Best Fall and Winter Fishing: Tennessee, Oklahoma and Missouri
John E. Phillips 12.09.11
Crappie in Tennessee and Oklahoma, Bass in Missouri
Author’s Note: Although water and weather temperatures are cooling down, don’t put away your rod and reel just yet. There are plenty of big bass and fat crappie to be caught in November and December. To find out where to catch the biggest and the most bass and crappie this month, we asked two of the best professional fisherman in the industry – Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Michigan, four-time BASS Angler-of-the-Year and two-time Bassmaster Classic winner, and Ronnie Capps of Tiptonville, Tennessee, who, along with his partner, is co-winner of more than $1.4 million earned catching crappie, as well as co-winner of the 2009 Crappie USA South Region Regional Event – to name their favorites. VanDam has proven that he’s one of the best bass fishermen in the nation, and has surpassed tournament winnings of more than $3.5 million.
Capps’ Picks for Crappie:
Reelfoot Lake in Tennessee – Anytime after the first frost, the crappie bite turns on at Reelfoot. Reelfoot Lake was created when an earthquake left a gigantic hole in the ground and all the timber on the land fell into the hole. After the earthquake, the Mississippi River ran backwards, filling up the lake. Now the lake is full of trees and stumps, which is ideal habitat for crappie. The water level doesn’t seem to fluctuate. My partner, Steve Coleman, and I will be slow-trolling (often called spider-rigging) for the crappie at this time of year, using B’n’M minnow rigs with two hooks and a weight. I’ll have out eight, 14 foot, three-section B’n’M Capps & Coleman Series Trolling rods, rigged with a 2 1/2 inch minnow. As the water cools down, I prefer to fish the bigger minnows, because that’s generally the size of the younger shad. I’ll be slow-trolling over 12 to 15 feet of water. I’ve caught the crappie as shallow as 5 feet deep. I start slow-trolling my minnows about 1 foot off the bottom and then I raise my minnows until I locate the depth at which the crappie are holding. Generally as the sun rises, the crappie will move closer to the surface. Crappie will weigh about 8 ounces to 1 or 1-1/2 pounds each, and you can catch 2 pounders.
Grand Lake in Oklahoma near Muskogee, Oklahoma – To catch the crappie at Grand Lake, fish the main river channel of the Grand River and the deep side of the underwater river ledge, just like you’ll fish Neely Henry in Alabama at this time of year. The crappie I’ll catch will weigh from 3/4 to 1-1/2 pounds each.
VanDam’s Choice for Bass:
Table Rock Lake in Missouri – As the water temperature starts to cool down, the bass in this lake will be moving toward their winter pattern. This lake has a tremendous spinner-bait bite, and that’s why I like it. Too, this lake homes big largemouths, smallmouths and spotted bass, and if you make three different casts, you can catch a different species on each cast. I prefer a 1/2 ounce willowleaf spinner bait in the Sexy Shad color, because the bass are really keying-on shad at this time of year. I’ll primarily be fishing the main lake points that have wind blowing into them using 17 pound test line. I’ll expect to catch 3 to 5 pound bass, but it wouldn’t be unreasonable to catch a 7 to a 10 pound largemouth there.
This article is part of a series on fall and winter fishing hotspots. Click here for bass and crappie in Florida. Click here for coldwater crappie at Grenada and Sardis Lakes in Mississippi.
John, the 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the year and the 2007 Legendary Communicator chosen for induction into the National Fresh Water Hall of Fame, is a freelance writer (over 6,000 magazine articles for about 100 magazines and several thousand newspaper columns published), magazine editor, photographer for print media as well as industry catalogues (over 25,000 photos published), lecturer, outdoor consultant, marketing consultant, book author and daily internet content provider with an overview of the outdoors.
Phillips has been a contributor to many national magazines, has been affiliated with 27 radio stations across Alabama serving as their outdoor editor and wrote for a weekly syndicated column, "Alabama Outdoors," for 38-Alabama newspapers for more than 13 years. Phillips was Outdoor Editor for the "Birmingham Post-Herald" for 24 years. Phillips was also the executive editor for "Great Days Outdoors" magazine for 3 years.
The author of almost 30 books on the outdoors, Phillips is a founding member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) and an active member of the Southeastern Outdoors Press Association (SEOPA). Phillips also is the owner of Night Hawk Publications, a marketing and publishing firm, and president of Creative Concepts, an outdoor consulting group.
Phillips conducts seminars across the nation at colleges in freelance writing, photography and outdoor education besides teaching courses in how to sell what you write to writers' groups. Phillips received his photography training as a still-lab photo specialist for six years in the Air Force. He was the chief photographer for Mannequins, Inc., a Birmingham modeling agency, for 11 years.
While serving as 2nd Vice President of the Alabama Wildlife Federation, Phillips was in charge of all press releases for the organization as well as serving as Chairman of Alabama's Big Buck Contest, which he founded more than 30 years ago. He also was president of the Alabama Sportsman's Association for three years.
Phillips is the recipient of a Certificate of Merit from the Governor of Alabama and the Department of Conservation for his work in the outdoor field. Phillips is vitally interested in the outdoors and travels the nation collecting personalities, stories and how-to information for his articles and features.
EDUCATION: B.S. degree from the University of West Alabama with a physical education major and a history minor.
EXPERIENCE: 10 years parttime and fulltime physical director for YMCAs and 34 years as a freelance writer, photographer, editor, book author, lecturer and daily-content provider for websites. Currently, Phillips is a field editor for Game and Fish Publications; serves on the editorial board of Grandview Media; is a regular contributor to 12 internet magazines and a daily content provider for 8 websites.
WRITING AWARDS: Runnerup - Best Outdoor Magazine Feature - 1981 - SEOPA; Certificate of Merit - Awarded by Alabama's Governor for writings on conservation; Most Outstanding Sports Writer in Southeast - 1983 & 1984; Best Outdoor Feature in Alabama, 1987 - Alabama Sportswriters' Association 3rd Place; Best Book of the Year - 1989 - SEOPA; 2007 - inducted into the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame as a Legendary Communicator; 2008 - received award naming him 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the Year from the Crossbow Manufacturers' Association; 2009 - GAMMA Honorable Mention for Consumer/Paid Best Essay for July/August 2008 in "Southern Sporting Journal."
