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Sometimes second choices end up being best.
Despite the forecast for rain this morning, Steve, his brother Mark and myself made the decision to make a trip down to Gun Lake to chase bluegill and crappie. We met at Steves at 6 am and were soon on the road. We pulled into the access road at Gun at 7:00 and, to our surprise, the gate was locked. The signage said it was opened at 8:00 so we were faced with a decision, wait an hour to launch or head 10 miles south and fish Crooked Lake.
Being the patient person I am it was a no brainer, we were going to Crooked. About the time we hit Prairieville the steady sprinkle turned into a rain that would be uncomfortable to fish in so we were faced with decision #2, launch and fish in the rain or stop at a little mom and pop cafe and get breakfast. The food was very good and the older lady who runs the place could trade verbal jabs with the best of them. She even threatened me with a wooden paddle a nun would be proud to own. By the time we were done eating the rain had let up.
We soon had the boat in the water and were moving along the shore tossing red worms under bobbers into the shallows. It took a while before we found a school of real nice bluegills and sunfish and when we did it was steady action. When the bite slowed down,we went searching for another school and stumbled on a cluster of fresh beds with fish on them. Again it was fast and furious. We were using small Hali jigs under bobbers and tipping them with red worms and pieces of crawler.
On one very impressive cast my worm went one direction and Hali and bobber another direction. When I was reeling in to rebait, a nice crappie hit my Hali. I tried again and again I caught a crappie. Steve and Mark baited up with minnows and I grabbed a tube jig under a bobber and we went to town catching crappie one after another. They were holding around a partially submerged dock and boat lift. Most were in the 10-11 inch range but some were 12"+. Biggest was 13 1/2 and weighed a spawned out 1lb 2 oz. A quick count told us we had a 3 man limit so we played a little catch and release. First time I've ever thrown back 12" crappie. It didn't hurt that bad.
Water temp was low to mid 60's and we saw just the one set of beds. The crappie were spawned out and the gills are just staging to spawn. Our total was 48 gills and 27 crappie with one bonus perch thrown in. Mark can probably beat Jeff in a no talk contest and could hold his against Capt. Sinkie in a spill the worm dirt contest. Hope you enjoy the pictures.
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