Stayed all day Saturday for these. Slow bite. They had moved closer to the damn. 35 ft deep on blue thunder. Top 3 were 2.27, 2.03, and 1.89 lbs.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.n...56060418_n.jpg
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Stayed all day Saturday for these. Slow bite. They had moved closer to the damn. 35 ft deep on blue thunder. Top 3 were 2.27, 2.03, and 1.89 lbs.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.n...56060418_n.jpg
Pretty fish you got there. But at 35 feet deep don't seem like they are thinking about spawning? I bet the water temp was very cold.
Pretty deep. Nice fish
42 degree water, but the eggs are starting to loosen up and get a little bloody. The 60-65 temp is for us to find them. They are going to spawn whether we can find them or not.
Nice fish; thanks for the pics
Nice fish Skipper! I am still waiting for my 2 #er, caught several close but haven't got the 2 pound mark yet.
I'd be darn happy for a dink....nice catch......in not so easy conditions......that's my goal...
Nice catch. Wish I get out and catch a good mess, polar vortexes and crippling sickness seems to be in sync with my off days....
hope you're feeling better Jimmy...hang in there.....weather'll be better soon.....Quote:
Originally Posted by 20watt
Very interesting comment. I happen to agree and have always thought that. Can you expand on what you mean by that a little? thanks!Quote:
Originally Posted by Mo'nBack
Man i am not quite sure if I have ever fished that deep.
Thanks Vet, definitely ready for some warm weatherQuote:
Originally Posted by fishervet
I was ready for some warm weather since Thanksgiving myself.Quote:
Originally Posted by 20watt
Nice catch Mo'nBack
Sweet catch Mo. Hope you feel better 20 watt. I'm ready for some warm weather myself. I get the feeling that I'm going on about a 3 day darbonne binge starting Friday. This cabin fever and work stuff is for the birds.
Like...Quote:
Originally Posted by bluethunder
We've got a cabin at the point the weekend of the 28th. Hoping it warms a little and some of those fat girls start showing up on the north end
Move into the campground one day the following week. Be there all month. With some warm temps I'll start testing it over the next week or so. I hope to see you over there.
I'm undecided yet as to whether I want to take a vacation week that first week of March or hold off a little longerQuote:
Originally Posted by bluethunder
You said it. This weather has me second guessing everything. Hopefully the last two weeks of February we can get some warm nights. That's what hurts us, warm days and cold nights. But like said earlier, they are gonna spawn regardless.
Heyyyy.:.: I resent that. Us birds don't like work stuff any more than anyone else! LolQuote:
Originally Posted by bluethunder
I've said it before on here. It's like a woman being pregnant. The crappie have the eggs for a certain amount of time. When it's time they are going to lay most of their eggs whether the water is 60 degrees or 50 degrees. I talked to a man on Claiborne that lives there and he said they spawn on there EVERY year at 50-54 degrees. They will lay their eggs in deeper water if the temp isn't right, just making it harder for us to find them. They don't absorb ALL of their eggs in cooler water, because crappie would'nt be here from a long time ago. I feel they spawn on any waterway within 2 weeks of previous years because they are in a cycle. It's gonna happen within a certain time on every water in La. Each lake is going to be different. Down south usually goes before northern La and the smaller lakes and rivers do it before the larger ones. This comes because thru the years the water temp has gotten right at different times on different waterways and they have adjusting to when it is USUALLY right. So, if you have a cooler or hotter year, they still only have the eggs for a certain amount of time, just like deer rutting. Rut at my house peeks on Nov 27 and has for at least 30 years and the crappie spawn on Red River at Clarence starting the first 2 weeks of April and going on for about 2 months off and on (without fail and no matter what the water temp.) This isn't for sake of arguement. It's what I've seen and read. Some will disagree, but that's fine. They can go to Red River on the first warm snap and if it isn't at least the first 2 weeks of April, then they can waste alot of time up and down the bank. I'm not a biologist, but I'm also not an idiot that spent my time behind a desk making up what I think the crappie should do. I hope you can get something out of this Kman. I'm glad someone else is interested in this like I've been for decades.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kman
