carlson and Ivan York Jr.
This past weekend Crappie USA held a qualifying event at Lake Shelbyville near the Village of Findley and the City of Sullivan, Illinois. Anglers from eight different states were competing for not only cash and prizes, but a chance to advance to the prestigious Cabela's Crappie USA Classic. This year's classic will be held October 24th-27th, 2012 on the Barkley/Kentucky Lakes at Cadiz, Kentucky.
Robert Carlson and Ivan York Jr. of Illinois took first place and $1,000 with a total weight of 6.91 pounds worth of crappie. Carlson and York were fishing the north end of the lake in shallow water using red/chartreuse and yellow/chartreuse Midsouth tubes, catching nearly 30 fish for the day. Each team is allowed to weigh in their top seven fish they catch for the day of the event.
Second place went to Doug Sikora and Don Licht of Indiana, earning $600 with a weight of 6.77 pounds. The duo spider rigged Crappie Pro jigs with shiners by the railroad trestle in 4-20 feet of water on breaks. They caught over 150 fish for the day.
Jim and Jeff Engle of Decatur, Illinois, took third and $400 with a bag of 6.45 pounds. The Engles were fishing both rivers on the north side of the lake, vertical jigging tube jigs on B'n'M Poles working shallow wood.
First place in the amateur division was the team of David and Jason Garner of Mt. Zion, Illinois with 7.82 pounds, earning $900. The Garners were fishing the north side of the lake in 4-5 feet of water using brown/chartreuse jigs, some tipped with minnows under a cork, to catch between 60-70 fish for the day.
Jason Dudley and Zach Pierce of Illinois took second place and $600 with a weight of 7.27 pounds. The team fished midway up Wilburn Creek in 6-9 feet of water using orange jig heads and purple/chartreuse tubes working creek channels to catch around 150 fish for the day.
Taking third place was Cliff Martin and Alan Williams of Cerro Gordo, Illinois weighing in 7.26 pounds and earning $400. Martin and Williams were fishing Wilburn Creek in 5-10 feet of water using red/chartreuse and brown/chartreuse jigs tipped with minnows vertical jigging brushpiles to catch 35-40 fish for the day.
Jason Dudley and Zach Pierce caught the big fish of the event: a 2.05-pound crappie that earned them $360. David and Jason Garner caught the second-biggest fish at 1.80 pounds, good enough for $154.