Fishing
Kentucky Lake, TN- Nov. '07
Just invite an outdoor writer to go fishing and you're guaranteed to have sorry weather. A trip with guide Richard Williams (Paris TN) was modified as strong north winds rolled big swells down the Big Sandy. We bounced across the water to an area somewhat protected from the wind and a spot that had a good ledge with deep water.
The day was overcast, windy and cool. The fish were finicky but in a half-day trip we still managed to catch around 15-17 keepers with a few good fish pushing two pounds.
For trips this time of year, try to find ledges with at least 20 to 25 feet of water. You can slow troll, but it's good to hold a pole in your hand because bites can be very light. Our top bait for the day was a white TeeZur head, orange/chartreuse body and Berkley Nibble. The pole with 4 pound test caught all the fish (others with 6 pound).
Contact Richard Williams at 731-336-3550.
Fishtail Lodge (a fisherman-friendly place to stay at Paris Landing area). 731-642-7113
Reelfoot Lake, TN- Oct. '07
The Crappie Masters tournament was held on Reelfoot Lake with a two-day, 14 fish total weighing about 19 1/2 pounds. That wasn't bad for fighting low water and strong winds.
Stumps at Reelfoot can be a challenge but drop the lake 1.5 feet due to evaporation and you have a condition where you about triple the number of stumps available for your lower unit. Travel is difficult. However, the west side of the lake proved to pay big dividends with most fishermen single pole jigging the stumps.
Tunica Lake, MS- Late Sept '07
The Crappie Master tournament at Tunica in late September featured a winning stringer averaging about 1.25 pounds per fish but the average fish was closer to 0.80 pounds. There were no shortage of gar with 3 or 4 gar per crappie hitting the baits. All the fishermen I watched were slow trolling with minnows.
Arklabutla Lake, MS-- Late Sept '07
I had the opportunity to get on the lake different days with three different fishermen. The first day was primarily a photo shoot with only one big crappie in the morning but it was a dandy. The big fish came from 7 feet of water.
Day two was a two hour morning trip with Wade Mansfield for the media fishing event. He had not been on the lake in six years but put us on some fish. I caught a 1.88 pound crappie to win the media event and a $125 dollar gift certificate. I'll have no problem spending that. That afternoon I went back out with Wade and we continued to catch fish all over 12 inches but no monsters. Most of our fish came from 6 to 12 feet of water. The day was beautiful with a slight wind.
Day three was with Sonny Sipes. We fished shallow water from 4 to 7 feet with our bigger fish coming from 5 feet of water. A jig tipped with minnows seemed to produce the most fish. We caught about 18 or 20 good fish with three going over two pounds.
It's fun telling how we caught them because I must be quiet before and during the tournament. I tell nothing about our catch, how we fished or where we fished so I won't hurt the fishermen by devulging secrets that other could use. Anyway, I want to thank Charles and Travis Bunting, Wade Mansfield and Sonny Sipes for excellent times on the water. Photo is Travis Bunting at Arklabutla Lake, MS
Reelfoot Lake, TN--Early Summer
Grizzly Jig Company owner, Louie Mansfield, invited me to be a part of a 'Grizzly Fishin' video. We concentrated on catching bluegill and found the fish really scattered. We caught them in the vegetation, around trees and one bed in a shallow, open area. The fishing was action was moderate with periods of good action and others with no action. It was a blast to shoot.
Crappie were also hitting. Late spring and early summer you can find crappie on the trees. We were in the Kirby Pocket area and did stray a long distance fishing different spots before concluding our trip, but crappie action was good. They were hitting our Grizzly Jigs tipped with Crappie Nibbles or a waxworm. If going stickly for crappie and not bluegill, a minnow or 1/16 ounce tube jig would probably give you more bites.
This lake is one of my favorite places to fish. The uniqueness, wildlife and fishing action make it a great overall fishing lake. Plus, you don't have the water skiers and jet skis to deal with. There are plenty of stumps to give you problems, but that's just part of fishing this lake.
