Need Crappie Guide

[twoarkies]

My wife and I have fished together for over 50 years. Problem is we most usually fished the shallow lakes and Ox bow lakes in the Arkansas Delta. I have retired to the beautiful Ozarks. Only problem is we are not too swift on knowledge and techniques on the deep water lakes. We had to give up the conventional fishing rigs due to arthritis in getting up and down. Since last fall I have had a pontooon fully riged out for fishing that I leave at Cricket Creek Marina.(adequate trolling motor, two live wells, fish locater, and two fishing seats in the bow and two fishing seats in the rear. I need some recommendations on a guide for this part of the lake. We would have to use our boat, ect. Thanks for any help. We enjoy reading your forums every day.

[troutgnat]

Here's some guide information. Your boat sits within 200' of some great crappie fishing!!! I fish crappie a lot from Cricket Creek and know many others do as well. That whole bluff line that runs in front of the marina holds plenty of crappie. It holds a lot of brush. It gets hit hard but if your patient and work at it you will catch em'. Here's a pic of two fatties last spring that came off that bluff line.

[Bill Babler]

Good info by the Gnat. There is some great crappie fishing either up Cricket or LongCreek. Crappie this time of the year seem to love the mud flats just past the mouth of LongCreek. You will need to be carefull with the low water. Swimming minnows work super up there, usually on a 1/8th. or 1/4 oz. jig head. The Lament color of black and silver are just killers. Don't be afraid to push out from the bank a little, putting the boat in the channel and throwing up on the flats. You can also at times see crappie with your locator in the channel if you know how to use it.

Have some minnows handy and if you see them, drop a minnow to them. When fishing the flats up either of the creeks let your jig fall to the bottom and slowly reel it back following the contour of the bottom. Lots of time the crappie will cling very close to the bottom.

Read this forum. Folks seem to help out alot here during Crappie time.

February and March, if the lake gets some water you can motor up to Youcum Creek, the split with LongCreek has produced loads of crappie for us with the same tecniques.

March and April start workiing your way out of LongCreek and hit the pockets and gravel with structure on the spawning banks clear out to Brushy Creek.

Crappie up LongCreek are something you just need to work out on your own. It is always a changing situation, and what a guide might show you today, would be of little help in a month. Go slow, catch one here and there and then remember how you did it. It won't be fast. Also remember LongCreek is not very big and it is the hardest hit lake section for crappie of its size on the Rock. You will have lots of help.

Good Luck

[rps]

twoarkies: Now that is about as helpful as anybody could ask for! I love this board.

[troutgnat]

Kudos to Bill once again. He even gave me a couple of pointers I did not know of for that area. I've had my fair share of fun all up and down those arms and Yokum creek in the Spring though hadn't paid much attention to those mud flats in the fall. Goes to show the blessing of this forum to all. Twoarkies, my apologies to you for not mentioning Yokum Creek and Long Creek. But I will give you this tip.........Remember these two arms for the spring white bass run as well and Yes, the swimmin' minnow Bill speaks of works wonders for the whites as well. Now, put that pontoon to work Sir