Crankbait bite on Beaver is on.

Went out Friday AM and picked up 8 crappie along with a few whites and Spots. First fish I have caught trolling this year. Did real well with a Rapala TD7 which was a surprise, I was trolling it hoping to pick up a walleye or two, but ended up catching crappie on it. I did catch a few on Bandit 300's also.

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Thanks for the post and picks QB, nice fish. CP

way to qb...pulling cranks is an enjoyable way to fish...good job

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Originally Posted by Quillback

Went out Friday AM and picked up 8 crappie along with a few whites and Spots. First fish I have caught trolling this year. Did real well with a Rapala TD7 which was a surprise, I was trolling it hoping to pick up a walleye or two, but ended up catching crappie on it. I did catch a few on Bandit 300's also.

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So, how 'bout some details as to the type water, etc you were fishing. I have not been able to make the crankbait bite workl on Ouahita this year--yet.

Thanks for the report.

aj

I was trolling some main lake flats near the confluence of War Eagle and the White river arms. 20-30 feet of water. Fish appeared to be spawned out females for the most part, flat bellies and hungry looking. I would think that if the crankbait bite has started on Beaver it should be going real soon on Ouchita. That's a lake I would like to try some day, but it's so darn far to haul the boat. It's tough to get a limit on Beaver.

Thanks for the report...I plan to start cranking Greer's soon.

I think I know the flat you were trolling, I've never done any trolling, I need to set my boat up for it and give it a try.
A buddy and I went out Friday night and fished about a mile south of the War Eagle. We fished 16 foot deep water and fished black and white tube jigs 2-4 feet off the bottom till dark and caught several fish 8-9 inchs long, but no keepers. After dark we fished over a floating light in 20 - 45 foot deep water over brush piles close to the creek channels and caught over a 100 white bass and crappie, I don't know why but big fish are hard to come by. We only had 21 crappie that were keepers and about 12 white bass that were at least a pound, the biggest crappie was 15 inchs. We fished minnows and black and white tube jigs from daylight to dark and most fish were caught on the jigs. We did'nt fish a specifc depth we just cast out 20 feet from the boat and wait for them to hit it on the fall, once it settled we reeled it up till they hit it.

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Originally Posted by Quillback

I was trolling some main lake flats near the confluence of War Eagle and the White river arms. 20-30 feet of water. Fish appeared to be spawned out females for the most part, flat bellies and hungry looking. I would think that if the crankbait bite has started on Beaver it should be going real soon on Ouchita. That's a lake I would like to try some day, but it's so darn far to haul the boat. It's tough to get a limit on Beaver.

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I was in the bait shop the other day and this ole' country boy that works there told me of a hot dog bass fisherman that came in after pulling up w/ a $40,000 duelie and a big ole 40-or 50,000 dollar boat behind.

He bought his goodies and as he started out he door, ole' Carlos said, "Good luck on the lake, sir." The guy looke back and said with a sneer, "I don't NEED luck, son." Carlos, without missing a beat, came right back and said, "Well, I can rightly tell you haven't fished Ouachita."

When Carlos told me that I just laughed out loud, knowing all too well the truth that rang in his words. I wonder if ole' hot shot caught a fish that day or not. :D

I caught two or three short fish on the 300's day-before yesterday but no crappie. I'm sure I'll connect soon. This time of year, once the sun is up real good and/or the wind gets up, I leave the brush piles and the vertical jigging behind and throw out the bandits and troll the ledges near channel junctions and such. Thanks for the info.

aj

Yeah I'd probably go down to Ouchita with high hopes and end up getting skunked. I did get 8 keepers Saturday morning, I was fairly pleased with myself. I've slowed down my trolling speed, I've got a transom mount electric trolling motor and I set it at 25, on a range of 0-100. Don't know what I'm doing in terms of MPH, one of these days I'll measure it with the GPS.

Also I've started using lighter colored Bandits, firetiger just isn't working for me this year. I have a custom painted one, it's in the pic, silver on top, fading to white on the bottom, the crappie seemed to like it best on Saturday. Also picked up a couple on the shad colored Rapala TD7.

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Nice crappie... Congrats on the catch!
Blake

At there's purty crappie QuillBack.:)

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Originally Posted by Arkie John

I was in the bait shop the other day and this ole' country boy that works there told me of a hot dog bass fisherman that came in after pulling up w/ a $40,000 duelie and a big ole 40-or 50,000 dollar boat behind.

He bought his goodies and as he started out he door, ole' Carlos said, "Good luck on the lake, sir." The guy looke back and said with a sneer, "I don't NEED luck, son." Carlos, without missing a beat, came right back and said, "Well, I can rightly tell you haven't fished Ouachita."

When Carlos told me that I just laughed out loud, knowing all too well the truth that rang in his words. I wonder if ole' hot shot caught a fish that day or not. :D

aj

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John
Waz that at Trader Bill's? I see those rigs everytime I stop there. When I see them on the lake, they are going to fast to catch a crappie. It is a little too late in the year right now. But, I love to throw roostertails at bull bream. I catch my fair share of bass on them too. When those rigs get too close, I start griping about how the bass "just will not leave me alone" and ask the big shots if they want them. It gets me a cussing everynow and then. But, it is funny.
DP