McKinney/McKinney Win Indiana National Crappie League Tournament
The National Crappie League (NCL) held a Division 1 one-day national qualifier on Indiana’s Lakes Salamonie and Mississinewa. Competitors fished for $10,000 in cash, prizes, and qualification for the NCL National Championship.
Fishermen had great weather during practice, but rain moved in during the morning of the tournament.
Latin (Leavell) and Roosevelt McKinney, Indianapolis, IN, topped the field of fishermen with a five-five fish limit weighing 7.71 pounds. They also tied for big fish with a 1.84-pound slab to win $500 for a total of $3,700.
The team started out catching males, but the females soon moved in. The team fished rock piles and structure. Most fishing was in five-foot deep water pitching bobbers. It was the first time the father/son team fished a tournament together. Their best fishing was on three rock piles they worked all day long. The team used shiners and Crappie Monster baits.
Second place was Steve Jeffers and Jeff Bookwalter, Wabash, IN, with 7.54 pounds for a check of $1,400. Their big fish was 1.74 pounds.
The team fished Salamonie using Crappie Magnets and hair jigs with black-chartreuse being their best color. They caught their fish fairly deep for this time of year, 4.5- to 12-foot waters. They caught both pre- and post-spawn crappie. They estimate catching 200 fish with the bite staying consistent all day long. The team stayed in the hot seat with the lead most of the weigh-in.
Doug Allen and Patrick Stone, the Ohio/Indiana team, took third place with 6.93 pounds to earn $850. Their big fish was 1.82 pounds.
Allen and Stone fished Mississinewa with chartreuse-white hand-tied hair jigs. The team had found fish the weekend before but struggled to find them on tournament day. They went shallow, deep, and everywhere in between to catch them by pitching to them and chasing them with LiveScope.
The fourth-place team was Chris Miller and Charles Bowman with 6.85 pounds, and they tied for big fish with a 1.84-pound fish. The team won $1,200. Nick and Hillary Leisure took fifth place with 6.68 pounds, along with top male/female honors, to earn $900. Dan and Jim Paul won $300 for the top senior team (93-year-old angler).
Brad Fleetwood and Ron Bilbrey took sixth place with 6.62 pounds to earn $500. Zack and Mike Fishbaugh took seventh place with 6.60 pounds to earn $400. Ryan Lusby and Nathan Noblitt were in eighth place with 6.46 pounds to earn $300. Justin Moore and Jerry Bailey were in ninth place with 6.37 pounds to earn $250. Jeffery McKeighen caught 6.22 pounds for tenth place to earn $200.
Local Sponsors
Special thanks to local sponsors: Wabash County CVB; Holiday Inn Express & Suites; Hampton Inn & Suites; SoreMouth Tackle; Bass & Bucks; Lundquist Appraisals & Real Estate; Scotty’s Bar & Grill; Grandstaff Hentgen; Harry’s Old Kettle; Brandt’s Harley Davidson; Quality Plumbing & Heating; Isaac Walton League; Woody’s Camp & Bait; Paul’s Floor Covering.
National Sponsors
NCL national sponsors include: CarZone USA; Crappie Monster; Grenada Lake Resorts; H&H Rods and Reels; Fisherman’s Haven; Power-Pole; Rockport Rattler; Outlaw Lithium Batteries; Pro Controll; O’Reilly Auto; Team Crappie; Everharts Outdoors; Crappie Brakes; Ludwig Marine; Morris Marine; Charlie Brewer Slider; B’n’M Poles; Crappie Magnet; Jenko Fishing; Midsouth Super Jigs; SoreMouth Tackle; Quality Plumbing N Heating; Millennium Marine; Snacky Lures; CrappieNOW; Crappie.com; Prodezigns; Crappie Customs; Swamp Gear; Hook & Bullet; Slab Crazy Outdoors
Upcoming Events
The next NCL Division 1 tournament will be on August 12 at Truman Lake, Missouri. The next NCL Open Division tournament will be June 3-4 at Sardis Lake, Mississippi.
National Championship & Expo is February 15-18, 2024 – Ouachita River, Caney Lake and Poverty Point, LA.
