What's workin' now?

[Matt Johnson]

Good report Tom. Sounds like you had nice batch of fish holding off that breakline. Did it flatten out at all where you caught the majority of your aggressive fish? I think we're seeing a deeper spawn this year for some reason. I've noticed a few of the same characteristics as you explained as well. The shallow beds are vacant, and have been for a while from what I've seen lately, but I think we still have an active group of fish off the first break once the bottom flattens out a bit. Almost a guarantee lately. I would be willing to bet that those active fish are sitting on mid-depth beds...

Anyone got scuba gear?

Good Fishin,
Matt Johnson

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[This message has been edited by Matt Johnson (edited 07-01-2004).]

[CrappieJohn]

The hog dog today was in at about 12". Male. there is no flat where we were taking the bulkof these fish. It just drops downinto deeper water in the main channel with a solid current. The spawn in the two that were carrying was in poor shape. I don't think that spawning is much of an option, but I may be wrong. We checked some traditional shoreline and saw nothing that would indicate bedding activity. I've seen the really large fish spawn earlier than the run-of -the-mill fish in deep water bedding areas, but I think its too late for anything now. The carp activity was outrageous today. I guess its just wait and see. Got a box full of new Culprit products today and plan to try these new Swim Fin Grubs on the next outting. They look interesting and with the warmer water a bit of up-sizing can yeild some good catches. Interesting colors too. I'll report on the success with such.

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Plastics...making better fishermen without bait! Good Fishing Guys! CrappieTom

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[Matt Johnson]

Tom,
So you found a deeper spawning area earlier this year? Maybe its just a location thing, nothing to do with spawning at all. Did you see beds in shallow without fish on them, or no beds at all? How about the carp spawn? Those carp breaking surface and splashing around are dropping eggs, and I think that might have something to do with the bite. I've noticed that in other lakes recently too, areas next to carp activity seem productive...

Good Fishin,
Matt Johnson

------------------
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[CALVINIST]

What is the best way to get crappies that are suspended in 20-25 FOW at about 18'? I am talking about lake Minnetonka.

Thakns

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<><<><
Calvinist
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[CrappieJohn]

Calvinist....I'd approach them in a couple fashions. Either try to vertical jig them (least preferable) or anchor to the side of the fish and cast jigs past them and let the jig fall on a tight line down to the fish. Use very soft and light line for idea #2 and as light a jig as possible. If you have a gentle breeze, you may try situating the boat upwind of the fish and simply drop a jig (1/8-1/4) with a twister or other plastic down to their level and just drift across and thru them. Minnows could also be used if plastic is not your thing. One primary concern is noise....you must stay very quiet in the boat regardless of which technique you decide on.

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Plastics...making better fishermen without bait! Good Fishing Guys! CrappieTom

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[CALVINIST]

Thanks Crappie Tom,

Yeah, the crappies I had gotten on Tonka so far were gotten on GULP 2" minnow grub in chartreuse fishing for walleyes, just jigging along close to the bottom. I will definitely try to target these crappies by using the techniques you outlined.

Have you ever fished Parker's lake? I live very close to Parker's, (2/10 of a mile) and just a couple days ago I went out on that lake for the first time with my boy, Lucas. The crappies were very aggressive, and could get them on practically every cast. They were not to picky about presentation, either. Needless to say, they were not very large crappies, a couple keepers, but I have to believe that there are some nice ones in there. I just have to find out where they are holding, wouldn't you agree?

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Calvinist
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[This message has been edited by CALVINIST (edited 07-02-2004).]

[Pooh]

crappie tom....
I have heard that the active fish in the school are in the top of the water column. My guess is that the bigger not so aggressive fish are at the bottom. may want to try a drop shot rig, like for bass. but with a smaller weight and jig obviously. might have to give it a try?? or deeper water where there is more room for the fish, i have had good luck with deeper water!

