JUNGLE JIM 1

I've been using the 3.25 inch Rage Swimmer rigged with a small coil keeper with belly weighted head that I pour and paint. They seem more durable than the fat Keitech baits which I also use. First bait is 1/4 oz with blade and second is 1/8 rigged with 1.5" crappie tube.

That's traveling light, fun little outing for sure.

Last year I was catching a half dozen almost every trip at one spot but this year in half dozen trips haven't caught one. They are in there but I don't know where. Maybe with the river coming up will get some moving.

That's a big crappie, Congratulations.

Beautiful brown, I like seeing how you handle them with care unlike some fisherman. How long is the rod you are using? Looks at least a 7'. I prefer one that long or longer.

It was nice meeting and talking with you, hope you heal up soon and we can meet up for a trip. Sure gets the heart rate up when a big one attacks the little fish you have hooked. Something about the way they struggle while hooked that trips the trigger on them big fish and they just have to eat it.

After I caught her I looked down her throat and only saw part of the gills tail so she got to keep the gill and the little jig too. Didn't want to hurt her, have plenty of jigs. I did thank the gill for it's sacrifice before I let her go. Happened again yesterday on the other side of the lake but there was too much trees and other things in the water that I knew I'd never land it with 2# test so didn't let her swallow it and pulled it out of her mouth and she attacked it again. Probably about 6#er. Interesting thing was they only attacked the male gills and would leave the girl gills alone. Need to get some male gill swimbaits soon.

Fourth time in the last two weeks that I've had big bass eat my bluegill fishing four different lakes, other times they spit the gill or threw it on the jump. Hard to control using 2# mono but it's stronger than most people think. Before she showed up I had two bass about 5-6lbs. that were about 15-20 feet out, one on my left and the other on my right. Whenever I hooked a gill and it ran left that bass would attack and if it ran to the right that bass would attack. One chased my gill all the way to the bank where gill beached itself. Those two certainly made things entertaining before the big girl showed up. Always fish this lake for gills and redear, never bass. Might have to take a bass rod next trip.

I was fishing a county park lake yesterday for bluegill for fish tacos. Still not spawning at this lake but found some 7.5-9" gills in deeper water and strung up 10 which is plenty for a couple meals for me. Only 9am so kept fishing. I'm using 2# Maxima mono with a 1/48 duck feather jig on #12 sickles to keep things interesting and then I hooked another fat gill and it really got interesting. Bass engulfs my 1/2 lb. bluegill right off the top, quickly I open my bail and give her a chance to swallow it. She does and after I set the hook it was on for five minutes before I lip her. I got a good look at her and started shaking with excitement. Grabbed scale and tape. She weighed 10.23 lbs. Length was 24.5" with an enormous girth of 21". Took a few pics and released her, splashed me as she bolted away. Stopped fishing then, perfect way to end the morning.

couple more pics.

I went out Tuesday since it was going to be in the 60's and fished a county park lake. Lake was very low so I wasn't expecting much or anything really in the cold, murky water. Only caught six crappie total there last year in a dozen trips. Walked to the north end of the lake since wind was out of the south. Fishing a 1/32 duck feather jig 1.5 foot deep around brush and found them in two spots. Ended up with 16 crappie, 11 were 10-15". Off to a good start for 2023.

More crappie pics. Been catching most on a jig with a hand tied rubber tail that's from a toy I found at Dollar Tree..

It's been awhile since my last visit here. Even though it's hot I'm still catching some really nice crappie at a lake close to the house. December 30th, caught a 17 3/4" black crappie that weighed 3.10 which I released. Last week got a 16.5" that weighed 2.67 lb. Most fish I catch at this lake are about 12" but the chance of catching a giant keeps me going back.

The Manic Mullet mold has a 60 degree hook and has kind of a barbed screw like collar. I'm putting 3/0 Vmc hooks in the 3/16. Picture taken under UV light.

I caught three Monday, biggest was over 9 lbs. They were all caught on a bunny spinner bait I made. Took my son Wednesday and he caught a 5 lber on his first cast with a whopper plopper and later caught one a little smaller on one of my spinner baits. I caught four whites in the 1-2 lb. range on spinnerbaits and a drum.