Eric Allee proved a kayaker can go toe-to-toe with any other angler when he landed himself in the Colorado state record books. On a November day, fishing a small lake east of Denver, Allee caught a black crappie that measured 18.25 inches and 3 pounds 15 ounces, which he documented by video. That fish bested the previous state length record for black crappie of 16.25 inches.
“I was nervous netting it when I saw how big it was, and thought that it might be a Colorado record,” Allee told Outdoor Life in a recent interview. “When I measured it, and weighed it carefully, that made me even more nervous because I knew it was a giant of a crappie, especially for Colorado.”
How Eric Allee Landed A Record Black Crappie
According to the Outdoor Life article, Allee was using forward facing sonar to fish the lake. The angler was actually out for bass but found what looked to be a crappie hot spot near a submerged tree.
Allee was using Berkley Flatworms on his hooks to present what he refers to as a hover rig. The angler knows a thing or two about tackle, considering he is a marketing coordinator for Eagle Claw.
In an interview with In-Fisherman, Allee went on to explain how he was fishing the rig throughout the day.
“My thought process with the water clarity so low, I needed to make it as easy as possible for the fish to find the Flat Worm,” Allee told the In-Fisherman. “A general rule of thumb—especially in colder water—with the hover rig, whether you’re fishing vertically or casting, is to keep the presentation a little above and ahead of your targets.
The angler used the method to catch multiple bass and smaller crappie before landing his Colorado record fish.
The Outdoor Life article goes on to explain the state uses length records and weight records. Weight records require the angler to keep the fish for an official weigh in. While the length record allowed Allee to return the fish to fight another day. Allee’s crappie has since been officially added as the Colorado state record.
GOOD GRAVY!!