Just wondering if you've been on the river much.
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Just wondering if you've been on the river much.
Yes I have... Meldahl pool the past few months quite a bit..... Side imaging deep brush/old trees.... Been working pretty well...all on jigs.. I don't get the numbers like some of the pros on the Ohio board out of the river but I've been averaging 15-20 crappie per trip half those small but the other half MY GAWD........ I have a very hard time fishing my home lakes after figuring out the river.... Amazing size..... I don't know what it is about those river creeks but the dogs and I just couldn't enjoy ourselves any more.... So peaceful and your lucky to see another boat all day this time of year. What I can't figure out is, for some odd reason I just cannot get them in shallow creeks.... Find deep creeks with brush I can gettem
My shallow bite hasn't been great either. They should be stacked in the bays around here by now. We're on the same wavelength on the deeper brush. Every pile I find with bait is a limit waiting to happen. I've been drop shotting minnows though. I have gotten some on jigs, but they've been hammering minnows. Using a 1/4 to 1/2 Oz depending on wind. I've been catching some nice ones too. Took me an hour and a half to catch a limit Thursday. I just hate being the only one out there. My oldest is getting hooked too. Keep me postedQuote:
Originally Posted by CrappieCrazed
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Nice fish. Love the creek fishing but I've still got a lot to learn... My small boat keeps me from exiting to the main river and travelling up to the next creeks but I know the one creek I put in at pretty well. Last time I was out, it was slow fishing - probably because the creek was really muddy. But am heading there again Wednesday.
I am really happy to hear that East Fork seems to be ok for crappie still. I want to try and make it there Friday. I'll post how I do. Last couple of years at East Fork this time of year, minnow trolling has worked really really well. For me, East Fork has the numbers but if you are fishing for a trophy, the river is the place to be.
Alright so id love to keep this thread going, but also pick your brains a little bit. Seems like you have some things really dialed in with your graphs. Ive gotta ask, what graph are you using that is giving you enough detail you can pick out bait IN BRUSH?? and are you picking this up from the helm of the boat (drivers seat) or on the front graph on the trolling motor. I have a hummingbird 997 and while I am an animal at finding brush piles and stump fields with my graph I can assure you I have never been able to always pick fish or bait up "in the brush" as so many say they do. I don't doubt them or you one bit, I just wonder if I have my graph out of adjustment or something. basically when I find a brush pile, I have no idea if fish are in it or not I just have to fish it to find out.Quote:
Originally Posted by toomanycasts
Love the idea with the drop shotting minnows, are you using weedless jigheads to do this or non weedless and trying to keep above the brush?? I try like hell to get waaaaay down In the brush, honestly all the way to the bottom of the pile and it never ceases to amaze me that I get my best fish all the way on the bottom, 18-20 ft deep at times.
Lets keep this thread alive and get this board back up and running. Been very dusty in here the past year compared to how it used to be. I plan to possibly fish tomorrow somewhere not sure where. Thought about trying ohio brush creek. very long deep creek, almost like a small river. Only tried it once, but did catch a few.
Also, I am not asking what creeks you are fishing specifically but what pool are you fishing?? I fish the meldahl pool. I like the lower pool better but hell myself along with kycreek have this area within minutes of our home so this is where I fish.
Lastly, are your creeks full of shad right now. I tell you why I ask this question, and keep in mind I have zero problems finding bait balls and shad with my side and down imaging in open water, but my creeks are damn near void of shad right now. It is really weird, I can drive down the center of my creeks and the screen be blank. I visited the Indiana creeks a few weeks ago and TOTAL OPPOSITE! Shad popping everywhere, white bass blasting the shad, side imaging lit up like a xmas tree all the way up and down the creeks. I swear I just don't get it!!!! my creeks, (white oak, eagle, 3 mile, cabin, bullskin, turtle) seem void of shad but what is really odd is the other day I was headed in for the day right before dark. I pulled out of eagle creek to turn right to head to the ripley boat ramp and I swear it looked like it was raining!!!! Shad were all out in the river!!! creeks void, not one popping and as soon as I hit river they were every where. Id say you could find them in white oak slew. always shad in that slew but I hate that creek. cant seem to get them for crap in white oak.
mbk what pool are you fishing??? Im not a huge fan of muddy water unless it is spring time. Then I run TO IT. muddy water warms quicker in spring and crappie aren't afraid to be in muddy water. most times shallow.Quote:
Originally Posted by mbk
I am in Markland pool. I actually live in Florence, KY so I will usually head down U.S. 42 to put in either at Big Bone or Gunpowder. I can be there in less than 20 minutes. I think there are many good creeks all along this stretch with deeper pools. I've fished a few of them. I've heard many good things about Hogans, Laughrey... As I said, I'd like to explore more but I have a small boat.Quote:
Originally Posted by CrappieCrazed
I fish the mcalpine mostly. Two pools down from you, I think. As far as bait goes I haven't seen much shad shallow here. I have seen millions of them in the creeks on the cannelton, which are similar to the creeks in your area if memory serves. I am by no means a good deep fisherman or electronics guy but I am trying to hone my skills. Usually if I see bait near a brush pile its shad suspended above or around it. The piles I'm fishing don't have shad but minnows instead. They show up as dots all around the brush. I mistook them for clutter at first till I seen some spit up in my live well. Some of the crappie I'm catching have a minnow half swallowed when I look down their throats. Noticed minnows in their stomachs too while I was cleaning them. No shad at all! I'm really surprised. The minnows are just a little different than the standard crappie minnows. I guess that's why they are hammering them. The jig bite is much slower. As far as my drop shot goes, I'm just tying a standard crappie hook with a palomar knot and using a bass casting sinker 12 in below. It really let's me feel the brush with less hang ups. U get the feel of it and can get it through hang ups. I'm running an 898 HD si at the console and an 859 HD di at bow. Using 2d I watch my bait get down to them. Don't really look for fish too much on the graphs. The stuff I'm fishing is so dense you'd never see em anyway. I have seen crappie and bass on sparser deep cover on reservoirs. This stuff is just what gets caught from high water over the years. Been fishing 15 to 20 ft. BTW been catching nice spotted bass too. Need to fish with a jig or shakey head to mix it up.Quote:
Originally Posted by CrappieCrazed
If you haven't already, give Craigs a try. Good creek/large bay especially if your in a smaller boat. They have a ramp in the creek too. Makes it nice if the river is rough. Never crappie fished it, but I'd bet a jiggin pole there's some good ones in thereQuote:
Originally Posted by mbk
Funny u mention gun powder.. I was fishing one of my creeks bracken creek and ran into some bass guys.... They got to chatting with me and the fella told me he got into a bunch of big crappie in gun powder by accident on crank baits during a bass tournament this past spring... Said he and his partner wore them out that day.... I've never fished it.Quote:
Originally Posted by mbk