Carmi team takes home big fishing tourney prize | People

This past Saturday April 7, Crappie USA held a qualifying event on Tennessee's Old Hickory Lake at Sumner County, Tennessee. These anglers from seven different states were competing for not only cash and prizes, but a chance to advance to the prestigious Cabela’s Crappie USA Classic. This year's classic will be held October 24th-27th, 2012 on the Barkley/Kentucky Lakes at Cadiz, Kentucky.

Taking first place in the semi-pro division was the well-known Carmi, Illinois team of Jo and Henry Haley who weighed in a limit of crappie totaling 12.11 pounds and earning $1000.00. Jo and Henry were fishing Drakes Creek and Blue Glass using tri color and glow Southern Pro jigs in 12 to 15 feet of water vertical jigging brush to catch 50 fish for the day.

Second place went to the lone angler Tim Gill of Bowling Green, Kentucky weighing in 10.25 pounds and earning $600.00. Tim was vertical jigging brush in 15 to 18 feet of water up Drakes Creek using Southern Pro purple, red and black Umbrella jigs tipped with minnows to catch 150 fish during the day of competition. In third place was Shepherdsville, Kentucky's Larry Clark who was also fishing alone to weigh in 9.05 pounds and earn $400.00. Larry was pulling crankbaits in 20 to 23 feet to catch his fish suspended in 15 to 18 feet of water to catch 40 to 50 fish for the day.

The Haleys also won the big fish award with a 2.06 pound crappie and earning $175.00.