Lake Lochloosa

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Originally Posted by crappiecrazy

Hello Tom,
I enjoyed your pictures and reports. I spent a week at Twin Lakes Fish Camp about 4 years ago. It was one of my favorite fishing trips but gas got high and I started going to Alabama. Anyway, I fished the area that the Sun is setting on in your picture. We also fished the "pads" in the mouth of the creek that connects Lockloosa to Orange. This is a wonderful area! Very peaceful for Flordia.
Could you post a picture of the terminal tackle rig you are using. You made a detailed description but I would like to see a picture if you have time. I like your idea of covering alot of water. I normally use a 3/8 sinker and you can't travel that fast.
Anyway thanks again for the memories and post pic if you can.

Thanks,
Tom

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Thanks, I'll post a picture but all my gear is on Don's boat. I'll remember to take a camera next week (I usually forget).

It is pretty simple... 1.5 to 2 ounce slip sinker on main line with a snap swivel tied to the end of the line. Then a 18" leader down to a 1/32 or 1/16 ounce jig. That is all there is to it.

Tom

Im in Lake City for school and the only place I know to fish in Fl right now is Talquin. Ive been doing pretty good there but I am planning on trying this lake now since its alot closer to me. Hopefully this next weekend. If any of yall ever go to Mississippi let me know I cna help out on lakes there but these FL lakes are new to me still.

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Originally Posted by crappiecrazy

Could you post a picture of the terminal tackle rig you are using. You made a detailed description but I would like to see a picture if you have time.

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Not a very good picture, but it is a pretty simple rig.

Egg sinker, swivel, leader, jig. Simple.

Tom

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Originally Posted by T_om

In most cases, we fish those jigs at 1/2 the water depth reading on the depth finder. But you need to experiment up and down the water column until you figure out where they are.

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So do you only run with 1/2 the water depth in line out, or does the boat speed keep your lines up at the depth you desire or some combination of both.

We kept dragging ours through the mud in the bottom of the lake. I think we were going to slow AND had to much line out. If its more the speed than the line out thats a helpful bit of knowledge. Going to play with it more tomorrow morning Tom.

Thanks for all your post. The cold weather may change this pushing method's effectiveness for a short time, but I think we can count on this for 11 months out of the year.

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Originally Posted by BenFL01

So do you only run with 1/2 the water depth in line out, or does the boat speed keep your lines up at the depth you desire or some combination of both.

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The lines go from the rod tip directly down in the water. This is called 'tightlining'. We are not trolling these behind the boat.

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We kept dragging ours through the mud in the bottom of the lake.

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Dude... reel the line up. :)

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I think we were going to slow AND had to much line out. If its more the speed than the line out thats a helpful bit of knowledge.

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It has little to do with speed. We can stop the boat and let the lines dangle straight down... when we start moving again, the lines do 'blow' back somewhat but not all that much at the speeds we troll.

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Going to play with it more tomorrow morning Tom.

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Knock'em dead.

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The cold weather may change this pushing method's effectiveness for a short time, but I think we can count on this for 11 months out of the year.

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Hasn't changed effectiveness yet and we have been fishing it since July.

When crappie spawn, they are not ALL in the shallows. As a matter of fact, most of the larger females are holding in deeper water just off structure and only go in to actually spawn... and they do not, of course, all go in at once.

Tom

Tom,

Is there a specific reason why you use 1 1/2 oz weights? I have never heard of anyone using a weight that big. Mostly I have used/seen 1/2 to 1 oz weights. Just currious.

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Originally Posted by IAMMAC

Tom,

Is there a specific reason why you use 1 1/2 oz weights? I have never heard of anyone using a weight that big. Mostly I have used/seen 1/2 to 1 oz weights. Just currious.

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The faster you want to push these jigs, the heavier the weight you need to keep them down. Otherwise they tend to 'blow' back and rise up in the water column... so you are not fishing as deep as you think you are.

I have heard of people using 6 ounces in deep water.

Tom

Thanks for the info.

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Originally Posted by T_om

Not a very good picture, but it is a pretty simple rig.

Egg sinker, swivel, leader, jig. Simple.

Tom

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Tom,
Thanks for the picture and info. I am going to give it a try. I am afraid that the sinker will put to much bend in my poles. I use the standard 12 B/M grafite jig pole.

Tom

So its really more straight lines. That is what I figured. Had a poor day, but I have concerns that the Winter Haven chain isn't all that great. We only fished for 3 hours as well. I still think we weren't dead on your pattern, but getting close... maybe as close as we can with our setups. Might need some new poles.

We caught 1 fish. It was a nice one, my son's first spec he boated on his own. HE insisted we release it to the grease.

We had 8 poles out. 4 with 3/4 oz weights. 4 with 1 oz weights. They seem to be mostly down, but picked up a little. The water was 9 to 11 feet deep, and we were fishing at about 7 to 8 feet. With this technique, you seem to be advocating fishing even a bit more shallow. For instance, fish 4 to 5 feed in 9 foot of water. With all the weight on the line you can guarantee the depth you are putting the jig into.

As far as poles holding up to the weight. All the poles we used, from 8 to 12 foot poles, all held up the weight we used pretty well. They would likely take the extra 1/2 oz. just fine.

Now I just have to tune towards the jig colors that make me feel confident.