Advice from Ky, Barkley lake fisherman

I have recently purchased a 08 war eagle predator and would like some advise from anyone owning this type boat and fish Kentucky/Barkley Lakes. I had several individuals advise me with the predator seats being further back from the bow I would need at least 14' poles. I am new to crappie fishing, previously being a bass fisherman, and would like input on purchasing rods/reels. I have read several threads in the archives but didn't locate anything specific to war eagle predators.

I posted this first in the mentoring section but was advised I might post it here also. Hope to see members on the lakes. I am retired and have the weekdays free and plan on looking for slabs soon on Kentucky Lake. I have fished and pleasure boated the Kentucky/Barkley since the mid 1980's but just had not the opportunity to pick up crappie fishing. Thx in advance for any replies. I will soon purchase rods/reels for pulling cranks and spidering rigging and hope to purchase correctly the first time. However, I have made a career of buying high, and selling low.:Rofl

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I would imagine you would do fine w/ 12 foot rods. If you are new to this type of fishing a 14 foot rod is pretty long and takes some getting used to because of the length. Lots of luck.

Thx fishincrazy for the advice and luck wishes. Being new helps because any small measure of success is reachable for newbies. :highfive

I will say this :

My longest rods are 10' ... but I don't "spider rig" out the front, but at a 45deg angle to the side of the bow of the boat (much like your boat is set up). Ten foot rods aren't as limber as 14-16' rods, and therefore don't pull down as easily ... especially when they're already bowed down with 1/2-3/4oz weights. You have to be a little quicker on the hookset, with the shorter rods, before the fish gives up on biting.

I've used 14' rods, trolling cranks, and didn't have any problems handling them ... even with 2oz weights & fish on the line. You would probably get used to using them in a short period of time.

Length of rods may not be as big a factor, in your case, as it would be if the rod holders were set to put the rods out in front of the trolling motor ... but, the action (limberness) of the rods could still be one factor to consider. Then again, having a selection of 10-14ft rods may benefit you by allowing a wider spread ... thus covering a wider path with your baits.

I can suggest that you consider these reels for pushing/pulling cranks : Okuma Magda Pro Line Counter MA-15DX

And consider this place for trolling weights : Trolling Weights (unless you have a local source that's cheaper)

You might also want to be on the lookout for the large diameter size "pool noodles" (>3") for use in holding your pre-rigged crankbait leaders/weights. With Summer winding down, you should be able to find them for around $1.00 (but, you do want the bigger ones, not the normal 2" size) My buddy, Chucky, has them fixed up to hold his leaders/weights ... and they're the bomb !! :ThumbsUp

... cp :kewl

Thx Pappy. What size sinkers should one stock up on starting out? I like the looks of those reels. I have a feeling the salesman at grizzled jig is going to like seeing me in a few days. Lol

Nice outfit

Thx for the compliment kycreekboy. I have sympathy for the family for the loss of their father and husband. however, being able to locate a rig i could afford and continue trying to discover the fun of crappie fishing was a blessing for me. They were glad the rig went to someone that was going to keep it and use it.

First of all sweet ride!!!!!!!!!!!! Go with 14ft southern crappie rods. Go with the 14ft because if you don't you will want them later. Take a guided trip with Wiskers it is worth its weight in gold. See how he has his boat set up. I learned more in one day with him than I learned in a year trying to figure it out on my own. Also made a very good friend in him in the process. As far as reels go cheap baitcasters with a thumb bar is your best bet. they DO NOT have to be high dollar reels but a good drag system is a plus. Hope this helps!!!!!

Thx bigorange84 for a good suggestion. I will try to figure out the pm part of this site and try to contact him. I just got the avatar and profile thing down. Still have to work on the signature box next.:bash

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Originally Posted by crp4570

Thx bigorange84 for a good suggestion. I will try to figure out the pm part of this site and try to contact him. I just got the avatar and profile thing down. Still have to work on the signature box next.:bash

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Sending a PM is pretty easy ... just find a post from the person you want to send the PM to, then left click on their screen name. A menu drop down box will open and the option to PM them is there. You can also look at the sticky threads, at the top of this forum page, and find Wiskers contact info in the thread about KY Crappie Guides.

Signature options are part of your profile. The fastest way I know to access & add to or change profile info ... is to click on the word "SETTINGS", at the very top of the page. This will take you to your profile page, and the signature setting is listed on the menu on the left side of that page. Click on "Edit Signature" and add your sayings or whatever. Just remember that you have to be a paying Member Sponsor to add business links or web addresses of yours or anyone else's products/business. You also are restricted to what size your signature can be. My signature, the KY Crappie.com decal, is as big as is allowed. If you have any questions or concerns about something you want to put in your signature space ... feel free to PM me about it.

... cp :kewl

Thx Pappy. I will ck my dates for the next week and pm whiskers. I will tackle the signature but might holler if I hit a brick wall. lol. Also, I need to go to the store to see if any of the ky stickers are left. My boats windshield is plain looking.:dono

Being set that far back I wouldn't go with anything shorter than a 14' rod if you're gonna spider rig. For pulling cranks I don't think rod length is that important. Your gonna get some hulls slap with that boat and you wanna get those baits out away from the boat ahen you're spider rig'n.

As far as reels go, I'm a fan of the small, low profile bait casters. When using the longer rods I can thumb the spool and let extra line out as needed to land the fish. I pick them up cheap on Ebay. I'm a little OCD when it comes to my setup so I don't mix and match rods or reels.

I can usually find the Shakespeare Axioms for between $13 and $18. You just need something to hold line.:twocents

I prefer 14 ft poles when fishing shallow water for crappie (8 ft or less) but find that 12 ft works great for deeper water fishing. I recently sold my Ranger bass boat that I crappie fished out of for years and have been looking at the War Eagle Predator as a replacement. I am going back to an aluminum boat this time for a number of reasons, but largely because of the progress made in hull design and layout of some aluminum models. The Predator, in my opinion, has the layout for the crappie fisherman down to a science. Hope you will let us know how you like yours. I know several tournament fishermen who are either using it or going to it. From what I have seen of the Predator's layout, I don't believe you will have any problem using 12ft poles in deeper water. Folks who are telling you that the 14's are heavier are right. I have a set of 14 ft Wally Marshall's (for tournament fishing) but also own a set of 12 ft B&M Pro-Trollers that are my go-to rods. I really like them. I agree with the advice on small Baitcasting reels. Quantam makes a Bill Dance model reel that is small and low profile. I bought enough from Louie at Grizzly Jig at a really great price and put them on all my rods. They are extremely light but have a high retrieve ration of 5:1 which makes them ideal for spider-rigging. I load them with 20-25lb Power Pro Hi-Vis (Yellow) line and use about a 6 ft leader of 6 lb P-line Flourocarbon.

Thx for all the replays. Whiskers, send me a pm with contact information when you have a few days free. I will like for you to guide me a day or two so I will be headed in the right direction. I am only an hour from the Kentucky Lake. kyfishman, if you come to kentucky lake pm me and i will bring the boat if you want to fish out of one before getting one. I can not supply good spots to go but can provide the boat, gas, and food. :highfive

I will be headed to grizzly jig Monday to get tackle. Thx again to everyone for their input.

Very sweet looking rig. I switched from 12' to 14' for spider rigging. A little more to handle but in my opinion a lot better, gets the baits father away from the trolling motor. Get a good rod transport rack for them and go out and kick some crappie but. Just my .02.

I've fished 12 ft for years. No problems here

Thx doubled and buffalo13 for your replies.