Crappie And White Bass Report For 4-7 Thru 4-13

[Bittle]

Sorry this is a late report but since I made it back home I have been busy at work and with the kid.

Here it is.

Sunday 4-7

Put in at Bridgeport with my brother and his wife. My mission this day was to put out some trot lines to get me fishing for some catfish. We dabbled around catching bluegill and tried our hand at some crappie at a few spots. We ended the day with five or six crappie and one or two white bass. All the crappie we caught were above the Flat Creek and James River Split. We caught some on both rivers. The fish we shallow. We caught some on flats and some on brush close to spawning areas. I caught no fish on the bluffs, and we tried.

Monday 4-8

Dad and I put back in at Bridgeport and ran up to check our lines. End up catching only three catfish on the trot lines and four crappie in the shallow brush again. One crappie at 14 inches. I had an idea to run downstream so we broke for lunch and put in at Cape Fair boatdock. We ran downstream and began fishing deeper structure. My thinking was that maybe the majority of the fish were still in deep water. I was wrong. We hit a spawning cove and found the fish staging again. Ten feet of water was the magic depth. If you could find structure in that depth range near spawning areas, it would have fish. We ended with seventeen nice fat crappie. The average size was probably 11.5 to 12 inches. Water Temp in the afternoon was 60 to 61.

Tuesday 4-9

We thought we had them figured out. We quickly ran to Bridgeport and checked the lines. Had three catfish, but one flipped off at the boat. I made the executive decision to pull the lines because I was spending too much time for not much success. And I would rather fish crappie. Pulled the lines and ran to Cape Fair. Ran back to the same areas we fished the day before. Very little success. We only caught eight crappie and the two catfish. Now I'm frustrated.

Wednesday 4-10

Weatherman said it was going to be rainy and windy. Woke up at 8 expecting a washout. Ran to Bridgeport for the sole reason wasthat the water was warmer. Tried some deeper stuff around here and again, didn't catch much on the deeper stuff. The wind was terrible at times but I found places to fish. I landed on a spot that was again in that ten foot range, with wood, near a spawning area. I fished it and started catching fish. I left and fishing similar areas with some success as well. But that one spot was a flat with wood. The fish were staging on the wood and I also believe because of the clouds that they were roaming the flat feeding as well. I ended the day with twelve keeper crappie and a fat sow white bass. The white bass was the only thing I caught on the bluff. The crappie here were averaging about 10.5 to 11 inches. Not nearly as nice as further down the lake but I wasn't leaving now that I had a pattern.

Thursday 4-11

I decided that because of the cold front that had moved in, I wasn't fishing the morning. I slept in and had a good breakfast. I left the house at 1:30pm and the wind was howling. The spot I had caught most of my fish on the day before was unfishable. I kept to my pattern and finished my limit of crappie in three hours and added another sow white bass. I caught her in open water on a flat this time. I pulled into my house with enough daylight to help my dad around the house before it got dark. I know I could have kept fishing my pattern and caught fish the rest of the day. But the wind was miserable. I caught fish this day as shallow as 6.5 feet. But the water had to be warm enough.

Friday 4-12

I decided I was going to try to fish shallow again this morning. Run my pattern and see what came of it. Wind was still kicking my teeth but I went. Was gone two hours.............couldn't stand the wind and couldn't find the warm water. Warmest I found that morning was 58 degrees. Not good enough. I did hook one keeper out of a brush pile in ten feet of water. Flipped off at the boat and I took it as a sign. Ran home to eat lunch and my brother talked me into running to Blunks Hole to try our hand at the White Bass. Wind continued to howl but we were below Taylor Shoals and immediately started catching fish on swimming minnows and Rapalas. Only it was pretty slow for awhile. Near dark we started catching them a little better and finished our limits before the sun went down.

Saturday 4-13

I was going to sleep in and leave early that morning to head back to St. Louis. I had some unfinished business with the White Bass. I woke up and my brother, father and I went back to Blunks. We got there as the sun was just peeking out. My dad and brother fished from the boat and I decided to use my new fly rod and reel. I waded across from the ramp and smoked the whites on a grey and white clouser. I caught my limit of good eater size males in under two hours. I got most of it on my GoPro Camera. I'm trying to upload it to Youtube and Ill try to put a link to it here when I do. I was all by myself on the point until a canoe showed up with two small kids and their dad. They respected my space and anchored above me, which I appreciated. Not long after I had my limit a boat nearly swamped me and ran almost into the hole I was fishing. Now I know I was catching fish at a greater rate than all these other people, and I know I shouldn't be suprised fishing down there but..... The next guy really pissed me off. He darn near swamped me and cut in between me and the canoe. I have a nine foot rod and I bet he wasn't more than fifteen feet from me. I had to watch where I was back casting just to keep from hitting them. I shook my head in disgust a few times but he still didn't get the hint. My dad and brother came to check on me at the right time. My dad came up and made the smartass comment to me, "Can we just anchor up right below you." I told him to go ahead seems like everyone else is going to. Well the guy upstream took offense to this. And promptly told me that I don't own the river. To which I told him that I didn't care I was going to let him set there and watch me catch fish. Which I did, and I threw each one I caught upstream toward their boat. I got tired of listening to him groan so I grabbed my stringer and we decided to leave.

Now I know I don't own the river but holy hell. I hope that if your on this message board you should be ashamed or yourself. Judging by your character that day I doubt it though.

Btw my dad and brother only had four whites that morning.

A thing about the fish I did catch. When cleaning them, most all the white bass were males. We did catch a few females but their eggs were about to be laid. I think most of the girls had or have done their thing. The crappie were mostly males but the few females I did catch were still underdeveloped.

Had enough fish for a fish fry and gave a bunch away to a needy family. If the water temp keeps inching up these crappie will hit the bank in gangs.

I caught the majority of my fish on a grey swimming minnow with an eighth ounce head. I did jig a tube around some cover as well with some success. I caught some on minnows as well but not many of them.

Good Luck

Bittle

[outdoornut]

I feel your pain I also fish that spot with a fly rod and also catch a limit in under an hour usually. This really aggravates some people there is one boat with an older husband and wife that just can't stand it so every time I'm there they will rush up and proceed to throw their anchor up in the air to make as loud a splash as possible. I presume to scare off the fish because they do it every few minutes. Its all I can do to keep from dragging them out of the boat. The river used to be full of courteous people but times are changing

[Bittle]

I know I should almost expect it but your right.....times are changing.

[Fishman1227]

I'm ready to go, can we go tonight?? LOL!!!

[Bittle]

If I didn't have to go back to St Louis we probably could.

[duckydoty]

Great report. Thanks for sharing. Pictures are cool!

[FRENZEL]

Switch to a broomstick with an alabama rig and some heavy braid and start cossing every line they have in the water. See who wins the tug of war. Or ignore them and take the high road.. I know which would be more entertaining though. Oh and great pictures!

[Wayne SW/MO]

Nice report. Too bad the scum found you, but that can be a problem.