Yesterday started out windy, but still caught 90 fish

Just when I thought, what else is there to learn/ discover?, but over 144 fish in 2 days I guess counts for something in the - I never expected that! - category.

Tubes and curl tails have been low on my list of panfish lures, but then a saw posts of fish caught on them on crappie.com had to give them a try.

Conditions on the lake are ideal: the lake is lowered 5' so home owners can repair their docks. Fish are soooo easy to find and catch it's not funny! And, of course. time to test new and old lures.
The curl tail was the first and it caught everything!
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I downsized to a smaller ct in white and did just as well:
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Jig weight was light for the shallow water fish were found in - 1/24 oz.

Another was Mann's Shadow (minnow shaped). Crappie blasted it! It was rigged on a 1/32 oz jig.
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Small tubes also did great:
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But then a new idea I thought of blew me away: I remove the tail from a small curl tail grub and rigged the body on a 1/32 oz jig. Those little nippers couldn't resist nor the big 'uns that gulped it down like candy! (I added color using a Spike-It color pen.)
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There are others, but I don't want to bore you.....

Congrats on a fine two day total!

The only reason the count of 44 yesterdat wasn't higher was because the heat and humidity was brutal. A dark T shirt and no hat (forgot it in the truck) was bad enough; not even a breeze, no clouds, bright sun and high humidity was too much for this ol timer! Had to put on the AC when I got home and in Oct in N.Y. for chrise sake! A big cool down this weekend of +20 degrees with showers and thunder won't be conducive to trying more lures and I got a bunch!

Good job

Wow! Thanks for the ride along!
Bob

WTG, thanks for sharing your story with us

sound like you had a productive lure testing session:ThumbsUp

Those white CT's with a chartreuse tail have been a critter gitter for me;)

Today - another hot one. Tomorrow's another day before the cold front hits Fri.'
Thanks for the replies.

Good trip and numbers I’d be happy with.

Good numbers

Gotta say, the pill discovery and the fish it easily caught was totally unexpected! Small fish that nip the tail a dozen times on the same or next retrieve drive me nuts! This solves the problem once and for all and even catches fish that might not be inclined to bite.

Tip: remove curl or straight tail from a plastic grub. Lure body length should be 1" or less. Rig on a 1/32 oz ball head with #8 hook. Total weight casts a nice distance. Work real slow at an unsteady retrieve like for most soft plastics.
You will not be sorry. Even a kid can catch fish with the pill! Might even work under a float.

To continue...
Yesterday was another eye opener - 82 fish. But that wasn't the only thing that made it special.
The Beetle Spin came through catching perch, bass, crappie and sunnies.
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The curl tail shown did well by itself.

A larger pill did great!
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...as did the Shadow
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Another great day on the water !
The beetlespin can be a day saver , especially when it’s windy .

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Originally Posted by gillchaser999

Another great day on the water !
The beetlespin can be a day saver , especially when it’s windy .

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Couldn't have said it better!

Wondering if these lures will still do as well once the lake level returns to normal. The fish were caught in less than 4' and along two shorelines though I do see deeper fish on sonar mid-lake but can't catch them. At least I've been reminded of how well all of these lures did in late summer.

WhoEee Spoon. That is some kind of good fishing. Love the colors on the crappies. Pack it in as the winter is getting close to you. How late in the season still produces for you?
Bob

Quote:

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How late in the season still produces for you?

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Stop when my fingers & toes turn blue.

Depends on the average air temperature. Right now the sonar reads 59 degrees and the fish were biting like crazy in cool shallow water. Once they move out deeper (Nov.), when the water temp gets into the 40's, time to consider waiting for ice fishing to happen (... or at least dream of fishing through a hole in the middle of no where).

That's getting it done