Capps and Coleman Win 5th National Crappie Championship National

Evan Jones, Banner Editor

For Reelfoot Lake's Ronnie Capps and Steve Coleman, it doesn't get much better than this.
At least in terms of professional crappie fishing.
Last weekend the duo captured the Cabela's Crappie USA Classic at Patoka Lake near Jasper, Indiana for their fifth national crappie title.
And it was their fifth tournament win this year.
Their total earnings for 2005 on the profession crappie tour are an amazing $163,200 including three Ranger boat, motor and trailer rigs, four Suzuki 4 X 4 ATVs with matching tilt trailer and four Knight muzzle loading rifles.
And the fire still seems to burn brightly for the pair.
“This is the best year we ever had,” said Capps, 38, who is the TWRA officer for Dyer County. Coleman, 42, is an officer at Northwest Correction Complex. Together they have become a duo synonymous with excellence in crappie fishing.
“This was probably the most exciting tournament win we have had,” said Capps.
The team led wire to wire at Lake Patoka where crappie were hard to come by. They led the first day with a seven fish total weight of 7.12 pounds.
Their winning total was 13.80 pounds beating out a Florida team that weighed in 12.12.
“The weather was in the fifties at night and the mid-eighties during the day. We like the clear days. It was clear the first day and then cloudy and overcast the second.
“That lake was a tough lake. It had like a million fish but they were all five or six inches.
“The first day we used the classic Reelfoot style, dragging double rigs in about 12 or 13 feet of water.
“The second day we ran 50 miles up river and fished out of a canoe with one pole, tight line with a slip float. I used a skulling paddle with my left hand just like we used to do at Reelfoot.
“We pre-fished the lake and located some fish there. There were not a lot of them but they were huge. We had planned from the start to drag the first day and then go to the timber.
“That second day we were fishing along some standing timber along a creek bed. There were some good fish there. All the other teams were looking for us.”
Other tournaments they have won this year are Neely-Henry Lake, Alabama; Kentucky Lake; Pickwick Lake, Alabama; Fort Gibson Lake, Oklahoma; and Pickwick Lake, Mississippi.
They have been named 2005 Team of the Year by Bass Pro Shop Crappiemasters (National Points Champions) and Team of the Year 2005 Cabela's Crappie USA.
They will fish the Bass Pro Crappiemasters Classic on Oct. 12-15 and defend their national title next year at Pickwick.

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