McDonald And Cagle Go Big And Claim Second 2019 Crappie Masters Victory And Alabama State Championship On The Alabama River And Lake Jordan
Category: article
Mar 5th, 2019 by Keith Worrall
Modified Mar 5th, 2019 at 4:37 PM
McDonald And Cagle Go Big And Claim Second 2019 Crappie Masters Victory And Alabama State Championship On The Alabama River And Lake Jordan
The old saying “go big or go home” definitely applied to the Alabama team of Wade McDonald and Eric Cagle during the Crappie Masters sponsored by The Renewable Fuels Association “Ethanol 
Fueled With Pride”, American Ethanol, and Bass Pro Shops Alabama River and Lake Jordan National Qualifier and Alabama State Championship hosted by the Elmore County Commission, March 1st and 2nd, as they went wire to wire weighing in huge weights both days of competition topping 16 pounds eventually nearly running away from the field with a two day 14 fish limit totaling an incredible 32.95 pounds, 1.80 pounds ahead of the team of Billy and Scott Williams who had a phenomenal tournament as well putting 31.15 pounds on the scale. Torrential rains prior to practice week dramatically raised the Alabama River basically negating fishing the river itself except for the sloughs and creeks off of it, and making Lake Jordan very stained with an influx of cold water shutting the fish bite down. There were numerous reports of Anglers catching 1 or 2 fish, if any on practice days. That was not the case for McDonald and Cagle who call Lake Jordan their home waters with numerous submerged brush piles they have placed there. Cagle found 4 specific brush piles holding big fish and used those both tournament days to get the win. The team’s primary technique that was most successful was single pole casting hair Jigs on HH Rods over brush piles in 12 to 15 foot of water getting their bite 5 to 6 foot deep. McDonald and Cagle briefly attempted spider rigging and dock shooting but quickly settled back to even cork fishing over the brush piles. Cagle credited his Humminbird 360 and Minn Kota Trolling Motor along with his Mercury powered Tracker Boat as integral in finding the productive brush piles. McDonald and Cagle walked away with $3,800.00 for the victory along with added bonuses of $500.00 from the Missouri Corn Grower Association and American Ethanol for using E10 fuel in their boat as well as the Jenko Fishing $100.00 bonus for using Jenko products, and of course the 2019 Crappie Masters Alabama State Championship. McDonald and Cagle are sponsored by HH Rods and Reels, Southern Lite LED, Rod Sox, and Pautzke Bait Company.
It was another hard luck second place finish for the talented Georgia team of Billy and Scott Williams who in most years would have easily had a winning weight bringing 31.15 pounds to the scale weighing over 15 pounds both days. Team Williams chose to fish a creek off the main river targeting fish on a ledge just off the main channel current spider rigging a gold hook and minnow on HH 
Rods and Reels in 15 to 20 foot of water finding the bigger fish holding 6 to 8 feet deep. During practice Scott found the bite much better in the afternoon which basically held true day one reflected by a 2.98 Alabama River pig, which turned out to be the big fish of the tournament, caught by Billy while Scott battled a pound and three quarter fish of his own at the same time. Day two brought a change though as the bite was fast and furious at the start with the team catching huge fish even before all their lines were out, and having over 14 pounds in the live well by 7:30am. The other change on day two after the initial flurry was that the fish moved further back in the creek which Scott said one of the things he might have changed was following the fish however there were other boats in the area where those larger fish migrated to. Team Williams also stated that their Humminbird 360 and Minn Kota Trolling Motor played a major factor in the team’s runner up finish along with some new technology on the market. Billy and Scott Williams, Team Williams claimed the $1,900.00 second place money plus an additional $406.00 for their 2.98 Big Fish of the tournament. Team Williams is sponsored by HH Rods and Reels and Big Bite Baits.
Finishing in third place was the reigning Alabama State Champion Father and Son team of James and Jamie Heflin who weighed in 28.84 pounds of fish over the two days. The Heflin’s bucked the trend going shallow in depth and water column catching quality fish on HH Rods and Reels using hair Jigs tipped with minnows, Timmy Tom’s jig heads, black, blue, and chartreuse jig with a minnow fishing 4 foot of water with the bite only 2 feet deep. The Heflin’s also took advantage of their Humminbird and Minn Kota Trolling Motor and Mercury Motor to keep them moving and finding productive shallow water catching bigger fish moving up to spawn. James and Jamie Heflin collected $1,325.00 for their effort along with an additional $174.00 for having the second Big Fish of the tournament, a 2.86 Lake Jordan dandy. Team Heflin is sponsored by HH Rods and Reels, Foxy Fishing Gear, Rod Sox, Timmy Tom’s Jigs, Dunn Building, Muddy Water Baits, and Wyld Gear Coolers and accessories.
Fourth place money of $1,000.00 went to the team of Jason and Brandon Threadgill who used a big second day to vault them from 8th after day one to their eventual fourth place finish.
Claiming the fifth place spot was the always tough Georgia team of Rick Howard and Steve Deason who weighed in 27.54 pounds of fish winning $800.00 for their two days work.
Top Male/Female team honors went to the husband and wife team of Jonathan and Alicia Phillips who turned in a two day total of 26.75 pounds after bringing the third biggest 7 fish stringer of tournament on Championship Saturday, 15.73 pounds, moving them from eleventh place to sixth place. Team Phillips won a Humminbird Helix 5 for being the top Male/Female team plus $300.00 for a sixth place finish.
Top placing Adult/Youth team was Gerald and Beth Ann Overstreet who weighed in a two-day weight of 22.47 pounds garnering them an Everharts Outdoor Store gift card and a Minn Kota Trolling Motor.
Click HERE for full tournament results.
Special thanks to local sponsors that include: Red Roof Inn, Wind Creek Casino & Hotel, Stoddard’s Bait & Tackle, Coaches Corner Sports Bar & Grill.
Special thanks to our National Sponsors that include: Renewable Fuels Association, American Ethanol, Bass Pro Shops, Missouri Corn Growers Association, Humminbird, Minn Kota, Ozark Rods, Mercury Motors, Power-Pole, Millennium Marine, Muddy Water Baits, Jenko Fishing, Wyld Gear Coolers, Everharts Outdoor Store, HH Rods and Reels, Off Shore Tackle, Navionics, B’n’M Poles, Bobby Garland Crappie Baits, Midsouth Tackle, American Angler, Crappieholic, Frontier Metal, Valley Fashions, Crappie Now, Slider, Lake Fork Trophy Lures, The Original Rod Sox, Marine Metal Products, Timmy Tom’s Jig Company, Crappie.com, Ardent, Fish-D-Funk, Skipper’s Jigs, Foxy Fishing Gear, ProBuilt Jigs, Sure Life, Pautzke Bait Company, Fish N Tools, Quickfire, Monster Crappie Media and Huffman Publishing, and KMMO Brad & Brian in the Outdoors.