From crappiemasters.net
Always learn....Larry McMullin
By Tim Huffman
Aug 26, 2006, 08:36
I guess I've never met another fishermen who experiments, asks questions of local fishermen and remembers what he learns better than Larry McMullin, of Essex, MO. His credentials read like a who's-who with tournament experience from fishing local club tournaments in the '80's; to qualifying for a Classic in 1991; to becoming a National Classic winner in 1999; and since then continues to be tough on the trail with a Classic runner up in 2000 and a fourth place in the 2005 CrappieMaster Classic.
Here's Larry in a interview after he and his partner won the 1999 Crappie USA Classic. “Bill McLemore (biologist) told us three or four years ago on Kentucky Lake to look for the big white birds. We like to look for the big gar, too. We found them both. The water was black with fish including shad.” He remembered what he was told by the biologist. It paid off by helping him win a classic.
He's not afraid to ask others for help. He may call a marina operator, talk to people on the ramp and will approach fishermen on the lake like what happened to us at Grenada Lake. We had caught a few fish but fishing was tough. A man walked down from a parking lot with a long pole and a few baits and begin to wear the fish out right in front of our eyes. Larry told me to put my pole in the boat as he trolled over to him. He politely ask the man what he was doing to catch all those crappie. The man showed us his bait and even threw us a few. Our fishing immediately picked up.
Larry constantly tries new baits and tactics. Many fail but some are unique and successful. His bait experiments included rolling glitter in the original Crappie Nibbles that he used to win the '99 classic. Berkley immediate responded by adding sparkles to the Nibbles.
For techniques, he and his partner won the 1999 classic by slow trolling. They did everything they knew to keep baits perfectly still with almost no movement. The next year they were runners-up at Grenada while using their big motor to push 16-foot poles with 12 ounce weights and multiple jigs with rough water bouncing over the front of the boat. "I didn't think we could beat the others by doing what they were doing because there's too many good fishermen. We learned two new fast techniques that we were going to live or die by using." That took more guts than most fishermen have to switch away from a tactic that give them a national championship the year before.
One more note on Larry: I would like to say that he gives what he receives. He will help other fishermen. He will share any general knowledge with others on how to perform a technique like pulling crankbaits or simply how he hooks a minnow. He has shared his baits. If there is something he is keeping secret such as a little bait trick or hot fishing spot, he will say, "I'm not going to tell you that yet." He is honest and straight-forward and won't intentionally steer you wrong with a lie.
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