Chick a little slow

[Don French]

Just a quick report from the river below Walkers; Friday evening on incoming I picked up 6 in about an hour, 1/2-3/4 lb.- average river fish. Got out for a while Saturday afternoon and picked up only two on a slack tide. I had been using BG tiny shad on 1/16 oz Friday and most of Saturday. Just before coming in Saturday I switched to stacked Lunker City fin-s-shads on 1/32 jigs and picked up the last two in quick succession. Probably should have been using the smaller jig all along. Had to leave for Pennsylvania for work, so I didn't get to continue the experiment. Best wishes to all.

[Anchor Man]

WTG Don, it must be nice to live on the water.

[woodduck1956]

the fish were not so cooperative for me either on sat. i fished from 8:30-4:00 and took 12 home with me

[jim.b]

good report don. it seems like that place turns on when it gets COLD.

[Don French]

Jim B. is right, cold seems to be the thing on the Chick. I've been fishing it for over 30 years and I have learned a few things. The primary effect of cold water is to finally convince the bait and the gamefish to completely abandon the shallows. Even at that, they will return to the deep flats with the smallest rise in water temperature. This makes the fish easier to locate. It also makes it easier to choose a proper presentation. When the water is just over 32 the crappie will be glued to the bottom in the channel. When the water is warm, as it is now, they will just remain loosely schooled and follow the bait.

The hydrilla which has taken over the flats in the last 15 years acts to keep the bait up on the flats longer into the season, delaying the time when the crappie and bass move out to the channel. There is still a lot of thick hydrilla on the flats and it will remain until the water gets much colder.

Looking forward, the largest bass are out in the channel or along the edges of the deep drops. I am talking about 5 to 8 lb. specimens. They will move up on the flats to forage under the right conditions, but are mostly feeeding on moving shad on the outgoing tide from now through January.

Although they are not often fished, the large crappie are usually around deep creek mouths, deep outside bends, and deeper wood structure.

[TapOut64]

Good info Don. I have only fished that river twice without much luck.

[Slack Tide]

favor the flats thats where they at ...bait gotta eat too. find bait find predators so to speak... they feed on the micro stuff..........thats why I say go small and slow the little cripples dont last long in a fish eat fish world