Lil help for a guy?

Hey all.. Gettin ready for our annual KY trip to KY Lake/Jonathon Creek.. Late April into early May.. It'll be my 2nd year goin and for the fellows im taggin along w/, 20th year for them!! We absolutely love and respect your lake..

Lookin for a lil direction on a spot (not your honey hole) just a lil "Try over there" We stay at Sportsman's Anchor and dont seem to venture too far out, maybe a mile west is about it, fishing only the south shoreline.. Fishin is good around there, most days.. But goin a lil further wouldnt hurt..
We dont spider rig, Just lookin for a set up you guys might use.. Jigs-color n size? Tails or tubes, etc.- colors? Tipped w/ waxies or minners? Casting, drifting, jiggin or slip bobber?
Lookin for some input on line as well.. I spend most of my time jiggin and casting.. Color?, i use clear.. Size?, i use 6LB.. and I use mono..

Any help would be great.. Thanks y'all.. Appreciate your input, even if you are only commenting to tell me to stay off your lake..lol

Wow, 121 views and nothin, really?? Really tight lips.. didnt really expect that..or maybe I did..

If this was back in the mid 1970's ... I'd tell you to find some Button Ball Bushes (buck brush) in about 3-5ft of water, and drop your minners down into any open space amongst the branches ... and wait for the float to start slipping below the surface.

But, alas ... it's nearly 40yrs later, and many things have changed down there. The biggest change has been the emergence of the Black Crappie as the dominant species in numbers. They tend to spawn a bit earlier than White Crappie, so unless conditions don't allow things to progress in a normal fashion .... you're likely to be a few weeks late (for shallow spawning fish, anyway).

As far as number of views being an indication of tight lips .... not necessarily. If you look at the bottom of the page/screen ... you'll see that only 27 "members" have viewed the thread. The others "may" have been non-members (aka "lurkers"), and some don't cotton to giving out info to them. They could also be repeat looks at the thread, as the counting is done for anytime the thread is opened/viewed.

We wouldn't tell you to stay off our lakes ... your money is the same color as ours :Rofl

Ain't nothin' wrong with your line size/color ... and what method you'd use would depend on where the fish were located. Color preferences change ... but, most anything with a little Chartreuse in it should get their interest.
I'd suggest that you read thru this : Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources - Preliminary Results .... and apply it to whenever & wherever you end up on Ky Lake.

You're likely to get as much "information" (of the type you're seeking), once you get there, as you will here ... just by observing where/how others are fishing. Talk to the other anglers, especially those cleaning a mess of fish, and to the people running the facilities where you stay. That'll give you the most "current" information.

That's my :twocents ... for what it's worth.

... cp :kewl

Thanks for the insight,Pappy..Also, thanks for the link!!

this is not specific guidance...but look on utube...a few good videos about crappie on KY Lake...I am coming up in a few days to fish and visit my brother...

you'll need a few spinnerbaits, for the largemouth in the weed line,lots of roadrunners for the crappie in 1-15ft on any wood you can find. water will be 65-70 deg.if it's not chartreuse like crappiepappy said try blue&white if weather is normal it will be 85-90 in the shade and wind can dangerous so be careful in the midday. go early and late. that's my guess gary

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Originally Posted by crappiepappy

If this was back in the mid 1970's ... I'd tell you to find some Button Ball Bushes (buck brush) in about 3-5ft of water, and drop your minners down into any open space amongst the branches ... and wait for the float to start slipping below the surface.

But, alas ... it's nearly 40yrs later, and many things have changed down there. The biggest change has been the emergence of the Black Crappie as the dominant species in numbers. They tend to spawn a bit earlier than White Crappie, so unless conditions don't allow things to progress in a normal fashion .... you're likely to be a few weeks late (for shallow spawning fish, anyway).

