A Crappie Day Last Week

[redbird]

Friday afternoon was in the high 60's here and I took 2 hours to get a little fishing in and get some fillets for our next fish fry. I was fishing my new 3 wt, and still had 6x tippet on, so I was set to have some light tackle fun. I wasnt disappointed, the first 3 fish I caught were bluegill all bigger than my hand. After 20 min just one crappie, I was fishing a clouser and with it still being early I was stripping it pretty slow. I threw a cast just as a gust of wind blew and I had to spend a couple minutes untangling. So after everything was straight I stripped in fast and was stopped solid by a nice crappie. So I threw out to the same spot and stripped fast again, another crappie! The crappie were chasing and the bluegill were hitting as it sank. I made my way down about 50 yds of shore putting crappie on my stringer as I went. I caught a few short bass too. As I was fishing I noticed mayflies coming off the water and I started seeing a splash here and there. (I only had brought my streamer box, no dry flies, darn). I was still catching a fish every other cast though so no worry. I threw the clouser parallel to the bank and stripped it fast 3 times and it stopped. I saw the boil, and hardly had time to feel the fish, but with 6x It probably never even felt a tug. It had to be one of those big bass.

Well with needing to tie on a new fly I decided to go with the new Muddler I had tied and fish it on top. That would only last for a few casts, because I hadnt brought any Gink either. The first cast I was stripping it fast just as before, but on top of the water and a nice crappie came all the way out of the water and dove on top of it. I was running out of spots on the stringer and I caught one more on top. I have only seen that one other time, when bass fishing with my Dad we tied little panfish poppers I had in my box on the back of our tiny torpedos and caught crappie that were feeding on a hatch. It was at Pomme, and Dad actually had a musky take a panfish popper.

Ok, now my muddler is sinking, but stripping it fast is still catching me crappie, and Ive walked too far to walk back and put them on my stringer so Im throwing them back, I only had one clip left at this point, and Im beginning to dread cleaning them all. I cast down the bank and it happens again, the huge boil, and my muddler is gone this time I felt the fish, and I dont think I wanted to fight him on a 3 weight. But he will be fun on a 5 wt later this spring. I have to tie some more of those muddlers the were fun to fish, I could definately see catching some browns on them. I ended up catching one more crappie to fill the stringer and then I left. But man It was fun

Friday afternoon was in the high 60's here and I took 2 hours to get a little fishing in and get some fillets for our next fish fry. I was fishing my new 3 wt, and still had 6x tippet on, so I was set to have some light tackle fun. I wasnt disappointed, the first 3 fish I caught were bluegill all bigger than my hand. After 20 min just one crappie, I was fishing a clouser and with it still being early I was stripping it pretty slow. I threw a cast just as a gust of wind blew and I had to spend a couple minutes untangling. So after everything was straight I stripped in fast and was stopped solid by a nice crappie. So I threw out to the same spot and stripped fast again, another crappie! The crappie were chasing and the bluegill were hitting as it sank. I made my way down about 50 yds of shore putting crappie on my stringer as I went. I caught a few short bass too. As I was fishing I noticed mayflies coming off the water and I started seeing a splash here and there. (I only had brought my streamer box, no dry flies, darn). I was still catching a fish every other cast though so no worry. I threw the clouser parallel to the bank and stripped it fast 3 times and it stopped. I saw the boil, and hardly had time to feel the fish, but with 6x It probably never even felt a tug. It had to be one of those big bass.

Well with needing to tie on a new fly I decided to go with the new Muddler I had tied and fish it on top. That would only last for a few casts, because I hadnt brought any Gink either. The first cast I was stripping it fast just as before, but on top of the water and a nice crappie came all the way out of the water and dove on top of it. I was running out of spots on the stringer and I caught one more on top. I have only seen that one other time, fishing with Dad when we tied little panfish poppers I had in my box on the back of our tiny torpedos and caught crappie that were feeding on a hatch. It was at Pomme, and Dad actually had a musky take a panfish popper.

Ok, now my muddler is sinking, but stripping it fast is still catching me crappie, and Ive walked too far to walk back and put them on my stringer so Im throwing them back, I only had one clip left at this point, and Im beginning to dread cleaning them all. I cast down the bank and it happens again, the huge boil, and my muddler is gone this time I felt the fish, and I dont think I wanted to fight him on a 3 weight. But he will be fun on a 5 wt later this spring. I have to tie some more of those muddlers the were fun to fish, I could definately see catching some browns on them. I ended up catching one more crappie to fill the stringer and then I left. But man It was fun.

[fishinwrench]

Nice mess. I'm not sure why, but they taste better when you catch them on flys.

[Buzz]

That sounds like one of those days that you won't ever forget. They don't happen often enough.