5/2 Long Creek Crappie

[Phil Lilley]

Put in at Long Creek about 6 p.m. yesterday.  Check my 2 corners and they were occupied.  Went on up south, under the highlines and into the cove on the left before the state line.  Went back towards the back and ran the bank - caught bass.  In the back right corner we caught a couple of crappie and small male white bass.  Tons of small fingerling fish, may be shad.  Fish were busting them pretty good.

Headed back out and north.  Bass guys fishing the area close to the corners so we went on up in to Brushy.  Fished the first cut on the left where the eagle's net is - nothing.  Getting dark, running out of options and time - headed across the water to the north bluff side and fished a cut I'd caught crappie in years ago.  Scored 2 quick keepers.  Worked west along the bank and caught a few more- lost 2 at the boat.  Only one short.

All caught on either a white 3/32nd oz white jig or a smoke swimming minnow.  Most were out from the bank 8-12 feet and suspended.  I haven't cleaned them yet so don't know male/female or if they might have eggs.

Water temp 61 main lake, as warm as 65 in some pockets.

[Phil Lilley]

Out of 6 crappie, 4 were females and 2 males.  Three of the 4 sows still had eggs and one was half spawned out.

The whites had not spawned either.