Trip Report, Leeman Slough, Lake Wheeler

[Ditch Basser]

I went to Leeman Slough today from 6:30AM till 10:00AM . Not sure if the group of Crappie I found has been in the slough all summer or moved in with the cooler temperatures, but they were chasing shad up onto the bank. One of the few times I’ve seen Crappie feeding aggressive enough that there were shad floating on the surface. I started making pass after pass through the baitfish and Crappie with my kayak. When I hit the edge of the school I would have fish on two and three poles at the same time. I never fished deeper than 18 inches, kept half a limit for a fresh fish dinner. I caught 107 total and lost half that many. The craziest three and half hours of Crappie fishing I’ve had in years. I used 1/16 oz Marabou jigs, Chartreuse in color. I don’t think it mattered, just what I had tied on when I started.

Check the shallow water early in the morning, the fall feeding frenzy has begun. They won’t stay shallow after the sun comes up, but all the Crappie I cleaned were stuffed with 2 inch shad.

[alexava]

You ought to be ashamed. Fishing while we gotta work. .. Nice catch thx for the motivation to make me consider calling in sick tomorrow.

[JBibb]

You ought to be ashamed. Fishing while we gotta work. .. Nice catch thx for the motivation to make me consider calling in sick tomorrow.

I am starting to wonder if the guy works at all!

[Ditch Basser]

LOL, I had to work last weekend except Monday. I took a long weekend this week Friday thru today. I fished everyday of it and still had time for the Honey do list (not all of it!), doctors appt for me and daughter, night at the movies and dinner with my family, mowed the yard, chopped some wood. I kept telling everyone, I start at daylight and I'm usually home and through cleaning fish by lunch. That gives me the rest of the day with my family.

I just pull up next to the water, toss the kayak in and I'm fishing in minutes.

[genecline]

did i see you at rockhouse saturday?

[Bob D]

Great report DB, thanks for letting us know what the fish are up to in the shallows.

[Ditch Basser]

I fished the creek behind Rockhouse Saturday, but the trip was a bust. I caught 12 or 15 Crappie total with only 4 that would have measured. The water was about 12 inches higher then normal. When that happens the crappie get into the grass and are hard to find/catch. When the water drops then they scatter in the open water and I can drag jigs on several poles and clean up. We're you in the flat bottom boat with the small outboard motor? If so that's a lot of boat for Rockhouse, you need to take it over to Lily Pond or Leeman Slough across the river!