What the H**L is goin on!

[sixfin]

I've been rackin my brain for the past two weeks trying to figure these fish out. I have kept a journal for the past 10 years of fishing trips and tracking the movement of them every spring and fall. This spring has turned out to be a new one for the books. Some days I catch my limit in a few hours and the next day I'm lucky to catch enough for dinner. I try shallow and deep everyday trying to pattern these fish and it ain't workin. Some days they're deep (12-20), some days they're in between (6-10) and some day they're shallow (2-5). And some days, they're no where to be found. I put a Lowrance sidescan on my boat last December and have learned a lot with it but the best thing I have been able to learn is what crappie look like and where they are are hangin. Whether outside the beds, inside the beds or suspended but there has been a lot of days where there are no fish to be found. They should be loading up the beds in 6-10 feet of water right now getting ready to make the move, especially the blacks. I have caught some in 2.5 FOW but not a lot. Just a couple of loners every now and then. I did get reports about two weeks ago that people were hammering them on the banks for a couple of days and then the big cold front hit and they moved. That's to be expected but they usually just pull out some instead of totally evacuating. Something I've noticed this week is a lot of crap floating in the water like it does in the fall turnover. Could there possibly be a spring turnover? I thought I knew a lot about these suckers but they've stumped me again. Any ideas?

[craigmorris74]

I've caught a few shallower and a few deeper, but the last 3 weeks I've always had steady action in 10-12 ft. I agree, I would think the blacks would be in shallower brush.

[sixfin]

I will say this... it has been a stellar year for 8-9 inch fish!

[M R Dux]

I will say this... it has been a stellar year for 8-9 inch fish!

Funny you mentioned this. I've talked to some folks who believe the only crappie in the lake are over 10 inches and there are not many of those left. Seems some places are overrun with dinks and they aren't showing up in others. For the sake of the future fishery, I hope the whole lake is overrun with 9.5 inch fish.

[Wiskers]

I've been rackin my brain for the past two weeks trying to figure these fish out. I have kept a journal for the past 10 years of fishing trips and tracking the movement of them every spring and fall. This spring has turned out to be a new one for the books. Some days I catch my limit in a few hours and the next day I'm lucky to catch enough for dinner. I try shallow and deep everyday trying to pattern these fish and it ain't workin. Some days they're deep (12-20), some days they're in between (6-10) and some day they're shallow (2-5). And some days, they're no where to be found. I put a Lowrance sidescan on my boat last December and have learned a lot with it but the best thing I have been able to learn is what crappie look like and where they are are hangin. Whether outside the beds, inside the beds or suspended but there has been a lot of days where there are no fish to be found. They should be loading up the beds in 6-10 feet of water right now getting ready to make the move, especially the blacks. I have caught some in 2.5 FOW but not a lot. Just a couple of loners every now and then. I did get reports about two weeks ago that people were hammering them on the banks for a couple of days and then the big cold front hit and they moved. That's to be expected but they usually just pull out some instead of totally evacuating. Something I've noticed this week is a lot of crap floating in the water like it does in the fall turnover. Could there possibly be a spring turnover? I thought I knew a lot about these suckers but they've stumped me again. Any ideas?

Man I'm like you. I study these fish and thought I had a handle on them. Been a looooooong time since I'd been skunked but that changed Sat. I fished everywhere! Nothing but a few dinks. Buddy of mine did manage to put 1 keeper in my boat.

It's got me stumped. I bet I find them suckers this week or die try'n!

[Quackrstackr]

Funny you mentioned this. I've talked to some folks who believe the only crappie in the lake are over 10 inches and there are not many of those left. Seems some places are overrun with dinks and they aren't showing up in others. For the sake of the future fishery, I hope the whole lake is overrun with 9.5 inch fish.

I have seen it both ways now. I have been catching some absolute slabs with very few short fish but decided for a change of scenery on Friday afternoon and my catch did a 180. I had 4 keepers and about 25 short fish instead of 12 to 15 keepers and 3 or 4 short fish like I had been having.

I have to believe that the fishing pressure in certain areas has a whole lot to do with that.

[KrappieKing]

agreed..really really spotty...whiskers when you dial em in be sure to post!

[ifish]

Hey Sixfin,
I have been seeing the same thing. Great one day and the next sucks. I graphed the water temps off the Hancock station site for the last few years and we are 5 to 8 degrees below normal. Haven't seen hardly anything on the banks yet. Has anyone noticed there are no redbuds or dogwoods blooming yet.That is usually my signal on the spawn season. Fished Saturday afternoon and the fish were all over the depth chart. Had several nice blacks.Bobber and minnows is the absolute only thing they would hit on. Had one 18.5 ".With all the 100 year weather events we been having nothing suprises me now.Sixfin,I would like to see your HDS setup sometime !!Going on vacation 3/24.PM me if you want to show me all your stake beds.HaHa!!Take care and tight lines..................Ifish

[sixfin]

So maybe I'm jumpin' the gun. Maybe it hasn't started yet and I'm just too hyped up. Of course we did have a little harder winter than we've had in while. The lake did freeze over a couple of times too. Maybe that has some effect on'em but still temperature dictates what these fish do, right? Or a least i thought that's the way it worked. Time will tell. As far as fishing pressure goes, Jonathan doesn't have much so I should be O.K. on that right? :D:D:D:D

[Wiskers]

As far as fishing pressure goes, Jonathan doesn't have much so I should be O.K. on that right? :D:D:D:D

I heard last Friday a man didn't even need a boat to fish the middle of jonathan. If he wanted to move all he had to do was step from 1 boat to the next. :D

I do think the boat traffic effects the fish. If a guy can stand it, a late evening or maybe even into the early night shallow bite might be the ticket. I really think on these warm days they're moving in late and staying all night.