Cedar Creek Lake report - 3/30/2006

[mattcombs]

Ouch. I had already written this once and somehow lost it due to a web browser screw up. So, it will be shorter and less-informative this time, my apologies. Let's see: It's been a while since I've been on here, got out and fished at Cedar Creek because it was a nice day, um....

Caught a few small bass and bluegill on minnows and Bass Pro Shops® "Weedless" Tripple Ripple™ Stump Jumper® in black/chartreuse color, size 1/8 oz. Um... didn't catch any crappie, didn't see anyone catch any crappie. I downloaded a map and marked some spots on it that peaked my interest. Of course, the north side of the lake seems to be most productive in spring. Haven't really fished the south side yet to prove this theory, but I have read it thousands of times, so it must be true. Water was stained and about 54 degrees average.

Map notes:
The fishfinder activity in the top point of the island was astounding. The first cluster of trees coming from the main dock had both of our fishfinders going INSANE. We couldn't make any of them bite, in the morning when we first arrived or in the evening before leaving. I suspect they could have been crappie, since they were holding so tightly to the cover, but they could have easily been channel catfish, as well, since this was in 30' of water and they were schooled. I guess I'll never know.

The area behind the island will be a killer place once the spawn hits. It is shallow, has LOADS of cover, and, not to mention, has man-made gravel spawning beds in it :D. I saw a couple of guys catching medium-sized bass on Ratt-L-Traps here, in probably 10 feet of water, so it's production is low, but is THERE at least.

The only place Dad or I even got a hookset on a fish is also labeled. This area is a big cove filled with standing trees almost directly across the lake from the Old 150 Ramp. It also has stumpbeds lying outside of the line of trees, so cover is very thick (and very good for crappie, I'm sure) in this area. We caught several 4-5" bass and a few nice bluegill here, and I saw another guy catch a bluegill that was near us, so this was our only productive place of the entire day. This area also has a gravel spawning bed nearby, so it will be another of my spawning hotspots.

Hope you guys enjoy the info. Check these areas out next time you go and let me know how it goes. I would type more, but I'm afraid I'm going to lose this again .

Until next time! :D

*Note: I'm having trouble editing my image to fit the size requirements for the board, so I'll work on that and get it posted soon in a later reply.

[mattcombs]

Here we go.

Here's the url of the original image, as well. Very helpful.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...rCreekLake.gif

[CrappiePappy]

next time you go ....... try the pallett/stake beds areas, marked on the map. The crappie should be well on their way to spawning beds, by now ... so I doubt those were Crappie in 30' of water (if they were suspended any deeper than 10').
I had every intention of going this weekend, but circumstances prevent it.

I've caught several Crappie from the stakebed buckets just out from the rock riprap at the parking lot of the dam ramp. All of them were <6" long. I even caught a few Blacknose from there (I was fishing from the bank/riprap).
It will be my intention to release ANY Blacknose I catch, even if it means not keeping any Crappie ... at least until the population gets to a greater size (length).
I've been hearing some second hand reports of "meat hogs" taking buckets full of undersized Crappie from Cedar Creek .... as well as reports of many anglers caught with undersized Bass in their livewells. This does not bode well for Cedar Creek. People need to understand that this lake is very young, and needs time to produce fish of quality size. We can only hope that these people will be caught and fined, to the point where a catch of undersized fish won't be worth the possiblity of being caught.

Don't get caught up in the "North side" theory, to the extent that it stops you from fishing the creeks in the South end. The lake is small, and the shallow banks will warm fairly fast ... even in the Southern portion. The Northern "banks", of the South end of the lake, will receive as much Sun as any other part of the lake ... and may warm a few degrees more, & faster, than the Southern banks. The Black Crappie probably won't use the rock bed areas ... they're more naturally oriented to weeds. With all that moss & weed growth, I'm in hopes that it will afford the Crappie a good chance of survival and growth potential.

The "introduction", or lack of complete eradication, of Gizzard Shad has all but doomed the Redear's (shellcracker) potential for trophy size. It may help the Bass/Catfish/Crappie population ... but the other Sunfish species will be less likely to grow all that big. The Bass/Catfish/Crappie will utilize the Shad as a foodsource, rather than the young Sunfish ... allowing them to potentially overpopulate and stunt.

I had high hopes that Cedar Creek would become a good Crappie lake, since it's not more than an hours drive for me. I can only hope that ethical anglers, like us, will prevail. ........ luck2ya ....... cp

[mattcombs]

The first time I went to Cedar Creek, I fished along the standing timber just across from the main ramp and completely destroyed the crappie. I probably had 10 keepers that day (larger than 12", at that time, mind you). Never really been back on the south end of the lake since last year (in the summer).

I agree with you on the "meat hog," thing. I have heard that, as well, and I have yet to see a Fish & Wildlife employee on Cedar Creek the times I have been there. This worries me, as it is a shame that a majority of people would keep an undersized fish rather than put it back.

