Lance34

Got out early this AM. Water temp was 68-70 degrees. First I tried fishing shallow cover for a couple hours and didn't do any good. So, I ended up going to fish a lay down that I usually do well at. I caught 6 crappie using Bobby Garland baby shad glacier color with a 1/16oz. chartreuse jig head. I was about 11 feet down over the lay down that was in 22 feet of water. It was too slow of a bite for me so once the wind picked up I went back out and trolled size 7 pearl flicker shad over main lake flats. I hooked up to a couple more crappie and a couple of bass. Hopefully heading out again Friday AM. Here's pics of some of the fish and a crappie rod storage project I installed today. Ought to save me some rod tips and a few extra foul words out there on the water.

Awesome! Have fun out there tomorrow while I'm stuck at work!

Put in at 412 bridge today and got started about 11:30 and fished to 3:30. Water temp was 73 and water clarity was maybe a foot or so. Not much. Lake turning over and didn't know. I already had a bucket of minnows so let's make the best of it. I went into blue springs for a bit to spider rig. I wanted some kind of shelter from the wind plus I wanted to see if anything is moving in. I saw fish right down the middle of the channel in 18-25 fow and ranging in depths from 25 to 15 feet. Later on I went back out to the main river channel and fished brush and lay downs close to the channel Pretty much like last week except for the excitement of catching a drum. Several small one's again.

After the last trip I had out I wanted to try pushing minnows or spider rigging an area I saw holding a ton of fish. Where I saw these fish is were the river channel meets a creek channel. I figure the best way to cover the area was to spider rig. I set my lines down to 15-16 feet in 18-20 fow and worked both channels. Started at 1pm and shut it down at 4. Water temp 78 degrees Number of fish caught was 13 crappie and 5 bass. The thing is most where shorts. Guessing the bigger ones are not too far behind? Fun regardless. Going to keep doing this a couple more trips and then pulling my dipping stick out. Here is a pic of one of a few keepers I did catch.

Not much to report today. Got started about noon and fished close to around 3. Water temp 78-79 with a south hard frustrating wind that made for a difficult day. Trolled flicker shads over flats ranging from 12-17 feet down in 20-25 feet of water. Ended up with only 2 bass, a crappie and a little white Fish seemed to be tight lipped today for me. I saw tons of fish on my graphs but couldn't get much of anything to hook up. I usually like to work an area I see a lot of fish in by going back and fourth over it but due to the wind today it made that impossible and breaking stuff down and backtracking got old quick. Still no wall hanger but there always next Friday. Here is a pic of one of the bass. Little dude puts up a fight on a 8' BnM PST crappie rod.

Thanks for all the information y'all have shared on different line choices. Got out today and got start around 11:30 and starting shutting it down around 3. Water temp 80-81, wind HARD!, cloudy to partly cloudy. Started way down river and headed up river and just let the wind push me. Pulled size 7 pearl and black/silver flicker shad and also one white bandit 300 over flats ranging from 19-25 FOW with my lines out the side at 80-100 feet. Caught 3 good keeper size crappie, 2 bass and 2 cats. Only one cluster all day today and no lost lures this trip. Still no wall hanger though. Here's some pics.

How about those Off Shore Tackle Company tadpole divers? Anybody try these out? By the dive chart on their website a 1oz diver on 10# mono will get a lure down to 28 feet with 150 feet of line out going at a speed of 1.5mph. Don't know how well that would work with my setup using BnM PST rods though, but others on the board it might be option.

Thanks, the brand I'm using is Seaguar Red label. I know yellow maybe better but it all starts to add up at the check out line. Whatever them things do it's working.

Funny you say that. I loaded up on different colors of bandits and Arkie 350's and I put on the one flicker I had one day and I started catching fish. After that I got back to the ramp and I went straight to the store and bought up on some more flicker shads and have been pretty consistent since. Still trying to figure out how deep there running. Don't know how accurate that chart is on the package. I mostly been running them at around 1.5 mph, 150ft out the side of the boat using 10# fluorocarbon which I'm guessing is about 15-16 feet range. Does that sound about right? I think the bandits run deeper at 150ft because I seem to be hit the bottom or snagging in 17-18 FOW.

