The American Crappie Trail’s 2018 National Championship presented by Lucas Oil Marine Products has descended upon Lake D’arbonne in northern Louisiana, and the field of professional anglers is in the midst of one of the tightest races our sport has ever seen. The first ever spring-time, three-day National Championship with daily cuts has created a palpable level of intensity and excitement.
The fishing on D’arbonne is phenomenal, and teams are using a myriad of methods to put fish in the live-well. Day one saw perfect conditions for the first three hours before the southerly wind increased, and, with a lake that’s loaded in both quantity and quality and has one of the best post-spawn bites in the country, catching fish was easy, but finding the right ones became tough for some. Anglers spider-rigged, long-lined, and vertical jigged their way into the top 50 to qualify for Friday, but which technique will win out is still anyone’s guess.
The crappie are in the post-spawn phase on D’arbonne, and although some older females were caught with huge bellies at the beginning of the allotted prefishing time, nearly all have laid the majority of their eggs. Some qualifying anglers caught male fish to move on to day two, but heavier spawned-out females will most likely be the key to taking home the first place prize of a Ranger Z518 and Evinrude G2 150. However, as always, the weather will play a factor and may make the big females more difficult to target as the weekend progresses.
The top 50 qualifying teams for day two are within 1.91 pounds of each other, and making the cut for the top 25 on historic day three in downtown Ruston will likely be decided by fractions of an ounce, with a single fish carrying the ability to make or break a season.
The B’n’M Angler Team of the Year race and the top prize of a Ranger RT188C equipped with an Evinrude 115 is also on the line, and the decision will come down to the final day of the championship. In total, over $130,000.00 will be awarded on Saturday night, and the crappie fishing fans will watch live as new champions are crowned.
The leaders on day one are Perotti-Built Pro Staffers Bruno Perotti and Stuart Baum with 12.76 pounds, a half-pound margin, and the largest cushion among the top 50. Second place is currently local team Matt Saterfiel and Peyton Hemphill with 12.26 pounds, and third place is B’n’M Pro Staffer Rick Solomon with 12.21 pounds.
Day two will bring more wind and a chance of rain, but anglers who can persevere and match or increase their day-one totals will have the best chances at moving forward to day three and a chance at being crowned an American Crappie Trail National Champion in Downtown Ruston on Saturday.