Tim and Dickie Collier won last weekend’s Waco Bass Club 37th Annual Lake Waco Crappie Tournament with a 25-fish limit weighing 26.19 pounds.

Second place went to the team of Larry and Shannon Jackson, who had the only other limit of the tourney, with a weight of 22.60 pounds.

Two teams tied for third place. Chris Brummett and John McDonald Jr. weighed in 19 fish totaling 18.44, and Stephen and Dianne Richter’s 21 fish totaled the same.

The tournament’s big fish was a 1.64-pounder caught by Joe Morgan, who was fishing with teammate Tony Driver.

Fishing ‘grand slam’

John Pederson hit a “grand slam” on Lake Waco last week, as he caught keeper fish from four different species on a single trip.

Pederson hauled in white bass, black bass, crappie and catfish on the trip, with the crappie falling for the now-famous Baby Brush Hog — the bait that Ricky Culverhouse recently used to catch a Lake Waco-record 12.87-pound largemouth bass.

Windy conditions have played havoc with fishing plans lately, but during calm spells, anglers have found success catching crappie in marinas and also in rivers and creeks. Surprisingly, the fish still seem to be deeper than they typically are this time of year.

Bass fishing is still good upstream on worms and other soft plastic baits, and white bass are schooling up and hitting slabs and jigs.

Lake Whitney striper guide Clay Yadon called to confirm that the large sand bass caught by client Jennifer Daugherty of Austin last weekend was indeed a lake record fish, tipping the scales at 2.91 pounds.

Bald eagle sighting

The most amazing report of the week came from a reader who was finishing up a morning walk with friends across the Lake Waco dam, when an unusual bird caught their attention.

As they got closer to the big bird, they could make out the unmistakable white head and tail feathers of a bald eagle. These majestic birds typically migrate to Texas from Canada and the Great Plains to spend winter months in the relative warmth. Lake Whitney has been a favorite of eagles over the years, so it’s not surprising to hear of one at our lake.

There aren’t many things more impressive than spotting a bald eagle in the wild. Hearing their calls and watching them soar will burn indelible memories into your mind.

Pack recovering

Best wishes for a speedy recovery go out to Charlie Pack, who is recovering from cancer surgery in Temple. Pack is hopeful that his rehab will be completed by April 29, his birthday.

In the meantime, the legendary angler and host of the television show “Fishing Country” wants to express his appreciation for all the support he’s received from friends and strangers alike throughout his illness.

Here’s hoping he’ll be out from under the sheets and back on the creeks very soon.

Paddling down Brazos

The Waco Paddle Club will make a trip down the Brazos today from Riverside Park just below the Lake Whitney dam, continuing to Dick’s Place in Laguna Park.

The trip should take anywhere from three to five hours, depending on water flow, Paddle Club member Diane Massey said. A group will leave at 9:30 a.m. from the intersection of Lake Shore Drive and Farm-to-Market Road 933.

Massey advises bringing plenty of water, snacks, sunscreen, a camera and fishing gear. That stretch of the Brazos is home to good fishing for largemouth, smallmouth, crappie, sand bass, stripers, sunfish and other species.

Rental equipment is available from Dick’s Place, and reservations are required in advance. For more information, call Massey at 715-6173.

Spring break haul

Ten-year-old Josh Ford of Woodway Elementary School spent most of his spring break fishing with his stepdad, John Miles, at area stock ponds. Josh caught a number of black bass during the week, with six of them tipping the scales at over 3 pounds.

The biggest of them weighed more than 5 pounds, and you can see the photo of Josh and his bass on the photos page of the Centex Outdoors Web site.

And you can share your photos and success stories by e-mailing them to mail@centexoutdoors.com or uploading them yourself at www.wacotrib.com/outdoors.

In addition to the photo section, keep an eye out for new features on the wacotrib.com outdoors page, including instructional videos for techniques and skills to make enjoying a day in the outdoors a little bit easier.

www.centexoutdoors.com

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