The Results Are In

OK SLAB CHASERS. The results are in.
The consensus is that the majority want to fish and eat and want to fish on January 17, 2009 at Lake Monroe, Sanford, FL.
I guess that most of us do not live at Lake Monroe, and have to travel for an hour or so to get there. How would it be to get together at 8:00 AM at the tackle store to meet and get an idea where to start fishing????
We will have to set a time that we want to eat, so we can start to filet some slabs and get things set up for the feast. Please give me your input

Items that we will need:

FISH FRIER CENTERDRIVER

OIL Chunky

CORN MEAL or other fish batter Chucker and Kevin
FRENCH FRIED POTATOES Chucker

SALT, PEPPER SHAKERS Chunky

SALADS POTATO Phantom309

VEGETABLE PLATE (COLD)

[SOFT DRINKS soda, tea, water NICKP, SpeckTracker

ICE for drinks NICKP

DISPOSABLE PLATES, FORKS,KNIVES, CUPS CHUCKAUTEN

DISPOSABLE TABLE COVERING for 4 tables??? CHUCKAUTEN

NAPKINS PAPER TOWELS Phantom309

GARBAGE BAGS Specktracker

FILET KNIVES


From the list so far (12-31-08)it looks like we will have at least 11 or 12 attendees.

Chime in here and let me know what you can-will bring. I will update list so that everyone doesn’t bring the same thing. I will be checking this thread and updating several times a day.
Looking at the poll thread, I have listed what some have said that they would bring.

I missed copying the list of those who voted, so I haven’t got a complete list.

Flycaster
Centerdriver and wife
Phantom309, Chucker and wife and Grandson, Kev-man
Chuckauten
Nickp and guest
Chunky and wife
s.s.tupperware and wife
specktracker

Chucker and his Grandson Kevin will be there (fishing with me)
And,I'll stop by Publix and get something, perhaps napkins, paper towels/patatoe salad, etc...
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OK, 8am meeting @ tackle store (most tournies ya go fishin then meet up at weigh-in time). Only reason I see for 8am meeting
is to drop off stuff for the fish fry, etc. Might be early, etc.
As Chad says, what'r we fishin for ? Biggest fish, biggest aggregate of seven? When is weigh in time/let the fryin begin ?
These things need to be officialized by you guys closest to the action (flycaster), etc...
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I already know where to fish (and I ain't tellin ) :)

Phantom309:
The items highlighted in bold characters are already spoken for.
I will assign you to the potato salad.
This is the first get together so we will have to go for bragging rights for the biggest-length, the biggest weight and heaviest of a "set" number of fish. (CRAPPIE)
I suggested getting together at 8:00 so we could get to meet each other so we don't try to run off others from our favorite spot. :eek::eek::eek:I have not fished in Lake Monroe before so this is a new experience for me.
QUOTE" These things need to be officialized by you guys closest to the action (flycaster), etc...UNQUOTE"
This is what I am trying to get organized on here.
I am looking for input from all those that are going to attend
I will be watching for you and when you drop your boat in the water I am going to hook up an big old drift sock to the back of your boat so I can keep up with you to your honey hole.:rolleyes::rolleyes::eek:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by flycaster

Phantom309:
The items highlighted in bold characters are already spoken for.
I will assign you to the potato salad.
This is the first get together so we will have to go for bragging rights for the biggest-length, the biggest weight and heaviest of a "set" number of fish. (CRAPPIE)
I suggested getting together at 8:00 so we could get to meet each other so we don't try to run off others from our favorite spot. :eek::eek::eek:I have not fished in Lake Monroe before so this is a new experience for me.
QUOTE" These things need to be officialized by you guys closest to the action (flycaster), etc...UNQUOTE"
This is what I am trying to get organized on here.
I am looking for input from all those that are going to attend
I will be watching for you and when you drop your boat in the water I am going to hook up an big old drift sock to the back of your boat so I can keep up with you to your honey hole.:rolleyes::rolleyes::eek:

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Ha !
I'll give ya a hint !
When I first went up there, caught 7, then went back caught 8, then 16 (or was it 12), then 35, then 11, so, based on that data, think ! Pre-spawn, Spawn, Post spawn, etc....
Actually, I checked on a particular spot the other day and, sure enough, we caught more, "in the river" than in the lake, so, what's that say ?????
And by the 17th, (last year at that time, they was spawnin)!
In other words, I won't be fishing in the lake ! It is my very limited, revered, opinion that the spawn has started, and therefore I venture to offer my opinion that the fish have begun their migration toward bedding territory (river banks).
Now, I'm fairly new at this stuff (figuring fish out) too. So, this is strictly my opinion as based on my very limited few years experience fishing these fish, etc... (actually, learning from others, specifically-> tjj)
So, take it for what ya'll think its worth. I realize it's a bit early for the spawn to begin, but, ya gotta go with your gut, and I'm feeling like a bunch of em has gone already, to tell the truth, we "LOST" a couple of monsters the other day, got off the jig at the water's surface (hint), (They were big ! ! ) way bigger than any we had previously caught out in the lake.
And there ya go !
I done spilled my guts on coast-to coast Internet !
Hopefully, if everything continues as is going, I'll be able to be there, am certainly looking forward to it for sure ! !
Have a nice day everybody ! !
Danny

