Thread: Help for a newbie?

Well I don’t fish in PA, at least very little, although i lived there for 64 years, and still return to hunt at our camp in the NC area. My passion was always salt water so that meant traveling to places like S. Jersey, or DL/ MD. From where i lived in Bucks county. I kept an offshore capable boat in Lewis DL. For a few years also. I had acquired a captains license in preparation of a planned retirement to the keys, and charter fishing there. I got a gig at a large resort using my boat for reef and offshore trips. But health issues ultimately caught up causing me to give up my license. So i moved from the keys, since one of the only 2 things to do there was essentially taken, and I don’t do the other. LolSo i decided that fresh water would be easier on me from the standpoint of washing everything down and flushing out motors after a trip. With fresh water in can shut off the truck, and go sit down and relax.The idea of making hundreds of casts each day didn’t appeal to me, and then release the fish i might catch.I had never even seen a live crappie let alone catch one. But i bought a good boat, a 17’ Key West, and put a trolling motor on it with the idea i could still use it for fishing the Indian River Lagoon system and even sneak out the inlet on nice days. I met an employee at the BPS and told him my plan for Crappie fishing, and asked if he knew anybody i could pay to take me out on my boat. I also wanted an opinion on how i should rig that by an experienced person.He handed me a card of a guy and highly recommended him for what i was looking for. I called him and set up a trip. I mean this guy was a real Florida red neck, born and raised in Okeechobee.He had an airboat of his own and never really spent much time in the populated areas, and didn’t take me to one either.He took me to a private launch on the upper end of the St Johns river. (South end since the river runs north)He got on my boat with 3 BnM 10’ telescopic rods, and a small plastic box holding maybe a dozen jigs, and that’s all.The area we fished was really too shallow for my boat for the most part. But he knew it well and we had no issues.He claimed to never use minnows, just jigs, And for sure he had the right touch. We caught about 24 fish or so that we kept, and he caught 3/4 of them. He loved my boat, but not the trolling motor due to it being a manual operated model.He didn’t like my seat either, and told me in very plain words to change both. But, I didn’t necessarily agree and still have them. I asked him how much i owed him and he just said whatever you think might be fair would be ok.I handed him $150 and he was very pleased. It was no doubt the best thing i could have done, and would highly recommend doing that for beginner Crappie fishermen. But also realize we are not all born equal as for (the touch).He called me about a week later and invited me on a trip on his airboat back into the boonies.I went along, and again we caught quite a few Crappies. I also learned why he prefers using telescopic rods.I didn’t like the airboat ride at all, but if i was younger living here i for sure would have one.I have found i can catch more fish by trolling than i can by single pole jigging. Actually, the fish catch me and i get to reel them in. Lol Not sure if that is popular among Crappie fishermen up north, but it is very popular in the South.But i would rather catch them single poling. But unlike Henry, i usually have minnows along also.As for the boat, if your going to be fishing bigger bodies of water, you need a bigger boat than just a 12’ Jon.There is no such thing as perfect as for boats, at least for all round use. But again, bigger water requires bigger boats.I have recently purchased a 14x42 Alweld Jon boat with a 20 Mercury on it plus a (foot) control electric.But its for getting back into the trees and swamps a little further and not open water fishing.