Fishing Forum

[#0000ff]Heard tell of a few crappies showing up at Willard. Launched at the north marina about 6:45...right after WH2 and Wiperslayer. We traded pics going out the channel.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Air temp 50 and water temp 10 degrees warmer at 60. Gettin' there. Good clarity and water levels are really coming up.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Didn't see much on sonar but kept making S turns from shallow to deep and back again. That means from about 10 feet out to 20 feet. Saw the most "interesting" marks in 12 to 13 feet of water. Saw the "Deadly Duo" boat net a fish not far from shore off Eagle Beach. Motated in that direction. Confirmed with the guys they had caught a crappie. But they moved out and eventually disappeared working down the north dike toward the light pole.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Today was a day for light tackle, fligs and jigs. No major minnow day for cats or "others". Targeting crappies. First fish was a non-crappie...a cookie cutter kitty...on a white flig with a white gulp minnow. But the second fish was the targeted species...a decent footlong crappie. Shortly afterward I lost a smaller one...about 9-10 inches...at the net. That was it for the crappies. Although I did have several light hits that were crappielike.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Caught another cat on a white flig/Gulp combo and one more on the same white plastic tube jig I had caught the crappie on earlier. I did have one major munch and run that came unbuttoned. Tempted to say it was a wiper but more likely it was a carp. Fun but brief.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Hit the ramp at noon, with water temp rising over 61 and a bit of a ripple starting on the water. Several boats came in about the same time and none reported any success. One said there were some guys catching small crappies off the docks. I'll wait 'til they grow a bit before I chase them.
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Glad you got at least one of your target species, we ended up with three crappie and four cats, pretty slow out there today but nice to get some fish. We even picked up a shad, looked like they are getting ready to spawn from all the activity we saw. Thanks for the goodies Pat.
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Good job. Got my knee cleaned out and trimmed up yesterday Should be ready for tube trip in a couple weeks. I'll be limited to a electric motor for a bit, but it should get stronger quickly. By the way, what's the status of the fish cleaning ?
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Forgot the traded pic and here is one of the shad too.
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[#0000FF]Alas. I took my filleting kit yesterday...but with only a smidge of optimism. My pessimism was backed up by seeing the fish cleaning station still wrapped for the winter. Maybe by July 4th???[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]Glad you are on the mend.
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They often don't get the cleaning station open until almost Memorial Day - when they apparently assume the fishing season begins.

And then, within a day or two, some moron will jam the chute full of fish remains without turning the auger on - and the cleaning station will be closed again.
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[#0000FF]The silhouette pic is better than a clearly visible countenance. I don't got no good side.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]The shad is purtier. TubeBabe got a pretty good sized one on a small chartreuse crappie jig a few years ago. She thought it was a carp and kept it in the basket for bait. When I saw it I had her pose it for a pic and then released it...as the regs demand. Took her a while to get the stink off her hands.

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[#0000FF]Seems like that happened several times last year.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]Some peoples' kids!
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Some folks just have no business using power equipment that has cutting blades. I cleared that north marina station twice last years. Works good if used correctly.
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I was out on Wed on my kayak and saw the crappie stacking like I wanted, but my battery pack for my sonar was at 9v so I only had eyes for about 20min. After I went blind I cruised and pitched aimlessly with only a few nibbles. Glad to hear what I briefly seen on the sonar was what I thought it was. [fishon]
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[#0000FF]Hey Mike, good to have you drop in. Heard you have made some life changes and have wondered how you were getting along. I like your new ride. Got PVC and everything. OOOH, OOOH.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]Yes the crappies are beginning to show but still not all that active. Without electronic eyes it is really tough to find them. And as we all know, finding them is no guarantee of catching them.
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[#0000FF]Hope Mama Nature gets back on her meds soon so the fish can establish some kind of predictable patterns.
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