Crappie anglers from several states traveled to Decatur, IL where they were hosted by the Decatur Area Convention & Visitors Bureau of Illinois. Anglers were competing on Lake Decatur. The May 8, 2021, Region 3 event was presented by Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s.
In addition to the event, anglers are competing in the $50,000 points race, an opportunity to compete at the Regional Championships, and the 2021 Crappie USA Classic on Lake Hartwell, Anderson, SC.
The weather was very pleasant most of the day. It started cool at about 40 degrees and warmed up to around 60 degrees. Most of the day was sunny with the wind picking up as the day went on. It started raining as the weigh-in was ending. A total of 35 boats fished the event,11 in the Pro Division and 24 in the Amateur Division. A total of $11,400 was distributed to the winners.
Pro Division Results
First Place
Ling and Tony Grooms kept their hot streak going by bringing the winning weight on Lake Decatur. The husband/wife team brought 10.52 pounds to the scales to earn the first-place check of $3,000. Their bag included the Big Fish of the tournament at 1.92 pounds to add $560. They were also awarded the Jenko bonus to add to the payout. Ling spider rigged while Tony LiveScoped and single-pole fished. They fished in both Basin 1 and 2 in about 8 to 12 feet of water. They started out using Crappie Magnet and Bobby Garland baits in colors of green lantern and pink/chartreuse. Tony said they would not have been in the winner’s circle if he had not made the decision to change baits. Once they made the switched to a Grandpa’s hair jig in pink with a white head and silver body their luck improved. They reported catching about 50 crappies on the day.
Second Place
The runner-up spot went to Shiloh Shoppell from Wood River, IL, and local angler Jett Lappin from Decatur, IL. They teamed up to bring 9.51 pounds to the scales and earn a check for $1,500. Their bag included the Second Big Fish at 1.89 pounds for an extra $240. They also won the Ranger Cup bonus in the Pro Division. Shoppell and Lappin chose to fish up north in Basin 6. They LiveScoped to locate fish and 1 poled to catch em’ in water ranging from 9 to 11 feet. They rigged with a single jig in pink and chartreuse. “We caught about 60 or 70 fish,” Shoppell said. “It was just hard to find the right ones.”
Third Place
Shawn Shelby from Decatur, IL, and Mike Hopkins from Arthur, IL rounded out the money places with 8.46 pounds. They earned the third-place check of $500.00. LiveScoping was key for Shelby and Hopkins too. They fished Basin 6 in about 6 to 8 feet of water. They were single poling out the front while using double minnow rigs out the back. The best color of the day was black/ chartreuse. The live minnows worked well too. “Fishing was slow today,” revealed the team. “We only caught about 15 fish on the day.”
Amateur Division Results
First Place Amateur
In their first time to fish a Crappie USA event, Michael Swartz from Decatur, IL, and Derek Evans from Forsyth, IL put a plan together that helped them bring 8.84 pounds to the scales and claim first place in the Amateur Division. They earned a check for $3,000. Swartz and Evans fished Basin 1. They chose to tight line with black/chartreuse and red/chartreuse hair jigs. They found their fish in about 8 to 10 feet of water. When asked how many fish they caught Swartz replied, “About 35, which is not a lot but enough to win.” They also won the Ranger Cup bonus and Swartz’s son, Luke won the Kid Rodeo earlier in the day to make it a family affair.
Second Place Amateur
Illiopolis, IL angler Stacy Rogers and Anthony Davis from Moweaqua, IL teamed up to bring 8.49 pounds to the scales and finish in the money. They earned a check for $1,500. Rogers and Davis fished the northside of Lake Decatur in Basin 6. They followed suit with other anglers using LiveScope to locate fish and a one pole presentation to catch them. They preferred tying on a single hair jig. The best colors were a minnow color and lime/chartreuse. They caught fish on the bottom in the mud and anywhere between 6 and 12 feet of water. The team had a good day of catching, putting about 40 to 50 fish in the boat.
Third Place Amateur
The final money spot in the Amateur Division went to Larry Lyon and Bill Rairden from Crawfordsville, IN. They teamed up to catch a weigh-in total of 8.34 pounds and earn a check for $500. “We fished “a little bit of everywhere,” they said in a post-tournament interview. “We started in Basin 3 then to Basin 1 and then back to Basin 3.” The team spider rigged with straight minnows in 8 to 12 feet of water. They used LiveScope to locate the fish and then approached them with 18-foot rods to keep from spooking them. They caught 50 to 60 crappies on the day. “We could see them in the mud,” reported Lyon. “They would come up and eat but every now in then you could catch one on top and drop a jig in front of it.”
Shane Mansell, tournament director sent special thanks to the Decatur Area Convention & Visitors Bureau for their support in hosting the event. “It is great to see people starting to come back out and support the tournament trails,” added Mansell. “This was the biggest crowd I have seen at any tournament I have been at this year.”
PHOTO CREDIT: Decatur Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
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