Grenad Lake, MS--Spring 2007
Grenada was incredibly low this spring all the way through the spawn and beyond. If you find these conditions in the future there are some tips that might help.
First, be extremely cautious on your navigation. During the Crappie Master's tournament there I did hear of several mud flat hang-ups along with some dandy stump encounters.
Next, if it's spawning time there are two places to look for crappie. One is in very shallow water on the main lake. Get 1 to 4 feet and work areas anywhere in shallow water. You'll find plenty of mud flats, islands and banks with enough cover for great action.
If you have wind try fishing in the upper river. It's narrow but you might find some spots that hold good crappie. You'll also have a wind break.
Grenada Lake, MS--Fall 2006
Grenada can be a challenging lake but it also produces some of the best crappie in the country. Fishing pressure in the past ten years has gone up an estimated seven hundred percent. That's great for the economy but tough on the fishing. Special length limits have been designed to help keep quality fishing on the lake.
What about fall fishing? The lake provides a multitude of fishing styles and methods for catching. For example, an early October Crappie Masters Classic tournament was won by a team bumping bottom at 29 feet. That's deep. They moved along the channel at a moderately slow speed using two quarter-ounce jigs per pole. They tipped with a minnow. They didn't catch a lot of fish on bottom but that's where the biggest ones were laying.
The second place team was fishing middle ddepths at 8 to about 14 feet. They used minnows, spider rigged pulling a sock with the wind or using a fast trolling motor speed against a strong wind.
Local fishermen I spoke with had been catching several three pounders in four to seven feet of water but the big cold front shut down most shallow water efforts.
So Grenada in the fall is good but you may have to search different depths to find the best zone. Top pick method: slow trolling (spider rigging).
Kentucky Lake -- September
Good crappie fishing is still a month or two away. The water needs to cool down. However, a guide trip on the Big Sandy with Richard Williams out of Mansard Island Resort & Marina still produced fish.
Our first stop was in six feet of water at plastic bucket groups Richard had placed. The buckets look similar to small stumps on a locator. We caught a couple of keepers but most fish were small.
Our next stop was on a drop in about ten feet of water. Catching was very slow with only a couple of fish so we were gone in twenty minutes.
Stop number three is a hard-to-find drop in open water. The drop ranges from about 21 feet to less than 10 feet. The best zone was in 12 to 15 feet of water. We caught several keepers and small fish. The trick was to have baits still or barely moving. Also, Richard kept the boat against the sharp drop where cover was present.
Techniques included spider rigging on the first two spots. We used both minnows and jigs with the jigs being the best. Two Crappie Nibbles on the point of the hook made a huge difference.
On the open water drop, we hand-held poles as we eased along. Fish were showing up on the locator at all depths but most came from the 12 to 15 foot range.
Any secret tactics? Not really. Just good basic vertical techniques paying close attention to keeping the baits in place at the right location. The best fishing came from wood cover.
Equipment: Crappie Wizard poles; Crappie Pro WassHoppah jig with a TeeZur head; tipping with Crappie Nibbles or minnows.
Contact information: Richard Williams 731-644-3793 or 1weezer@charter.net; Mansard Island 1-800-533-5590 or www.mansardisland.com.
Stockton Lake -- September
A Missouri Outdoor Writers Conference to Stockton Lake was full of surprises. Without a doubt, Stockton is a well-kept secret. The lake is full of fish and the town folk are friendly, down-home people that makes everyone welcome.
My wife and I started our fun with a half-day trip with Missouri Dept. of Conservation state coordinator for hunting safety, Rick Flint. Despite late-summer blaahs (the fish, not us), we managed to catch around 40 crappie with many being legal 10-inch keepers.
Those of you who know me are aware that my fishing is a little on the 'Bubba style' with eight pound test line being my standard. I'll occasionally go down to six pound test or up to ten in stained water. Our trip included fishing wood cover with all line in Rick's boat being under four pound test. Needless to say, I was skeptical.
