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Not sure if I have hit a slump or what! In the past 2 trips(secession) we have caught 60-70 fish each trip but only 20-30 are over 8 inches and none over 12! Don't get me wrong, I love to catch fish but I would rather catch 20 slabs than 60 dinks. Anyone else having this problem?
With all the fish that were pulled out of that lake this spring it may take some months of growing before you see a lot of bigger fish and I would bet that the big ones that are left are deep.
Theyre mixed in...just gotta weed thru the little guys to catch the bigger ones. And be thankful youre seeing those little guys too cause theyre your future.:)
I would like to know just how many have been pull out of there since march 1st. Think I may try the hill on the next trip just to see some different water.
I'm not fishing the same waters as you, but we been catching a lot of small crappie the last week or so, too! Hadn't figured out where the big ones went.
simpleville, other than some NICE crappie the months of December-February I've had the little fish bug on Murray this spring. I haven't fished as much as years past, but about a month ago I fished for 3 hours with my brother in law and we caught somewhere around 30 crappie with 5 fish being over 8". Everywhere I looked I found little fish. Good sign for the future though.
We caught some really nice fish until shortly after the spawn. They have been getting smaller and smaller since then.
I know this won't hold true for all bodies of water, or fishermen. But, it is my belief that the fishermen is at fault in many cases. The biggest fish move into an area first in early spring, when peak spawn arrives, the bulk of the quality sized spawning fish will be located in the same general areas as the big'uns, as the spawn winds down, the quality fish are replaced with smaller fish that are going through spawning ritual, and or eating the eggs and fry of those that arrived before them. The bigger fish are now recuperating from the rigors of the spawn, feeding up, and moving on to there deeper summer haunts. The fishermen are staying in the same general areas the whole time, and are not following the quality fish as they migrate.
I agree with that to a certain extent. With that being said, I am fishing in the same places I have caught a lot of quality fish throughout the summer. Guess that's why it's called fishing instead of catching!
Secession is a small lake but puts out a ton of crappie each year "BUT" this year the fishing pressure that has been put on that lake has been more than ever before. It has been hit hard since January. Not only on the weekends but "everyday"!! No one will have the catch next year as they had this year there and you can bet the big girls are belly in the mud deep... You may find a few big fish through out the summer but I will be surprised if many at all are caught. Now that the fishing pressure is off the lake, now is it the water lice that will keep the lake rolling until fall. God have mercy on the crappie that are left in that lake!!! :Rofl
It's not only secession! It's been the same for me on hartwell, broadway, and Russell. They shall receive no mercy from me :)
LOL it may be the year of the small fish :) I have seen some good crappie coming out of all those lakes but Broadway. Have also seen many small fish caught in the shallow to 20' zone. Was on a small lake yesterday and no big fish were caught in less than 25' depth. Most were in 30 to 35' depth all throughout the water column. The biggest problem is finding the right bait or color they want but once you find "it" the color seems to work most of the day.
Good Luck and may the Force be with you, or Mercury, Johnson or what ever motor you have : ) :)
i have see some monster dead slabs at lake wateree nothing major dnr officer told me that it was the stress of the spwan that is ome times just to much for the ole big galsQuote:
Originally Posted by simplevilleslab
Dont give up looking. I caught these longlining in 9'-12' of water yesterday. Find the bait and you find the fish...
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Team CK will investigate and get back to you. We specialize in the 6" crappie. :biggrinQuote:
Originally Posted by simplevilleslab
Very nice mess! Hope to do a little "investigating" next week when all the holiday crowd does down.