Crappie on Monday

[Sam]

I know him pretty good, unlike a lot of people who read his grumpy posts. I love him anyhow.

I haven't met Bill yet, but I sure appreciate his posts here - he shares some good information. Anybody can get frustrated in an overcrowded fishing spot.

Phil, I said you started posting about the Long/Cricket Creek crappie in 2006, but now I'm thinking it was about January 2005. Whatever, the reports were good and resulted in a lot of productive trips for me. I do think that's helped cause the area to be overcrowded now - but hey, that keeps 'em off the rest of the lake!

That's a great idea about decoying folks to the other end of the lake from where we're catching. I wouldn't actually do it, but it's fun to think about.

I was in a crappie tournament in Tenn. last year, and after the first day I was in the lead. We stayed in cabins near the docks, and all evening I noticed other fishermen casually wandering down there - peeping to see what lure I had tied on my rig. I knew that was going to happen, so before coming in I had tied about a 6-oz. pink saltwater albacore jig on my crappie pole and left it in the boat that way. One thing about fishing - you've just got to make your own fun.

Bill - you're welcome to jump in my Tracker with me anytime. :>}

[CMAC]

Hey Bill,

Truman can be the ugliest lake to fish for crappie. We were out on a trip pre-fishing a little club derby for bassoons. We had this nice little tree row on a point with cedars trees starting in the shallows and making there way out to deep water. We were just casually working our way up the tree row when out of nowhere this V-bottom aluminum (not a tracker product) soars in, shuts off, and dang near collides with us and did graze the tree. Those waves were huge!!! Then proceeds to fish between us and the previous trees we fished because his waves moved us off our spot!! It was an elderly man and what appeared to be his son and grandson. Not much you could really say at that point. Anyway, I was absolutely bewildered after that and how ruthless crappie fishing gets!! My two cents.

I do feel your pain, I fish LOTO alot.

[denjac]

I too was in long creek Monday andwas half way into a cove just up from the ramp. A tracker boat in the back of the cove with 2 younger guys in it fired up and run out of the cove as fast as his little 75 hp would let him. First thought was, he must not know of all the submerged trees back there, then got mad when his wake hit me. But rude comes in all forms of boats from Rangers to trackers. I agree with Bill though, ya get what you pay for, I call it the Mini Van syndrome. Ever notice that most rude drivers are in mini vans? I guess its just somthing we have to put up with. Maybe high gas will keep em off, but I dought it.

[Bill Babler]

Don, Your right as rain. I guess I just have to let it all out once a year, to keep my sanity. Last year about this time, Becky and I went up the Kings, and tried to launch at Viola. Mid-Week, and the banks were just loaded with boats and trailers.

What got me started so much on Monday, was waves over the back of my boat from people plowing by in narrow coves and then pulling directly in front of me while I was going down a bank.

Thinking about it with a cooler head, some of those boats may have been rentals from Big C.

I told 3 different boats, if I can cast a 1/64 oz. crappie jig into your boat, you are getting to close.

It was so bad, I just went and pulled the boat.

I don't own the lake and the Good Lord has granted me the opportunity to make a living doing something I love. It was just a tough day and made me grumpy.

PS I'm not grumpy now Have a great day

[Gary Lange]

I remember fishing the Fox River in Illinois when I was a kid. I didn't know it but the river was so polluted that all you could get was Carp. I went off to fight the War in Vietnam and when I came back they had changed a lot of things along the river and it was cleaning up. I started fishing again in the early 70's with the Brother-in-law but we traveled all over and never fished the Fox River. I joined the Illinois Smallmouth Alliance about 10 years agao and started fishing the Rivers and Streams of Illinois again. I had days on the Fox River when I would catch 10-20 nice Smallies and one great day when I caught over 100 Smallmouths and two big Channel Cats. The Rivers of Illinois where bad when I was a kid and now they are cleaner and produce some great wade fishing for us and anyone who cares to venture out and seach for the Smallmouth, Walleye, Mushie ot several Panfish. Yes things can get bad on Lakes and Rivers because we let it happen. They can also get better because we care and that is what happen in Illinois on the Fox River. Sopmeone cared and got them to shut down the sewage dumping in the towns along the river and put in plants that turned that sewage into good water or at least better water. With 25 years or better of rain and flushing it has cleaned up and is now producing some great fishing. It gets crowded in spots sometime and it is a shame that people have lost the respect for there fellow man and his persuit of happiness but that is the sad truth. Things got better on the Fox in Illinois and they can get better in other places too. We just need to make it happen.