Our first stop at deep stakebeds was a bust but our next stop in standing timber did the trick. We spent the rest of the morning dropping the jigs down and pulling out crappie.
The lake was seven feet low. We were fishing standing timber in water approximately twenty feet deep. Most fish were on the cover near the bottom but some were suspended up. 
Stockton seems to be a simple lake for forming a pattern. Someone new to the lake should be able to find and catch fish.
You can catch almost any species. My wife caught a walleye; Rick a catfish. The two biggest crappie (13-inchers) were both caught by my wife; a fact she reminded us of several times during the conference.
Jeanne and I used 3.1-lb test; Rick nylon sewing thread testing below 1-lb. The light line was surprisingly easy to use. The jig fall was straighter and truer. It made everything easier to control. The line moved smoother in the water because of less line resistance. Jigs broke off on every hang-up and we did break off a couple of fish. Ultralight rods help provide a lot of give to avoid breaking a fish off the line.
Equipment included: 5.5 and 6.5-ft G-Loomis ultralight rods; Cabela's Tectan 3.1-lb test line; nylon sewing thread; 1/16-th ounce chartreuse glow jigs.
A visit to Stockton is worth the trip. There are a number of motels in the area and available guides. For more information: Chamber of Commerce 417-276-5213 or www.stocktonmochamber.com.
Bonus Stockton Trip: the Sac River. Our next half-day trip was with Kurt Surber who guides on both Stockton Lake and the Sac. He guides for several species but our trip to the Sac was for bass. On our trip, we caught around 30 bass including smallmouth, largemouth and Kentucky. My wife and I loved it. (But beware of the guide who carries a chainsaw in the boat?you can be sure you'll drag and/or cut your way into some areas others seldom see). What a peaceful yet exciting trip with bass banging our buzzbaits and grubs. Kurt Surber: kwsurber@alltel.net or 417-276-3016.
Reelfoot Lake...Jan-June
I've had fun making a few trips to Reelfoot Lake the first part of this year. Louie and Wade Mansfield of Grizzly Jig Company have taken me on a few photo/fishing trips (called product testing and field research for those of us wanting a good excuse to go fishing).
The schedule for crappie fishing next year will likely follow this year's pattern so keep the timeframes in mind. Jan and Feb- excellent crappie fishing. March and April- up and down; with warm weather periods being good and cool spells slowing them down. Look for the fish to move shallow if temperatures reach the upper 60's and low 70's. May- good and bad again based upon weather. Warm water usually means scattered fish with moderate to poor crappie fishing until fall. Look for most crappie around the trees.
Bluegill fishing is different. It's hot right now (June). Due to cool weather, they really didn't get going in late April-early May like they usually do. But from now until late fall you can have a ball by fishing the trees in the afternoon. If you're really lucky, you might find a good bed with plenty of action in shallow flat areas near grass or in the pads.
Fish size on Reelfoot is excellent for crappie or bluegill. Crappie fishing has seen a big improvement for the last two or three years. The big crappie at this year's Crappie Masters tournament in March was 2.68 pounds. Bluegill numbers may be less than in years past but the size is still good.
Need a place to stay? Call my friends at Boyette's Resort. They cater to fishermen and hunters 1-888-465-6523. And if you go to the lake, don't miss excellent country cooking at Lakeview?country ham and rolls; fried bologna with biscuits/gravy or tenderloin platter.
Lake of the Ozarks...April-May 2005
I'm not a big fan of Ozark Lake. There are too many big boats and pleasure craft on the open water. Plus, fish size isn't going to be as large as in many other lakes. However, it does have plenty of crappie fishing for those willing to search.
A Crappie Masters tournament on April 23rd had a winning weight of 12-plus pounds and big fish at 2.13 pounds (ten fish). Most teams weighing in were six to ten pounds. Teams caught good numbers of fish but not size. Seventy-five teams catching only four fish above two pounds verifies that fact.
How to fish the lake right now depends upon who you talk with. Many fishermen use the Purvis area of the lake. Slow trolling seems to be the top tactic although casting to the bank is producing males.