Tried the same flat I've been doing the past couple of trips. But only caught one on it. So I decided to troll on down river and came to another flat that had fish in the 20 FOW range. I started catching some then. In a matter of 5 minutes I had 3 more crappie in the boat. Water temp was 80-83. Trolled pearl flicker shads 130-150 feet behind the boat at 1.5- 2 mph. Got started about 11 and quit at about 2:30 Ended the day with 3 nice keeper crappie, 2 10" crappie that I tossed back and 1 short overachiever crappie. Plus one spot and another fat cat like last week. Getting more of the hang of this pulling cranks. Seems that the size quality is better doing it this way. Less number caught though but the size are better and I'm looking for a wall hanger. Here some pics

Pretty much the same as last week. I went back to the same flat. Except this time the Catfish where bigger and the fish where more over the flat in 25 feet of water and not the edge. 2 catfish, 2 fat spots, 5 crappie and I lost something at the boat that kept diving back down under the boat every time I tried to bring it to the surface. Them 12 foot rods make for some fun times when you get a good decent size fighting fish on. Pulled black/silver and pearl flicker shads out the side 130-150 feet back. Here's a pic of the cat. And no I did not beat it to death with the wrench or the net. Them hooks did a number on it.

Thanks Danny, We are for sure going after them dudes again this year!

Yes it did, I didn't think I was ever going to get the thing out.

Much better day today. Fished from 12:30 to close to 3. Water temp was low 80's. Overcast, then rain and then sunshine. Awesome weather. Pulled Bandits 300, Arkie 350, and one Flicker Shad that I have. Caught 5 crappie and two nice catfish. Everything I caught came off the one Flicker Shad I own. It was set at150 feet of line out the side of the boat at a speed ranging around 1.5 to 2 mph in 25-30 feet of water. I trolled back and fourth over a big flat or the edge of the flat and the river channel. It amazed me that they only would hit the Flicker. I had some 300's and Arkie's colors that looked a lot like the pearl color I was using but never got a bite on any of the other lures. No telling how the day would of went if I had few more of those. Plus less wasted clusters. Here's a few pictures of the fish.

Not much to report for me on Friday. Still trying something new on my quest for a wall hanger. Pulling Bandits and Arkies again looking for crappie over flats and edges of the channel next to flats. Saw a ton of baits clouds at various depths and fish around the 20-23 foot range in 20 to 30 feet of water but all I could to get to bite was bream. The only crappie was on my way back to the ramp I swung over to a brush pile to try it real quick before I had to get my kids. I tied on a 1/8oz chartreuse jig head and electric chicken Bobby Garland baby shad. First drop down to 20 feet I felt a weight difference so I set the hook and reeled up about a 12" crappie. Geez, If it ain't broke don't fix it. I put it back and headed to the ramp. Just have to laugh.

My weekly Friday fishing trips/reports pretty much shut down in June. Trashy muddy water and then the heater kicked in. I'm always a go on Friday's if it's at a more tolerable temperature. Which looking at the weather I should be able to go this Friday. My goal for the summer was to start pulling cranks (Bandits and Arkies) for crappie. It's a first for me and the first time I went out I struck out and it's been a few weeks for me to get back out to give it another shot again. That's how bad a hit or miss it's been for me this Summer. I'm planning to keep doing this method through October I guess. And hope to add reports/tips along the way. I agree with F&F on the rudeness. I don't get it and what's the point of it. I have never personally met him, but from his post and replies he's seems to be a good guy. Him especially and others have shared a lot of great information in the past that has cut my trial and error learning curve way down. I appreciate it F&F and hope to see you back active on here in the Fall.

Good stuff and great video. Can't wait until fall gets here.

Yep same here. Caught a stick while pulling Bandits and that was about it. Great to be back on the water regardless.

Happy Fishing Friday ! Heading out too tomorrow.

Minnows

Once I found the sweet water. I started getting a little action. Crazy things were biting strange though. I would sit there and see my rod tip go straight out and get slack in my line. That always seems to take me off guard for a second when they bite that way. I never seem to get a solid hook set. Lost five that way today with one being a real nice one that I lost right at the boat. Turned out not to be too bad of a day I ended up with six nice crappie fillets that is just enough for supper this evening. Also I was they only boat on the water during the time I was out there.

Ok thanks fellas.

Thinking about going over and spider rigging on Lake Elmdale today. Never been on it. Would anybody know what it's like after all this rain and is the ramp steep enough so I don't have to go for a swim to get my boat off the trailer?

I was checked for the first time ever by AG&F two weekends in a row in the spring of last year. Once at 412 bridge ramp and the other at Hickory Creek Marina. Neither one did they ask for license, vest, or registration. They both just wanted to see my fish, measure them and answer some questions on a survey they were doing.

COE will be opening the flood gates to 1 foot at 9pm. With full turbine generators it's estimated water will be released downstream at 16,000 cubic feet per second,