The Fishing Side of Becoming a Crappie Pro

A question I often get asked is, “How can I become a crappie fishing pro?”

There is no single single process that everyone follows to achieve this goal, so I am going to share some tips based on my experience.

There are two parts to achieving this goal.

First, we’ll deal with the fishing side then, I’ll discuss the sponsorship and business aspect that often gets overlooked.

Sharpening your fishing skill is a first priority. Some pros today rely a lot on electronics, but I encourage all anglers to be versatile and proficient at all techniques.

Crappie clubs and digital how-tos like CrappieNOW provide beginners the best place to lay that foundation. You’ll learn something from each angler with whom you fish, as everyone has his own skill or specialty from which you can learn.  Watching how-to videos, attending seminars etc. give the underlying basics to go out and experiment and learn.

While team tournaments are fun, you’ll learn far more fishing with different anglers and on a tournament schedule that includes a variety of waters.

When trying to learn a new technique, set yourself up for success. Take it to a lake full of crappie and where they bite that method. Spend time learning all intricacies and how they can work for you.  This gives you the “feel” of what is right for you.

Becoming versatile involves more than presentations and lures. You need to develop an ability to fish competently on a variety of waters (shallow grassy lakes, stained Corp of Engineers lakes, deep clear lakes, muddy rivers, and timber filled lakes for different species (White and Black Crappie), and in different parts of the country. Forage bases vary widely, and understanding how each one affects crappie habits is vital to becoming a professional.

Fishing as a co-angler or team member in larger events or marshaling in national events is beneficial, too. Marshals don’t fish, yet the ones I’ve had in my boat say the fact that they aren’t fishing allows them to pick up little details they might overlook if they were preoccupied with fishing. Also, the pros are more likely to explain their thought process and details because marshals aren’t competing for the same fish.

You can learn a lot from publications, videos, the internet and TV, but there is no substitute for spending countless hours on the water, applying different techniques under various scenarios, and learning the subtle nuances of changing conditions.

When trying to learn a new technique, set yourself up for success. Take it to a lake full of crappie and where they bite that method. Spend time learning all intricacies and how they can work for you.

While you may be a pretty good angler on your home waters, or even in the region of the country where you live, lakes and rivers around the country pose a different set of challenges.

That’s where it’s valuable to fish events outside your home range. Many up-and-coming anglers sign up for National tours outside their region for that very reason.

So set realistic goals and give yourself time to work your way up the ladder. The guys at the very top are sharks. You’ve got to be ready to do battle on their level if you hope to be a successful pro.

Remember, it’s all about the attitude!