Nothing like that 2-for-1 combo.
I love fishing; I’m pretty obsessed with it. While I primarily focus on catching bass, I’m always down to chase whatever the lake has to offer. Generally, I have a pretty good idea of what I’m catching when I get a bite. It’s usually one of two or three species depending on how I’m rigged up, but there is an almost primitive thrill in casting a bait into the water and really having no idea what is down there.
Is this bite gonna be big? Gonna be small? A species I didn’t expect? A new personal best? It’s that thrill that keeps anglers coming back… every single cast is a new chance for something incredible to happen. It’s kind of the same addictive thrill that people get in a casino… although, I’d argue it’s a more constructive one.
This scene here, however… I don’t think anyone is ever expecting something like this.
This video is from quite a few years back, but features pro bass angler Greg Hackney and Mr. Crappie himself, Wally Marshall, and they’re down on one of East Texas’ finest fisheries: the great Sam Rayburn Reservoir. Greg Hackney is one of the most respected competitors in the history of professional bass fishing. Over his 23-year career as a full-time pro, he has proven his immense versatility by claiming victories across all major tournament trails, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, the FLW Tour, and Major League Fishing.
Hackney is a six-time B.A.S.S. event winner. He also took home the prestigious 2014 Bassmaster Angler of the Year title and won the 2009 Forrest Wood Cup championship. He is famous for his absolute mastery of old-school, shallow-water power fishing. His signature strengths include flipping and pitching into heavy cover (like flooded bushes), shallow cranking, and utilizing the swim jig to pick apart new water.
But when you’re fishing with Mr. Crappie, you’re focused on catching something else… crappie. Of course, crappie make great table fare and can grow quite large in the South.
Towards the end of the video, Greg hooks into a crappie, and it appears to immediately be stuck on a brush pile. You can see the rod bent all the way over, like it was hung up, so Greg gives him a little slack and lets the crappie swim out. But then, the rod bends over again, and it’s clear something else is on the line. Wally thinks it’s a “big ol’ catfish,” but he would be wrong.
Greg has a massive East Texas largemouth on the line… and that’s not all. The bass actually ate the crappie that he was hooked into. Needless to say, Greg and Wally were PUMPED:
“See that’s what I come down here for… stinkin’ crappie man.”
The big bass is almost too large for their net, but with the crappie in its mouth, it eventually gets wrestled into it. The whole boat is fired up, and at the end of the day, that’s what it is all about…. what an incredible scene.
Bass Diet
Of course, largemouth bass are aggressive, opportunistic predators that will strike at nearly anything resembling an easy meal, even when their bellies are completely full. Crappie aren’t their most common meal choice, but smaller, juvenile crappie that hang out in shallow water are definitely on the menu.
The most common natural food sources for bass include minnows, shiners, shad, and sunfish. Bluegill, in particular, are an incredibly popular forage that bass love to gorge on, and they are often stocked in private ponds specifically to grow massive bass. You will also find really big bass in fisheries that have trout or tilapia, and crawfish can be a staple for many bass as well.
However, because of their instinctual, bucket-mouth gluttony, bass have been known to eat baby ducklings, mice, lizards, frogs, shrimp, turtles, and even large snakes. That’s why weird lures like the Coike have become so popular… they can’t help but attack something that looks weird or unfamiliar.
