Muddy water coming

[CrappieJohn]

I just looked out my kitchen window at the stream that runs past our backyard and it is the color of coffee with too much cream in it. Just Saturday I was fishing a lake where this brew will end up and the water was just starting to be "crappie ready", but this will slow it down. Big time !!. That lake had 59 degree water down to about five feet and was clear, considering what it normally is, due to the lack of rain. The craps were just beginning to show scuffing of the fins from fanning, but they hadn't begun to blacken much. And they were just stating to show up in the afternoons in small bays and shallow shoreline water...mornings were still a deep water/wood affair....but they were shifting quite nicely. This will be a setback, but it happens every year and is actually attached to a positive note...we'll get to fish them a bit longer before they retreat to the summer water where they become harder to find. Good fishing.....Crapster

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Sure life happens- why wait

[CrappieJohn]

The muddy water I thought would plaque me for the next week never seemed to get to the lake! A little debris has shown up, but the dirty water did not. I was out for a four hour guide job this morning and found the puddle dirt-free. The pond was up by about two feet though and the fish were scattered a bit. Caught quite a few craps and a ton of sunnies. This inquiring mind wants to know...Why would all of a sudden the sunfish start hitting way high up in the water column where there is no wood or weeds or anything? We nailed the heck out of sunfish way high over 14 feet of water with the nearest wood under them by four feet. Crappies are the normal fare at this site and today you couldn't buy one there. The sunfish were thick in the spot though. I have never seen this sort of behavior in sunnies before. I do not normally fish for the sunnies, but do catch quite a few while crappie fishing. If anyone has a take on this, throw me a reply. Good fishing ...Crapster

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Sure life happens- why wait

[Jim W]

TOm,

Again, I am no panfish expert, but could it have something to do with the increase of flow and water? Possibly stirring up some invertebrates or food the sunnies usually don't get to feed on? WIth the clearer water you mention, this might help them see the food better?
No answers, just questions and thinking out loud?

Jim W

[CrappieJohn]

Hey Jim...same old,same old...sunnies where the craps WERE. Tons of the birds and some are really dandies. As you know, the water is way up now and full of junk. The rain can quit now for , say, a week and a half. I need to mow the lawn. Know where I can rent a baler?LOL Crapster

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Sure life happens- why wait

[CrappieJohn]

For anyone interested in the water conditions on Lake Zumbro, the Zumbro river from Rochester to the Miss., and the surrounding area waters...the word is high and muddy. Lake Zumbro is under a "no wake" warning and has lots of debris on it. It is also coming up very quickly...six inches since last night. Lots of water in the Zumbro river at Rochester. Below the dam the water appears to be up about four feet and the Cascade is rolling right along as well. And the Mississippi is going to rise again, just as it was beginning to drop nicely.Welcome to Minnesota.eh? Good fishing....Crapster

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Sure life happens- why wait