I had the pleasure of going out with the team of Charlie and Kevin Rogers on Friday (April 22nd) for a couple of hours. The guys made the trip enjoyable because cold fronts, high winds, cold and rain were the normal for practice and tournament days making fishing tough. These two fishermen fished one-pole each and jigged submerged brushpiles and boat docks.
If you head to the lake during this time of year, look for males on the bank. Also move out to 8 to 16 feet of water working bank lines, points and other typical areas. Submerged cover is a key if you can find it.
Fishing on KY Lake...Dec/Jan 
I was so tough on guide Richard Williams on my December trip to Kentucky Lake that he had to have back surgery the next week. I say the bad back was due to netting all of my big fish but he say's it's from carrying me every time we go fishing. Whatever the case, we had a lot of fun and caught crappie.
For background, we were in Big Sandy within sight of the power lines. The wind was brisk and eventually started white capping. Our targets were 18 to 22 foot ledges with cover. We were vertical jigging using six pound test line and Crappie Wizard poles.
My best lesson learned on this trip was a jighead for fishing live minnows. I've hooked minnows on jigheads for years but the head we used was an insert head for tube skirts. The hook eyes on these are back near the middle of the head so it is balanced. This balance seems important in keeping the minnow upright and it puts the hook in a good position for hooking the fish. Richard further improved his versions by painting them with his best colors. He can change to match conditions and preferences any time during the day. These jigs are hand poured and painted. They can be special ordered from Richard or if you're willing to do the work you can make them yourself.
The heads make a difference. We only caught a few on jigs tipped with Nibbles. Plain hooks don't help keep the bait down and don't add the color like a head. About 80-90% of our fish came on the painted head tipped with a minnow.
What did we catch? We threw several back but kept 20 fish; all were very nice with two 14-inch and one 15-inch. Not bad for about five hours in windy conditions.
Richard is still recovering from surgery but is scheduling future trips and can take orders for his jigs or Crappie Wizard rods. 731-644-3793.
Deer Hunt Crappie - early winter
Fall is my favorite time of year. Cooler temperatures put crappie on the move. Deer start thinking about the rut. (Heck, I even get friskier with the cool nights and frosty mornings.) The fall colors, cooler temperatures and active game and fish makes the season perfect.
As fall fades to winter, action don't decrease but rather accelerates into some of the best action of the year. Crappie may move deeper but they'll hit your baits and you'll find they become fat and healthy as the season continues.
Why mention deer hunt crappie? Two reasons. Here in Missouri deer gun season marks the beginning of great crappie fishing. The lake has turned over, settled down and fish are congregated and hungry. The second reason is a mixed fishing/hunting trip. My home lake has public land next to the water; you probably have similar locations. It's a good time to motor in early, get in a few hours of deer hunting then go back to the boat and catch some crappie.
November crappie will be located on or near winter locations. The fish are usually on typical structures including irregular features, channel drop-offs and other attracting contours. Wood cover is another key.
There are two fun methods this time of year. The first is a simple anchor and cast method. Use your experience and locator to pinpoint a potential spot. Back the boat off and anchor. Cast jigs to the cover and surrounding area. A weedless jig like a Slider will hang less in heavy cover or you can use your favorite, standard jig.
The second method is to vertical jig. Experience veterans like using 10-foot (9 to 11-ft) graphite pole and thoroughly work cover. The jigging provides and one-on-one encounter and there is nothing like the thump on a jig you have positioned and worked the bait just right to entice a fish.
Another key to winter is numbers of big fish. Again, experts agree this is the time of year for big poundage stringers.
Kentucky Lake...July
Fishing has been tough for about a year at KY Lake. Guides and good fishermen talk of the decreased numbers of quality crappie being caught. A few nice fish will take the baits most trips but the coolers full of big slabs are very difficult to get.
