Annual Watts Bar Spring Crappie Trip report
Hey all ... Well, Pappy got to go fishing, finally :p
Made the annual trip to Watts Bar Lake Tenn, this weekend. After postponing the trip, by one day, due to the storms that came thru on Friday ... my fishing partner, myself, and a fishing buddy of ours headed down to Watts Bar. Fished Sat. from around Noon til 5PM ... partner and I ended up with 12, fishing buddy blanked. But, in his defense, he hasn't fished for Crappie all that much, over the last decade or so :p
All three of us loaded up in our buddy's Ranger, on Sun. ... so we could mentor him a little more closely. And it worked, as he actually did catch some fish. We ended up with 12 more for the livewell.
Conditions left alot to be desired :o ... post frontal conditions, windy, cool, cloudy, water temp 54-55deg, Northly winds (Saturday)
Sunday was 2nd day post frontal, windy, cool in AM & warming in afternoon, bluebird skies, water temp 55-56deg, ESE winds
Now for the good news :D .... while the numbers were not the greatest, SIZE was !! Most fish were 12-15" !!
Found most fish to be in the 12-18ft depth of water, suspended a foot or two above the bottom. Downed trees sticking out into deep water, and ledges on cliff banks were the only places we found them. Our usual 10-12ft depth brush spots were devoid of any fish. But, they'll probably be headed that way, in the next week to 10days. Females were full of eggs, but they were still fairly yellow in color. The next couple of weeks, or so, and they should be hard at it :p
I know, I know ... ya'll wanna see pics :D ... so here they are :
Saturday's catch: (small fish at top middle is a 10" fish, just for comparison)
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42...y/DSCF0160.jpg
Yours truly with a couple of the Big Mommas:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42...y/DSCF0161.jpg
Sunday's pics:
Fishing partner Paul, & fishing buddy Kenny, working a pea gravel flat :
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42...y/DSCF0162.jpg
Fishing buddy Kenny, concentrating on the slow retrieve bottom bouncing method we taught him :
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42...y/DSCF0163.jpg
Me holding up four of the dozen from Sunday's catch :
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42...y/DSCF0166.jpg
I think my new Crappie.com hat is now, offically, my "lucky" fishing hat .... LOL !!
.... cp :cool:
(this report will be copied & posted in the KY, Tenn, & Main Message boards)
