8-27 report

Well, well, well, I had a chance to fish a new lake on Saturday, one that has no public access. Friend of a friend managed to get us the OK and 3 of us launched at 7:30am. This was new water to us so we expected a slow day. I found an old contour depth chart so at least had an inkling of where we might find fish. Turns out that chart was not really too accurate as far as depths went but it did help some. By 10 o'clock we had 1 crappie and about 8 nice bluegill in the cooler. I had put most of them in there as the other 2 guys had spent more time trying for bigger bass. They caught a bunch of under size bass but no big ones, not even minimum state length. We trolled up the shoreline, just out in deeper water off the drop off's, stopping if we hooked in to any and just becoming familiar with things. Shortly after 11, my boat partner and I were pitching jigs for panfish while the 3rd member of our group, in his own kayak, worked his way along, trying for anything that would take whatever he was offering. We had headed out in to the middle of the lake to see what we might find when he hooked a single crappie trolling. We said what the heck and anchored up, even though there was nothing on the sonar to indicate there might be fish there. We started to fan cast the area and soon landed a few more 'gills and a couple of nice perch, around 12" each. Then another crappie and then just a few minutes later, this is what we saw on the sonar:

http://i63.tinypic.com/k06pnb.png

We had somehow attracted a VERY active school of crappie, out in the middle, without a bit of cover around and they began to hit our offerings in earnest. Our cooler looked like this when we started

http://i65.tinypic.com/34gq6g8.jpg

and like this when we called it quits:

http://i63.tinypic.com/vr4yue.jpg

Most were 10-11" crappie, with a couple of 12"er's, and we kept adding a bluegill and perch now and then from the same school.

http://i65.tinypic.com/efi3bm.jpg

http://i67.tinypic.com/sfcb9j.jpg


We left them biting as my fishing partners had other things scheduled. The funny thing is the friend in the kayak came over and hooked up to our boat and tried to get in the on the action but he couldn't buy a bite! I don't know if his pole was too rigid or if he just couldn't feel the inhale from the crappie. some were light and some were really thumping it........LOVE THE THUMP!!

I only know my boat partner and I could feel them and were hooking them one after another; it was really kind of comical to see the look on the kayaker's face! I showed them the graph from time to time, it looked like this alot! I actually set it to record as we were sitting there as it was so much fun.

http://i65.tinypic.com/2rh4bkg.png

I didn't keep track of numbers but I'm sure looking forward to going back again a few more times this fall. I took a picture up the lake so I can look at it this winter and re-play and remember the day.

http://i63.tinypic.com/1pv7eh.jpg

The 3 of us will remember this day with a smile, I'm sure......at least 2 of us will, that is!

one more:

http://i63.tinypic.com/2nicymq.jpg

Sounds like a GOOD time! Congrats!

Sounds like a fine day on the water. Great report and pictures.

Very nice pictures