As far as number of views being an indication of tight lips .... not necessarily. If you look at the bottom of the page/screen ... you'll see that only 27 "members" have viewed the thread. The others "may" have been non-members (aka "lurkers"), and some don't cotton to giving out info to them. They could also be repeat looks at the thread, as the counting is done for anytime the thread is opened/viewed.

We wouldn't tell you to stay off our lakes ... your money is the same color as ours :Rofl

Ain't nothin' wrong with your line size/color ... and what method you'd use would depend on where the fish were located. Color preferences change ... but, most anything with a little Chartreuse in it should get their interest.
I'd suggest that you read thru this : Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources - Preliminary Results .... and apply it to whenever & wherever you end up on Ky Lake.

You're likely to get as much "information" (of the type you're seeking), once you get there, as you will here ... just by observing where/how others are fishing. Talk to the other anglers, especially those cleaning a mess of fish, and to the people running the facilities where you stay. That'll give you the most "current" information.

That's my :twocents ... for what it's worth.

... cp :kewl

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Yes CP i remember those day's that your refering to with the buck brush. I might have been 12 yrs. old at the time, but that's where i cut my teeth crappie fishing was in Turkey bay there on Ky. lake. And as you discribed is how we used to catch some really nice slabs when 12 to 14 inchers were very common.

Ieatfish. It's hard to give you specifics right now since the weather and water changes so much between now and then maybe closer to time there will be more answers that your looking for

Hey Fish,

Sorry I just saw your post. Jonathan Creek is a good bay, maybe one of the best. Without giving you GPS waypoints I can tell you manmade structure is scattered from the mouth to the back end. By the time you go the water should be close to summer pool which helps getting into the buck brush at the back end. Although the main push of the spawn will likely be over by then there will still be fish shallow. First off hit the bank on the south side from Sportsmen’s back in working around the docks. Some of the homeowners plant cover yearly just off of and between the docks. Long pole around the cover at the back end of Jonathan with jigs or minnows. I have caught crappie shallow in Jonathan well up into June.

The two small bays across from Sportsmen’s on the north bank have cover scattered through them. Especially the bay where the state ramp sits. There is scattered cover on the north side of the bay east of the 68 bridge all the way out. There is also cover on the south bank close to the bank. The river channel cuts close to the bank when you get out towards Town and Country. The river channel from that point out has stumps on the drops especially in the bends that hold fish all spring. The bay west of the bridge has cover scattered on the north side on the flats for the first 1/2 mile or so then all across the bay back in to Pirates Cove.

If you get tired of Jonathan follow the channel markers out of Jonathan and across. You will headed towards Higgins. It and the next bay south, Rhodes, have kicked out some good fish. Same goes for the two bays north of Higgins, Sugar and especially Duncan. I LOVE Duncan. I have had some great days in that bay! It can be worth the trip from Jonathan, just watch the weather and the wind. There is less cover on the LBL than on the west side and it tends to concentrate fish tighter. Whether fishing the east or west side keep an eye on your LCR. When you are out drifting the bay watch your LCR. When you see cover kick a marker over and fish it good. Same goes when you catch a crappie. More times than not you just went over cover. Drop a marker.

That time of year I cast roadrunners 95% of the time. Live bait a little and vertical jiggin over cover after a strong cold front. This isn't exact by any stretch but should get you started. Let me know if there is anything else I can do to help.

Lyndon

Thanks Gary!! I appreciate the guidance.. And yeah we didnt venture out to far last year, but I hear ya about the wind..eesh..

Hey thanks buffalo, I alsom may have been a lil outta line asking some of the stuff.. Im learnin! lol.. thanks again

Wow hey Thanks alot Old Guide.. We'll give some of that a go! Im definatley going to have a head start against my buds this year! lol.. Thanks again.. 2 Days last year got pretty windy on us, eesh, a lil sketchy in a lil 17' Lund..

Quote:

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Originally Posted by crappiepappy

If this was back in the mid 1970's ... I'd tell you to find some Button Ball Bushes (buck brush) in about 3-5ft of water, and drop your minners down into any open space amongst the branches ... and wait for the float to start slipping below the surface.

