Crappie Report

From my neck of the woods.....
Water temps are on the rise hitting 61° yesterday, the word is out that the crappie are spawning however they are a bit early.
Several several bank beaters out yesterday with only a few fishermen having a couple to a few small males to show for it, most had that stripped cat riding in the passenger seat....
Meanwhile I put the work in reading and trusting my ole school electronics and seen the fish were not roaming the open waters as they have been the past month and were holding near/tight to structure in 10 to 14fow. I proceeded to single pole and got on some good fish.....
I seen at least 20 boats out spidering and I only seen a few fish caught by some of them and most of those were dinks.....
Moral of this story regardless of the reports you hear or read trust your electronics to put you on fish at the time you're on the three lake......

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Nice report, thanks. Not sure where your neck of the woods is, but it's a whole different story here. I'm on the T/O border. I went out today and found some fish on drop offs in about 14'/18 feet. However they were not In a munching kind of mood. Water temp was 46. I managed a measly 4 fish in two hrs. Oh well, I'll get them next time.

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mid 50 range I hear at the last spot I hit in mid dfw , and the bite was a bit off there for me

Nice fish SK. The trees have all started to bud here over the last 2 or 3 days. Can't wait to get back on the water. My fish finder fried out last week. Looks like I'll have a new one installed just in time for it to rain every day for the next 2 weeks! Keep the videos coming btw.

Good work SK.

I don't know the water temp, but yesterday I made my first trip to a spot that usually holds fish after the confused weather starts jumping cold to warm to cold like it is, and it was a tough day. Only managed three takers, and all three wrapped me up in cover and ended up as five lost jigs on the scoresheet. Added another lost when a fixed Thill cut the line and sent both on a one way flight. If it wasn't for two eager little sandies, it was skunk city. I've never felt the need to go to braid, even at this spot, but it probably would've came in handy yesterday.

Yeah on the braid. I switched to 20 lb braid with light fluoro-coated line for leaders/drops on my spider rigs. Really helps reduce lost rigs. Thinking about going to the same setup with my single pole setup for jigging.

Thanks for the report, not many post on our Texas site, need more.

I keep toying with the idea of braid. I've tried it before, but I guess it's that whole comfort and confidence thing. I think the mono works better for me when I need some movement as it's a bit more subdued and keeps me in better shape if I get carried away with it lol. I've also started getting where I'd rather cut the line (if the brush doesn't want to give me my jig back that easily) rather than disturb the area trying to get it back, and mono is cheaper. Plus, I like being a old school mono/no leaders guy too. I'll probably spool some on a pole eventually though. In this weekend's situation, after sitting in 30 degree weather and off/on drizzle, I'd much rather have been able to yank those 3 crappie out than lose jigs and still not get one crappie in my hands in the end.

i think braid with a 3 594 ft leader is the way to go. When you do brake off you don't leave a big was of line on the pile. Just my thoughts.

That's a 3 to 4 foot leader. Sorry

I'm with ya lilstick mono works best for me as well.

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I’m about to make a change. I don’t know what direction I’ll go though

The latest report is as follows
The fish are as confused as the weather:Rofl

Lol. It’s something ain’t it. I was on my way to work this morning, taking backroads and already late because of the icy mixmaster closure, and I thought for sure I saw a dogwood in bloom. I pulled over thinking no way. I got out for a close up and I’m pretty sure it was just some kind of disheveled white pear tree that didn’t know it was supposed to be shaped like a pear tree.

Didnt something like like this happen last year around this time and the water temps fell a whole bunch?

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Originally Posted by LittleStick

Lol. It’s something ain’t it. I was on my way to work this morning, taking backroads and already late because of the icy mixmaster closure, and I thought for sure I saw a dogwood in bloom. I pulled over thinking no way. I got out for a close up and I’m pretty sure it was just some kind of disheveled white pear tree that didn’t know it was supposed to be shaped like a pear tree.

Didnt something like like this happen last year around this time and the water temps fell a whole bunch?

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Wasn't in the area this time last year a buddy of mine in Denton was talking about some kind of plant tree or flower the other day tho

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Here in East Texas, the dogwoods have bloomed, the fruit trees have bloomed and the willows are starting to bloom. Next week the nightly temps will be in the mid 20's. Crazy.

Good looking catch SK. I guess things were going well on Lake Houston that day.

my other half has had the flu all week and least weekend I had some kind of make you feel like death virus myself .
so I haven't been able to hunt them down and this weekend aint looking like I am going to get much chance either .
but no worries I am pretty sure its about one tough bite here locally in ft worth as I aint heard a peep about anyone being on fish .
never say never though and I may go wet a jig if given the slightest chance .
desperate times call for desperate measures and I might just go off the chart on a search and destroy venue.
I said might ... :Rofl

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Originally Posted by TX5

Good looking catch SK. I guess things were going well on Lake Houston that day.

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Once day it is the next it ain't..... along with the weather....
They are/were getting a lot better...

Good advice as usual, SK. Enjoy your videos, they often make me jealous. Most of the time, actually. :)

For me, Braid is the way to go for fishing jigs as it is much more sensitive than mono. I feel the thump better and it is much stronger. With light wire hook jigs I'm able to bend the hook and get the jig back most of the time. I use a 2 to 4' leader of 8 to 10lb flourocarbon tied to the braid using a uni to uni knot. Trim it close and it slides through the rod guides no problem. Leader will break before the expensive braid or knot will fail. Minimizes line left in the water. I use 8 to 10 lb fluorocarbon or P-line flouro coated line on some of my medium light spinning rods and save the spool remnants for leader material.

SK -I'm new to the Houston area and appreciate your videos and posts. Love the slow mo thump. I too love single rod vertical jigging. Have a cool setup for fishing less than 6' that I learned at Lake Talquin back home in FL. Works great in heavy brush and vegetation (lily pads). Haven't really found that kind of environment here yet. Grass carp on Conroe! Looking to try Lake Houston, Livingston and Somerville.