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I am catching big Crappie 2lbs plus wading and fly fishing. If anyone can tell me how to post pictures or imbed pictures into the message. I will post a copy of the fly and the fish I am catching. I am from Livingston, Montana and have developed a good fly fishing technique for Crappie.......?????
Caught one female 14” on an unwooly chartreuse yellow and pink Slide/Gagger fly tied on a #4 Mustad 3906.
I could never fly fish where I wade for crappie not enough room but I would be interested in hearing how you do this. Are you using this technique currently on Eufaula?
Rick _ I bet you buy flies from Dan Bailey's Fly Shop.
I did my fly tying apprenticeship about 30 years ago in Dan Baileys. However, I get my equipment and materials from John. I will elaborate on my technique later. Hitting the water this am. Want to post pictures.
We are thinking about going down to Eufaula Friday night. Is the wind still an issue? Being new to boating, I don't want to get in over my head....literally! Should we wait until next weekend for the water to get warmer? The wind might not stop until May...it is Oklahoma after all. :D
I missed the spawn every year since I didn't have a boat. This year I am not missing it. I hope. What area should I try? I need to get there early since it will probably take me at least 12 hours to back the boat up! I also worry about getting into an area with stumps and breaking the prop. I know to use the depth finder, but I am not good at understanding it yet.
So, wait until next weekend or try this weekend? Thanks!
Peke
Went out after work fished from 6-7:30 jigging a favorite small creek and mouth of the creek on the north end.Cleaned 11 crappie 10" - 12".All males and all caught in 18" - 24" of water. It is getting closer.
I was born in Bozeman Montana. What a state!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick Wall
I would love to see your pictures especially of the fly... I haven't gone after crappie in a long time with a fly rod because I usually do better with a jig pole. I used to catch some on the fly rod but never really "tore em up"
Here is how to post pictures:
The main trick is to shrink your picture before you post it. You can go to this website to shrink the picture. Free Online Picture Resizer - Crop and Resize photos, images, or pictures online for FREE! If you shrink it by 75% you should be fine. Then go to the attachments on the post and attach the picture that was resized.
Make sure when you shrink the picture online you click the option to save the image to your PC. It will rename the picture with a name that starts with "rsz_"
So far, real early in the morning not so much wind. However, after 10:00 am it is ripping. May be better to wade and fish. Need to be an aggressive wader. I was around Gentry Creek a couple of weekends ago and guys were doodle socking with fly roods. The guys had chest waders, but would only get knee deep. You need to get out in the water – I am anywhere from belly button deep to chest deep and throwing the fly back towards the bank. It works better if you face the wind. You don’t need to shoot much line about 15’ or less. The wave action works the fly. If there is a crappie around, it won’t be long until they grab it. Sometimes, I give it a short strip if nothing happens right away. I am fishing with an indicator about 6” from the fly. I have been fishing coves south of Buggtussle. I am using chest waders with boots and spikes while wading and it gives me good traction. I would recommend Dan Baileys’ waders and better also the boots. I have been using one set of Baileys’ waders for about 5 years and I give them plenty of rough treatment. If you get a leak break out some Plybond Glue and give the spot a layered coating. You will have to ask the shop to install spikes if you use Dan Bailey’s boots. It is good equipment and cheaper than a boat. And if the wind blows too hard, just wad out of the water and head for the bar.
Set up
• 7 wt. rod
• 7 wt - weight forward floating line. I prefer SA line.
• 40 lb. butt section with a tapered leader about 5’ with a 32” 7 lb. tippet
• A large arbor manual reel with a good drag. Don’t use an automatic reel everyone seems to prefer in this area – you’ll get sand in it and it won’t work.
• I fish with an indicator (small bobber). Get the biggest indicator you can find – Bass Pro has some big ones
• The fly is yellow and chartreuse marabou tail with about 4 strands of yellow crystal flash thrown in. And the body is crystal flashy chenille a little pink with more chartreuse for the body. I am also using a tungsten bead head for weight. Remember - the bead head will have to fit over a #4 or #6 short shank hook. Haven’t seen this size bead head that will work at Bass Pro. I don’t think the color makes any difference, but I am using gold. The fly is basically a wooly bugger without palmering a feather around the body.
Another tip for the bigger crappie. I found out today that bigger crappie have a tough mouth believe it or not. All the crappie I caught this AM, were hooked in the roof of the mouth and I didn’t loose a one. Keep your hook real sharp – you’ll be dinging rocks and brush and the hook will get dull fast. I use a needle sharpener that saddle makers use for sharpening their sewing needles. Got mine in Wyoming.
Phone just rang - looks like I’m going to work. I may only make a few Crappie trips this year. With the bad economy, I need the work so I can head west this summer.
The fly fishing works real well. I tie may own flies and when I’m into the crappie and snag up. I just break the fly off and it doesn’t seem to spook the crappie. I had a boat crowding me close this am. When these guys fish from boat they catch several fish and the inevitable is going to happen. “Their going to snag up” and they move the boat into the pod of crappie to retrieve the expensive jig and the crappies are spooked away. If you tie your own flies – break it off and tie on another. You’re only loosing a dime.
Happy fly fishing for crappie. Hope this helped. Maybe I can attach a picture later.
Hi Rick; Wow that's a great report casting a woolybugger to crappie, sometimes the slow fall and rise when stripping a fly is deadly on crappie. I used to flyfish alot but got away from it. Where your talking about at Bugtussel is much easier to cast than some area's down south. Keep casting and maybe we will run onto you down there.