But, alas ... it's nearly 40yrs later, and many things have changed down there. The biggest change has been the emergence of the Black Crappie as the dominant species in numbers. They tend to spawn a bit earlier than White Crappie, so unless conditions don't allow things to progress in a normal fashion .... you're likely to be a few weeks late (for shallow spawning fish, anyway).

As far as number of views being an indication of tight lips .... not necessarily. If you look at the bottom of the page/screen ... you'll see that only 27 "members" have viewed the thread. The others "may" have been non-members (aka "lurkers"), and some don't cotton to giving out info to them. They could also be repeat looks at the thread, as the counting is done for anytime the thread is opened/viewed.

We wouldn't tell you to stay off our lakes ... your money is the same color as ours :Rofl

Ain't nothin' wrong with your line size/color ... and what method you'd use would depend on where the fish were located. Color preferences change ... but, most anything with a little Chartreuse in it should get their interest.
I'd suggest that you read thru this : Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources - Preliminary Results .... and apply it to whenever & wherever you end up on Ky Lake.

You're likely to get as much "information" (of the type you're seeking), once you get there, as you will here ... just by observing where/how others are fishing. Talk to the other anglers, especially those cleaning a mess of fish, and to the people running the facilities where you stay. That'll give you the most "current" information.

That's my :twocents ... for what it's worth.

... cp :kewl

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I can't find this .......no biggie, just never saw this.

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Originally Posted by ricky

I can't find this .......no biggie, just never saw this.

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Scroll down to the empty message box (Quick Reply), below all of the posts ... then scroll down just a little more and you'll find a box titled "Members who have read this thread" ... any "member" that has opened this thread will have their screen/site name listed there.

... cp :kewl

I dont see it on my Screen.

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Originally Posted by wilbur

I dont see it on my Screen.

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We don't allow you Illini gewbers to know this kinda stuff :Rofl

Seriously, though ... you "should" be able to see it, unless you have some settings turned off (or something :dono ) What DO you see when you scroll down to the bottom of the screen, as far as your mouse scroller will take you ?? I'm a Mod, so I don't have all the "extra" advertisements showing ... but, at the very bottom of my screen is the site/forum supporter ads. Right between those ads & the bottom post on this page, is where I see the box with the names of the members that have looked at this thread.

... cp :kewl

Nope, I don't have it either CP.

My settings must different....Attachment 116164Attachment 116165

Maybe it shows only for Moderators and Old Geezers

Crappie Pappy read my post and give me some advice Pleaseee. Thank you Wilbur. Its called Blood River ?

OK ... maybe it IS only Moderators that can see that :dono

Point is, you can't look at how many "views" a post gets, and determine that no one is interested in replying.

... cp :kewl

When the wind does get to blowing (and it will) just troll with the wind at about 1.3-1.6mph and pull some jigs or roadrunners behind about 80 yards or so behind you.Works pretty good.Better than sittin in the motel room.

You might want to check out the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife website. One of the pages under the Fishing section lists the GPS coordinates for all of the fish attractors that KFW has placed in lakes across the state.

I'm big on vertical jig'n. LOVE TO FEEL THAT THUMP! I use 6# Vicious Hi Vis Yella line. Depending on how deep I'm fish'n and how hard the wind is blow'n, I fish 1/16 to 1/8 oz jigs, with 3/32 my personal favorite. For vertical jig'n I really like the Bobby Garland Baby Shad. Some of the good colors are MoGlo Outlaw and Sunrise, Baby Bass, Key Lime Pie, Monkey Milk, Kiwi, Electric Chicken, Blue Ice, Vegas, and Cajun Cricket. Recently I tried some of the Southern Pro Stinger Shad in Pumpkin Chartreuse and hammered the Blacks! Late April and early May I'll do a little casting too, especially early and late in the day. I like 1/16 oz chartreuse, Marabou Road Runners for casting.

