No luck this past weekend

[Haris122]

I went to Kinkaid along with two of my fishing buddies this past weekend and it sucked. It's been getting more and more difficult for us to find days when all 3 of us can go, so despite the poor forecast weather-wise, we decided to follow through with it that weekend. I think both days we started out from the main boat ramp (the one by the Marina). First day we went a little bit all over, the 2nd day we mainly stuck east (wrote west at first) of that ramp. Neither day was any good to be honest. First day I finally got an average sized green sunfish well into the afternoon on a crappie tube and jighead, and then my one buddy that owns the boat later on got a 12" crappie on a minnow. The next day the wind was much calmer which made things a little easier. The same buddy that got the crappie the day before, got another, small one on minnows by some docks, and then my other buddy that didn't catch anything the day before, got 2 nice ones, one a 11", and the other a 14", on minnows, and lost a black-nose one by the boat. I completely struck out that day. Given the reputation of the lake, I was expecting somewhat better fishing despite the weather, but that didn't happen.

[Daryk Campbell Sr]

I have never been, but always heard good things about it.  How far for St Louis is it?  

[Haris122]

Not all that far. Feel like it was a little over an hour and a half from where my buddy with the boat lives, from Festus it would be even closer if you go the way we went. We crossed the Mississippi near Chester Illinois, so it was pretty much straight down south on 55 for a little under an hour, then get off around St. Mary's, take some smaller roads to the bridge, and then drive down south along route 3 for another half hour, basically. 

[shrapnel]

Kinkaid was on fire this weekend!  It took 31lbs to win the Midstate Open  Bass Tournament on Saturday.  It's also holding true to it's rep for huge crappie this year.  Sorry for your misfortune...chalk it up as a learning experience and make a note to never fish that depth/bait/places/conditions again!

[Haris122]

The technique itself is a tried and true crappie tactic, how I applied that might be a different story, but it worked for me on a good number of occasions in the past. Not that crappie was all I was targeting. Do jighead and tube under slip bobber in the 8-15 feet or more range work a lot less effectively than they do shallower in general or something?

As far as it being on fire, that's hard to buy. All day Saturday, there was only 1 time we saw anybody catch something. And I can't say we saw anyone slaying any crappie either. Where do they have the weights and rankings for that tournament posted? I'd like to look that over. 

[Haris122]

Ok, I just found the rankings on midstate illinois bass anglers facebook page, and you're right. Is it normal there's that many boats that don't catch anything either though? I saw 48 teams listed, only 18 of which had any weights listed. Does that mean the rest of them didn't bring anything to the weigh-ins aka didn't catch any?

[moguy1973]

For bass it’s a tough lake unless you know how to fish that coon tail.  I am not one of those people. I’ve had topwater luck there with weedless frogs before but it’s hard to fish anything that runs under the surface unless you want to catch coon tail. 

[shrapnel]

Since I've moved away I don't mind sharing

For bass it is an excellent Chatterbait lake.  I have done very good on LARGE spinnerbaits, like #7+ willow leafs burned shallow over the coontail.  Jerkbaits are a staple and It also turns on for a top water lake sooner than most lakes, as soon as that water touches 52* I'll be working the water to a froth with buzz baits.  Don't be afraid to get BEHIND the coontail either, like in the 2' space between the rip rap and where the weeds start...need a realy good trolling motor and plan on cleaning it off often.  Oh, I NEVER fished it without a fluke tied on, absolutely deadly dropping it into the weed pockets and skittering it across the top.  I never, not once threw a frog there....so cliche.

Summer gets tougher but they group up better and the catching stays good for those on them.  Tubes, shaky heads and morning top water should produce.  Most people are casting towards the bank, find one of the many major points (that aren't so obvious to the eye) and then around and cast out into the lake, it's nothing to fish 100yds offshore and only be in 12' of water there.

For crappie get in or on the edges of that coontail.  Don't be afraid to stay main lake either, it's a relatively calm lake accept for holiday weekends.  They will flat STACK up on points with weeds....there are several weed points that come over a hundred yards out into that lake most people run right over and have no clue they are there.  Fpe spawners I always did better in smaller mail lake pockets than the larger coves with standing timber...unless it was one of the many beaver dams those always produce pretty good as well.  Depth depends on clarity no matter the season, I have seen them spawn from 2' to 8' deep if rains didn't muddy it up.