6-14-18 Quantity Over Quality Crappie

[MEM1971]

Decided to make a mid day Crappie trip since last couple trips only caught a dozen or so Crappie. Usually fish 6-1030 or 1130. This time I launched at white oak park again but didn't get there til 1030. As soon as I put boat in water and started idling out of the no wake zone it started pouring!!! O no wake zone! A lot of guys are running wide open thru there. Kids are out in those small boats from walmart while mom watches from shore guys are trying to launch and pickup up their boats and everyone of those camps are losing land and have boats tied to their docks. Idk who put the no wake signs out there but they spent some time and money and it is flat out a good idea!! Everyone should slow down to idle in this no wake zone it's only gonna cost u a minute or two. Ok back to fishing. I know it's gonna be a hot one and boy as soon as that rain stopped did it get hot. I got too hot! I thought the fish were moving deep but the holes I been fishing in deeper water I just have not found them yet. Decided to try bays and cuts again just to see if the bite was on knowing the fish will be smaller. First hole I caught 25 or so and put 18 in box. They are small but sometimes u have to get the little out the way to get to the bigger ones. After boxing 10 smalls they did start to get better. Left them biting in search of better fish. I fished all my holes from watermelon bay to old town bay and just not finding the bite. Around 130-2 pm I decide I'm gonna go fish my hole up around Dans bay and hopefully box a couple nice ones. Usually alway catch 2-4 there every time but are good ones and did not fish it last time. Knowing this hole will be in the shade I tie and position the boat up and get lines ready as this is my last stop of the day. Immediately catch a couple good ones then the bite just stops. I have 20 or so boxed and was just about to call it but decide to try a little further out in deeper water. BAM!! Two feet from where I'd been fishing is some tree tops about 6 feet down in about 10-12 feet of water and they are stacked up in there thicker than I e seen in 20 years. This spot and another just across bay was the first spot my dad showed me how to catch white perch and sometimes we would have my boat, dads boat, and my grandma and grandpas boat, and maybe even a uncle or two all tied to each other and all pulling Crappie in the boat. But that was 20 years ago and this spot has only been producing 2-4 fish last few years when I stop. So I did not expect to sit there and box over 30 fish. It was a fast aggressive bite and if u didn't pull up quick they would wrap u in the tree tops. The fish I'm on are smaller than they usually are here and almost all are black Crappie instead of the usual white Crappie but it was fun!! First limit of the year!!! The only two other holes I pulled a limit from have wasp nest on them and have not been able to fish em. Bringing wasp spray next time and hoping to find the bigger fish there. I ended up with 49 Crappie which is close enough to say a limit for me. 20 or so small ones and 15 or so 12"ers. The rest just average keepers. I did catch 3-4 along main river and u can see the difference in color of fish from main river and bays and cuts. Pic below shows a bright gold color to the ones I caught in bay and just a light white looking color to ones in main river. Hearing we may get 5"-8" of rain the next few days is not what I want to hear! Water is already more stained than two weeks ago and almost a foot higher from the thunderstorms we been getting. Hopefully it continues to clear up. Almost all fish were caught fishing 6 feet deep with a cork in 10-12 feet of water. Good luck everyone

[Natural Light Kid]

Man it's been several years since i've been on the river and decades since i've white perch fished. With that being said, i read everyone of your reports and enjoy them all. To me, this was the intent of this site. Keep it up. Thanks

[MEM1971]

Thanks, u very welcome. Back in 2016 when I started fishing this area again I wanted to read about the different areas and other places I've fished. There was some saltwater but very little fresh. Anyway I decided right then, well when my son told me about this site, that I was gonna start posting my days out on water bad or good. Started off with a bang with the saltwater! Almost every time I went that year I limited on trout. More work, higher cost, boat showing its age, and the fact the river is where I've lived where I work and started white perch fishing again. Love trout though!! Can't wait to get back on lake even if it's this fall my favorite time. Also caught a lot of Crappie from September almost to the end of December last year. Hoping this fall is that good for them too! May have been my best Crappie year yet and didn't make first trip til September

[Flex]

Nice haul.

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[T-Boo]

Yeah man! You?re tearing them up.
Interesting how a two feet depth difference changed the outcome of your day.


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[MEM1971]

Originally Posted by T-Boo

Yeah man! You?re tearing them up.
Interesting how a two feet depth difference changed the outcome of your day.


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ive learned to make sure to fish the whole area. usually catch them in same place but other times they just two feet away. all crappie fisherman probably know already but u can move one foot left or right, 6" to a 1', or cork or no cork, can make difference in catching or not. I keep a rod to straight line , two rods with corks, and one rod rigged with jigs. I had 20 before this spot but were all little so yep moving two feet definitely changed and made trip!