Crappie Fishing Report 02/04/10

[Stockton Lake Guide Service]

The crappie fishing remains very good on stockton. The water temp was 36 this morning, and the lake was almost at normal pool. Been a while since we have seen that.

To catch the crappie this time of year you need to locate brush and or shad in 50-60 foot of water. I use 2 1/8 oz lead head jigs, and a triple ripple or bass assassin body. I also like to rub a little smelly jelly on the lure. Over the past weeks, the majority of the fish have been about 3 foot off the bottom, which would put them in the brush. As they are pulling water, the fish will hold tight to the stucture, so you must get the jig to the fish. This morning I was only out for a couple hours and we had 11 keepers before the sleet moved in. Someone else was still out there in a skeeter when we left. Some of the fish will hit plenty hard for you to tell you have a bite, but some will just tug a little, and some others feel like a fly hit your rod. I think the main reason people don't catch more fish this time of year is because they are used to the big bites in the spring and simply don't relize they are getting bit this time of year. If you are over brush or have a school of shad under your boat, and you are in 50 foot of water, chances are there are crappie under your boat. Before you give up on them, concentrate and watch for a very suttle bite. Kind of like when your wife tries to drop that hint that she didn't want you to go fishing, and you didn't even notice.

I hope this will help you a little or give you some ideas on how to try to catch some fish. I know there are several that go out in the winter and catch some monster crappie almost every trip. It is by far the best time of year to catch crappie, and these small fronts coming thru usually won't completly shut them off. They might slow down a little, but it won't stop all of them.

I have a guide trip that will be auctioned off on bid for bargins monday feb 8th in the morning. It should be a great deal and would be a great chance for someone to go out that wants to learn how to locate brush piles and how to catch some crappie.

Now the bad news, ripping crappie out of 50+ foot of water causes a high mortality rate. If you catch 20 short fish, and just throw them back in the water, most of these fish will not live. So instead of taking 15 fish out of the lake, there could be 30 dead fish. You will notice this problem very early on when you see your released fish swimming in circles, or their eyes are bugged out etc. When the fish are biting good, it's tuff to take the extra time to "fizz" the fish, and it is not an easy technique to do without causing injury to the fish. Our main goal when releasing a fish is that the fish lives to bite and fight another day. In no case that I know of are you allowed to keep an short fish because that fish would have died anyways, it's the same fine as having a live short fish. So that leaves us with only one option, do our best to save the fish.

One technique if you don't mind doing it is blowing into the fishes mouth, like during cpr. However it's kind of gross and your breath can quickly start smelling, well "crappie". no pun intended.

Another more effective and less time consuming technique is to take enough fishing line, and enough weight about 6 oz, to lower the fish back into the water and to a suitable depth so the fish can stay bouyant and not float on the surface. It's a pretty easy technique, all you have to do is thread the mono thru the fishes jaw, but not the bone, and keep hold of the both ends while allowing the fish to return to the depths. then you pull the line through the fish and your back to fishing. And I relize that the eagles need to eat also, but there are enough shad for them to eat. They don't care if they eat gizzard shad, crappie, or walleye. I would rather keep the last two for us.!!

If anyone else has some ideas on saving these fish for later catches feel free to add some good ideas.

Good Night!!

[kcbear]

What exactly is "bid for bargains"? Tell me more about the guide trip -- Arranged date or do you have a specific one your offering. What is the value of the trip (I wouldn't want to embarass myself by bidding way low or anything)? How do I go about bidding? Is it an internet thing? Is it a set bid time or available til no one else bids more? I am interested.

KC BEAR

[Frost1920]

Bids for Bargains used to be on after Tradio (107.7 Fm), which ran from 7:30-8:30am. It's a call in auction. I'm not sure if it still is on everyday at 8:30 or not. I haven't listened to it in awhile.

I just wanted to add to the fishing report a little something. We busted ice out of Ruark yesterday and were the only people on the ramp. We fished from 1-5 or so. It was cold and crappy. Even on a day like this, being the only truck there, and when we least expected it, a conservation agent rolled up and dug through our fish, measured, and checked them and then checked our fishing licenses. I just wanted to let everyone know that they are out there, even on the crappiest, coldest days. Make sure all your fish are legal and keep your fishing licenses readily available. I'm pretty sure all fishing licenses expire on February 28th, so keep an eye on that, and make sure you're up to date!

[Dutch]

That sounds like Agent Farwell. He has no fear, day or night, hot or cold.

[powerdive]

Bob, great report. Thanks for the info. We fish crappies and walleyes similarly through the winter. Two more things you can do to help with crappie survival in deep water: bring them up SLOWLY after you hook 'em (hard to do, and yes, you'll lose a couple, but it really does help), and also, upon release, very un-gently SPLOOSH the short fish back into the water headfirst. You want them leading with their mouths--I dunno, I guess the forced rush of water helps them revive quickly. Crappies can be a challenge to release, but done correctly, splooshing gets most of 'em headed back down okay. If you do get a floater, then pick it up and try fizzing. Walleyes seldom need special handling, as they seem to handle the pressure change better and almost always go back down. If not, don't sploosh 'em--they're easier to fizz.

You may leave a couple floaters behind for the loons and eagles, but most seem to make it. If catching more shorts than legals, we'll move--they're not that hard to find this time of year. Sun makes them run, though; if they stop biting, move around the immediate area (a few yards away), and often you can find the school again and catch a few more out of it.

[Dutch]

You can release them gently. Check page 10 of this:

http://www.wildtroutstreams.com/CatchRelease/catch_and_release_review_and_guidelines.pdf

I do it all winter long to all species.

[straw hat]

I am not familiar with the term "fizzing" but I do know a simple technique that works. I too use the "splooshing" technique that powerdiver referred to. This works in about 70% of the cases. The rest can easily be fixed by inserting a small gauge needle in the air bladder to releive the pressure. The air bladder can usually be seen inflated at the back of the mouth and can be easily pierced. In the event that you can not see the bladder this way the needle should be inserted about half-way down the fish below the spiny part of the dorsal fin. This takes a little practice but after 3 or 4 fish it gets simple to do.

Small gauge needles can be bought at Race Brother or most large farm stores.

I have been catching some crappie (mostly small ones) about 18 to 20" deep, in timber, in both the Son's Creek and Turnback arms of the lake. The hard part is to catch it unfrozen.

[Stockton Lake Guide Service]

It's on 107.7 each morning. An 8 hr trip is 225.00 but it will go for the top bid. The money all goes to the radio station, and they give me some advertising space for donating the trip. I should be at the radio station at 8 am monday morning. So it should be auctioned sometime around 8:15 to 8:30 am, or something close to that. To bid, all you need to do is call 417-276-5200 and tell them what you wish to bid, but I think they only bid during the time each thing is auctioned off. They will keep you on the phone and you can up your bid until you win or quit.

The guide trip is 8 hours on any day I am open (except sundays) You can use it during the walleye run, crappie spawn etc.

Let me know if this answered everything and good luck if you decide to bid.

[Stockton Lake Guide Service]

Sounds like you were catching fish. I saw your truck there on my way home from the lake. Your right, you were the only one there

[Stockton Lake Guide Service]

The term fizzing simply means to artifically deflate the air bladder with the needle. It just sounds cooler when you say it that way, "fizzing" See what I mean.

If it is all the way up into the throat of the fish, then it's pretty easy to do. If you have to remove scales, or insert needle in side of fish then you can hit other stuff and kill fish later.

How big of crappie are you guys catching up there. I talked with some guys that have been catching lots of them, but having to fight ice all the time too.