A mid-July trip with former Crappie USA Classic champ, Larry McMullin, included pulling crankbaits out of the Mansard Island area. About seven hours of pulling produced about 25 fish with eight being keepers. A nice early morning followed by a pounding rainstorm and then heat and humidity gave us a variety of conditions but none of them triggered fast action.
Our technique was to precision troll the crankbaits (a total of eight rods) at distances from a maximum of 200 feet to as little as 80 feet. The baits were Bandit 300 series. White/chartreuse was the best color of the day but a variety of colors took a fish or two each.
The next day was out of Buchanan Resort with guide Gary Mason and Triton customer service pro and guide, Tom Moody. We, too, were pulling crankbaits but the style was totally different. We used a pontoon, Strike King crankbaits and 'eyeballed' the line length. Nothing was precision except for the speed but the results were similar or maybe a little better than the previous day. We fished four hours and caught several fish with four keepers. We did take more catfish and white bass which added to the action. A pole was bending every few minutes with a few doubles included.
Speeds for our trip included 1mph up to 2.5mph with most pulls at 1.4 up to 2mph. If you want to try the crankbait method at KY or on your home waters, I suggest that you try different speeds, line lengths and bait colors until you find the right combination that gets you the most hits.
Mansard Island Resort 1-800-533-5590, mansardisland.com and Buchanan Resort 901-642-2828, buchananresort.com both have accommodations that are fishermen-friendly; both have launching ramps.
Larry McMullin can be contacted for quality game taxidermy or a how-to teaching day on the lake by contacting him at 573-283-5465. For guide trips with Mason or Moody, give Gary a call at 731-593-5429 or email at grmason@aeneas.net.
Reelfoot Lake...late June
Due to back surgeries, it had been a long time off the water for me. There's nothing like a successful fishing trip to get back in the swing of things.
I 'Grizzly fished' with Louie Mansfield on Reelfoot Lake. We worked trees, pads, grass and any likely-looking spot. We picked up a fish here-and-there with most coming at four feet or less. It was slow most of the time but we caught several bluegill and some crappie. I landed one weighed crappie that went a pound and three-quarters.
The fun came when we found a bed of bluegills?.big bluegills. Action was non-stop for about two hours. We kept seventy-five fish to eat but released that many or more. You can still get in on the action for a couple of more months.
Our technique was slowly dipping and flipping 1/80 and 1/32-ounce Grizzly jigs tipped with either a waxworm or Crappie Nibble. We used long jigging poles with lines being four or six pound test. For the bedding bluegill we went to longer 12-foot poles with tiny floats but used the same baits.
For Reelfoot fishing info or a Grizzly Jig catalog (they have the biggest crappie pole selection and crappie-fishing goodies that I've seen), call the Grizzly Jig Company at 1-800-305-9866 or find them on my 'links' page.
New Tactics
I've always heard that there was more than one way to skin a cat. I'm not sure if they were referring to the furry kind or a catfish. However, to correlate, I'll just say that there is more than one way to catch a crappie.
Several forms of trolling are becoming more popular. One is to use a heavy sinker with your slow-trolling (spider-rig) method. I'm not talking going up to one ounce from a half-ounce. I'm talking going up to three, four or the more popular five or six-ounce weight.
I don't enjoy having a weight on my pole that's as big as half the fish I catch, but there are advantages. The first and most important is that you can troll faster. The heavy weights help keep lines vertical. Also, when wind is bouncing the boat the baits have less bounce.
You need a stiff rod like BnM's new 14 or 16-footer or Wally Marshall's new heavy-duty poles to handle the weight. (Any rod will work but the bend may be too much).
Trolling crankbaits are becoming more popular, too. This is one works. It also makes fishing the summer months more enjoyable and successful. No way to give a quick-how to: it's complicated and expensive. See articles or check out my Monster Crappie book.
A few tournament fishermen are going beck to one minnow per rig sometimes instead of the two-hook rigs. They hook the minnow in the back, go slower and catch more fish when the bite is tough. Nobody has a good reason why it works. Maybe the one bait looks more natural? Anyway, might be something you'll want to try.