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this is just my 2 cents

[CrappieJohn]

Cal...If you are able to get a hold of "some keepers" chances are fair that the water holds many more, but you have not found thast "magic" just yet. My rule is that if , while fishing a particular area, you are finding active smaller crappies you need to either fish deeper or higher up....very simple adjustment. Another situation might be that the larger fish prefer the edges of the school rather than to stratify thru it. These fish are tougher to target and are generally well dispersed. Yet another thought...the smaller fish may be all that is available at that site right then, probably due to what the food source is or perhaps they have been driven away from another food source by the larger fish. Lastly, the water just might not have that many really decent fish in it. I would suggest taking the fish which are on the smaller side of the larger ones....leave the truely large ones for genetic extention.

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Plastics...making better fishermen without bait! Good Fishing Guys! CrappieTom

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[CrappieJohn]

Pooh....Crappies tend to be social fish within their own kind. That's why you will find those huge schools of them ranging from the very small to the large. Within that social system there is a "pecking order" which puts the largest fish of that particular group in the best water most all of the time. If they are seeking shelter or shade, the biggest fish will be the deepest in the weeds or wood. If food is moving thru an area at a foot off the bottom, that is where the big guys will be. If food is available at 8 feet in twenty feet of water, the larger fish will have that depth pretty much locked up. If the prime spawning water is at four feet, you can guess which fish will also have that occupied. The smaller fish are almost always on the peripheral edge of the best when it come to crappies whether it is above, below, ahead, or behind of where the larger fish are being found.

Whether the fish are actively feeding and being found high up in the water column is dependant on whether the food source is found there. Crappies are food-driven machines. Many of us have seen instances where crappies are downright negative in mood and then simply turn on and be wild for ten minutes and then shut right off again. Something went thru their habitue and got them fired up, but as soon as the food demands were met they went back into the negative mood.

Weed tops, breaklines and tops of sunken islands are instances where you may find fish hanging just barely off in the deeper water and give the impression that they are active higher up in the water column. When feeding in spots like these they use the cover of the deep water to shadow them until an unknowing minnow gets within the strike zone....the crappie will dart in, grab the food, and retreat in a blink. Are the fish active higher up in the water column? In this case, yes....the food is found higher up in the water column and the crappies follow the food. In two hours though the same school of fish might be found twenty feet deeper and eating buglife.

The only one thing predictable with crappies is that nothing is predictable. For the last week and a half I have been fishing a dynamite bunch of sunken wood and tearing the crappies and sunnies up pretty good. This spot is a dynamic area for post-spawn early summer mode fish. On Tuesday of this week a definite decline in productivity was noted from the Sunday before. On Thursday the only thing to be had there were the numerous snags and hang-ups. While the fish were "on" at this spot, they were being caught anywhere from right off the surface on cloudy days to on the bottom on blue-bird days. We found the fish again, but off a point adjecent to a bay in very deep water....and they were very active.

Crappies are coached by many factors. If you restrict your fishing to the upper third of the water column anywhere, you have just missed a lot of fish. Actively feeding fish in the upper water column are, at best, a short-term fishery.

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Plastics...making better fishermen without bait! Good Fishing Guys! CrappieTom

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[CALVINIST]

Crappie Tom,

Your crappie knowlege is amazing! Are you part crappie?

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Calvinist
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[united jigsticker]

Maybe, he does turn darker in the spring...

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Good fishing,
UJ
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[Matt Johnson]

And I saw fish food on his counter-top when I stopped by to visit...and he has no fish

Good Fishin,
Matt Johnson

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[Corey Bechtold]

This weekend I managed a little fishing in central Minnesota and I had mixed results. I fished with my dad for a while on Saturday, he used a fluflu and a waxie while I went with plastics. We both caught fish but he actually managed a few more fish. Size was a little smaller on the live bait, while plastics caught fewer but mostly nice fish. Later we went out with the rest of the tribe and I helped the kids fish with my poles and plastics while my dad kept with the live bait. Once again, in a different area, live tended to take a few more fish. We weren't out for food so catch and release was the name of the game. We caught quite a few Sunfish up to 9" and a few crappies right around 10-11". Here are a few pictures from the outing. Next time I may have to bring along the waxies.

Dad's 9 inch Bluegill

Cole with a nice Sunfish (Brooke caught)

Hope you all had nice 4th. I am looking forward to your reports.

Corey Bechtold

[CrappieJohn]

Those kids are always smiling Corey. Must be doing something right. Nice job on the fish too.

