Weird spring?

Things seem so different this year than they did last year. I had just started long lining around this time last year. We were catching good numbers of good 13-15” fish last year. That continued into early June. Today we kept 14 on a quick trip after work. All were caught pulling jigs in 4-5 FOW over grass. All fish in the 10-11” range. I don’t know where the bigger fish are. I was catching mostly 13-15” fish in the same area last year. I haven’t caught a fish over 11 1/2” in 3 trips this week. Today is the only day we’ve even kept any. With one year of experience I don’t know what’s going on but I don’t understand why the bigger fish aren’t where they were last year. I caught good fish in this area last year until the grass got y’all enough that I couldn’t fish it, then just moved out deeper and kept catching them until the water got hot in early June. I fish a lot but don’t keep a lot for the freezer. I kept at most 150 crappie last year. Not more than 1/2 of them from this area. I may be the only one who fishes this particular area who multi pole fishes. I’ve never seen anyone crappie fishing there with more than one pole. They are all beating the banks.

One interesting thing... where I fish on Guntersville every time I catch crappie I catch pretty much the same amount of yellow bass. Sometimes twice as many yellow bass as crappie. Until about 10 days ago that was still happening. In 3 trips longlining this week not only have the crappie been smaller and fewer caught there have been almost no yellow bass caught either. In 3 trips we’ve caught 2 yellow bass. I don’t like catching them but I noticed very quickly when I started crappie fishing that if I caught yellow bass, crappie were close by too and vise versa.

I don’t want anyone to think I’m complaining, I’m just trying to learn something from what’s going on. Anyway, I’m tired and I’m rambling but it’s weird, at least compared to last year.

Proud to have a mess for supper tomorrow night.

https://i.postimg.cc/Hx6CQyNc/4-FEA3...-C66296-A5.jpg

Move out to the closest shade/deeper water and you will prolly find the big girls emptied out and resting up from their journey!
weather has been very different this year for sure so don’t give up on em being done! Everybody talking about it being over but still catching females in 7-9 fow full of eggs ! I know surface temp is around 70° but I’d like to know what it is in 4-5 fow on the bottom!

I’ve noticed the same thing on a couple of my bank spots about the yellow bass. Last spring I tried them a little early and caught yellow bass like crazy and even after the crappie moved in. This year I started about the same time and might have caught 10 bass so far. Also haven’t caught as many good size crappie.


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The crappie have moved north in coolers.. lol

Mitch I'm sure the water hasn't warmed up nearly as much, that deep. I know surface temp changes pretty fast but it just seemed real fast, this time, to me. LOL

The bigger fish may have moved out deeper, but I still don't know why they would have moved out so much sooner than they did last year.

Rule number 1 bait fish, rule number 2 bait fish, and rule number 3 bait fish. Every thing follows the bait fish find them and the Crappie and the yellow bellies will be close. Don’t try to over think this refer to rule number 1 and if that don’t work try rule number 2 and if that don’t work try rule number 3. Every year things change, it is not always the same but the one thing that does not change is they follow the bait fish.


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What's rule number 4? LOL

It's hard to see bait fish on SI when you're fishing in a jungle.

If the bait fish aren't where they were all spring and early summer last year, then I have to ask the question of why aren't they in there?

Phillip, you know me well enough now that you should know that with me every answer just brings up another question. :biggrin

I like to over analyze everything, then fuss at myself when I find the simple answer.

Every year is different, for sure.
I like facts and conclusions, however Crappie don’t seem to like facts and conclusions! LOL


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by FurFlyin

What's rule number 4? LOL

It's hard to see bait fish on SI when you're fishing in a jungle.

If the bait fish aren't where they were all spring and early summer last year, then I have to ask the question of why aren't they in there?

Phillip, you know me well enough now that you should know that with me every answer just brings up another question. :biggrin

I like to over analyze everything, then fuss at myself when I find the simple answer.

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Don’t rely on si or di too much, use sonar more to see the bait fish balls.


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I think the big girls hit the bank right away when the conditions are right. Seems to me we are now on our third wave of spawning fish. This cold front may push the next wave off for another week or so. Just my guess on this one. Nice looking mess of fish Brad, those'll eat well.

Fur, I look for surface activity. I there is a lot of bait around you should see them on the surface. Also green carp will be rolling on them. Jim, water stayed cold so long that they all
came
up and spawned when it got warm enough. I fished big g today and 90 percent of what we caught were males.
fished same area last sat. Ended with 53 and most were females. That tell me something!

Yep been a unusual spring for everything fish and turkeys. Maybe the eary summer bite will be good.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Redge

I like facts and conclusions, however Crappie don’t seem to like facts and conclusions! LOL


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I think that's the most true statement I've ever read about crappie fishing.

Different year ! Different weather patterns! Last year February was a record warm month then the temps fell and we had to wear coats up until almost June ! This year except for some cold nights the days have been warm sense February other than a few cold snaps !

Yes, it sure has been different weather wise.

Try crankbaits for a change.

IMO the bigger fish spawned out in March when the water hit 60 .I am bothered by the number of females that still have eggs in them but the eggs are dead . of the 15 girls I kept this weekend only 4 had eggs that were bright yellow and blood in them , all the others were the beige to tan color with no red blood vessels meaning they are not going to lay them but will be absorbing them as for some reason they did not lay. Just seems like a greater number this year not having live eggs than in the past.

I'm afraid it's been like that for the last few years. Lots of fish not laying out. It only takes a small amount to repopulate but after 3 or 4 years you got to wonder. I still see plenty of fish even when they want bite so I guess it's ok for now. Sure wish we could get a few good years in. Last 4 years it's been cold fronts and flooding. Been a while since I smoked them every trip.

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No loss of spawn on the north end some fish are just now spawning! Because of cold nights the water less than 4’ never got real warm except up in the evenings then it would cool back off . the water that was 5’ plus stayed within 3-4° mostly
still catching females this week that has moved up to 3-4’ where Mostly males were last week! And some theses fishes are 11/2-2#!