Spring Fishing Advice

[Twobrokefarmer]

I'm trying to decide when would be the best time to plan for a week's vacation for crappie fishing at Jonathon Creek. March 22-29 or would I do better to wait until the first or second week in April ? Also if any body has any good information on where to find some good crappie in the Jonathon Creek area please post or instance pm me. Any help would be apprciated.

Thanks
Kevin

[CrappiePappy]

I'm trying to decide when would be the best time to plan for a week's vacation for crappie fishing at Jonathon Creek. March 22-29 or would I do better to wait until the first or second week in April ? Also if any body has any good information on where to find some good crappie in the Jonathon Creek area please post or instance pm me. Any help would be apprciated.
Thanks
Kevin

This may or may not help, but it's a lot more accurate & up to date than anything I would be able to tell you, personally : http://www.kdfwr.state.ky.us/crappie...h=C101C552C397

read thru this, and judge for yourself ... from what I gathered from it, river channel flats should be the primary location to check. I'd think Ky Rig or spider rig fishing would be the way to work these areas, maybe even some slow longlining ?? (wind/weather permitting, of course) Then, if that isn't working, or can't be done ... then shoreline casting to bedding areas should give you some action.
Check out the other post about "maps" ... and check Jonathon Creek, if it's shown, or check your own map ... and look for those flats and incoming creek bends and splits. Set yourself up a Plan A, and a Plan B ... regardless of when you actually go. Bare in mind, too, that weather and water levels will dictate where the Crappie will be ... and how far along in the spawning process they're likely to be. Water temps are governed by those two factors .. and you should be looking for water temps in the 50-55deg range, whether that takes you to the Northern shorelines or flats or mouth of the creek.
Now, also take into consideration that the study was 4 & 5 yrs ago ... so the White/Black Crappie population may be leaning more towards the Black Crappie domination, by now.
Here's the Spring 2003 to 2004 study results, complete with maps showing the location/movement of the tagged fish. It's in another creek, but added to the write up on the Blood River link, it should give you an idea of the movements of the fish ... considering time & weather & such.
http://www.kdfwr.state.ky.us/navigat...h=C101C552C397

You should get some more info, from the other members who have fished that area more recently than I have. You might even want to consider the tagging study info (and creeks shown) as a Plan C.

Remember - possession limit means a total of 2 daily limits, per person, can be brought home ... even after a week's fishing. And what you eat, while you're there, don't count against what you pack home

Hope you have a productive trip .... luck2ya !!

.. cp

[Rowdy]

WE are there every spring, Some are teachers so we go spring break, It is usualy last week in March or first week in April. It depends mostly on the weather,Last year it was warm before we got there and the the temp. droped and snowed, The bigger fish seems to be at the mouth of Jonathan but with April winds its hard to fish much!

I spidder rig minners and drift fish the bay's and flats behind the bridge. We will be there 1st week of April this year.
Good luck
Rowdy

[GREENFISH]

We've been a couple of times around mid to late March and early April. Either is a good time. I prefer earlier in March because it hasn't hit peak busy season. Have had good success spider rigging and casting the banks with slider grubs. I know others longline jigs on the flats with great success too. Let me know closer to time and may be able to help a little more.

Take care,
Greenfish

[badbrad]

Last years spring was weird to say the least. If your remember March was real pleasant. My son and I planned our trip during his spring break which was the second week of March. We found the fish consistently in 12 to 14 feet of water at mouths of coves and caught some nice fish. The sharp cold front came in April and the fishing turned off at the time you'd expected it to be the best. Long story short, as far as planning a spring trip, if your able to be flexible, just watch the weather and go when it's right. I've given up on planning spring trips a month or so out. Seems like whenever I do that and schedule the time off from work, a cold front comes through or the winds are howling.

I'm going to start eye-balling things towards the second week of March again, and if a stable weather pattern set's in thats when I'll head west.

[slabdaddy]

Like Badbrad said, its hard to plan a fishing trip in advance. Last year we flat wore them out in March, from the first week all the way to the end of the month and then the big cold front moved in and it turned them off.We use to plan a week long trip to Weiss every year and it was hit or miss based on the weather and after a couple bad weather trips you soon learn that its a gamble.I now just watch the weather and head to Ky Lake whenever the weather looks the best!

[Twobrokefarmer]

Thanks for all the information, all will be helpful in making my decision on the date. And will post the date of my trip when it gets a little closer and I make a final decision.

Good luck to yall,
Twobrokefarmer

[Jigboy]

I agree with everyone else. Last year was so strange. In March it wasin the 80's and my wife and I caught around 160 fish in three days but came back with my kids in April and caight 13 keepers in the entire weekend. Weather is what will determine if we catch fish in March, April, or both. I am hoping for both with some in February also.

[Wiskers]

For me Crappie Season goes out about sundown on Dec. 31st & comes back in around daylight on new year's day. :D

I like the winter fish'n especially from about late Feb. into early March. In my experience it seems that the fish are 1: More predictable, 2: School up and relating more to structure. 3: Are used to the cold water temps and rebound quicker after a front. 4: Less fish'n pressure. 5:Spider riggn the flats is fantastic! 6: NO DARN JET SKIS OR PLEASURE BOATERS!!!

I want to apologize for the cold front last spring. I was on the boat the last part of Mar. last year and prayed for a cold front to help hold off the spawn till I got home. :D I think I over did it a little! All my buddys on the kentuckylake.com forum really poured it in my rearend for that one. :o Be careful what you wish for! :D

As I told you in the PM we exchanged the week you have picked sounds good right now but who knows. I would, depending on the weather, make it a week earlier. Last Jan. I was caught Blacks back in the bays 5' deep in 10' of water on mild sunny days.

Last year was a "hit or miss" year for me and a bunch of my fish'n buddies, spider riggin the flats. Nothing close to the year we had in 2006. I really love that style of fish'n in early Mar.!

Remember too, starting Mar. 1 of this year the limit is 20 on Ky & Barkley.

We'll hook up and catch some fish, you can bet on that! You've got my #. Just give me a call anytime before you plan coming to the lake. I got 8 brand new 12' Wally Marshall rods for my spider rig that I'm just dying to try out!

[ifish]

Mr. Whiskers,
How You Been Doi'n ? I Have Tried To Find Out About The 20 Fish Limit On Kys. Fish & Wildlife Site And They Are Still Posting 30 Fish Limits On Ky. Lake . Where Did You Get The 20 Fish Limit Imformation ? I Hope They Don't Impose It This Year. Take Care And Happy Fishin. ><)))))*>