Key ingredients of fishing tournaments involve a pinch of this and a dash of that. Tournament menus consist of a main course surrounded by side dishes, served up with an attractive presentation to create a healthy serving for success. Every dish relies on recipes containing leadership, location, and large crappie!

In Alabama the crappie tournament centerpiece is Lanark, home to the Alabama Wildlife Foundation. With over 300 acres set aside to promote the conservation of Alabama's wildlife and related natural resources, Lanark is really a living classroom for youngsters learning about nature, or for those who never learned of or have forgotten the great gift we’re obligated to preserve.  According to AWF, preservation does not require prohibition!  Relishing respect for the outdoors includes the heritage of hunting and fishing to create a balance according to nature.  Definitely worth an extra day or two to set aside time to venture through 30 acres of gardens, walking trails, and ponds; designed by Mother Nature, nurtured with admiration by the staff of AWF.

Crappie are the main dish and the Alabama River serves up plenty. Even Julia Child could not have dreamed up a saucy spot like Millbrook, Alabama!  The Alabama River runs through it, but it’s more than just one of the best crappie destinations in the country.  In any fishery, 2 pound crappie are not all that common, but for the second year in a row, Millbrook's golden geese were plucked from waters many locals considered to be too cold, too high and too stained to produce much of anything!  That is until Crappie Master pro anglers took to the water, in March, scouring up limits averaging two pounds over two days!  Some of the bigger fish approached 3 pounds!  Crappie, AKA slabs, papermouths, speckled bass, and specks, seem to have a preference for live minnows, but most of the visiting pros were using some form or another of a 50-year-old lure, the Road Runner.  Headquartered just up the road a piece from Millbrook in Wetumpka, Road Runner lures were the appetizer reeling Millbrook’s “cash crappie”.  

Crappie fishing’s maitre ‘d is none other than the “Sultan of Slab” Wally Marshall!  This gregarious Texan, known around the crappie world as “Mr. Crappie”, served up pink, “Ms. Crappie” hats and tee shirts to the ladies in Millbrook’s crowd! Just as the restaurateur visits table to table, Wally pressed the flesh better than any incumbent politician!  Mr. Crappie hooked the crowd and satisfied their crappie appetite with his a full line of affordable crappie tackle available at the world’s largest tackle retailer, Bass Pro Shops in Millbrook neighbor, Prattville.

There were several cooks in the kitchen. Millbrook Mayor Kelly, Millbrook Area Chamber of Commerce VP Dan Dannenmueller and Road Runner/Blakemore’s TJ Stalling assembled ingredients: Crappie Masters Trail organizers, media, dinner events, and on-the-water outings, to cook up the Bass Pro Shops Crappie Masters Alabama State Championship.  In addition, they brewed cooperation among Millbrook’s local businesses. For good reason!  In 2009, the turnout was strong and the Crappie Masters visit generated between $1.5 and $2 million in revenue for the surrounding region.  But it was in 2010 that the sound of ringing of registers reached down the road.  Montgomery’s Mayor and Mayors of 4 other surrounding municipalities also climbed aboard the crappie gravy train!  The region has folded in commitments for next year and the following year!  All the chefs in the kitchen were cooking in unison to reel in the cash crappie! The crappie recipe was cooking.

Standing by were Millbrook’s finest…ensuring no one left with a bad taste in his or her mouth or anywhere else!  Boats and equipment were safeguarded, traffic was directed, and the presence of the Millbrook men in blue blended in with the colorful mix of team logos and Alabama pine and clay backdrop!  Millbrook’s Police Chief Patrick K. Johnson and his officers provided the icing on the cake, protecting and serving…creating a high level sporting atmosphere.

In the final taste test Millbrook, Alabama did it again. Soup to nuts, their second Crappie Masters event went off without a hitch. Everyone involved dished out a great spread!  The reviews are in and the table is set.  Millbrook is a five star destination with two star prices and ten star hospitality!

Potomac River Bassing in May

May flowers bring big bass moving up to shallow water for a mate and a meal! It’s time to go lipless! Bass are easily trapped this time of the year by red/craw patterns of Lucky Craft LVR D-7 and LV-500!  Chrome and gold for cleared water!  Drag across bottom or over grass! The KVD Quantum rod is perfect for this and replacement KVD Mustad short shank Ultra Point Triple Grip Trebles are a must to keep fish hooked!  You can upsize from factory hooks too!

For Carolina rigs, Mustad 3/0 Mega Lite Ultra Point hooks allow Mann’s HardNose lizards to appear weightless. Garlic Jack’s Juice attractant penetrates plastic to keep fish holding on!  Tru-Tungsten 1-ounce weights with Tru-Tungsten “force beads” make noise, alerting fish to lizard offerings!

Dust off Mann’s Baby 1-Minus and ¼ ounce Mann’s Classic spinnerbaits for shallow presentations around grass, docks, rocks and wood. If water is clear, try Lucky Craft Pointer 78 and Pointer 100…Clown or baby bass colors! Road Runner Rock N Runners in craw patterns ripped from grass work!

Using Texas rigged Mizmo tubes and Swamp Monsters in the green-pumpkin/orange combos will work pitched to grass clumps! With multi-purpose 6’10” Quantum spinning rods spooled with 10-pound Trilene 100% fluorocarbon, docks, and individual grass clumps are great targets! Drop shot and shaky head with Mann’s HardNose worms provide variety.

It’s also topwater time!  The Lucky Craft G-Splash and Gunfish 115 are best in low light, clear, calm water.

Capt. Steve Chaconas is a Potomac bass fishing guide and BoatUS “Ask the Expert” (www.my.boatus.com/askexperts/) Potomac River reports: www.nationalbass.com. Book a trip or purchase gift certificates: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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