JAMES RIVER CRAPPIE 4-6 THROUGH 4-14

[Bittle]

Well, my old college roommate and I took our annual pilgrimage to Table Rock Lake for a week of crappie fishing. We pulled into town on 4-6-18 and got things ready for the next morning. We drug my dad along with us and it was a slow and cold morning. Put in at Bridgeport and headed upstream. We spider rigged up front and he drug a minnow and made casts from the back of the boat. We fished from maybe 9am until about 5 or so. Long day with not a ton to show for it. We caught a few fish deep on bluffs and ended the day with 12 crappie and four white bass. 



Sunday 4-7, just two of us in the boat this day. We fished the same areas this day but began to find a pattern. In the afternoons, the fish were stacking on cover in 10-25 feet of water. You may find a fish on pole timber, but the brushy stuff held the large majority of our fish. We began to find the bigger females mixed in with the males. Ended the day with 11 keeper crappie. 



Monday, we began to run our pattern and look for new areas to fish. We stuck to the deeper brush spider rigging slow over the tops of it. We ended with 30 keepers but it took us most of the day. We found some new brush piles and loaded up on bigger fish. My father was out in his boat. He was doing the same but didn't find any good brush. He ended the day with four keepers. 



Tuesday was the same pattern. 10-25 feet deep, thick brush fishing about 12 feet down. Ended the day again, with two limits of fish. The neighbors were happy to get these fish as they are every year. 



Wednesday, the father in law made a huge mistake. He challenged us to a crappie fishing tournament between us and he and a friend. Most fish in three hours was the deal. He had no idea we had been on a pattern. We had 21 fish, and they ended with two. They were shocked when we pulled in with our fish. Not bad for fishing from 9-1230. After they left, we decided to finish our limits and did so by about 2:30. We had set some jug lines out as well and found one cold channel wanted to play. 



Thursday, we continued to run the pattern but found it had changed some. We weren't finding as many males out deep. We were finding mainly females. It took us most of the day to finish our limits and cleaned 30 fish. Only three were males. That night, we had the mother of all fish fries. Family and friends came and left with fish. It was a celebration for the week and we thanked god for it. 



I didn't fish Friday, helped dad around the house some. 

Saturday, before I left, dad wanted to hit the lake for awhile. We fished from 9-1230 and kept 10. Wind was terrible. 

Anyway, hope this helps someone. I know it won't for long because the fish will be moving quickly once it warms. I don't post much on here but figured I would throw in my two cents.

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[dan hufferd]

Nice ! looks like you have some big black nose crappie in the mix.

[Skeeter ZX190]

Those males certainly have their spawning colors.  

[vernon]

Outstanding!

I sure wish I was still willing to work that hard!