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Plastics...making better fishermen without bait! Good Fishing Guys! CrappieTom

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[Matt Johnson]

Nice fish Corey! Its just one big fishing family

Good Fishin,
Matt Johnson

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[TheGuy]

Corey, looks like you guys had fun!
I was out Friday, Sat and Sun. on a north Metro lake. Fishing with a small pink jig in under 3 ft of water. We did good, catching lots of 8 to 9 inch sunnies and a few crappies around 5 to 6 FOW. We let lots of them go and keept a few for a meal. What great little fighters! We had a blast!

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Get the Net!!

[Corey Bechtold]

I was out last night on an area lake and found panfish by the masses on the surface in the middle of the lake. The gulls would fly over the pods of fish and spook them and the surface would absolutely erupt. There was also something under them that would make them break the surface every now and then. None of them were big but there were both Crappies and Sunfish mixed together. I wonder what made all the fish congregate like that? My guess is a hatch but I can't be sure. Anyone else have any ideas? The water was about 71 degrees.

Oh yea, plastics were the ticket but I'm sure a fly rod would have destroyed them too. Actually I think they would have nibbled on your toes if you put them in the lake. (or just float up dead )

[CrappieJohn]

I made it out this morning and found a mixed bag. The sunnies were still holding just off shore in water up to about four feet. Lost one very large toothie, but DID manage to net the two sheepies....naturally- how humbling. Crappies have fallen into somewhat of a summer patter now with water at 70-73 on the surface. Most craps were found at about six feet holding over water of 14-17 feet with current and immediately off from shallower flats and bays. Plastics ( paddletails of course) on a small jig, cast and retreived. Got a few drifting when the wind was right as well. We notice quite a bit of surface activity too, and much of it was crappies- you could see them roll up on their sides. I think we had a hatch going on as the bugs were pretty thick in some areas even over open water.

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Plastics...making better fishermen without bait! Good Fishing Guys! CrappieTom

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[united jigsticker]

I managed to get to a few central MN lakes this week.

One has very clear water and weeds that grow to 5 feet below the surface over 15 feet of water.

It was about 45 degrees, rain, and wind, but them Crappies were in the weed tops feeding on red/white plastics heavy.

Lots of fish in the 12-13" range, and this bite went a day and a half, right up until the sun finally came back out, when the fish went out at the edge and down into the weeds. It was a blast while it lasted.

The other lake I fished has stained water, and was pretty green. 9-12 FOW was the ticket here with green and pink two tones and freecasting doing the trick.

The Crappies weren't as big here, (10-11") but the action was very good.

MOST of the fish were C&R with the exception of one limit which I cleaned and cooked up for my Father and I to enjoy.

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Good fishing,
UJ
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[Corey Bechtold]

Well me and Cole went out for a little while tonight and had a great time catching Crappies and Sunfish. We found them in 4 feet of water near a gradual drop off. They were really moving up and down the shore. I switched constantly searching for a real preference in color but White power tibes and a 1/32oz jighead worked. Many of the Crappies were around 11" and a couple Sunfish made 9.5". Water temps were 72 degrees and the clarity on that lake is starting to improve. Once again here's Cole showing off his catch.

Cole and a 11" Crappie

[Corey Bechtold]

Great report UJ, glad to hear the crappies are on a tear. What red and white tubes did you use? I'm trying a few different ones for a change. I'm going tonight with the boy after his nap, I'll post when we return.

[CrappieJohn]

What a smile! Gotta love it. Corey....toss me an e-mail.

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Plastics...making better fishermen without bait! Good Fishing Guys! CrappieTom

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[united jigsticker]

These particular tubes were the cheap-o ones you can find almost anywhere.

Funny it was the first thing I tried, and later found, the only thing they'd bite on!

Guess a guy just gets lucky sometimes.

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Good fishing,
UJ
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[Corey Bechtold]

Tom, you've got mail!

[mnrstrider]

I was out yesterday, I caught very, very few fish, sunnys was mostly shallower, and the couple small crapies I caught were in around 16 FOW. On tubes, they seemed to like them a bit better it I tipped the tubes with a waxie. Going to head out again this morning, hopefully I can put something together on a different lake.