VERY interested...thank you. Here in south LA we have some river systems, no lakes and reservoirs, but prior to Katrina, they would rival any lake in the state..just great crappie fishing and lots of BIG crappie. That all changed in 2005 and while the POPULATION is coming back (like God intended them to do after a natural disaster) the fish have lost 1/2 pound on AVERAGE since 2005 when it comes to the average fish caught. For instance, prior to Katrina , we didn't keep a crappie that wasn't 10", self imposed. Now, IF You catch 20 fish, you might have 3 over 10". Not saying you wont accidentally catch a 1.5 slab 3 times this year...you wont do it much more than that and THOSE are what used to be the main part of the creel. I say all that so that you understand I have fished this area since I was 15 and old enough to drive myself and I am 41 now. I have never had the "need" to find fish deep on this river, though the channel is 22'-26' feet on average, our fish relate to 12' and less for the MOST part, no matter the time of year. When they spawn, they do it on the bank and around bulk heads and docks up feeder creeks, the usual stuff.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mo'nBack
Last couple of spawns have been kinda weird. I have been fishing and it will be 46 or 51 or so and obviously they are not in 2' of water then so I back off to the drop and try them there...with little to no luck. THAT is what I want to learn how to do....get back in that deep water this time of year and FIND them. I KNOW where they will be when its 58-60...that's comin soon....I wanna catch em in that "transition" period when they are December / January deep just prior to spawn.
Any methods of how you do that, how you find them, what you use to catch em would be appreciated. Not sure how the info will cross over from a lake to a river, but I bet a few feet of water aside, much will match. thanks
Kman, if there are any creeks that hit the river, then try at the mouths of them. They might be in the middle of the main river, but just out from the creek mouths. They should be still deep, but getting ready to stage into the spawning areas. I watch my depth finder alot. I look for shad or baitfish, brush, or schools of large fish. The depth finder is the most useful tool I got. It's a cheap ($140) hummingbird, but once you get to where you can read it, it will double your fish intake. If there aren't any creeks, I would slow troll above the dropoff from 12ft to the deep water of 22-24ft. They may stage right at the transition from medium to deep water. It's still all about the baitfish right now in most places.
10-4...I have a 798si and can find those fish and I intend to do that!
When I do, what is your preferred method for catching them? long line trolling? spider rigging? vertical fishing? Use minnows for this? thanks
If I'm fishing the deeper channel, I use 4 jigs on each pole with one in each hand. Brush I use single jigs on 2 poles. I never buy shiners.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kman
Cool. I haven't bought them in a while myself, not a fan, but if its a must, Im not stubborn! LOl good to know its not a must.
Id like to see a pic of those jigs tied 4 in tandem if you ever get a chance. thanks for all your help.
Good discussion M&B.
I don't pay it(spawn) much attention. It just go catching when I get the chance.:biggrin
Me too....Ill be fishin this weekend, even though weather hasn't been good. Just helps to know what they are doing, which is hard to do when you cant go everyday like Id love to.
Nice catch. I'm really itching to go to Toledo Bend but work has the control right now.
This is a great discussion.
free bird...I agree. It isn't often you find someone that has experience catching the fish that specifically elude you! (me) Sounds like monback has been there done that. Good to hear from those guys that are not only able, but willing to teach.
mo...love to see that pic of the 4 jigs my brother! and how you keep that from being a mess will be my next question! LOL
Thems some good'ns. Congrats.
Keep up the good convo, I'm enjoying it.
I learned how to do this from Slab Hunter. I'll try to get a pic, been looking on here and couldn't find a one. I'll see if I can get one out and take a pic for you. As far as not hanging up, I just ease the fish up to the boat and then grab the line (unless it's a big one that I have to use a net on) and then ease it to the floor of the boat while watching my line and not letting it tangle. I took me about 3 years to be able to consistantly get fish off of it without tangleing. It can be agravating, but it's worth it in open water.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kman
Just lurkin' and enjoying the thread. I'm hoping to get a little nicer sonar soon. I will be fishing my local lakes soon, and probably won't need it, but want to learn how to spot baitfish and crappie on sonar.
JBJ
My jigs are 18 inches apart with a barrel swivel on top. I'll have to get my son to take a pic of me with one on a pole.
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