Oct. trip planned for Barkley, couple dumb questions

[redearhoosier]

Hey fellas, my wife, son and I are coming down Oct. 5th-12th to Lake Barkley. We're staying at Buzzard Rock on the North end and I was looking for some very general crappie tips. I'm not looking for any hot spots, just general crappie information that would help us out. Depth, baits, flats, channels etc. I'll be single poling it, not a spider rig person.

I am going to try to fish for redear as well, but would like to catch some nice crappie...love to eat them.

[M R Dux]

I would cross Barkley to the LBL side and check some of the major coves. I would start by either longlining or what chaunc calls "hang-gliding", that is moving around from place to place with jigs trailing behind you. When you see crappie on ledges or find some brush piles, stop and single pole them. The crappie should have started moving into the secondary point areas of the major coves, following the shad schools or as we call them, bait-balls. Don't be afraid to get farther back into the shallower areas if bait is present, especially on cloudy days. Take your time and follow the channel markers. Barkley in the fall and winter can be full of surprises, both good and bad. If you don't have a GPS on your boat, you should.

[kissfan4]

april was my first trip to barkley and i felt a little overwhelmed to say the least, i dont troll or anything like that. I used the fish finder to try and locate some brush piles and i failed miserably at that the first day. The second day i fished like i would normally fish on my home waters, found trees laying off the banks and things of that sort, worked out for me, didnt catch the numbers of fish that someone trolling might catch but i had a good time so my advice is, try new methods for a little while and if they dont pay off just ask yourself how would you fish back home.

[redearhoosier]

Thanks MrDux and I hope to stop by your studio while I'm down there to see your work if you don't mind. I know you mount a few big shellcracker every year and hopefully you'll get to mount one for me sooner than later. Could I bring my wife and boy by your studio to check out your work or is that a no-no. Thanks for the crappie tips and I will make my way across the lake to the LBL side and get back in those big bays.

[M R Dux]

Thanks MrDux and I hope to stop by your studio while I'm down there to see your work if you don't mind. I know you mount a few big shellcracker every year and hopefully you'll get to mount one for me sooner than later. Could I bring my wife and boy by your studio to check out your work or is that a no-no. Thanks for the crappie tips and I will make my way across the lake to the LBL side and get back in those big bays.

I'm always glad to have families come by. If the typical wife feels comfortable seeing what I do, she is more likely to loosen up on the purse strings when the trophy is caught/killed.

A lot of conditions are going to change between now and your trip. Keep asking about fishing as the time get closer and you will get more current reports. GENERAL but current.

Maybe chaunc will stop by this thread and explain how his "hang gliding" tactic works.

[chaunc]

" Maybe chaunc will stop by this thread and explain how his "hang gliding" tactic works "

Not until i get the video shot. Better to show how it's done. But thanks Doug.

[Wiskers]

If it were me... I'd check the docks at the Marina and work the drops back into Poplar Creek. If that didn't pay off (but I'll bet it does) I'd head to Eddy Creek.

[redearhoosier]

Poplar Creek did look very good for crappie when I was down there in the Spring. As a matter of fact I thought it looked EXCELLENT for Black Crappie in particular...didn't find a shellcracker hole in there though. I'll bet I can do pretty well in Poplar Creek for crappie that time of year, thanks Wiskers.

I can't wait for this trip!