Thread: Quick Report

Sat062009
"Raleigh Area Lake"
6:30am
10:30am
Water Temp: 85F
08 crappie
released
11.5-16" (16"=2.17 lbs; 15.25"=1.98 lbs)
3-10' down in 10'
#6 Vanish Transition


1/16 chart jig
*split shot and #2 aberdeen



Well I found them about 40' away from where I usually catch them. There were two layers of fish on the midlake hump today, but i didn't get a bite. Nevertheless, it won't be long! I lost a crappie that I believe to have been in excess of 3lb. When I am fighting a fish, I take a very long time to get it in. I set my drag extremely light when it is under the boat and a bit tighter when it swims towards the perifery. Unfortunately, after fighting the fish for what seemed like 3 minutes and getting one very good look at it about 10' from the boat, I failed to loosen my drag when it swam straight down. Hook popped out. Game over. I'll get it next time. Still, as I think back, there is only one or two notable fish that I may have landed if I furninshed a net--and that wasn't one of them.

Maybe it's just me, but I really enjoy lifting the fish in the boat by hand. I enjoy it as much as releasing the fish unharmed (and almost as much as eating them with a healthy coating of old bay seasoning). When a slab breaks the surface for the first time, I determine the quality and location of the hookset--and tailor a direction and aggression of pull that I believe gives me the best chance to get my thumb in its mouth. I've seen many fish get off the hook because of the chaos of blindly flailing for the net, and then coarsley pulling the fish towards it. In the end, I believe that just as many crappie can be landed without a net than with. Bold claim. Maybe I'm wrong. Let me know why.