Last year in late April and early May I was still thumpn'um pretty good in 16'. Many of the fish, and I mean some NICE fish, were suspended high above the brush in 19' of water. Some a shallow as 7' in 16' of water. This held true especially early and late in the day, and on cloudy days.

If the lake starts to fall, you can't go wrong ledge fish'n. As the water recedes the fish'll seek the security of that deeper water. Early in the mornings and late, late in the day the Blacks really like to get on the top shallower edges of the ledges and they'll hammer those Road Runners! Best to cast when they're high like that. If the water's pretty clear you'll spook'um if ya try and get on top of'um to vertical jig. A jig under a slip bobber with a slow retrieve works good too.

Another thing about those Blacks... They'll hang around in the bays longer than the Whites. Heck I've caught'um midway back in the bays in early summer, when the water temp was in the high 70's to mid 80's.

Don't forget about the Red Ear and Bluegill! They'll be hungry that time of yr. Usually do good on Cats around rocky banks too.

Good luck!

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Originally Posted by Wiskers

I'm big on vertical jig'n. LOVE TO FEEL THAT THUMP! I use 6# Vicious Hi Vis Yella line. Depending on how deep I'm fish'n and how hard the wind is blow'n, I fish 1/16 to 1/8 oz jigs, with 3/32 my personal favorite. For vertical jig'n I really like the Bobby Garland Baby Shad. Some of the good colors are MoGlo Outlaw and Sunrise, Baby Bass, Key Lime Pie, Monkey Milk, Kiwi, Electric Chicken, Blue Ice, Vegas, and Cajun Cricket. Recently I tried some of the Southern Pro Stinger Shad in Pumpkin Chartreuse and hammered the Blacks! Late April and early May I'll do a little casting too, especially early and late in the day. I like 1/16 oz chartreuse, Marabou Road Runners for casting.

Last year in late April and early May I was still thumpn'um pretty good in 16'. Many of the fish, and I mean some NICE fish, were suspended high above the brush in 19' of water. Some a shallow as 7' in 16' of water. This held true especially early and late in the day, and on cloudy days.

If the lake starts to fall, you can't go wrong ledge fish'n. As the water recedes the fish'll seek the security of that deeper water. Early in the mornings and late, late in the day the Blacks really like to get on the top shallower edges of the ledges and they'll hammer those Road Runners! Best to cast when they're high like that. If the water's pretty clear you'll spook'um if ya try and get on top of'um to vertical jig. A jig under a slip bobber with a slow retrieve works good too.

Another thing about those Blacks... They'll hang around in the bays longer than the Whites. Heck I've caught'um midway back in the bays in early summer, when the water temp was in the high 70's to mid 80's.

Don't forget about the Red Ear and Bluegill! They'll be hungry that time of yr. Usually do good on Cats around rocky banks too.

Good luck!

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Hey thanks alot Wiskers! Exactly what type of info i was lookin for.. Thanks a bunch for taking the time, really appreciate it.. And, I definitely dont forget bout the cats and such.. I did ok on them last year, and love catfishin!! Must be the rednck in me.. Thanks again!!

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Originally Posted by I eat fish

Hey thanks alot Wiskers! Exactly what type of info i was lookin for.. Thanks a bunch for taking the time, really appreciate it.. And, I definitely dont forget bout the cats and such.. I did ok on them last year, and love catfishin!! Must be the rednck in me.. Thanks again!!

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No problem buddy. I hope some of the info helps.

My towboat is tied up in the shipyard right now and I get bored and long winded about 3 AM. :Rofl

If ya like the cats, bring ya some jugs and toss them out in the bay and let'um soak while you chase the crappie, Red Ear and gills! :ThumbsUp

Another thing to add, some people who are members are new as well to crappie fishing. I look through the forums on good subjects just to see who might have answered, so some of the views are from members just like me :) So, at least two of us are learning from your post!