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Last Updated: Apr 24th, 2008 - 05:59:32 |
I have never been in a boat with two fishermen more intense and geared toward winning than Ronnie Capps and Steve Coleman. Over the years, I've had the pleasure of sharing a boat with them and they have spent a lot of time on the phone with me doing interviews. They guard their fishing holes but freely share with others how to catch fish.
Ronnie and Steve are the undisputed best crappie fishing tournament team in the country. They are the only team to have more than one national championship and they have a handful of them. They have won tournaments in all parts of the country.
They were once known for their ability to fish 24 or more poles simultaneously and with efficiency when there were no pole limits in tournaments. There were rumblings they had a huge advantage and they couldn't compete if pole numbers were restricted. They quieted that because their first national championship came from Ceasar's Creek, Ohio, where the limit was two poles per person. Tournaments have since restricted pole numbers with everyone having the same limit and the team continues to win. My point is: they will jig brush if necessary; push crankbaits when necessary; but most of their success and consistency in catching crappie comes from perfecting the slow trolling technique that they can usually do better than anyone else.
Steve once told me that both the weekend or new tournament angler would be better off learning one technique and becoming good at it rather than learning four or five techniques and being mediocre. I think professional bass fishing proves this right: Denny Brauer wins because he has perfected his jig pitching; Dave Fritz wins with crankbaits; and so on.
Steve and Ronnie shared their slow trolling techniques and tips in the book, 'Winning Crappie Secrets'. "Anyone can do it," says Ronnie, "but so many fishermen don't put the time on the water that's required to learn the results of every little detail. They'll have their pole tips too high; have baits bouncing instead of being still; they won't figure out exactly how to control the boat. All of these things come from paying attention and experience."
Therefore, according to Ronnie and Steve, you need to learn a technique and learn to do it to the very best of your ability. Pay attention to details, learn from your experiences and put time on the water.
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