Lake Malone Conditions

Is it safe to eat the crappie out of there? I live in Russellville and was wondering if it is worth the drive over there or am I better off at Lake Malone?

Thanks

The fish consumption advisory is only for the waters below the dam. I have eaten fish out of there before and I am still alive. As far as worth the drive. I don't think I would if I were that close to Malone. I fish the creek so much because my parents house is like 30 seconds form it and when I lived at home it was quick to get down there and fish. Now I live only about five minutes or so from it and still fish it alot. There are not alot of keeper sized fish in it and finding them takes some skill and time on the water.

Not to be rude, but I am not going to hand over my spots to anybody as I have been working on these fish for about ten years now. It seems there are a limited number of better fish down there and I very rarely keep any. The fact that KDFWR stocked muskies in the creek has helped out with culling some of the smaller fish and allowing the bigger ones to grow. However a 10 inch crappie is still on the menu for some of the muskies that I have caught down there.

I was not asking for your fishing spots, I didn't even know about the musky and I bluegill fish also. I don't blame you for not sharing them, you have worked hard to find them.

Let us know about the crappie tomorrow.

Managed 5 keeper sized crappie in the middle of the day with the sun shining. Got cloudy and the fish turned off. I switched colors and still no bites, it was weird. Let the spot rest and came back no bites then either. Took some of my dead minnows form the malone trip and squished them on a hook and caught a nice channel cat. Changed spots and caught nearly 50 or so small fish off a channel ledge before I called it a day. I was catching those small fish on every cast.

All I have ever caught down there has been small bluegill. There is just so much stuff for the little fish to hide around, there are just too many of them. The creek needs larger predator fish to help clear some of them out. There are good bass, and muskies down there but it may need some big flatheads too or something. It is almost like there is too much forage for the bigger fish. Small bluegill, small crappie, and shad all in not very big a volume of water leads me to think that there is not much competiton for food down there and it is a fishery out of balance.

Did you catch the 5 keepers at malone or drakes?

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Originally Posted by smashdn

Malone was muddy and churned to a froth by the wind. Managed one small bass and that was it. Had a hard time keeping the boat in one place. The water was downright coffee colored on the main lake while back in the very back of coves and creeks the water was a touch clearer and just very murky with visibility of approx. 10 inches. Gave up fishing and took my wife on a boat ride and picnic up to shady cliff. Taught her how to drive the boat adn she tried her hand at trailering it for me. Fihsing was poor to say the least but we had a nice day overall.

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Here is what i did at Malone. It is page one of the thread.

Did you catch 50 or so small crappie or cats?

crappie. went today (to the creek) in the rain and managed only about seven total. Covered some new water I had never fished too. Did not fish the channel ledge as it was raining too hard and we weren't wearing rain gear. Called it a day and went to the house to dry off. By the way all the fish I catch down ther I catch on Slider grubs on the weedless Slider Heads. As much stuff as I buy and use from Slider I should be sponsored by them by now!