Weldon’s Black Bayou setup is four 12-foot Outlaw crappie poles with 12-pound high visibility Stren gold monofilament line.
He rigs each pole with a slip cork, two No. 4 clam shot weights, and a No. 1 gold Eagle Claw Aberdeen crappie hook.
“The crappie here will bite jigs sometimes,” Weldon explained, “but I find live shiners to be much better.”
If you prefer fishing with jigs, Weldon recommended the Black Lake gray/chartreuse hair jig, Bobby Garland Baby Shad in blue thunder or electric chicken, and black-and-chartreuse tube jigs.
Shiners die quickly in the heat, so it’s important to have some sort of aerator in your minnow bucket or livewell to keep the water oxygenated. The Bass Pro Shop Aerator is a good choice, and it only costs about $10.
Because there is little underwater structure, Black Bayou is also a good lake to troll crankbaits such as the Bandit 300.
“You can cover a lot of water dragging crankbaits,” Weldon said. “If you catch one, go back and drag it through that area again.”