Skunked On Monday, With Unexpected Success?

[jimithyashford]

Went wade-fishing Monday from 4:30 until 7:30 using yellow jigs, red jigs, a spinner, and a crawfish. I didn't even catch my normal small baby smallies and sunfish, I got absolutly nothing, not a single bite the whole time.

However, I did manage to catch the largest crayfish to ever swim the James. He was a beast. 9.5 inches long tail to pincer tips. his "wingspan" with his claws out side to side was 11.5 inches. I mean this guy was enormous. I took him home and ate him. There was good eatable meat from the tail, both pincers, and from the legs leading up to the pincers. I'll see if I can post some pictures later.

So, the longest fish I've caught so far this year has been a crayfish! How unexpected.

[jbooth24]

We're did you go? And I went to Crighton yesterday and didn't have luck but few bites but I was using a rooster tail I paicked up and I also got to meet mofloatjunkie as well he landed a huge goggle eye. And another one but idk how big it was

[jimithyashford]

I was at criegton as well. I waded from the upper end of the public access to the water intake tower. It is still a mystery to me how you are pulling fish out of there. I have thrown every jig/rig I have at every hole a structure at least a dozen times, and I keep comming up empty.

Like, most common advice seems to be that if I've had this many unsuccessful trips, I just need to try new water, cause my water is fished out. But I keep seeing posts by people like you who do regularly pull decent sized fish out of there. Which tells me that the problem isn't the water, its my technique, which would make some gas-guzzling trip way out to better water a potential waste of time.

Oh also, I forgot, when I got to the nice deeper water I switched over to a crank bait for a while. No love on the crankbait either.

[Wayne SW/MO]

Probably a Table Rock craw, noted for there large size. I would imagine they have been in the White a long time, but I always wonder what they were called before TR was built?

[Lvn2Fish]

Probably a Table Rock craw, noted for there large size. I would imagine they have been in the White a long time, but I always wonder what they were called before TR was built?

They were/are native to the White River. They are also called the " long pincherd Crawfish"

[jbooth24]

Hmm it all depends on I they want to bite I use grubs and jigs and but i slowley bring it up and let it drop and reel in the slack. And at first it was hard for me but I like to throw under logs and we're the rocks start to slop to deep water have caught a few good fish that way. Try the small minnow a red or green one. How I rig it and mc sports has this rig we're it's a small worm that had a blade on it and has a red bead I frogot what it's called but it works ready well. It's a red worm I know they have it I bought one the other day don't get the big worm use the small one

[jbooth24]

If I knew you were up there yesterday I would have meet up with you and give you a few lures to try. And if you ever there an see a green Chevy Malibu with a arrow as a antenna and a buck off sticker on the back window. That's me stop and say hi

[jimithyashford]

I'll keep an eye out for you. Thanks

And on the Crayfish, Yes it is a Longpincered Crayfish which is native to all waters in the White River Basin and is kinda tied for beng the largest Crayfish species in North America. There is one Texas crayfish that gets heavier and fatter but not as long. I also looked up the size range, and the one I caught was well above average and almost as big as the largest they are known to get.

[Flysmallie]

with a arrow as a antenna

Oh geez, don't let my daughter see that.

[jbooth24]

Ya I got creative it's got an all Camo headliner