Crappie fishing this past weekend at Cataract

Well we tried the lake for the first time Sunday--it was quiet in sense of # of boats being out on the water----maybe 15 at the max, but ALOT of bank fisherman and 1 jet ski---water was very muddy on one part of the lake and ALOT of derbis..the otherside, where we launched at was alot better but still murky--we caught about 40 crappies but ALL SMALL--so it was catch and release day--very disappointing--6 to 8 inches--spoke to one guy who fishing out there regularly and he got two at 13 and he said the rest were under 8 so he released as well- he said it may be to early..????

Is this norm for this lake---the same guy said walleye were in, but the few boats we talked to caught zero----

How was everyone else weekend?

No, you had a wind out of the east, a very deep high pressure system, a hot sun for last 3 days finally, and it just takes time for the water to warm. So yes, alittle early. I feel it's prime fishing when your dogwood is in full bloom in the deep woods and it will be a week or more before that happens. Next 2-3 days with low pressure systems moving thru will be good. I am fishing tomorrow with the wind out of the west and on the back side of the high as it moves out. :)

I caught about a dozen or so on Sunday afternoon in Northern Brown County on a private lake. All were between 10 and 12 inch. All released to fight another day. Surface temp was 58 - 60 degrees. 1/16 oz white jig with Kalin triple threat Tennessee shad. These were all about halfway back a cove that was about 75ft wide on some wood in about 10fow.

water is 67 now and fish are much smaller this year lot of pressure for a little lake

I'm 66 and fished the Cat for over 50 yrs or about as long as the lake has been there. Had relation that got moved by the Feds when they built it and then one got moved when they created the Owen Putnam state forest south of it. My old stomping grounds as well as Racoon. Had a uncle I used to hang with up there too. Sooner or later the Cat has to get hit with small fish due to fishing pressure and it's been good to me even last year. It's still got to have some decent crappies in it. Give it time to stabilize as they are dropping it and it's been like a yo yo up and down. We have only had about 9-10 days now of warm weather to. Those 8 days of 80 plus heat really screwed our mushroom season up here. It's hit or miss and I give up on them. Back to fishing tomorrow for me. Will visit the Cat as soon as they quit pulling it down.