I haven't been able to do much since the Mississippi was shut down and I used all my vacation in the spring. They just opened the ramps back up yesterday on the river so I'll probeley try to find some river crappies this weekend.

Whew! Quiet in here! I don't think Iowans fish -- except in Minnesota.

I caught 1 crappie so far this year, and that was by accident -- a 7 incher. I've been concentrating instead on Bluegill and catfish, some bass. Found a great bluegill hole at Lake Iowa with fish consistently in the 9-10" range. Also good catfish, if a tad scarce. But big, most in the 20-24" range. Nice redear too, up to 11".

Lake Darling has been a disappointment so far this year. Last year, I'd catch a couple dozen cats per outting with most in the 15"+ range. This year, not so much. Did pull in a personal record 24" musta-been-10-lbs or more channel cat that looked like prehistoric mutant from the deep (I didn't have a scale with me, so this is a weight estimate). Big@zz fish, whatever it weighed.

Anyway, that's 08 so far. With gas prices the way they are, I haven't traveled much and tend to stay pretty close to home.

Ya it's real slow in here. I've only made it out crappie fishing 1 time so far since the river opened back up and got skunked. I did do a float trip down the Iowa which wasn't much better 1 sm 1 stripper. I did here of some people starting to catch a few crappie on the river, will try to get out this week.

Am coming to cedar rapids to work in a few weeks.Anyone ever fish the cedar river close to there?

Never fished the ceder up there, but there are 2 good lake not far from CR. Lake Mcbride and Coralville Res. I've seen a few post about Mcbride where people were catching some crappie. The res is probaley still way high but it has some big crappie in it.

We've been hammering the walleyes at Rathbun.With all the high water it made alot harder fishing the brush for crappies.Did get a three man limit of eyes out of the Mississippi River yesterday.

PJ what pool were you fishing and how were you fishing, trolling the wingdams? I went crappie fishing on some backwaters to a brush pile I sunk last year only got 1 small one. Today I went to a farm pond that produced well in the spring now theres moss 10 yrds out all around it and agian onjly managed 1. I think I'll give into my boys request to go catfishing this weekend surley I can manage more then one of them I hope.

jwn
We were on pool 14.Went back over Sunday 8/10.The bite was slower, but the quality was better.Most came pitching jigs.Did catch a few trolling but not many.Will probably continue to slow down until the water cools off this fall, then it will pick up again.PJ

went to rathbun 8-9 and caught 2@16,2@15 and 3@13 with some even smaller

Wow if thats crappie measurements thats great, how deep were you fishing?