Northeast Ark.

We fished OTL today hard from 7:30-4:00 and came home with only 8 keeper crappie. We caught and released many Goggle Eyes (sp?), a few bream, some stripped bass, several drum, and 2 cat fish.

We could not get the crappie to bite anything but a minnow fished very slow in sprawling tops. We caught 0 crappie on standing trees; only crappie bites were off trees in laying or brushy tops. We even tried trees out in the middle and off the bank a bit...nothing.

Several times I fished a top with jigs for 5 min. ahead of my dad. Dad would drop the minnow rig n the same spot and just let it sit for about 30 seconds and pulled 3 out of the same top once after we had fished it for several minutes. These were all caught shallow 4 fow or less about 2 ft deep.

We talked to 3 or 4 other boats and nobody was catching any crappie.

I am going for about 4 hrs on my last morning in AR tomorrow. I am going to Robinson Bay. Hope I have some better action tomorrow.

My latest info from 'shoe is hit the docks and stay in 6-8 fow. Big gills are a little shallower but on the docks too.

Well, I fished by myself (really nice experience actually) yesterday morning. I managed to be on water by 6:15 at Robinson Bay off the Black. This was the first body of water in three days that didn't feel surprisingly cold to me. I fished pretty hard and hooked 4 good crappie from 6:15 to 10:00. 3 of them got off when I had to hoist them over brush or logs. They were definitely in the 3-4 fow on the bank structure. It was also the first time in 3 days of fishing that I felt like crappie wanted to bite. I caught all these on jigs and every time it was the first jig into the top on the fall. 1/32 oz lead head w black/char tube jig.

My dad cleaned the fish from our Old Town trip yesterday morning while I was fishing. 1 of the crappie had bright yellow eggs. I still think they may have already spawned at OT and that this crappie is just one of a few late spawners, but that is just my opinion. I've heard from several on CC that think crappie are in the woods there now spawning.

The crappie I caught at Robinson also had bright yellow eggs. My feeling is that the Black River oxbow crappie in the area I fished will start spawning this week or next now that the water is warming. The water at Portia Bay on Mon. felt really cool. It was 43 degree when I woke up that morning.

I'm on a quest to find a more comfortable way to fish. I've always sat right on the front of the little john boat and used a paddle as much as possible instead of the tm for jig fishing in visible bank line structure. I'm as sore as can be from doing this 3 days in a row. I am going to have to get a good seat one bench back and an ext bar for the tm and fish a little more comfortbable.

All in all, it was great to be in AR for 3 days. I love the state. It still feels like home to me after being gone for over 10 years now.

I always fished sitting on the front deck of the boat using a hand controlled trolling motor and contorted around to run it and fish. I did have a seat with a back that fit in a slot on the edge of the deck. However, 2 years ago I decided I was not as agile as I once was and changed to a foot controlled motor and moved back to the first bench. It was a big improvement on the comfort factor.

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Originally Posted by blairarnold

I always fished sitting on the front deck of the boat using a hand controlled trolling motor and contorted around to run it and fish. I did have a seat with a back that fit in a slot on the edge of the deck. However, 2 years ago I decided I was not as agile as I once was and changed to a foot controlled motor and moved back to the first bench. It was a big improvement on the comfort factor.

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That is exactly what I'm thinking. My dads boat doesn't have a deck, just a short front bench and then a regular bench about 2 or 3 ft back. That bench has a seat and I tried fishing out of it Wed. and it was way more comfortable, but I couldn't quite reach the trolling motor. I checked into an ext handle from MK and I think that will be the ticket.

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Originally Posted by htr2133

That is exactly what I'm thinking. My dads boat doesn't have a deck, just a short front bench and then a regular bench about 2 or 3 ft back. That bench has a seat and I tried fishing out of it Wed. and it was way more comfortable, but I couldn't quite reach the trolling motor. I checked into an ext handle from MK and I think that will be the ticket.

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Yeah mine really has a front bench as opposed to a deck, but I bought a new GatorTrax boat last summer that actually has a deck and a pedestal seat, so I'm in high cotton now.

By the way the bottom has dropped out of Black River at Elgin and even Black Rock is falling pretty fast. The water ought to be out of the lakes and bays very shortly if it's not now.

fished porsha bay today with my new son-in-law and surface temp was 70, got there about 830 and didn't leave till 630. VERY LONG DAY, did manage to keep 17 crappie and 52 brim. was first time for the son-in-law in 4 years and we had a ball, several people out there today and fish were a little slow, but still a good day.

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Originally Posted by billegoat

fished porsha bay today with my new son-in-law and surface temp was 70, got there about 830 and didn't leave till 630. VERY LONG DAY, did manage to keep 17 crappie and 52 brim. was first time for the son-in-law in 4 years and we had a ball, several people out there today and fish were a little slow, but still a good day.

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well you did better than I did last Mon! Congrats.

Anyone fished horseshoe lake near hughs? want to give it a try wed or thur. how,s the water over there also? thanks for any info.!!!!!!