Some Days are Just a Bust
Fished Fishing Creek on Lake Cumberland yesterday....along with 500 hundred other fishermen and a half dozen kayakers taking advantage of the day. Can't say as I blame them. After a cold start, the day turned into a warm, sunny, windless almost Spring-like day. Only managed about a dozen fish, not counting pesky little bluegill. Of the dozen only 3 were worth keeping. Tried everything from shallow to 22 ft deep, just couldn't find them. Water had risen about 3 ft in the last six days and much of Fishing Creek, at least up by the County Park, was murky to downright muddy. Interestingly, the further up the creek I went, the clearer it became until up by the Cumberland Parkway Bridge it was almost too clear. However, it was up there in that clear water that I managed to catch two of the biggest black crappie of the day. Caught them in about 5 ft of water fishing about 2 ft deep with a pearl white Bobby Garland jig and a small float. The 2 ft depth was about where I could stop seeing the jig down in the clear water. I caught the two in a space about 15 ft apart around some small bushes. Thought I was on to something, but alas, that was not to be. But it just goes to show that crappie, particularly of the black variety, don't mind shallow water at all, even in the winter time. I was reminded of a old man I met a few years back who fished the TN portion of Ky Lake down near the I 40 Bridge, particularly in the area locals call the Tie Yard. He fished almost every day of the year that he could get out on the water and usually fished about 3 ft deep in water never over 10 ft deep. 6 ft was as deep as he ever fished. And the thing was....he almost always caught good fish!
I quit about 1 o'clock. But before I end this, I just want to say that a few days back I was in Fishing Creek and met a young fisherman named Thomas. He and I shared info about how the fish were biting and made a pledge to greet one another again if we see each other out on the lake. He seemed like a nice guy and I know he's a good fisherman. He said he reads my posts here on Crappie.com so Thomas, if you see this, hello again. I hope to see you out on the lake!
