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Would someone with experience at this type fishing enlighten somewhat novice on the finer art s to this method. such as placement of marker bouys, best size jigs, and best type of plastic tails etc. and enlighten me to any thing you could pass on that I haven't thought of asking. thanks in advance TBCook
Drop your marker buoy off to the side of the stump so you will be able to fish both sides and over the top of the structure. I normally use a 1/16 oz jig unless the wind is to strong and then might go to a 3/32 or 1/8 oz jig if necessary. I used 2" tube jigs for years, but recently started using some 2"twister tails also. Occasionally I tie a second jig about a foot up the line to get a second presentation of color or profile. I prefer to cast beyond the structure and let the jig fall to the depth I am seeing fish on my depthfinder. Slow reel with short hops and pauses usually does the trick. Always be watching for strikes on the initial fall of the bait too. Good luck. You mention submerged stumps so I assume you live in the central or southern part of the state with reservoirs.Quote:
Originally Posted by TBCook
I fish almost exclusively an 85 acre private lake with little to no fishing pressure. the lake has standing timber, laydowns, bricks, tires and any other fish cover you could possibly want. For the last two years, 2013 & 2014 we trolled Bandit 200 series crank baits with great success. 30 1/2 Crappie every time we fished.. This year maybe 10 using that method. So we had to figure out something else.. its been somewhat windy so I went to 1/8 oz jigs dressed with variety of plastic bodies tipped with a nibblet. fishing around standing timber. was catching fair amount on each tree in 17 to 20 ft of water. but I knew we could do better. Ive been running over the ton of submerged trees while trolling for three years. finally last Tuesday stopped to fish one. we caught 47 Crappie that day 26 lb total weight. Went back Sat with different fishing partner and a make shift marker bouy to make it easier to stay on the stump. couple of heavy sinkers and some mono line and a large bobber. worked great. 61 fish 31.5 lb. Mostly vertical igging. Ive ever used marker bouy before will purchase a couple before we fish gain on Fri.. Thanks for your help.We catch mostly 1/2 lb Crappie with an occaionally one. But we have never caught a bigger one. this Lake s bout 6 years old Should we be catching bigger Crappie once in a while ?
Sounds like you pretty much have it figured out.
I use double minnow rig with jig and minnow on top and minnow on the bottom hook .here's one from Sunday..I troll all the way around the stump so set your marker back some .Attachment 213313Attachment 213314other rod has a smaller crappie on it .
where did you say you fished? lol
Sorry to tell you this but it is a very Private Lake. So private that I have only had to share the water once this season. I don't exactly know how many people are granted access but fewer than 10 I suspect. Fishing was tough yesterday. Two of us only combined for 25 to bring home. 92 degrees and heat index 100. I spent most of the day hung up on the bottom and now I'm a real expert on re-tying Jigs on. Lol
I just hover over the stumps no marker. almost always use 1/8 lead head(I lithe feel I gives) with 2" power grub. light touch is the best advise I can give you. if you snag up and start yankin the game is usually over. the light touch keeps you from snagging up. can shake most of them free if you on set on it. scent is a must also IMO. IM
When I'm fishing deeper water, vertical, I use my electronics to stay on the fish or spot. Rarely anchor, and only use a marker if it is really windy. Mostly easier to mark a waypoint on my gps, and keep the boat on that waypoint.
Markers, at least on public water, just attract more fishermen who think I want to share what I'm fishing.
I mostly fish southern pro tubes, on 1/32 heads, 1/16th if it is really windy. I fish two jigs on a line, so they tend to work fine with light line. I don't fish heavy weights when I'm fishing crappie, realize I could do a bell sinker or other weight to spider rig, but I'm more of a single rod kinda guy. The light jig heads let me catch a lot of fish on the fall. Works for me, but I don't fish for crappie all that much any more. Mostly in the spring and fall, though I'm going early tomorrow.
I was joking.
I was joking. I wouldn't want you to tell me and definitely not put it on the internet. Places like that come along once in a lifetime if your lucky.
