open water

[Shurdaddy]

CT,

I hope to hook up with you sometime in the next couple of weeks to learn a little crappie skill. I will drop you an e-mail.

[Down to Earth]

Tom,

On a typical early open water day like today, what determines what depth you are fishing at right away? Do you go out take your water temps and then proceed from there? Or are you using electronics to target where the fish are at in the water column? Saturday your fish were coming at a 5 1/2ft and today at 2 1/2 feet. What steps did you take each day to find fish at the respected level? Thanks.

Andy

Andy

[CrappieJohn]

I usually look for deeper water and when I get there I drop the hand-held thermometer down. The surface temp shows on the Bottomline. Just out of force of habit I start at about 5 feet. But today I was seeing fish being marked quite high up so I went shallow. There they were.

Of note....at this time of year we see crappies roaming. They will do so at all depths. We don't have many fish in that lake that show up that high in the water column right now, so I always assume that they merit a look-see.

I don't hardly ever see sunnies this high up. Saturday there were so many within a foot of the bottom that it looked on the screen that I was getting a false bottom echo. When I dropped down to the level of that top mark I was instantly in sunfish. That was in about 12-13 feet of water and the crappies were hitting between the sunnies and surface, showing up as only a brief contact....they were on the go.

[river-rat4]

CrappieTom- The "Legend"

I've had great success using "cubby's". Have you had any luck with them in your neck of the city?

They are a smaller profile jig, but sometimes that's what the Dock'ter orders.

- RR4

[Dan Thiem]

Rat four,

Is that Napolean Dynamite? Vote for Pedro!

[Corey Bechtold]

"You think I got where I am today because I dress like Peter Pan here..." "Forget about it!"

[Matt Johnson]

"There were like 50 of them and they were attacking my cousins, what would you do in a situation like that?"

Good Fishin,

Matt Johnson

[squeedunk]

TINA YA FAT LARD, I NEED SOME OF THEM PADDLE TAILS!!!

Who makes them or where can i get some like that?

[dwag70]

Crappie Tom,

This was a great post and thanks for sharing all of your knowledge and secrets. I feel smarter just have read it. I do have a question for you on your technique. When fishing this way are you using slip bobbers or floats that connect directly to the line and are the floats weighted or do you use split shot on the line?

Thanks again for all the info I plan on putting it to use and catching a few slabs with my son

[CrappieJohn]

The floats mentioned are to used either way....they can be fished as slip-floats or fixed. I seldom use slip floats with the light lures as they are tough at times to get the line to carry thru the hole in the stick. That being said, I fish them fixed. BUT....these floats , when attached the way I describe, are very easy to adjust on the line by merely sliding them up or down as needed. If I am fishing at, say 5 feet, and I mark a couple of fish I think are crappies at three I simply reel up until the float hits the rod tip and keep reeling slowly until the float has reached the depth I want to adjust to. If I need to drop down again, the float slips down the line in a blnk. The beauty of these floats is that they will read every kind of hit a crappie will throw at you, are easy casting, adjust very easily as mentioned and stay where you want them until YOU change the depth.

These floats come in a number of sizes and I carry many in the #2, #3, and a couple in the #4 in case I have to use a 1/16 head.

Split shot...not on my menu when fishing plastics. I want nothing on that line between the jig and the float.

[CALVINIST]

C Tom,

Did I miss something? Are you talking about a particular brand of float?

[Down to Earth]

It is the Thill brand float. I use them as well and like them a lot. I prefer the #2 size as I have found the #1 to not have enough float to stay on the surface and the #3 a bit too big when using 1/32 oz jigs. I've used the #3 when using 1/16oz jigs.

One plus about them is they can be used as a slip bobber and a standard bobber. I actually used them as a slip bobber before I realized that the little rubber ring that comes in the package is used to make the float work like a regular float.

One advantage I feel it has when being used as a slip bobber is the line doesn't have to go through a long center tube as with most slips. Instead the downside of the float has an eye like a glorified needle you thread the line through. Works very well, however, I hardly ever use it now as a slip.

[Matt Johnson]

Culprit makes the brand of Paddy Tails that Tom is referring to. An excellent choice for a variety of conditions. Tom is also working on a new "weapon" which is going to take the crappie plastic to a whole new level! Stay tuned...

Good Fishin,

Matt Johnson

[Lynno62]

Could someone maybe post a picture of the bobber, and paddletail?

Thanks,Lynn

[CrappieJohn]

Lynno62.....We'll see what we can do.

[Down to Earth]

I have examples of both at home. I can get them up later this evening.

Andy

[dwag70]

What type of thill bobber are you using is it the mini stealth or the shy bite series

Thanks for all the info

[CrappieJohn]

the mini-stealth

[Lynno62]

Thanks guys, with knowing the name I should probably be able to find the bobber. I think I use the thill bobber, but it is strictly a slip I use it ice fishing. I like the ice buster bobbers also. Has anyone tried the wave buster bobbers? I fish from shore only so need something for casting.Would a small town sport shop have the bobbers you mentioned?

thanks again. Lynn

[Down to Earth]

Sorry the focus is a bit rough. The digital doesn't have great macro focus. Hopefully you will be able to get the idea.

Here is a paddletail

Here is the Thill.

Hope this helps.

Andy

[Lynno62]

Thank You. I got the idea anyway of what to look for. and with the names to go with it I should not have a problem.

Thanks again.Lynn

[Mr. Pike1]

I understand crappie tom is testing a new plastic and I am awaiting the results and for him to share the secret. Until then I have to share a discovery of my own. It is the Exude 1 1/8" micro shad. I used the white pearl/black back and chartreuse/black back. These are a smaller profile and have the paddle tail. Give them a shot as they will produce. Crappie tom I know you are a plastic guru so I would test these up againts your famous cuplrip paddle tales and see how they compare

[CrappieJohn]

I'll stick with what I know works. My past experience with exude producing fish was only while using the 1" twisters during the winter in open water.

[Corey Bechtold]

There might be a time and place for the Exude but I haven't found that nitche. I have compared several plastics side by side and the hands down winner for me has been the Berkley Powerbaits! I always am willing to try something else because I can't help myself when it comes to new baits. One thing I question about the paddletails is that they seem to work best in waters that are stained somewhat of have moving water. In these situations fish are reactive biting and the paddletails give off a vibration that fish key in on. If I was fishing clear calm waters then I would go to a scented bait with natural colors. This way fish can inspect it all they want and the scent is just the icing on the cake so to speak. When you start using plastics, don't limit yourself. It's better to cover all the bases!

Good Luck,

Corey Bechtold

[BDR]

Lynno- here is a pic of the paddy's tail that JR's makes. Youcan find them here. Paddy's tail