Kentucky Lake - Summer/ Late Summer
Trip #1 Mansard Island area
I learned that fishing doesn't stop just because it's hot. Guide Lynn Gilliam took Jeanne and I out for a trip doing deep water jigging. It was fun even with the sweat running down our arms, forehead and other unmentionable areas.
Okay, I didn't fall a bit toward that "Tennessee orange" color jig that Lynn claimed was the only thing crappie would hit. I always prefer my Razorback red with a chartreuse tail. We soon learned that favorite colors change quickly and the fish will let you know which one works best.
For those headed to the lake, here are a few of the keys we learned on our trip:
- First: find cover. Stakebeds are popular with the locals but you will have to settle for what you can find on your own.
- Second: a good summer depth when we were there was 14 down to 18 feet.
- Third: work the fish with different baits, depths and angles. Watch for lite bites.
- Four: good baits that we used were 1/8-ounce TeeZur Jigheads (see product review section) in orange, chartreuse or black with an orange/chart or white/chart tube body.
We caught quality fish with two over 15 inches (both probably Jeanne's). To talk with Lynn Gilliam, call 731-352-7221.
Trip #2 Mansard Island area
Larry McMullin took us on a day trip pulling crankbaits in the same general areas that we fished during trip #1. However, pulling crankbaits was the tactic for the day.
Things started slowly. A few fish here and there is all we caught. We changed baits often. Changed depths and areas several times.
In the middle of the morning things picked up. We had two and three fish on at times but it was still a long time between some bites. However, when we finished, we had our 90-fish limit for three fishermen of good crappie.
Here are some of the things we noticed. First, crankbaiting can be exciting yet relaxing because you are setting talking when not reeling in fish. Two, bites can come fast or it can be a long time between. Three, you get to see a lot of water and scout areas while watching the locator. Four, it's hard to teach an old crappie fisherman how to throw a crankbait out with a baitcasting reel. Five, cranks are known to catch big slabs but ours were a little smaller than the ones caught in trip #1 the day before; but we caught many more (about half around 10.5-inches and the others 11 to 14 inches).
Larry will do teaching trips for a reasonable charge to teach the setup and technique of pulling crankbaits. If interested, give him a call during the day at 573-283-5465.
Slow Trolling Tips from the Pros ... June
David & Larry Sisson, from Wingo, KY, have been one of the most consistent teams on the tournament trail for many years. The father/son team is always near the top of the standings and they have won a National Points Championship to prove it. They slow troll except on rare occasions when the fish go very shallow. They are great slow trollers giving all of us a good example of how the method should be done. Here are a few of their fishing tips.
- Equipment is simple beginning with a 12-foot pole in shallow water and 10-footers in deep. Shorter rods are easier to handle but the longer poles are better when fish are shallow and spooky.
- Longpole reels are baitcasters. The reels last a long time, have a good drag, can reel a fish from deep water and makes adjusting line easy.
- The Sissons typically run six or eight pound test leaders with heavier main line.
- They use light wire hooks and big minnows. Big minnows can catch big fish but the main reason is to keep small fish from biting.
- Their primary bait is minnows. They have used both minnows and jigs but the minnows catch more fish. However, they have had good luck sometimes with catching really big crappie on the jigs.
- Light 4-lb test line will get more bites in ultra-clear water, but big fish are likely to break free. It cost them a tournament.
- A powerful trolling motor is critical to properly handle the technique in wind and rough water.
- Hung-up on a stump? This team doesn't care. They leave the pole and put the others around it keeping them in a prime strike zone.
- Tournament tip: don't over-fish an area before a tournament. Fish in the area may be limited.
Fishing & Scouting in Late Winter ... January
Low Water Drawdown 
Winter means low water in many lakes and reservoirs across the country. Corps of Engineer lakes are famous for this annual drawdown. It gives them more control of floodwaters by providing additional holding capacity when the heavy rains of spring arrive. The advantage to crappie fishermen is excellent cold-water crappie action and the opportunity to scout for super hotspots.
