Some days the surprises keep roll'n in

The day started out calm but that was to change with wind over12 mph. I caught a few in shallow water but hit or miss. Schools are the goal as well as patterns when I fish and I wasn't disappointed.

As I was working a certain area I noticed a gent casting a float way out from shore - and catching crappie! The structure he was fishing consisted of a large hard flat that came out far and parallel to the shore for 30 yds. I bypassed is casting radius keeping the boat beyond the shallow drop and dang! I caught over 15 in no time.

As usual I wanted to test different lure hybrids I came up with but hadn't had much luck with on other days. But when fish activity is wild, most anything gets bit.

This one was made using a grub body and Fin S tail. Not my favorite tail action but it did catch fish.:
https://i.imgur.com/0Y0m5Ra.jpg

A similar tail was from a Mann's Shadow minnow added to a French Fry stick segment rigged to a wire weed-guard jig - something I haven't given much of a chance. It did well:
https://i.imgur.com/0CcDMGB.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/rE9X0pm.jpg
No more stump snags (or at least fewer).

I went back to the spot in the afternoon and found better size school crappie south of the flat bordering deeper water. These fish - 10 plus caught - averaged over 10" using my hand poured Mojo grub along with a crappie Magnet tail hybrid:



dark gray Mojo thin tail and Crappie Magnet tail attached to a Mojo grub body:
https://i.imgur.com/MvpASmI.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/274WrHQ.jpg?1

Crappie Magnet tail:
https://i.imgur.com/cyk3nRV.jpg

They also caught bass and yellow perch:
https://i.imgur.com/qi8Bqw3.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/cs0NuKA.jpg?1

Mojo grub thin-tail caught some decent sunfish (this one over 8"):
https://i.imgur.com/LYsxGnw.jpg?1

Other soft plastic designs came through but you get the picture.

If I had seen the wind blowing this much at home, I probably wouldn't have gone. Glad I did!

Great story and photos, Spoon. We have a nice day coming here and I’m going to give a try at the creek. First time since the last bad storm. Stream conditions and topography have changed, I’m sure.
Bob

looks like good time to me :highfive
KABOOM

Wind can be your friend sometimes, good catches.

Soynds like an awesome time

Fun time for sure, congratulations

If that angler hadn't been casting that float way out from shore and then caught fish (on who knows what) while I watched, that would have been at least two dozen less fish caught by me. Since he stayed on that spot, I made sure I gave him some distance. No point p'ing someone off who did me a favor.
It is the first time I saw fish after fish being caught under a float using a lure - other than myself. I wish I knew what he was using.

Strange how fishing fate mysteriously works in our favor sometimes. I'm sure all of you have stories to tell - many that have posted them on c.com.

Great report. Adapting too the conditions or patterns is important. Good stuff!

Kind of interesting seeing others thoughts on wind. If I see 10-15 in the forecast that is a low wind day. We get some days less than that but not enough to be picky.

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Originally Posted by zummy

Kind of interesting seeing others thoughts on wind. If I see 10-15 in the forecast that is a low wind day. We get some days less than that but not enough to be picky.

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Yep, where you are is certainly relative. If I’m out flying R/C and the forecast is greater than 15 steady most times I’ll take a pass. Not if I were in Kansas, Oklahoma, Wyoming, etc. I would need a new hobby.
Bob

Good trip Spoon. You did lot’s better than my latest trip, which netted me 1barely legal redfish. I need to take some different stuff with me next time.

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my latest trip, which netted me 1barely legal redfish.

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Know the feeling. One other lake a alternate fishing is hit or miss - mostly miss - but when fish are on, they're on big time especially for large crappie and numbers!

Funny though, this angler I gave some of my creations to before that day, met me at the parking lot and said he caught over 30 fish from a few different shore areas. He doesn't have a boat nor knows the depths but seems to do very well even with those limitations. He hated it when one of my lures he was catching fish was lost to a snag (stump) and then he caught fish on a chartreuse curl tail grub. (I pretty much don't use curl tails.)

Go figure.

Nice mixed bag of fish !

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One other lake I alternate fishing is hit or miss - mostly miss - but when fish are on, they're on big time especially for large crappie and numbers!

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Fished that lake today mostly to learn more about shallow and deep structure, but was pleasently surprised by some decent size crappie and sunfish:

https://i.imgur.com/2eaEu3C.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/pouJtdx.jpg?1

Note: the above crappie was 14" and the sunfish around 10". Most crappie were over 10", 5 were just over 11" - 42 fish in all. (quality vs quantitiy)
Alternating lures seemed to help especially in areas I anchored that had loose fish schools in different directions around the boat.
The Crappie Magnet did well catching sunfish and crappie in 7':
https://i.imgur.com/gi98ZOm.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/3Yl3eP7.jpg

3 -14" bass hit in open water. but like all the other fish, in 6.5' - 7':
https://i.imgur.com/yElGtrq.jpg

Nice job! thanks for the post.

Those are some nice ones. I like to fish float and fly ( jig). It can be productive

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I like to fish float and fly ( jig). It can be productive

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I showed a gent how to use that presentation today except with small soft plastics and a 1/32 oz jig.

Nice bro