Couldn't stand it any more--Ky Lake report 4/6
I had turned down trips with my buddies and sat in the house pouting that I didn't feel like going till I couldn't take it any more. Pneumonia or not, I went fishing in the rain and thunderstorms.
Benton has a "celebration" the 1st Monday of April each year. It's called Tater Day. It used to be a 1-2 day deal with a parade. Now it has turned into a week-long flea market and roach-coach parking lot. I avoid the place like the plague. I have to go right thru ground zero to get to my shop. The forecast looked pretty threatening but I had to get the boat out. Rain gear was the clothing of the day.
I started out running 6 new planer boards I got from tenncrappie. I had not used them or the new Pinnacle rods I got for them. Once I got everything set up, the crappie were in another zip code or lock-mouthed. I caught one almost 15" LMB and zero crappie. I was watching the radar on my phone and stayed with it until I almost got drowned. It opened up and the frog strangler started. Luckily I was able to find an open covered slip at a marina and spent the next almost 2 hours watching it rain. At least I was mostly dry and got to spend some quality time harassing my buddies on my phone and working on tackle.
Once it looked like the worst was over I left my security and headed down the lake to the bay I wanted to fish in the 1st place. I got my boards out and instantly caught a 12 inch black male crappie. ALL RIGHT!! It might be on! I caught 2 more nice keepers within 5 minutes then boats came from out of the woodwork when they saw me catching fish. I had all kinds of questions from other fishermen about the boards and how I set them up. I never saw another fisherman catch a single crappie all day.
I stayed with it till the next rain storm moved in and headed for the truck. I ended with 8 keepers--big fish was a 2 pound 7 ounce black male that I thought was 4 pounds when I got him headed to the net. I was running 1/8 oz jig heads and some pony heads with Southern Pro Hot Grubs, Bobby Garland strollers, and Lake Fork sickle tail shad. All my fish came on dark colors.
Water was surprisingly clear and from 56-58.5 degrees, depending on how deep I was fishing. Caught fish mostly in 7-10 feet of water with and without structure. They were scattered all over the place with no pattern that I could tell.
I may pay for going today if I end up relapsing with this pneumonia but sometimes a guy just HAS to go fishing. Wife and I had a fine supper of fresh crappie fillets with enough for another meal left over.
