Crappie USA coming Saturday

Crappie USA celebrates its 25th Anniversary of providing competitive fishing to crappie anglers in 2021 and party of the celebration is right here in Lake D’Arbonne Country. Anglers will travel from across the country to join the competition on D’arbonne for the Saturday, March 27, 2021 event.

Crappie USA is headquartered in Louisville, KY. For those who aren’t familiar with Crappie USA, This is a well-established, well-run and trustworthy organization. It gives anglers who might not want to ante up a huge entry fee a great option for fishing for fun and prizes.

Presented by Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s, 2021 anglers will be vying for a guaranteed $10,000 payout in this tournament. There are amateur and pro divisions. Anglers may also compete in the $50,000 points race and an opportunity to qualify for the Regional Championships and the 2021 Crappie USA Classic. The Regional Championships will all feature a $25,000 payback and the Classic will be highlighted by a $165,000 payback.

Competitors will be testing their crappie fishing skills against other anglers and whatever Mother Nature has in store. This event is a Region 4 qualifier in the new CUSA regional competition.

Lake D’Arbonne is considered one of the top Louisiana destination for recreation and fishing. The lake has over 100 miles of shoreline to explore and fish. The fish are biting and the crappie are on flats and moving up into the shallows to spawn.

There is a healthy population of crappie for the tournament anglers to pursue with a half a dozen boat launch ramps available for public use. Most crappie fishing techniques can be used successfully on D’Arbonne.

Regional Competition
There’s a special bonus for anglers in northeast Louisiana!. The Regional event in Region 4 will be held on the Ouachita River on June 25 & 26. The D’Arbonne tournament gives anglers a great chance to qualify for that event as well. Qualifying for 2021 Regional Competition is based on four regions. Each region will have its own championship and points will be tabulated both regionally and nationally. Visit the CUSA website for complete scheduling.

How to Enter Teams may consist of one or two anglers, with a third member allowed if the angler is under the age of 16 years old. Early registration can be accomplished on the CUSA website at https://www.crappieusa.com/Tournament_Registration.cfm. Teams may also enter by calling (502) 384-5924 or by entering at the mandatory pre-tournament seminar on the night before the tournament begins. Entry fees vary by length of tournament. All fees are posted on the website linked above. Late entries are subject to a $25.00 late fee.

Participating anglers must be a member of the American Crappie Association (ACA). Sign up at https://www.crappieusa.com/Membership_Information.cfm where the various levels of membership are available. Each membership will include a subscription to the Crappie Digest, the official publication of Crappie USA, and one of the top crappie fishing publications in the nation.

Coronavirus Response
Anglers will sign up at registration, be given a copy of guidelines for social distancing, be given a copy of the rules, and be given their weigh-in voucher. At the weigh-in, social distancing will be maintained in the weigh-in line and only a few teams at a time will be allowed to be in the line. Other anglers can wait in vehicles and boats. All staff will be wearing facemasks and we encourage all anglers and spectators to do the same.

Registration and Seminar Late registration and a pre-tournament seminar will be held the day before the tournament at the Willie Davis Rec Center, 116 Cox Ferry Rd, Farmerville, LA. Late Sign-in begins at 5:00 pm and runs to 7:00 pm. A National Sponsor Field Test Product Drawing accompanies the seminar starting at 7:00 pm local time. This seminar is open to the public. Those not fishing the event are encouraged to attend this meeting and meet some of the region’s top crappie anglers. Social distancing rules will apply. The Weigh-In Site The tournament weigh-in will be held at Tails & Shells. Fishing hours are 7:00 am to 3:00 pm and all anglers are required to be in line by 4:00 pm. Crappie USA “Free Crappie Kids Rodeo”

A FREE Crappie Kids Fishing Rodeo will be held in conjunction with the tournament at Tails & Shells. An adult must accompany all participating children. The event is free to all children 12 years of age and under.

Sign up for the Kids Rodeo is Saturday morning at 8:00 am with fishing from 9:00 am – 11:00 am. The Crappie USA Kids Fishing Rodeo is a chance for children of the area to get out and enjoy nature, do a little fishing, and win some prizes. All participants are eligible for a chance to win one of the six, Crappie USA $1,000.00 scholarships. The scholarships are awarded annually at the CUSA Classic. To date more than $379,000.00 in scholarships have been awarded.

For more information on the Classic and other CUSA events visit the website at http://www.crappieusa.com and Crappie USA Tournament Trail Facebook Page.