Big G: Mink Creek Report 17 Apr

I decided to give Mink Creek a try mid day. Water temp there was 66-68. Went to the back side of the causeway and tried long lining there. Fish willing grabbed Blue/chartreuse and black and blue using 1/24 jig heads. Most fish caught in 8' of water. I had 13 shorts in that area. I tried some float and fly along the rip rap but no takers. So then I went over to the boat houses and shot docks and picked up two keeper crappie there in 6 FOW on pink head and monkey milk. Man seems like nothing is easy here this past week.

Good report Bob !glad you gave them a good try anyway.

Not many Crappie being caught this spring, or at least the few anglers catching aren't talking.

Tried Mink myself Saturday morning... Hit my normal hot spots and never got bit so I went back home. Boat traffic was worse than a 20 mph wind!

Yea, boats were bad and he jet ski crowd even worse!

Mink creek I think is the nursery for the big crappies little babies (grin) we caught in the teens and 20s the 3 times we tried there earlier this spring but they were all about 7 to 8 inches .I think maybe we had 6 total that were at least 10 inches from the combined 3 trips there. I am thinking that early quick warm up around the week of the 9th of march which shot the water up to 65- 67 then the sudden return to winter and dropping the water back into the upper 50's with in 3 days stunned or confused the crappie and since the water never got back up to over 65 till this past weekend have caused them to have to wait too long to lay. I know the few females that we have caught have eggs that are almost tan in color and no blood in them unlike the ones we caught in early march.

Yea, I believe the black crappie missed it this year. Not sure if many spawned during that first warm up and the eggs survived that cold snap. Just hoping that the white crappie make it okay this year. I think that the killing of the grass in Roseberry and Mink are going to hurt the crappie for a few years.

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Originally Posted by Bob D

Yea, I believe the black crappie missed it this year. Not sure if many spawned during that first warm up and the eggs survived that cold snap. Just hoping that the white crappie make it okay this year. I think that the killing of the grass in Roseberry and Mink are going to hurt the crappie for a few years.

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Bob, you have to be careful in talking about killing the grass. That is not a popular subject for a lot of folks around Guntersville lake. But it is the truth! I honestly don't think many people realize how much the crappie fishery has been affected over the years. And the more recent attempts to eradicate the grass, specifically in the two areas you mention, have had an enormous negative impact that will be felt for many years.

Most of you don't know what Guntersville lake could really be like if the fishery had been managed properly over the years. Places like North and South Sauta, Roseberry, Jones Cove, Town Creek, etc had such healthy crappie populations that spring-time fishing was fun for everyone. Even those sitting on the bank with a cane pole could catch a bucket full of fat crappies. It was the normal, not the exception. But what you see today is the result of years and years of gill nets, chemicals and over-fishing. It is sad. Sorry for the rant. (not really).