[Phil Lilley]

"Ever notice that most rude drivers are in mini vans?"

Hey- wait a minute. I resemble that remark!!

[skeeter]

Bill you are hitting the nail on the head with your comments and need not be apologetic for them. More of this type of thing should be posted not just on boards such as this but should make it's way into national magazines and the ESPN network fishing TV shows. Maybe people would begin to get the hint that there is a certain etiquette to be observed in the outdoors. More and more people and more and more development coming all the time. Just saw a full page newspaper ad where the entire shoreline on either side of point 17 by Baxter is going under development.

As far as Tracker junk goes, I've heard this story for the last 15 years + about lack of quality and lack of concern at BPS Corporate. One of our marketing bigwigs transferred over there three years ago and after finding out the lack of QC and astounding lack of quality in almost anything labeled BPS ( especially Tracker boats ) he left because he's not that kind of guy ( to his credit ) and wouldn't put up with it. Too bad more of this experience of yours doesn't get out to the poor guy who is a complete neophyte and is buying his first boat.

[Roger Osborne]

BB, Know what you are saying....I owned a lodge in Canada and brought back a Lund ProV when I sold a few years ago...still love the boat and have never fished in a better all-around boat than a Lund. We ran Lunds at my lodge and they were by far a better boat than any other junk out there! My advice is spend the extra money now and buy a Lund and it will be the last boat you will ever own....(brandwise). Fished Cricket Creek last Friday....lots of boats, few crappie scattered, good quality...low on quantity. Stockton yesterday....2 walleye, missed a big one.....o whites, 2 small crappie....report from Pomme (Lindley arm) is hot right now towards dusk...not enough time to make all the spots. ro

[Sam]

Just another thought. When crappie fishing during the spring spawn with a bunch of boats around, it's harder than normal NOT to "cut somebody off".

The bad examples cited here are obvious, and I'm not sticking up for poor behavior, but sometimes when pulling into a crappie area I've had to really give it some thought about where to place my boat and which way to move without bothering anybody.

When a boat is bass fishing, it's pretty obvious what they're doing. They're going down a bank, a treeline, or a point - and you don't get close or pull in front of them.

When there's a whole bunch of crappie boats out, it's not so obvious. Some are slow-trolling, some are drifting and casting, some are sitting still and drowning minnows, some are tied up to trees, etc. If it's a big stump field like part of Long and Cricket Creeks, a boat might be moving and fishing in ANY direction.

I'm just saying - it's harder for even a good and polite fisherman not to "cut somebody off" in those circumstances. I think the best rule is to keep your speed way down and not pull in too close to anybody. After you stop it becomes more obvious which direction people are moving, and then as you fish you can move out of their way.

p.s. - You guys made me feel bad about my boat. I'm gonna take a paint brush and ........

I'll be the guy in the Cracker.

[techo]

Rudeness does not just relate to fishing. I have watched people sit for two or three minutes to get a parking spot at a shopping center and then someone take their parking spot. I use to cop in Alaska and actually handled a call where someone wanted another person arrested for "stealing" their parking spot. I could go on and on about all sorts of rude people at the gym...not wiping their sweat off of benches, using multiple machines or weights at a busy time, standing in the middle of the door and talking....and so on. My gym is in a church! Rudeness is a sign of the times. I live near two schools. When school gets out the kids walk right in the road and refuse to walk on the side of the road. I had one tap on my passenger side window with his finger. I had a talk with him, but he just stood in the road and had a stupid smile.

As far as boat makers and new people on the lake. They make a boat for everyone. I love my Skeeter! If they want a Bass Pro boat...then good for them. They put some cheap packages together that you can upgrade as you go. I have owned an Alumacraft, Tuffy and a Lund. Hard to beat the Lund for quality. Did I say that I love my Skeeter though? If I couldn't afford a boat.... I would fish off of an inner tube.

I am one of the new fisherman that is crowding your lake. My Dad never did take me fishing as a kid,(he worked a lot) but a friend did up on Rainy Lake about fifteen years ago. I was addicted right away. We didn't catch a fish that day, but I could see the thinking and planning that has to go into fishing. I was hooked, even if the fish wasn't. I moved down here to fish the area and plant some roots. I love this place. I am sorry for making it more crowded, but I promise to be respectful and fairly friendly to all others and the environment.

I apoligize on behalf of other chilkoots in the area for any ruined fishing trips.