Going Deep
Going deep is a low percentage, all-or-nothing pass used for a quick touchdown in football. Going deep during winter low water is exactly the opposite. The depths provide fish with all of their needs: food, a temperature comfort zone, and a relatively safe environment. It's the high-percentage drawdown area to start fishing.
How deep is deep? It depends upon the lake. In clear water it may be 30 to 60 feet. In a flat lake it may be 10 to 15 feet or shallower. Our discussion will use 18 to 30 feet. This depth is a good deep-water catch zone on most large, stained water lakes. (You may vary this accordingly to fit the conditions on your home lake. The principles will still apply.)
Lowering lake water levels reduces the total surface acres and available deep water. For example, consider a creek with a channel 20 feet deep, flats 6 to 8 feet, and an average depth of 8 feet. Take away 5 feet of water. The channel is now 15 feet, the flats 1 to 3, and an average depth of 3 feet.
Where do the crappie locate? In our example, crappie will obviously spend the majority of the time in the creek channel. They may even migrate out to the main river channel to obtain more deep water.
Finding fish isn't difficult. There is less water to search during drawdown and deep water is limited. The key to deep crappie is finding a good drop-off.
Don't fish yet! Easing along a drop-off while watching the depthfinder will let you find the best locations. Typical cuts, bends and intersections are good spots. Another key element is wood cover. Although good in any season, wood is a critical structure element during drawdown periods. Stumps, treetops, and man-made cover can provide a holding spot for hundreds of fish.
One of the easiest methods for catching deep crappie is vertical tightlining. Two popular rigs for tightlining are single-hook and double-hook.
A single hook rig can be a jig or minnow. A 1/16 or 1/8 ounce jig helps to get the bait down. A small split-shot can be added when current or wind causes a problem. The jig is excellent in and around dense bottom cover.
The single minnow rig consists of an extra-light wire hook, two or three split-shot and an active minnow. This rig will hang in cover but is easy to pull free. A lively minnow in good cover is deadly.
Double-hook rigs are a great way to simultaneously present two baits at two different depths. The most popular is the Kentucky Lake rig. This rig has a 1-ounce sinker on bottom, a drop loop 18 inches above the sinker and another drop loop 18 inches above the first. The sinker can be bounced along the bottom maintaining exact depth and good feel.
Fish any rig s-l-o-w-l-y. Make presentations precise. Bump cover, drag through brush and bounce on bottom. Work hard to feel everything that's happening to the baits.
Scouting
Winter is a dangerous time to fish because of hypothermia. A fall into the lake can end your life.
Motoring can also be dangerous. Low water exposes flats, rocks, and stumps. Be careful when using the big motor.
Low water is an excellent time to scout. Motor in the river and creek channels while watching for crappie structures that will be fishable when water rises. Use a video camera and make notes on a map. When the water comes back up, you'll have these spots marked to give you more fishing hotspots.
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SUMMARIES OF PREVIOUS FISHING
Kentucky Lake, TN -Big Sandy Area
Late Winter/Early Spring
Jan/Feb. Eagle Creek to south of the power lines in Big Sandy is an excellent stretch. It's got high pressure but good fishing. Fish 25 to 30-feet deep at contours, bends or similar structure. Jigging, slow trolling, side-trolling are good techniques. Specific keys include targeting an elevation change with wood cover. Then, find the right depth.
March. Eagle Creek to power line but also on to the shallow waters.
Spring trip in 2001 with Jim Perry and Charlie Brewer, Jr. was a good one with Jim taking us to some of his stake beds. However, any wood structure with a good ledge is a potential hotspot.
Ky. Lake info: www.kentuckylaketourism.com
Buchanan Resort: 731-642-2828 www.buchananresort.com Excellent accommodations.
Fishtail Lodge: 731-644-0863 Economical, clean and friendly service.
Finding Crappie - Any Season
Finding crappie can be complicated. The following is a brief outline to try.
