Spring crappies from shore

[south_metro_fish]

I am wondering if there is an advantage to using a slip bobber. I know with a longer line under the bobber you would be able to cast better but I am wondering if the line being free to move through the bobber would allow you to work the bait more effectively. The only problem I could see using a slip bobber in this situation is getting one that is heavy enough to get it out there.

ozzie Are you saying if you are fishing in three feet or under of actual water depth or are you talking about 3 feet and under of actual line under the float.

[ozzie]

actual depth.....and I use slip bobber..thill has a weighted slip bobber and it comes in many sizes......yesterday was catching crappies in under 1.5 ft and had the bobber stop at about 1ft.....I will put a small split shot in between the jig and bobber and adjust it to different areas on the line to prevent or allow the rig to move the bait.

[south_metro_fish]

I went out yesterday and this high pressure must be slowing them down. I managed to catch a few but not like the first few times, and I didn't see others doing much better ether. I finally think I got some what of a hang of using a plastic under a float. I tried putting a plain hook on with a tube so it would float down slowly, and put a split shot about foot and a half up to help from getting it tangled in the bobber and to stop the tube form coming all the way up well I was working it. It worked great when they were biting. I hope the bite picks up again.

[ozzie]

try using the powerbait nymph under a float.....I noticed this bait in one of the Linder's fishing shows so I tried them and they work really well.....and you can clip the tails and they look like a fly!!

[south_metro_fish]

I was at gander yesterday picking up some tackle and was looking for power bait plastics that would work great for pan fish. I was not impressed by there selection. They had a few small worms and such and a few power tube kits with spinner and jig heads for 5 bucks. I was not impressed with their selection of pan fish power baits. Do the small power tubes come in bags like the rest of the power baits, I would think they would. I looked for the nymphs and they didn't have them. Guess I will just have to find a better store that has a better selection to give my money to.

Well I was in there I saw an older guy in the store getting some gulp alive crawlers and asked him what he thought of them, pretty much knowing what his response was going to be, and he said they were great, better then the real thing. I think I am going to have to give this gulp alive a chance this year. Also while I was there I saw the new lindy rig changeable jig head set ups. Thats a pretty cool idea, any one try any.

[Muddog]

Quote:

Do you ever just use a float for weight to get it out and just reel it in slow. I was wondering if the movement on the top would spook them.

Yes, when I use a float and fly setup the main job of the float is to get the light lure to cast. The other job of the float is to keep the lure at the right depth.

When retrieving try a slow steady retrieve at first and then try moving the float 3-4” and let the lure swing down and stop before moving it again. This time of year slow is the key. Sometimes you may need the drag the lure slowly across the bottom.

The float can spook the fish when it hit the water so cast past the point you think holds fish and work the bait to the spot. This time of year fish are very spooky in the shallow so try to use as small a float as you can.

[Muddog]

You could do what I do and use a Fly rod.

[ozzie]

The powerbait tubes in the spinner kits are good but you can also buy them in pre-rigged packs of 5 and they are called atomic tubes.....they work really well also. I have had to look around for certain products but I also look at all the bait stores I go by and now know what products are carried by what shops.....also stock up on them when you find them.....I think I have about 20 packs of the atomic tubes and 4 or 5 of the nymphs and I try to always buy a pack or 2 when I come across them. Good Luck

[ROOOOSTERFISH]

try using the powerbait nymph

I second that notion... My nine year daughter received a package of these in her minnow bucket full of goodies at the GM crappie contest a few years back. Took her out fishing and she put them on and caught a lot more then I did with nothing else on . Out fished me 10 to 1 and when I asked for one do you think she would let me have one... not a chance . Had a real fun time and have looked for them ever since and found some last year but can not remember where I think at Cab's.

[ozzie]

they had them last year

[south_metro_fish]

I managed to find some power nymphs and gave them a try with luck. I spent most of Saturday putting in my friends dads dock but when we were done I got a chance to give the nymphs a try. I got a package of the chartreuse and brown, and put one on a plain hook with a split shot a little ways up. I had to set my line a lot longer under my float but managed to get a few. What are some other colors to try, I was going to get more then one color but figured I should give them a try first and I was stumped on what other colors would be good to add to my collection? Also in some of my reading around the forum I read some place that plain plastics are good for the first crappies after ice out, and then later as the water warms spinners work well. When will the spinners start working, is there a certain water temp that the crappies become active enough to go after spinners?

[south_metro_fish]

What a great afternoon of fishing yesterday Once we found the right plastic and color we had the crappies and big bull blue gills coming in like crazy. They were hitting dark colored small worm like plastics on a small jig. We were using black, brown, and blood red with great luck, we even were catching a few on white but the darker colors were working better. But right as it was getting dark I hooked in to something huge. I fought it for a wile having no idea what it was, and finally got it up to shore. My friend saw the white spot on the tail and said "its a walleye", we got it landed on shore with out a net. It was 25" with a 13" girth, I could not believe what I had caught. We got are measurements and pics and back in the water it went. I have only caught a few small saugers on the river and I cant remember if I have ever caught a walleye before but if I had I am sure it was small. So for a 25" walleye to be my first big walleye I am very happy, and what a great start to the open water season.

[BartmanMN]

Sounds like a fun day. I can't wait to wet the line.

[ozzie]

I like chartruse and pink....the pink has a white under belly and is deadly!! don't forget that if you get alot of nibblers but no takers snip the tails off and it looks like a fly..........

[south_metro_fish]

The bluegills have moved in and are more aggressive then the crappies. We have been having good luck with dark colors like I said before. My friend brought out some black gulp fish fry and they were tearing it up.

[OnAFly]

I sat outside of my place last night for about an hour and a half just pulling in sunny after sunny. It was lots of fun on a fly rod. At first they were not as aggressive and I had to switch from my bigger dry fly to a smaller nymph. Then, as they heated up, they started hitting my strike indicator as often as the nymph It was a lot of fun watching where they would take something off the surface and then casting to that spot and catch fish almost every time.

[south_metro_fish]

Thats the way it was for us. At least where we have been fishing it seems like the fish turn on an hour to and hour and a half before dark. I need to find something to get them to bite before that. I know they are there just not biting. The other day when it was cloudy they were hitting the whole afternoon.

[south_metro_fish]

I have been busy and have not had much of a chance to get out all week but I managed to get out yesterday in a boat. We didn't catch much, and the spots that had fish before seem to not have as many. So I would assume that they are beginning to move to their next location. I don't really know where that would be. The water temp in the lake in some parts was up to 56 F. Are beatle spins and live bait good now or is there something else that works great right now?