The Arizona Crappie Association held its annual Bob Hirsch Crappie Classic on October 24 at Roosevelt Lake, with 14 teams competing. Congratulations to our tournament winners!
1st Place – Team Gotcha
JT Butler, Brian Bernard, and Gunner Bernard ("Shark Boy")
10.56 lbs | $280 + $50 Scheels Gift Card
2nd Place – Team TNT
Tim Mraz and Tim Ness
10.46 lbs | $168 + $50 Scheels Gift Card
3rd Place – Team Lip Rippers
Doug Meeks and Rico
10.27 lbs | $112 + $50 Scheels Gift Card
Wild Willie Big Fish – Team LLL
Larry Larsen
1.93 lbs | $280
Biggest Blacknose Crappie – Team TNT
Tim Mraz and Tim Ness
1.53 lbs | $50 Scheels Gift Card
We had 14 boats participate, with 12 teams weighing in their seven-fish limits. Weights ranged from 6.93 lbs to10.56 lbs, with less than half a pound separating our top three teams. Total payout was $840 with an additional $200 in gift cards donated by Scheels.
New this year was our Biggest Blacknose Crappie award, sponsored with a $50 Scheels gift card. In total, we awarded $840 in cash payouts plus $200 in Scheels gift cards.
Tournament Weekend Highlights
Several AZCA members camped at Windy Hill for a few days leading up to the tournament, getting in some prefishing and enjoying great weather on both Friday and Saturday.
Anglers targeted structure and AZGFD fish habitats throughout Roosevelt Lake, using both jigs and minnows to bring in their catches.
Following the tournament, we enjoyed a great fish fry and potluck dinner, with plenty of sides and desserts contributed by members. Everyone left with full bellies, and we wrapped up the evening around an excellent campfire sharing fishing stories and enjoying good company.
A Big Thank You to Everyone Who Made This Event Possible.
James "Rollo" Rollins did an outstanding job as our tournament director, organizing and running another successful event.
Tommy "Fishman" Rufrano, our club treasurer, continues to keep our finances in order and also helped run the big raffle.
Larry Larsen, Jeff Higgins, and Alan Christensen stepped up to clean all those crappie, and there were plenty of fish to clean.
Kevin "Tweeder" Morgan and Rich "Wheatthin" handled the fish fry, and it was great having that tradition back again this year. Thanks also to everyone who brought sides and desserts for the potluck.
A special thank you to our raffle prize donors:
* Randy "AZ Crappie Sniper" Howton
* Brian "Mudshark Marine" Bernard
* Scheels
Your generous donations provided some excellent raffle prizes and helped make the event a success!
We also appreciate everyone who purchased raffle tickets and all our AZCA members for their continued support of the Arizona Crappie Association.
Join the Arizona Crappie Association!
We welcomed a couple of new members this weekend! Annual membership is just $40, and members who camp at our Spring Crappie Fest or Bob Hirsch Crappie Classic events are eligible for a $25 camping reimbursement. It's a great way to support Arizona crappie fishing and enjoy some excellent events with fellow anglers. Interested in learning more and joining? Check out https://azcrappie.com/contact/
Tournament Results & History:
2026 Bob Hirsch Crappie Classic Results:
https://azcrappie.com/events-and-tournaments/bob-hirsch-crappie-classic/
AZCA Tournament History & Weights:
https://azcrappie.com/events-and-tournaments/azca-tournament-history/
Next Up: 2027 Spring Crappie Fest!
Mark your calendars for April 3, 2027, at Alamo Lake! We hope to see everyone there for another great weekend of crappie fishing, camping, and good company.
https://azcrappie.com/events-and-tournaments/spring-crappie-fest/
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