- Consider hiring a guide for the first day of multi-day trip. Don't fish the spots he shows you but learn from him how you can find crappie for the remainder of the trip.
- Order a contour map?required.
- A few days before trip: check boat, check equipment, get the latest on current fishing.
- Create a game plan based upon the fish movements, experience and the contour map. Select a variety of locations to test-fish to eliminate water. Include different depths and structures. Don't stay too long at any spot while forming a pattern.
- Ask fishermen at the marina or ramp what the fish are doing now?primarily the depth of water and depth of the fish.
- Test-fish your marked spots. After fishing all of them, decided the best strategy for continuing your fishing. Target high-potential spots and leave the other alone unless you quit catching fish on the pattern.
Reelfoot Lake - Bluegill & Crappie - late spring/summer
Trip with Louie Mansfield, my wife Jeanne and myself. Grizzly fishin' required us to form a pattern. The first afternoon we caught fish in the lily pads and several from the grass and trees. The next morning we found the pattern?the outside trees in large stands of trees. Our ratio of fish was one crappie for every two or three bluegill. A 1/32-ounce Grizzly jig tipped with waxworms or Crappie Nibbles did the trick.
Tips. Fish three days before to three days after a full moon. Be quit and smart.
Grizzly Jigs 1-800-305-9866 or www.grizzlyjig.com ; Reelfoot Tourism 888-313-8366 www.reelfoottourism.com; Boyette's Resort 888-465-6523.
Sardis Lake - Summer Trolling
A trip with Lonnie Massengill 901-493-6863 taught me a lot about trolling crankbaits for crappie (and it was put into my Monster Crappie book). Our June 2, 2001 trip included 19-ft high water with crappie still in the trees. However, trolling jigs and then crankbaits in open water still produced a good number of fish. We trolled Bandit-300 series baits off of the front with 15-foot poles and from the sides with flippin outfits usually used for bass. Speeds were one to two miles per hour.
Want to try this method? His pontoon is perfect for taking your family or several buddies to enjoy one of these trips. Give Lonnie a call for fun and learning.
Arklabutla Lake, MS - August
A 2002 trip in late-July with guide Kent Driscol was hot and humid, but we still had enough action to enjoy the fishing. We pulled crankbaits from a 1650 Xpress aluminum boat. He rigged with Bandit 300-series baits on 12 pound test line. He uses an in-line 4-ounce weight about three feet in front of his bait to keep a few running next to the boat. Others he trolls without the sinker at a distance of up to 200 feet behind the boat.
Summer gives up good size fish but most are very thin. Work typical ledges and flats until you find an area producing decent fish.
Tube Jig Tips
- A slow retrieve with an occasional pause is best when casting and retrieving. Crappie typically prefer a slow or stopped jig.
- Casting to shallow water usually requires a float. A float keeps the bait in the strike zone and allows you to use any type retrieve speed and action.
- Hold the jig still when vertical jigging. Even at rest, arm quivers and boat movements will cause the small legs to breathe.
- Use light shades in bright conditions; dark in dark conditions (dusk, rain, muddy water). For example, bright sunlight may require switching to a white, white/chartreuse, yellow/clear, etc.
- Dark shades include black, black/purple, etc.
- Medium shades include red/chartreuse, green, light blue, etc.
- Mixing shades can also be good. Black/clear sparkle and dark blue/pink are good combos.
- Sparkles are another color attractant to cause flash and a look of scales.
- Chrome colors add flash especially when fished shallow.
- Experts use scent. The most popular is Berkley Crappie Nibbles.
- Tubes are better at holding scent because of the hollow body.
- Don't switch colors too often; just when fishing is slow. Most experts have their favorite colors. Although color is important, most feel that a good presentation to the right spot is more critical.
- Tube-type baits are now available in solid plastic bodies with the same legs that are on the hollow tubes. Although not a tube, they look and perform similar to a tube. Plus, they stay on the jighead better and last longer.
- Check out the Crappie USA website link and go to 'sponsors' to see more from the jig manufacturers.