I'll bring the oil and the salt and pepper shakers - let me know how much oil is needed. Let me know if there's anything else - we live in Winter Springs so are close to the lake (15-20 minutes).
We're new crappie fisher people - wife and I - so don't know a lot, but try to fish Lake Monroe once or twice a week. We don't necessarily go for numbers - more relaxation if that's what fishing can be. Went out on Tuesday and caught 6 and released them all back - catch them again next time.
For those of you who have never fished the lake it seems like guys fish all over the place. If you look at a chart of the lake you'll see the old power plant on the north side. there's a deep channel where to coal barges used to transit in front of the power plant. A lot of boats also fish right in front of the marina - leave the boat launch and go into the lake and out about 200 yards - the depth is 12 to 14 feet. Last week a lot of fish were holding at about 7 to 9 feet - caught two there in the first 30 minutes. We often fish off Stone Island on the northeast corner of the lake - depth is about 7 feet. Boats also launch at the marina and run into the St Johns which feeds into the lake on the east end about a mile or so from the marina. Actually you can go into the river straight from the marina or go around the north side of Mothers Arms and enter from that way also. I've never fished the west end of the lake, but there is usually a good number of boats over that way - the freeway crosses there and the river exits the lake on that end.
Saturday is usually a pretty busy day, especially if the weather is good. On Tuesday we only saw about 20 boats, but the week before there were well over 40 boats - but it's a big lake. Parking at the marina can fill up - about 30 parking spots there, but there is a big city/county parking lot right across the main street from the marina entrance - about a block walk from the launch piers. There are four launch piers.
Chuck at the bait/tackle store right on the pier is open at 6:00 am and has all the minnows and tackle you might need so no need to worry about that.
Don

Retraction/Update :
Went fishing this morninn, based on all that stuff I posted in last post (they're going to the bank=spawn),
Ha ! Well, last year me and tjj tore em up in the little Econ river. Went there this mornin, based on what I been thinkin, NEVER pulled not one single Crappie in ! !
We got two Warmouths and a Redbreast (let em go) and never got another bite ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
So, take it for what it's worth, I'm still tryin to figure these fish out toooooo.....
Ran into some guys that said they were doing good out in the lake but had to leave cause of the wind, etc, etc,.......

I kept 19 from the Farm Pond yesterday, 11 of them were big (1 1/2 to 1 /3/4 pounds). 15 of them had roe, but none were close to being ready to spawn. I think full moon in Feb and March for the Pond will be the spawn there.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by flycaster

We will have to set a time that we want to eat, so we can start to filet some slabs and get things set up for the feast. Please give me your input

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I'd say we give the contest 4 hrs, that'd put us at 12:00 noon as the deadline to turn in fish, so, if everybody that didn't fish and was manning the picnic tables and doing setup (there is some ain't there = non fishers ?) We'd surely be eatin by 1pm, 2pm at the latest ?? If they were ready and waitin for slab fillets, etc.......

Quote:

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Originally Posted by flycaster

OK SLAB CHASERS. The results are in.
The consensus is that the majority want to fish and eat and want to fish on January 17, 2009 at Lake Monroe, Sanford, FL.
I guess that most of us do not live at Lake Monroe, and have to travel for an hour or so to get there. How would it be to get together at 8:00 AM at the tackle store to meet and get an idea where to start fishing????
We will have to set a time that we want to eat, so we can start to filet some slabs and get things set up for the feast. Please give me your input

Items that we will need:

FISH FRIER CENTERDRIVER

OIL Chunky

CORN MEAL or other fish batter

FRENCH FRIED POTATOES

SALT, PEPPER SHAKERS Chunky

SALADS POTATO Phantom309

VEGETABLE PLATE (COLD)

SOFT DRINKS soda, tea, water NICKP

ICE for drinks

DISPOSABLE PLATES, FORKS,KNIVES, CUPS CHUCKAUTEN

DISPOSABLE TABLE COVERING for 4 tables??? CHUCKAUTEN

NAPKINS PAPER TOWELS Phantom309

GARBAGE BAGS

FILET KNIVES


From the list so far (12-31-08)it looks like we will have at least 11 or 12 attendees.

Chime in here and let me know what you can-will bring. I will update list so that everyone doesn’t bring the same thing. I will be checking this thread and updating several times a day.
Looking at the poll thread, I have listed what some have said that they would bring.

I missed copying the list of those who voted, so I haven’t got a complete list.

Flycaster
Centerdriver and wife
Phantom309, Chucker and his Grandson Kevin
Chuckauten
Nickp
Chunky and wife
s.s.tupperware and wife
specktracker

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Hey Guys
Sorry I have not responded before now, thank God for Phantom 309. He took care of us.
Kevin and I can bring something from the list, so please let us know what is left and for how many people.
Thanks this sounds like a great time that needs to an annual thing.:)

Chucker:

The items in bold print are items that have been spoken for.:D:D If there is something special that you like to have in a picnic environment, just post it and I will add it to the list.:):)
The names at the bottom of the post are those that have said that they were going to attend, total so far 13.
We can discuss before/during/ after eating about having another get-together and where. There are plenty of lakes to fish, we don't have to have a get-together at the same location every time.
If anyone would like to "HOST" one at their "HOME" lake we can discuss it.

flycaster