Cranking PICO's again Today!

I launched at 6:45 am this morning and it was dead calm on the lake so went to a bank I had previously caught fish off of and started trolling PICO's. Water temp was 71 degrees and at 10' using the Lowrance Fish N Temp, at the bottom it was 58 degrees. I was about 75' out from the bank in 10' to 14 ft of water, at speed of 1.4 to 1.6 mph, and it was slow so changed colors and finally started catching fish but it was one here, and one there, really spread out. Over all, it took 5 hrs to catch a limit of 10" to 13" inch fish and ended up maybe catching 60 altogether with alot of 9" plus fish released. Best colors today were, Pink Glimmer, Wolverine, and Zombie. www.picolures.com And they really slammed the pink. Wind picked up at 10:30 in checking the Weather on my phone, wind was gusting to 17 mph making it tough fishing. I caught as many going with the wind as I did into the wind running the trolling motor maxed out on speed fighting boat control. Here is a quick pic. Had to use the larger RTIC cooler to keep fish iced down as it was hot today and sunny.
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Looks like you did ok today.

Whoa boy.... That's an expensive livewell. Good job on hanging in there. Beats the 9 to 5 I did today. Did you mark any baitfish moving out deeper?

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It was dead calm till 10:30 and could see baitfish schools all over the lake everywhere and then at 10:35 wind was gusting to 17 mph and fighting 1 to 3 ft rollers and whitecaps. I caught just as many fish drifting as going into the rollers. In cleaning the fish, most were gorged full of minnows. Also caught 5 yellow perch too. Cleaned a couple of 8 inch ones. Didn’t have anything over 13.5” today, but had some nice sized males in their tuxes. Most females with eggs still not ready and at 12:30 pm water temp was 73. Water still cold as all get out deep.

Those perch are like gold around this house.... Sounds like a feast to me. I caught two out there last weekend, believe it or not...... Had both jigs, running 2 a rod in the mouth... First time I've ever had that happen.


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Originally Posted by cevans

It was dead calm till 10:30 and could see baitfish schools all over the lake everywhere and then at 10:35 wind was gusting to 17 mph and fighting 1 to 3 ft rollers and whitecaps. I caught just as many fish drifting as going into the rollers. In cleaning the fish, most were gorged full of minnows. Also caught 5 yellow perch too. Cleaned a couple of 8 inch ones. Didn’t have anything over 13.5” today, but had some nice sized males in their tuxes. Most females with eggs still not ready and at 12:30 pm water temp was 73. Water still cold as all get out deep.

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How long do you think this pattern will produce? Ended up with 15 over 10". Good seeing you today.


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I said I would let you guys know how I did long lining, went out Wednesday, for a cpl hrs, wasn't able to get out yesterday, I trolled jigs cause thats what I had tied on already, caught few for supper, and threw a bunch of small ones back, biggest one was 13.5, looked like egg sac was in early form, did get snagged a few times, but hey that's part of it. Had blast even though I only caught a few, but it was only a cpl hrs so..., Taking my mom out early Sunday, wish us luck. Oh I was trolling at.08,and nothing, increased speed to 1.5. and started to get bit, I probably should have changed speeds sooner.

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Originally Posted by Grizzly SC

How long do you think this pattern will produce? Ended up with 15 over 10". Good seeing you today.


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Right now, I think we are still in a prespawn as today, I caught a few of my fish suspended in the creek channel with it being 16-18’ deep and fish suspended in the middle of it. They still have to move up and spawn as the baitfish get ready to spawn against the banks. On the banks you have weedlines and in some of the arms and the shallow east bay, Lilly pads as they haven’t even started to grow yet. Land owners will have Aquatics Control come in once the weeds grown and spray at each home front and dock, but,they don’t spray everywhere. Once fish spawn, then you will find fish and have to cull the small ones about everywhere. I always catch my larger fish deeper tho and crankin is as deadly as it gets from now till late late fall. I used to crank a lot of limits out of Patoka in the timber and Painer Creek also. Still can scrounge a few here and there. My best in Indiana is a 17.5” out of Monroe on a row of stumps in the huge bay before you turn right going past Pine Grove and those stump rows,are still there. I am going to catch one more limit on Lemon then hit Monroe and Patoka myself. What will change everything and it’s a tossup is this above normal temps for the next week the weatherman is predicting. But no matter, the crappie are always in Lemon as it’s a good crappie lake so learn it as it as the fish cycle through the seasons and use what you learn on it when you fish other lakes. Personally, I don’t care to fight the jet skiers and pleasure boaters and sail boaters when school is out and the water warms on Lemon.

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Originally Posted by Grizzly SC

How long do you think this pattern will produce? Ended up with 15 over 10". Good seeing you today.


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Glad you caught some nice fish.

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Originally Posted by cevans

Right now, I think we are still in a prespawn as today, I caught a few of my fish suspended in the creek channel with it being 16-18’ deep and fish suspended in the middle of it. They still have to move up and spawn as the baitfish get ready to spawn against the banks. On the banks you have weedlines and in some of the arms and the shallow east bay, Lilly pads as they haven’t even started to grow yet. Land owners will have Aquatics Control come in once the weeds grown and spray at each home front and dock, but,they don’t spray everywhere. Once fish spawn, then you will find fish and have to cull the small ones about everywhere. I always catch my larger fish deeper tho and crankin is as deadly as it gets from now till late late fall. I used to crank a lot of limits out of Patoka in the timber and Painer Creek also. Still can scrounge a few here and there. My best in Indiana is a 17.5” out of Monroe on a row of stumps in the huge bay before you turn right going past Pine Grove and those stump rows,are still there. I am going to catch one more limit on Lemon then hit Monroe and Patoka myself. What will change everything and it’s a tossup is this above normal temps for the next week the weatherman is predicting. But no matter, the crappie are always in Lemon as it’s a good crappie lake so learn it as it as the fish cycle through the seasons and use what you learn on it when you fish other lakes. Personally, I don’t care to fight the jet skiers and pleasure boaters and sail boaters when school is out and the water warms on Lemon.

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I agree, gets too crowded by the end of May. Thanks again. Tom


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Originally Posted by coach mark

I said I would let you guys know how I did long lining, went out Wednesday, for a cpl hrs, wasn't able to get out yesterday, I trolled jigs cause thats what I had tied on already, caught few for supper, and threw a bunch of small ones back, biggest one was 13.5, looked like egg sac was in early form, did get snagged a few times, but hey that's part of it. Had blast even though I only caught a few, but it was only a cpl hrs so..., Taking my mom out early Sunday, wish us luck. Oh I was trolling at.08,and nothing, increased speed to 1.5. and started to get bit, I probably should have changed speeds sooner.

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Way to go! Experimentation is most productive as you have to become the predator! :) Stay in 7 to 11-12 ft of water and change up your speeds as well as colors. Most my fish are being caught a foot or two off the bottom so you might even want to play with weight of jigs as you longline. That huge bay on,the north side of the lake, work it from shallow to deep as you make passes down it to find the depth the fish are. If you have good electronics, you might pay attention to them to see where they are. There are stumps scattered all over in places on the lake as well that crappie will spawn around. :ThumbsUp