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I feel like my catch rate in the last 2 seasons have taken a big downturn. I know it got hit hard when lakes were closed for covid. I know how to catch crappie but if I get 5 a day I feel blessed now. Anybody else notice this?
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We can blame that one directly on JBP's policy for controlling covid, shut down all the other state parks from March until June to stop the spread. Now that was NOT following the science. No one person should ever have that power.
Yes, Evergreen got pounded hard during covid. I went one weekend in early spring and parked at the White Oak ramps. they are closer to home and closer to where I like to fish. I think I got the last spot for truck and trailer. Got on the water and quickly realized there was a boat on every point and multiples in every cove. I thought to myself, screw this. I'm not showing these yahoos my spots. Since I was researching new boats I tooled around the lake checking out other boats. Saw a couple of boats that I was interested in and motored over to them. told them I was boat shopping and asked if I could ask them some questions about their boats. We chatted for a few minutes. As I was about to leave, I left them with a spot to catch fish. If they had kids in teh boat, I gave them minnows too.
I can say, that we still pound the crappie. The average size has gone down. But I've seen that before. They will be back up this year or next.
What does COVID have to do with catching fish?
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The state closed the lakes to keep people away from each other at the start of covid. Evergreen is county owned and remained open. As word spread that it was open people flocked to Evergreen. People were standing shoulder to shoulder on the banks and boats were at maximum. Unfortunately this happened during spawn when the crappie were mostly near the banks. The influx of fishermen wiped out the spawning season. A person could visually see that it was happening and in casual conversation the DNR confirmed. Now we wait for a good spawn to happen, then wait for them to grow. The cycle of replenishment has been interrupted. All due to covid regulations.
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Or lack there of by McClean County.
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I started fishing evergreen more this year starting in late summer through this winter so far even breaking ice at times. Lake Bloomington, my "home" lake water level dropped so much the bad spot on the ramp was not safe for my trailer and Bloomys fishing pressure was relentless. Evergreen has been consistently good to excellent for me this year and have no problem getting numbers fishing different areas of the lake. Going on 35 years of wetting a line at evergreen i can say without a doubt that compared to other lakes the crappies just dont come that easy outside the spawn on evergreen. The way to be successful on this lake is using different techniques and approaches depending on water temp, location on lake your fishing and time of year. Talking to other anglers this year i hear many guys say they are struggling, my opinion is that evergreen is better now that its been in years but i fish way different that 95% of guys i see on the water.
I agree with Toaster. The last 2 years have been my best ever both on numbers and quality. This fall caught multiple 13" and 14" fish. I fish this lake 2 to 3 times a month.