MT Bucket: Shallow panfish action heats up! 4-4
Nice weather after Easter dinner had me checking out some lakes for shore fishing possibilities sunday. The first lake I went to didn't look good, the spot that usually is on fire on warm spring days was dead, dirty water and quite a few dead bullhead and sunfish floating near shore didnt help my confidence. after a few casts I bailed and went to check out another small lake. I got there and the water was clear, though really low. I cast out a jighead with two nuggies a foot below a float, as soon as it hit the water it was gone! it was a small bass, next cast boom! a nice 'gill. after that it was non stop action with gills crappies and a few bass.
I tried a panfish flyrod popper behind the float and they really ate that up too.
I tried a crappie thunder plastic on a roadrunner and nailed a nice crappie right away, but then started getting small bass. Switched to hair jigs and those worked well for the sunfish, towards evening switched to a black and green culprit paddletail and wacked some good crappies, they kept biting even after I could not see the float, but i could still feel the bites. A great way to kick off the season!