Are there gizzard shad in Cedar Creek? I wasn't aware that there were any in it. I heard lots of reports from the tackle shop that people were catching MANY undersized crappie, so something is going on that shouldn't be. It's a shame, but they can put all the limits they want to on the fish: if they aren't enforced, very few are going to be respectful enough to follow them. Too bad a few bad apples always ruin the entire barrel.

What exactly is a "Blacknose?" Do you mean Black Crappie? I've yet to catch a white crappie from Cedar Creek... so I wasn't aware they were there.

[CrappiePappy]

The first time I went to Cedar Creek, I fished along the standing timber just across from the main ramp and completely destroyed the crappie. I probably had 10 keepers that day (larger than 12", at that time, mind you). Never really been back on the south end of the lake since last year (in the summer).

I agree with you on the "meat hog," thing. I have heard that, as well, and I have yet to see a Fish & Wildlife employee on Cedar Creek the times I have been there. This worries me, as it is a shame that a majority of people would keep an undersized fish rather than put it back.

Are there gizzard shad in Cedar Creek? I wasn't aware that there were any in it. I heard lots of reports from the tackle shop that people were catching MANY undersized crappie, so something is going on that shouldn't be. It's a shame, but they can put all the limits they want to on the fish: if they aren't enforced, very few are going to be respectful enough to follow them. Too bad a few bad apples always ruin the entire barrel.

What exactly is a "Blacknose?" Do you mean Black Crappie? I've yet to catch a white crappie from Cedar Creek... so I wasn't aware they were there.

If you are catching 12" Crappie from Cedar Creek, then I need to get down there :D Are you talking about the ramp by the dam, as the "main ramp" ??

Yes, the "meat hog/poacher" problem really needs to be addressed. I haven't seen any Wildlife Officers "on the water" ... but, have seen them cruising the parking lots. They wanted the lake to be a "cash cow" for Lincoln County, and a Trophy Bass Lake for the state (& KDFWR) ... maybe if they put some agents on the lake, full time, and fine the meat hogs & litterbugs - they'll succeed on both fronts.

Yes, there are Gizzard Shad in Cedar Creek. They were supposed to have been eradicated by KDFWR, before the lake was filled up. They poisoned the creek with Rotenone, while they were making the lake. There was supposed to only be Bass, Channel Cats, Black Crappie, Bluegill, & Redears stocked in the lake. So, either the poisoning efforts didn't work, or someone planted them. It remains to be seen if their presence will be a positive or negative to the fishery ... but, supposedly the Bass were to keep the Bluegill, Redear, & Crappie in check --- but with the presence of Shad, which Bass prefer, it could mean that they will overpopulate and stunt (esp the Redear).

There are no White Crappie in Cedar Creek .... or should I say, there were no White Crappie "stocked" in Cedar Creek !! The Blacknose is a Black Crappie with a genetic coloration variation. They look just like a regular Black Crappie, except for a black "stripe" running from their mouth to dorsal fin. Like this one:


They're called Arkansas Blacknose .... because they occur naturally, though rare, in a section of the White River in Arkansas. All other bodies of water that contain them, have been stocked with them - either by Wildlife Depts or by the accidental flooding of containment ponds. I've caught them often, down at Watts Bar Lake. They seem to be a little more "wild" acting, when hooked, than the other Black Crappie :D

Keep up the reports on Cedar Creek !! ......... luck2ya ... cp

[mattcombs]

Indeed, I caught several 12" crappie last year my first few times at Cedar Creek across from the dam ramp along the standing timberline. I was throwing a 2" white grub on a 1/8 white jighead and my Dad and 2 of my uncles were throwing live minnows. I caught more on the white jigs than they caught with minnows, though not a huge gap. We had probably 6-7 keeper crappie and a few huge redears that day. The other days I can't remember as fondly, as I didn't do as well on those days, but that was probably around the first of July last year. I have yet to match the success I had on that first day at Cedar Creek.

I took my girlfriend to a local pond and she caught a 13" inch white crappie on the same white jig combo I used last year. Quite impressive, and it was a killer first crappie for the year. I was using a beetle spin, no luck. She caught two others that were about 6" and probably 9". She caught these fish in about 2-3' of water on the bank. I didn't clean any of them to see if they had eggs (threw them back), but it is apparent that these fish are spawning. Keep in mind, this is a pond, but it's a pond owned by a coal company with a big pump in the middle of it. The pump pulls water out of the pond and pumps it about a mile away to the coal camp. They use the water to wash coal.

Anyway, I'm rambling. Yes, crappiepappy, sounds similar to the crappie situation on Cave Run. Shad = bad. This is very disheartening. I had high hopes for Cedar Creek, but this might be a nail to the heart for this young lake.

Will continue on the results whever I happen to go, but I think I'm gonna try to hit some places closer to home. Hopefully I'll get to go to Carr Fork soon with slabseeker, and maybe the river with crappiedude. I've got the digital camera ready to go, just need to catch some fish! :D

I've never really noticed if I have caught a Blacknose. Guess I'll try to pay more attention next time I catch a blackie.

*Note: I caught 12" crappie LAST YEAR at Cedar Creek. I haven't caught a single one yet (been twice... if you count the first time when I got rained out after 30 minutes). So, don't get too caught up in running down there just yet.