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Ross Barnett This Week
Went to the Rez for 3 days of Crappie fishing and to fish the Varivas Double Cross PE in 10# test casting. The Crappie just didn't want a moving, retrieved, grub. I vertical jig fished very productive structure but with little success. When a Crappie hit a jig it was with authority but those Thumps were few and far between at best. I did see a few other Crappie Anglers out, most were using Livescope, sitting on the bow of their boats with very long jig poles in their hands. Their jigs well in the air too. All were on the move. A pair of guys circled the entire Horseshoe without dipping a jig that I could see. How you catch fish with your jig in the air I still have to learn. The Livescope crowd were fishing open water, backwater, along the bank, and along the ledges but I didn't see the first fish caught in 3 days. Maybe they were catching but I don't think so. From where I fish I can see a large area and watch the boats around me. I may when running from one recruitment spot to the other observe boats but after 4 hours or so I see most just play musical chairs with the same spots. I didn't play that game. I bought myself one of the large Engel 30qt Bait Coolers and loaded it with about a 100 of the large shiners I had as well as a Insulated Live Bait Bucket with about 50 more. You can't count on Tommy's Trading Post to have shiners during the week so I rigged up a way to bring some from home. Well Shiners paid the bills so to speak. All were fished only 4ft down using the Mosquito hook rigs. You had to fish a very large, heavy cover area and wait for the bite but I had action all 3 days. While watching the corks I fished jigs for little production - the shiners were all the bigger fish wanted. They took their sweet time committing to the bite too.
Using #4 hooks I had to keep a few smaller fish as they were toast from very deep hooksets. I caught 65-66 fish in the 3 days to keep 30. After the second day I drove to Bass Pro and bought larger #2 Mosquito hooks, opened the gaps a bit and the last day didn't kill a single short due to deep hooking. If you're going Livescope fishing on Ross Barnett bring shiners for backup. Keeping them well iced down till I get home to clean too.
This is the oldest boat I own. I've had it for over 15 years and much North of 50,000 fish has been swung over it's gunnels. The other Blazer I built was identical before I turned it into a center console. We affectionally call this boat "The Lizzard". I keep it stored near the Rez, the E-Tec always starts, the stringers as well as the rest of the wood used in it's construction is all rotten, I cut the transom out and replaced with Coosa 26 years ago. At some point I will need to Punt on this hull thinking the Skeeter or Champion will replace it someday but it fishes the upper part of The Rez so well. Good Times.
Smitty39365, BuckeyeCrappie, canebreaker, SuperDave336, Steamed Crappie, S10CHEVY, Slab LIKED above post
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It pays to have a back up. Thank you for the share. A buddy of mine was telling me he has been watching guys on Okatibbee do the same thing. Staring at a screen, jig in the air at the end of their super long pole, hardly ever putting it in the water. That’s not for me.
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Good read and beautiful boat. Thanks for sharing with us
“If your too busy to fish, you’re too busy!” Buddy Ebsen
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Nice cooler of groceries. I like the color on your boat. I do like the bright green better though.
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Thanks for the update! It’s good to know that some of my past summer failures (before learning long-line trolling with crankbaits) are related to giving up on finding minnows without driving around when I lived in Rankin Co. I also have a hard time understanding how some people fish with the jig in the air staring at the screen, where the chances of catching something improves with the jig in the water, unless you trolling thru the hangups and need to stay clear.
If I'm not at work or taking kids to their activities, you might find me on "The Rez" fishing. If not there, I could be in the garage working on my boat.
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I air out my jig a lot of the time when LS. I keep it in the air with my bail open and line in hand in order the locked and cocked for the next fish. I used to drag along with me thinking I’d pick up a fish or two per trip, but that happens a lot less than I would have thought. More often than not, the time to recover and set for the next drop/pitch costs me a fish on the LS.
Been tipping with minnows for 2 or 3 months now, so I modified to drag the minnows shallow to keep them
Alive with my rod at about 45 degrees.
If you’re observing a LS fisherman, you won’t see them catch many unless you keep your eyes on them. Many swing and lift with little movement or noise.
Wannabe…
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A lot like the old Wannabe... except with fewer bad words. And Karate chop action. But, yes, still purtier than you.
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I spoke to several as they stopped to see what I was catching, their performance on The Rez had them commenting "at least I was getting some action". Most were gone before 10am unless they started late. From that I would assume I was one of the only ones catching. By 2pm nobody by big Ranger bass boats were still on the water. The Ranger guys would meet up then go in different directions back to fishing, all 3 days.Originally Posted by Wannabe...
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That’s how I feel on some of my crankbait pulling days. There are days when I see them on my Livescope and won’t bite my jigs tipped with nibbles. I’m thinking of using my crankbait pulling method as my plan B during the spawn once everyone clears based on what I’ve seen with crankbaits, and you’ve confirmed that minnows are still a viable alternative, if you can get them.
If I'm not at work or taking kids to their activities, you might find me on "The Rez" fishing. If not there, I could be in the garage working on my boat.
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Cleaned my catch today, the fish were full of some kind of 2in fry. Some had eyeballs still whole that popped out when I filleted the fish. The White Crappie were very thin but the Blacks were thick.
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Great job and great advise on the hooks. You the man.
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