Part of Glynn Lavergne’s secret to success with slab crappie has to do with the very sensitive tackle he uses to entice these sac-a-lait.
He uses two-piece flyrods that stretch 8 to 8 1/2 feet in length, and these are usually of high-modulus graphite construction that heightens sensitivity.
He also uses 6- to 8-pound-test monofilament, and he equips these fly rods with underhand spin-cast reels.
“What I think accounts for differences in success amongst sac-a-lait anglers has to do with sensitivity,” emphasized Lavergne. “You want to be able to present the lure with action — as well as feel the sensitive bite these fish can give. That’s why I use the light equipment and these baits.”
Like many other freshwater anglers, Lavergne has turned his attention to the relatively new “tail” swimbaits for crappie, particularly 2-inch Stanley Wedgetail Minnows chosen chiefly because of how its tail flutters underwater.
He also will have a rod rigged with a 1 1/2-inch Crème tube jig.
Lavergne attaches these baits within a loop knot at the end of the monofilament, allowing the lures to move freely and emit more tail-twitching.
He makes his own jigheads, preferring 1/32- and 1/16-ounce sizes depending on the depth and current he finds.
Lavergne likes lighter colors in clear waters and darker colors in stained waters — but he will always experiment because sometimes crappie will bite a certain, specific color for a reason unbeknownst to man.
His mainstay colors on both baits during pre- and post-spawn periods are pumpkin/chartreuse-tail, pearl, pumpkin/chartreuse-laminated, salt/pepper chartreuse-tail, LSU color and black/chartreuse-tail.
Furthermore, each and every crappie he keeps goes straight to the cooler, as opposed to using a stringer, so they remain as fresh as possible.