Lake Washington is heating up, and the crappie action should be hot this weekend with temperatures forecasted in the 70s for most of the week. I joined Mitch Glenn of Pico Lures on the water last week, and the crappie were already moving into water 2 to 4 feet deep. Glenn wasted little time getting after the crappie as he caught a lunker slab right off the bat.

Glenn was casting a Pico jig and grub combination, and the lunker crappie just couldn’t resist the tempting combination. I got in on a little action myself and caught some fish on one of his crappie jigs. As we fished our way through the cypress trees, Glenn picked up a few yellow bass and an occasional largemouth.

Glenn, from Springdale, Arkansas, has been catching bass and crappie all of his life, and he’s made a living doing it for quite some time now. After fishing bass tournaments and working for lure manufacturers most of his life he knows a few things about catching slab crappie. These days, Glenn owns Pico Lures, and he’s making his favorite crappie and bass baits. If you can dream it, then Mitch can make it.

Scott Vance, of Collinsville, has been friends with Mitch for a long time, and their love of fishing has brought them together as they work on lures that will entice crappie into biting and holding on. In fact, Vance has been designing new color combinations for crankbaits and jigs for quite some time now, and their relationship has led to some jam up crappie jig and crankbait color combinations that the fish love.

We met DD 214 Guide Service owner Mark Hamberlin at the No. 2022 Mississippi Fish Camp hosted out of Bait n Thang’s bait shop and Southern Star RV Park owned by Mike Jones. Jones actually put the camp together with the help of Brad Wiegmann to spread the good news about the fantastic fishing on Lake Washington and the outstanding tourist opportunities around Greenville and Delta.

Hamberlin is an excellent guide, having fished the lake for many years both for fun and stress relief.

“I take out veterans almost exclusively, and that’s what it’s all about for me, giving back to those warriors,” Hamberlin said. “If they can contact me, we’ll set up a fishing trip. I’m actually a veteran myself, so I know what they’ve been through and how tough it is sometimes. We might not always catch a bunch of fish, but I guarantee that we’ll have a large time out on the water.”

Hamberlin is an expert at catching Lake Washington crappie, and his favorite technique is pulling Pico crankbaits and catching monster slabs. If the weather is stable and warm, then it’s a sure bet that Hamberlin will find some crankbait crappie for his anglers to catch.

By utilizing the Pico crankbaits with his trolling techniques, Hamberlin has been able to consistently catch crappie, and he’s also been able to consistently locate and catch lunker crappie, and all the veterans need to do is get onto the boat, and he’ll supply all the knowledge and equipment it takes to catch fish.

If you’re looking for some fine fishing, then don’t forget to try out Lake Washington. It is chock full of bass, crappie and bream. If you know how to fish, then it’s just a matter of getting to the lake during stable weather conditions and spending a little time chasing and catch them.

For more information on fishing Lake Washington, contact Mike Jones at 662-822-2087, and he can put you on the fish or put you in contact with some of the best bass and crappie guides in the country. You can also launch your boat at Bait n Thangs to get plenty of minnows or Pico Lures. Contact Mitch Glenn at 479-640-1267, or at mitch@picolures.com for information on catching bass and crappie with Pico lures.

Call Mike Giles at 601-917-3898 or email mikegiles18@comcast.net.