Well I'm Stumped proving that I am a novice to submerged stumps. 92 degree with 100 degree heat index yesterday in central Indiana. we caught 6 fish on the same stumps as last Sat. 61 Crappie. Searched and fished other submerged cover to no avail. water is gin clear. can see bout 10 ft down.. fished some cover as much as 20 ft deep and they had their mouths closed. Seeing plenty of fish on depth finder on all the cover. surface water temps in the upper 80's Guess going to hold off fishing til water temps go back down. Other suggestions are appreciated.. Minnows are not allowed in this lake. fishing 1/8 and 1/16 with plastic and a nibblett.
How many fish have you taken out of this 100 acre pond in the last month? That may have something to do with it if you are keeping fish. If you are releasing them, then I'd try different baits, colors.Quote:
Originally Posted by TBCook
try dropping lights and jigging them at night. what about dead, or even fake minnows like gulp? what about netting minnows from that water and using them? no contamination that way.
We have taken apox 150 fish. I have fished this 85 acre lake for 4 years. we keep fish to eat consistently. Don't think that was the problem. Believe bright sun and water temps at surface was almost 90 degrees. I know that you cant tell species of fish with depth finder but the number of fish I am seeing with electronics looks normal. the bite was very light and I missed doz. or more taps. it's unbelievable the number of fish I see on the depth finder. there is hardly a time that I look at the screen and see less than 6 fish or more.
Ive been using nibbletts. seemed to make difference with catches 24 fish, 47 fish, 61 fish, 25 fish. but was using them Sun and we only caught 6 fish. missed several more but the bite was really light.
Well crap TB. You asked for help, now we are learning from you. At least I am. I fish a lot of submerged trees and it's always tricky. It takes a lot of lures and a lot of patience. The most frustrating part is having a nice slab break my line and know it's just tied up around a stump.
Growler
well, the way I look at it as described by my mentor a long time ago, "If you are not loosing a Jig now and then you are not fishing where the Crappie live !" the next to last time I went I'll bet I lost 15 jigs. Was beginning to think I had purchased "wood seeking Jigs." Lol. However after having replacing that many jigs with these old eyes it prompted me to purchase a device called "Tyepro". hoping it makes tieing jigs on a little easier.
"I fish almost exclusively an 85 acre private lake with little to no fishing pressure." quote TBCOOK
could this lake be getting over populated causing the fish growth to be stunted?
I don't think so we catch 1/2 lb and sometimes little larger Crappie every time we go. 1/2 pounders are twice or more the size of the average Crappie at Lake Monroe or Cataract.
lake monroe has the biggest crappie next to being down south!!!!half pounders r guppies on monroe it has plenty of 2 pound plus crappie..do u use weedless i always do not many breakoffs..tyepro is sweet tho..i like the ones with the brush guard not the wire
I consulted an Indiana DNR fish Biologist who just happened to know where I was fishing because one of the other guys in his Office helped with the planning for this lake. he has retired since but found that he actually fishes there also. He seemed to think the bright sunshine and elevated water temps was the cause and that fishing should improve as the year progresses into fall.. Also has anyone used the Gene Larew three legged frog. I have some ordered and cant wait for them to arrive.
personal best came from Monroe, 2 1/2 pounds 16"
cook, try tieing a polamar knot with your eyes closed. feeling only with your finger tips, i bet you can do it!!!!
Many years ago and I think the last Crappiethon buddy tournament. My Boat partner caught a 1.87 lb Crappie up in Saddle Creek. Some other guy caught a 2.22 lb Crappie and won the Big fish contest. The Big fish pot had gotten so big that they paid 1st & 2nd place. We Won$1,100. I was fishing tornements this summer with the same guy for a couple of weeks and saw maybe out of two trips and 10-12 boats 6 Crappie of about a lb each.. I don't remember ever catching myself a Crappie that weighed over 1/2 lb.. And trust me I have caught in the tens of thousands of fish from Monroe. My wifes parents had a house boat down there when we first got married 35 years ago. It was nothing to boat 800 fish in a night with lights off the back of the house boat. And as many of those small Crappie as I have cleaned over the years I am qualified to clean a minnow. My Brother in law and I actually did that one night. True story.