This past Saturday Crappie USA held a qualifying event at the Bull Creek Ramp on Old Hickory near Gallatin, TN. These anglers were competing for not only cash and prizes, but a chance to advance to the prestigious Cabela’s Crappie USA Classic to be held on Patoka Lake in Southern Indiana.
Semi-Pro Division Results
Taking first place was the team of Mike Tinsley of Woodburn, KY and Tim Gill of Bowling Green, KY with a total weight of 11.2 pounds and taking home a check for $600.00. Mike and Tim were fishing manmade cover 13-18 feet deep in Drakes Creek. The team started the day using live bait, but after 2 hours without a fish decided to switch to chartreuse/red and chartreuse/yellow Southern Pro baits catching fish immediately.
Second place went to Harold Maddux and Brian Oldham of Mt. Juliet, TN with 10.85 pounds. The team was fishing down river tightlining over stake beds in 10-11 feet of water using minnows and red/chartreuse tube jigs. The team took home $350.00 for second place.
In third place was the husband and wife team of Pam and Tim Ridley of McKenzie, TN weighing in 10.29 pounds. Pam and Tim were tightlining with a pole in each hand, fishing ledges with cover in 12-28 feet of water. The team caught over 30 males then moved finding larger females using pink jig heads with lime glow and green glow Southern Pro jigs. Pam and Tim also won the Ranger Cup award, receiving $250.00.
Amateur Division Results
In first place in the amateur division was Jimmy Clary of Joelton, TN and Johnny Clary of Greenbrier, TN weighing in 10.98 pounds and taking home $525.00. Jimmy and Johnny were vertical jigging ledges close to the dam in 16-18 feet of water using silver tube jigs.
Second place went to Steve Butler of Lebanon, TN and David Kelley of Jacksonville, FL with 9.56 pounds and receiving $300.00. The team was vertical jigging 25 feet deep in Drakes Creek using minnows they had netted out of the lake.
Taking third place was John and Matthew Feagin of Mayfield, KY weighing in 9.15 pounds and receiving $125.00. The team was slow trolling Drake Creek in 6-12 feet of water using blue combination jigs over structure.
In fourth was the team of Marty Pinger of Henderson, KY with 8.84 pounds and receiving $100.00. Marty was fishing Drakes Creek using chartreuse/pink and white/pink tube jigs catching his fish from 1-14 feet deep.
Fifth place went to the team of Jeff and James McCoy of Humboldt, TN weighing in 8.62 pounds and receiving one of the new Ego Nets. The team was fishing Drakes Creek in 25-29 feet of water using live bait.
Winning the Rangers Cup Award and $125.00 in the Amateur Division was Charlie Cantrell of Macon, GA and Charlton Cantrell of Brentwood, TN.
Congratulations to all the teams fishing this event. The first place team in each division have now qualified for the Cabela’s Crappie USA Classic along with the top 10 teams in each division advancing to the regional event which will have a major payback. For a complete list of tournament standings and photos for this event visit www.crappieusa.com then go to Tournament Results.
Big Fish Award
Taking big fish of the event was the team of Harold Maddux and Brian Oldham of Mt. Juliet, TN with a 2.18 pound crappie and receiving $240.00. Second place in the big fish contest was the team of Mike Tinsley of Woodburn, KY and Tim Gill of Bowling Green, KY with a 2.11 pound crappie netting them $100.00.