BassERT, C-54 Canal, Crappie, Bass or what will Bite, 1-10-12, Gene Waterman

[FishNews]

You can only sit on your tail with a broken toe for so long emoZipped <br /><br />I called Gene and he was willing to take a short trip to one of my favorite (Usually a non-skunk hole emoLaugh ) places.<br /><br />This canal drains from Con-Agra Farms including Farm 13/Stick Marsh and Garcia and Blue Cypress Marsh to the Sebastian River and the Mosquito Lagoon across from the Sebastian Inlet ...whew emoTeacher <br />I did find a good historical article and I have the link.<br />If you read it, please consider it a work of fiction. http://www.fishin.com/articles/HughCrump....htm<br /><br />I hooked my biggest bass here years ago and I keep trying for another here. A 15+ just from the two jumps we witnessed.<br />I thought it was a tree stump that I somehow got to float up and out of the water!<br /><br />Oh well... emoScratch <br /><br />Conditions were pre-frontal and we started with a light wind.<br />That was what NOAA said and we were warned of higher wind in the PM.<br /><br />We had some rowing teams that use this sheltered canal for their regattas and they had a few in the water so we headed east to avoid being in their way.<br /><br />After a 10 minute slow run to the east, there is a slight dogleg in the canal and just beyond that we set up to use wind and current to fish the sides and weeds.<br /><br />We fished for longer than I have before without even getting a bite. Something swam at me and I tried a whip set and for a moment it was on! Then it was off emoLaugh <br />Finally I put on an OLD 18G Rapala floating minnow and hooked up a nice bass which we were so happy to see that she was released before we immortalized her in a pic. A small one anyway less that 3 lbs. Black fish.<br />We had a boat trolling for crappie that went by and they were sour and had no fish. They just meanly went back to the ramp emoAngry <br /><br />Then a little alum boat with a man and wife went by and showed us their crappie by holding up a nice 11 with a pair of needle nose pliers and showing us the cool jigs that were tipped with minnows bought from Middleton's bait and tackle.<br />They left and we immediately pulled out the BGs in a 1/16 and tried some close up jigging in the weeds. They said they had caught about 7 or 8 and we couldn't catch one. With Gene being new to this style of fishing it got interesting.<br />Then came the wind.<br /><br />It hit 10-15 and right from the east, blowing us straight back to the ramp almost.<br />There is a bridge right at Fellsmere Grade that most Mexican pickers go to for bathing and swimming. I call it the bathtub.<br />It is about 14-15 feet deep and it looked like what I was used to in TN, so we started tight lining and casting to the structure and lo and behold!! CRAPPIE!!<br /><br />Gene got a couple and I loaded up!<br />We only had a half an hour left so We got about 30 large and small. Maybe 5 or 6 keepers (11"&#43.<br />In FL there is no size limit just 25 bag. BTW I was on 50 just to hold some position to fish under the bridge(broke toe remember?) What?? no pity?? emoBang That is why I am a 24 volt minimum guy anymore.<br /><br />I did get a pic of the ramp. The boat just slides off the trailer and darn near hits the opposite bank and it is very tight!! emoApplause You have to be good, lucky, or better yet ...both to get off and on the trailer without incident here.<br /><br />I know this was long-winded,and especially that article emoDoh wow!<br />But I will try not to bore ya'll with too many of my reports from down here.<br />This is what I do here when I'm not there!<br />I did take 2 pics. One of Gene holding the boat and man that ramp is long and the bank is close!<br />And one of a 12 <br /> emoThanks <br /><br /> emoCool