Recent results at LCR

[Corker]

Little Creek Reservoir is in excellent condition (full pool, WT = mid-80s, and visibility of 10'+) and the bite
ranges from fair to good. I'm averaging 10 to 20 for a half-day of fishing, and at least 50% are a keepable
size (10"+). Here's a 12-incher from this morning.


As has been the case for several years, catching LCR crappie in the summer means fishing in and around grass.
Large grass beds are developing in water as deep as 20'. Since there's very little structure, the crappie hold
in the grass and along the edges of the beds.

Ring perch also love grass beds and my minnows. Here's today's
best RP (12.5")


and yesterday's (13.25")


For several weeks, LCR's given up an average of almost 1 citation RP per fishing day.

Looking ahead, the next couple of days will be "interesting"...but after the storm blows through, LCR
will still be clear and fishable. Andy posts occasional fishing reports on his website, so anything significant
will be here.

[TomO]

Great report. I'll give the grass bed pattern a shot in Lake Prince.

[wasabi]

Good report. Glad to see you getting out.

My local lake is going to grass up soon. Do you push minnows up to the edges of grass? Or do you push them along the edge and keep moving? The grassline grows irregularly as does the depth of it so has always been darn near impossible for me to push minnows along the edge without constant hang ups...?

[Corker]

constant hang ups...?

They're an acquired taste. If you're not hung up, your baits aren't in the right place.

There are several common types of SAV and I can't name any of it. The grass here is long and stringy and it grows in spires before filling in. Whenever the bait is outside the ragged grassline or slipping through the spires, it's in play. Later in the season, the beds fill in and I have to drag baits along the outside edge. It's messy and can be frustrating, but that's where the fish are hiding.

In order to minimize the hangups, I streamlined my rig--removing or replacing anything that will catch the long stringy grass. The swivel's on the rod tip, not the lower end of the line. The cork is the only thing between the rod tip and the eye of a 1/4 oz ball-head jig cast on a #2 Aberdeen hook. Leaders, weights, and unnecessary knots are gone. The single knot is tied so the tail points backward and the ball-head shape slips through the weeds with minimal hangups (but there's probably a better shape.) Minnows already have the perfect shape.

[tahoe 50]

Thanks for the report. I have fished LCR twice and both times did well. And you are right on how clear the water is. Nice fish too.

[jim.b]

Great to get a report Richard.

[JET4]

Nice report, nice fish

[crappie wannabe]

Glad to see you have the "know how" for that lake, I'm sort like a guy who responded to your post earlier in the year, that had almost blanked out in about 6 trips, and had taken it off his list. Of course that's not the only place I have been and not caught any. DR can be bad at times. Seems I have blanked at briery also.
Nice ringers, whats he largest ringer you have caught there? I guess you throw most of them back.

[Corker]

CW--You're quite right about LCR being very stingy. It has no bridges, docks, or anything else with a piling. Good laydowns are few and far between...and "far" becomes "farther" when you factor in the TMO travel time from spot to spot. Also, it seems the fish move around a lot. When I'm lucky enough to locate a few, they're gone the next time I return. One day, I fished 12 dry holes (all were spots that had produced before) before finding them. Next trip, that spot was dry, too.

On the plus side, LCR offers beautiful scenery and lots of peaceful secluded spots. The extra clear water allows you to see the fish as you bring them in--it's great to see that unmistakable silver flash six to ten feet down! The lake does have a decent crappie population, but you have to work to find them.

Mostly I fish deep, so I catch ringers year-round. They've all been under 14", but Doodlum has landed a few that were over 14". Most days, I find a few that are a keepable size, but they normally get a pass.

[Idunno]

Nice post, Corker. Thanks for letting us know of the bite.