Fishing Report

[Phil Lilley]

Yes it's valentines... so what of it?! Paul and I were chastized by a couple who were fishing late this evening on the lake for being out on this special day. Am I in trouble - no. Can't say the same for Paul though.

We put in a the Yoccum bridge on Long Creek about 3:30 pm and started fishing the channel out to the main creek. It was breezy but not bad. Using a chart. swimming minnow, Paul hooked one on the first cast--- yes the first cast curse! I hate catching a fish on the first cast cause it usually means bads things to come. He caught another short crappie and then we had a long dry spell.

By the way, Paul Crews is from Neosho and longtime friend from back home. He is in construction and has a job on Indian Point. He reads the forum but is another non-member... non-poster. His wife Rita types all his emails and cuts the crust off his bread. Enough said.

We fished the mud banks, throwing and working our swimming minnows in 2 to 6 feet of water. We found the crappie scattered and soft on the strike. I think we caught 8-9 crappie with 4 just-keepers.

Boy the lake is low!

By the way I did my valentines on Saturday evening... and anyhow... Marsha is my valentines 365 days a year.

[Brian K. Shaffer]

By the way I did my valentines on Saturday evening... and anyhow... Marsha is my valentines 365 days a year.

And you are a lucky man Phil.

best fishes - Brian

[Phil Lilley]

There is no such thing as luck. Luck denoted chance... no plan... chaos.

[Bill Butts]

Phil,

Do you subscribe to the jig and float rig for catching suspended crappie and/or smallmouth this time of year?

It seems there is more and more being written about the simple technique.

[Phil Lilley]

I should have tried it the other day- thought of it later. But I do- esp using my fly rod.

[ryan]

I should have tried it the other day- thought of it later. But I do- esp using my fly rod.

I am originally from poplar bluff and there is a excellent crappie lake (Wappapello) we use jig and float method all the time and it works

[Sam]

I like the jig and float method for crappie. I'll use a maribou jig instead of a swimmin' minnow when doing that, because the maribou feathers don't have to be pulled through the water to have good action. I've fished that way as much as 20 feet deep with good success if there's not too much wind. If you think about it, that presentation is a lot like the slow suspended jerkbaits that are working well on bass right now - just on a much smaller scale.

Last year, I found a web site by a fellow who's making the best quality slip bobbers I've ever found. They work real well, and having the little bobber-stop on my line doesn't cause any problem at all. I like to support someone like that - a fisherman and tackle-maker who had an improved idea and is making the bobbers himself as opposed to the big companies, so I'll include a link here.

Best of all, they're not expensive and I've never lost one of these bobbers yet. If you break off, the bobber's not attached to your line so it floats free - just go pick it up! Here's the link to the order page, to get more info on the bobbers click on the "ESB" at the bottom of the order page:

Everlasting Slip Bobbers

[ryan]

I like the jig and float method for crappie. I'll use a maribou jig instead of a swimmin' minnow when doing that, because the maribou feathers don't have to be pulled through the water to have good action. I've fished that way as much as 20 feet deep with good success if there's not too much wind. If you think about it, that presentation is a lot like the slow suspended jerkbaits that are working well on bass right now - just on a much smaller scale.

Last year, I found a web site by a fellow who's making the best quality slip bobbers I've ever found. They work real well, and having the little bobber-stop on my line doesn't cause any problem at all. I like to support someone like that - a fisherman and tackle-maker who had an improved idea and is making the bobbers himself as opposed to the big companies, so I'll include a link here.

Best of all, they're not expensive and I've never lost one of these bobbers yet. If you break off, the bobber's not attached to your line so it floats free - just go pick it up! Here's the link to the order page, to get more info on the bobbers click on the "ESB" at the bottom of the order page:

Everlasting Slip Bobbers

another awsome slip bobber to use is the wing-it by carlson tackle, a few years ago I was on a fishing trip and met the owners of carlson tackle they gave me a bunch of free stuff (pretty cool) and I tried those bobbers they work great for crappie fishing you can find them at bass pro