Chickamauga Lake crappie report: 02/19/2017

[drumking]

Today was the first day in over a week to crappie fish because of illness. What Dr Phil and I lacked in numbers, we made up for with good quality keeper fish.

After experimenting with the long line method of presenting lures to suspended crappie (without success I might add), we went back to casting and presenting baits to the fish like we normally do. We did have to resort to Floaters and Bobby Garland plastics fished about 3-4 feet deep in 8-15 feet of water. Dr Phil caught the first two keepers on Full Moon Slab Slayers and I landed one on a Gum Drop Slab Slayer. The fish didn't seem to want anymore like that, so I had an idea to try the Itty Bitty BG lure on a 1/24 oz jig with lite wire hooks. The fish liked that lure, so we both threw that for the rest of the time that we had left to fish.

It was a zoo out there with all the parking lots packed out to the maximum and that all reminded me why I usually don't fish for crappie during the pre-spawn period. Boats on every little nook and cranny on the mid to lower end of the lake. It shouldn't be so bad this week when we take the students from Chattanooga Christian School out on their annual interium. One 1/2 day of classroom teaching and 2 half days of fishing with at least a couple of students each. We have about 8 or more guides to help with the kids this year. I'm really looking forward to the experience again and also to completely get over this curd that is going around. I'm not contagious now. Grin.

[Slabprowler]

Glad to hear your on the up hill swang of the crud.nice day out congrats on some good fish!

[hdhntr]

drive by that lake when going to FL and always wondered how it was to fish. will be blowing by again in two weeks.

["D"]

Glad you are back at it. As always nice report and super picks.

[BassERT]

Nice looking specs there, Boys!
Good on ya

[jeffrovol]

Nice. We are going to come down this weekend and give it a try. My son finished wrestling up this past weekend so now it is game on. Novorandall is probably ready to kill me I am so giddy. Just trying to dodge the flu bug that is hitting like a mad dog up here.

[Sore lip slab]

After experimenting with the long line method of presenting lures to suspended crappie (without success I might add), we went back to casting and presenting baits to the fish like we normally do. We did have to resort to Floaters and Bobby Garland plastics fished about 3-4 feet deep in 8-15 feet of water.

Great report. Nice pics. When you fish with floaters, are you targeting suspended crappie you see on your electronics or fishing a ledge or other structure? Still trying to figure out how to decide when to stop staring at my electronics and when to fish. Thanks.


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[Kingfish1]

Glad you're feeling better. What a great thing..teaching the kids to fish. WTG