Briery Creek Lake last Friday and this Friday

[The Mountain Man]

What a difference in a week. We hit Briery Creek about 9:00 last Friday, wind blowing out of the west 20-30 mph. Impossible to crappie fish where we wanted and when we got up the lake we got into an amazing day with the wrong fish but what a blast. A huge school of LM bass where busting small baitfish over about a five acre area. We tied to a stump and it was contstant action until about 2:00. I tied a gold and black Rapala floatin minnow to my favorite crappie rod, those bass where sure fun on that rod. I've been into schooling fish before but not the size these were. We caught 50 before they quit about 2:00. And no small ones, they were all 15 inches and up. Biggest one I landed was 21 inches, fat, baitfish tails sticking out of her mouth, over six pounds. Those bass had not spawned yet. Lost a huge fish right at the boat, she straightened out one of those crosslock snaps and took off with my favorite lure. I'd say 9-10 pound range for that one. Been along time since we seen a day like that one. Water temps were high 60's, 68 was as warm as we found. Those high winds and all those stumps will make you cuss. Now I would rather catch crappie any day but it sure was fun, 3, 4 and 5 pounders like that on light tackle on topwater. And on that lake the next strike could be the fish of a lifetime.

Took off early from work this Friday and we headed back. Lake was high and the stumps usually sticking up were just under the surface. No wind until we got to the lake, our favorite spot was dingy from all the rain and the fish would not cooperate. Winds started howling again so we headed in. Hit a hole on the way, wham, my buddy hits his first citation crappie, about 2 pounds, 15-1/2 inches long, fat with eggs. We drifted back thru there and picked up a fat male, black as he could be. Now here's a female busting with eggs and a male on a nest, lets search this hole good. Tied up to a stump, no shortage of these here. For the next 2 hours the bite was on. We ended up catching about 30, put 11 in the live well, threw back any under 12 inches. The males were ready and the females were busting with eggs. Water temp was 70, about 6-8 foot deep, they hit black and blue Kalins grubs on 1/16 oz lead heads. Got called into work on the way home so all those fish got a new home in my buddys pond. The citation was headed there anyway and after the call in I had no time to clean the rest so now we can catch them again some day.

Good luck to all that got to go this weekend, I wanted to go yesterday but wind was howling again, if you ever fished Briery in the wind you'll know why I stayed home.

[ShellQuacker]

Sounds like a great couple of trips Mountain!
Fun stuff.

[wasabi]

sounds like a dream trip! Good for you.

[Corker]

Great report! There haven't been too many detailed Briery reports in the past year. My normal fishing style doesn't mix with stumpy places like Lee Lake & Briery, but the kind of days you reported are enough to make me give it a try.

How much (if any) open water is there before you get into the stumps? One report last year cautioned that you should never stand up while moving. If stumps are that plentiful, how do you get from the ramp to parts of the lake that should hold nice specks?

[Flatwater]

Great report, thanks, I was heading up that way next week.
I only fished Briary once, and I hit a tree every 25 feet. Most were just under the surface. I did see outboards runing (5mph or less) but I could not figure out how, for that matter I cannot figure how to even run a trolling motor?? I would scull a smooth bottom boat. Ribbed boats would be impossible. I went in a kayak and got hung constantly even had a hard time getting off in a kayak sometimes.
Where would you fish if there is a tree every 20 feet and the whole lake is deep it seems.

[Corker]

Flatwater--What you describe sounds a lot like everything I've heard about Briery. Sounds like a small flat bottom skiff with a long push pole would be a good choice.

[Doodlum]

Sounds like you had a super two days. Seeing those bass feeding like that must be something. Take advantage of the situation is what I say. LB has been quiet lately, good to see a positive report coming out of there. Bet you won't be detecting for a while.

[fishman78]

Flatwater--What you describe sounds a lot like everything I've heard about Briery. Sounds like a small flat bottom skiff with a long push pole would be a good choice.

Briery really isn't that bad I fished it for years in my Bassmaster days. I have been told the lake is full of big crappie but haven't gave it a try yet. Buddy of mine sent me a pic of one from march that was over 3 lbs. Briery has places where you can run a outboard you just have to find the old briery creek channel and use it as a highway. The old channel also holds some pretty good fish. In briery there are trees everywhere so you have to forget about the trees and just fish the depth contours like you would any other lake. A very nice map is available at worsham grocery if they still sell em. I do agree about the wind, you do not want to be there when it is windy.

[bc1448]

Sounds like you had a great couple of days. Congrats to your buddy on his first citation crappie!!!
Blake

[horseshoer]

Sounds like a cpl good days there. Glad ya had a good time & caught fish.