Oconee 4/4/14 ???? Help an ex-bass fisherman....

haven't fished Oconee in many many years...and it was always bass fishing...sold the bass boat and bought a 22' bay boat and pretty much fish inshore and near shore in the Gulf down near Mexico Beach

I wanted to head over to Oconee on 4/4/14 to scout out some crappie in hopes of taking my 10 year old son on Saturday...never trolled/pushed or long lined for crappie, have always just dropped a minnow under a cork near a brush pile...

I've always put in at Long Shoals ramp and mainly fished the south end, Richland creek and Double Creek area....

I was hoping with the 70/80 degree temps this week that it might just be what is needed to push the big sows up into the shallow water....

any input advise, general areas to try or to avoid would be greatly appreciated

Thanks in advance for any help

Slayerextreme

Hey Slayer, Depending on who you talk to, some of the sows have already had their litter. I would start off in that cove right beside the ramp at Long shoals. There are some boats that stay in the water in the very back, may have some bank fish on them. If not, go straight across from long shoals to the deep cove. they'll probably be some there.

I was thinking that the majority hasn't made that push up into the real shallow water yet....with the constant cold weather and the excessive amounts of rains.....watching as many fishing reports as I can and it seems as if a lot of people are still long lining and pushing in that 10 to15 foot of water....I was hoping to catch that "magic" time when the large majority of the fish move into the real shallow water like the 2-5 foot range....and with this weeks temps in the high 70's and the low 80's...I figure it was just about to bust loose... Thanks for the tips and locations !!!!! I'm ready to dunk a minner!!!! Because I love seeing that cork disappear!!!!!!

Slayer, come on and fish with the rest of up spring break grandparents, beats working. I have 4 grand kids with me this week and we will be on pontoon dragging jigs and I always take some minners just in case. You named some good places.

Also the fish I caught last 2 weeks had not laid yet. Temps started at mid 50s and highest temp I saw was 62 in the afternoon and followed the fish from 13 fow to 4 fow and picked up 29 good fish (all 1.0 to 1.52) Sat 22nd, no culls. Slow in morning with only 7 at lunch, then went looking and found a 100 yd run in shallow water and it was slow but steady for 2 hrs. I had a mess and pulled out at 1630 bite was picking up.

I have a buddy....and he swears that pushing and long lining is the way to go....I'm just not set up with rod holders and rods for that....I have 6 of the short spinning reels spooled with 6lb test that I use to pitch up near a dock or a brush pile....we will definitely be there Friday with 6 dozen or so minnows...pretty sure I will stay on the south end,, most likely up Richland & Double creeksand if we find any I will be back saturday with my son.....I have all kinds of jigs heads and jig bodies that my buddy recommended, but I only have the 2 built in rod holders on the back corners of the boat,,,,but I bet that I-Pilot trolling motor of mine would be the cats meow for trolling for crappie...I use the anchor function to sit over a reef out of Mexico beach for red snapper and grouper....

but friday and saturday are going to be "relax" fishing with me and an old friend and our 2 boys on Saturday.....I will try and post the results as soon as I can, with good or bad results....

again, any input is appreciated

Sadly Oconee isnt what it used to be. Couldnt tell you why but just like the past several years it seems the best bite occurs right before dark for us. Use to limit out in places all over in the mornings but now your doin good to find a dozen or so before lunch. dont get me wrong some will stumble across a good stretch of water and catch em here and there but nothing like years past. Try Rocky and Sandy creeks if you are up Richland. Just talked to the old man and hes catching a few in Rocky but nothing to jump up and down about.. Im in the same boat, taking kids out and tryin my best to put them on some long linners this week. If your limited on rod holders think about trying the tree tops in the river bend and in Double Creek, they are groups of fishing moving through and you can always put out a light with minnows and pick up a few. That or fish behind that big fishoconee.com boat! he has some magic crappie juice he chums em up with
:biggrin

get some 1/32 jig heads blue/black chartrues or other dark color jigs cast to the banks around docks till you catch a fish then wear it out as there are more in there!!! cast with no cork real back till you fill the thump!!!!

Take them 1/32 nds and pull off some of them boards everyone has across in front of their docks and shoot em up in there too!! BOOOOOM!!! wear em out on the right dock ;)