Two big crappie hit the scale already this year that nearly eclipsed top honors for state record crappie, one coming in as second largest ever white crappie in Louisiana. Ironically enough both were caught fishing on the same small body of water and both were caught on the same hand-tied jigs. Check out these hog crappie.
Morgan’s Big Black Crappie at 3.32 Pounds
James Morgan was fishing Bussey Brake for the first time in years after it reopened for fishing last summer. He has taken numerous big crappie from the lake in years past but hadn’t fished the waterway in quite some time.
On Jan. 23, his reunion with his special crappie hole was rewarded with a longtime memory. While is was a cool wet morning, it didn’t take him long to get right.
He lowered a Jimmy Watt hair jig into some flooded brush and snatched a 3.32-pound black crappie on his 11-foot Ozark Rod.
He weighed the fish on certified scales and if his application is accepted this will be the 6th largest black crappie ever in Louisiana.
Griffith’s Giant White Crappie 2nd Largest
Anthony Griffith keeps his fishing simple. No Livescope or side scan. Just a long B’n’M 10-foot Tree Thumper rod and a green and gold hand-tied Jimmy Watt hair jig was all he needed to take the second largest white crappie ever from Bussey Brake Reservoir on Jan. 30, 2021.
His 3.6-pound crappie is no doubt going to make Bussey Brake Reservoir the hot spot in Louisiana for the next couple of months. Many believe the next state record will come from the 2,200 acre impoundment already and these catches are driving home that point.
Kept fish alive to get certified and released
Griffith wanted to make sure the fish lived to spread her great genetics to the fishery. So he kept the fish in an aerated 72-quart K2 Cooler until he could get to certified scales and then rushed her back to the lake afterwards.
LouisianaSportsman.com has a great rundown of his catch here.
Griffith’s Secret Jimmy Watt Jig
Jimmy Watt jigs will also probably be the hot ticket in that part of Louisiana for the foreseeable future as well. Here is a better look at Anthony Griffith’s winning color combination hair jig.
