Barring another Saturday full of rain I am going out with a buddy from Manhattan on Saturday in his new boat. He really wants to go to Council Grove City lake for some green fish in the morning and then we are going to pack up and head east in the afternoon/evening to Pomona or Perry for a little tree fishin.
Is there anyone out there that has fished CGCL at all for any species? We will primarily bass fish it I think, but may try to conjure up a few slabs before heading east?
I can tell you that the water is pretty clear and I have been itching to go back ever since I was there a couple months ago, but haven't ever made it. I drive by and wave at it every couple weeks, but never seem to make it fishing out there...
I have big plans for this weekend to try the minnow dippin' technique at Wabaunsee (very similar to CG City lake). I haven't heard of anybody catching crappies off of the docks that way, but if it works on standing timber, why wouldn't it work on dock pilings???
My neighbor has been catching them out of the standing timber on CG Reservoir. There are a ton of standing trees in the upper end of the lake if you want to use your technique. Of course, your buddy will probably not want to take his brand new boat up in there... Those trees have given my boat a little 'character'...
Thanks for the report. It sounds like you had a good trip out there...What were you catching?
As for the docks, when I was younger my dad and I fished Grand Lake in OK quite often. There are thousands of boat docks on that lake. Many people tie off brush piles under their docks. Typically that brush is suspended half way down and the crappie will load up on them. So look for some brush. I imagine you could find a few on the pilings, but the docks that have brush on them will produce the most. I also remember reading an article on Todd Huckabee and him catching crappie just off docks in brush just off the bottom. He was using a drop shot technique with a beavertail about 12-18" off the bottom. Good luck and let us know how it goes.
ChadKU, I went out there during pre-spawn and we loaded the boat with crappies around the mid-depth docks. If I had a clue how to catch them right now, I would sure let you know. I am told there is excellent walleye fishing in there too.
I fish a lot at Wabaunsee which is pretty much like CG City lake Junior... Looks just like it, only half the size. I haven't hit the crappies too hard out there since it got really hot. I've pretty much been dragging my wife and daughter around in the tube during the day and catfishing at night.
I'll give 'em hell out there this weekend and let you know how it goes. I just got a lead pot so I can make my own jigs. Boy, the only 1/32oz jigs I can find around here have some of the tiniest hooks I have ever seen. I think if you put a minnow on there, you wouldn't have any hook left. Anyway, I'll make up some jigs and try out this shallow pattern. I'll let you all know if it works this weekend.
Thanks for the tip about the beavertails. Another thing that works out at Wabaunsee is just to forget the docks and cast or troll crankbaits on the main-lake points. Chrome crankbaits always seem to outproduce the others. Good luck to ya.
Well fellas God gave us a miracle this weekend. Yesterday I looked on weather.com and we were supposed to get an inch of rain today and 40% chance tomorrow. Now its gonna be sunny and 80! Whoo Hoo!
Thanks for the info squirrels. We are gonna try to catch some bass early at CGCL and maybe some crappie too. We are then gonna hit a lake with some trees after that for some dippin in the trees. We may just run over to CG Res or make a little hike to Pomona. So we will see how it goes.
I know what you mean on the small hooks for 1/32 oz jigs. Crappie pro has some oversized hooks and I found these at basspro and they have a good hook size to em with pretty darn sharp hooks. But you are all set. I would get you a couple colors of paint and never look back. If you can find sickle hooks that is all you will ever use for this technique. Good Luck
Hi all,
Well, I gave 'em hell on Saturday, trying to find shallow slabs on docks...... I'm gonna say they aren't there like you guys are finding them on shallow stumps. I caught some nice bass, and even two BIG whisker-fish, but didn't strike any crappies until I got to the deeper docks.
The 1/32 oz jighead/minnow combo worked great! I was catching 'em as fast as that little jig could get down to about 5'. If anybody plans to try the dippin' technique on docks, I would skip past anything in less than 10' of water. That was my experience on Saturday anyway...
I had my dad out on Sunday for some wally fishing. I caught a big ol' fatty, but we couldn't get another one over 18", although we caught quite a few that were close. Also, it was yet another trip that I proved to myself that GULP is just as good as live bait. The smaller wallys came on a jig/crawler combo, and the fatty and 17 1/2'ers all ate the GULP.
Anybody else had a similar experience with wallys eating GULP? I think I'm about ready to stop fooling with worms.
Sounds like you had a good trip. We should have went there instead. We spent the whole day at CGCL and it really kind of sucked. The early bite was good but we really had trouble getting the fish in the boat. That water was so clear that I think they were making out our lures and shortstriking everything. All of the fish we caught were small 1lb-2lb max if that. It sure is a nice looking lake, but fishing was brutal. We gave the crappie a try for maybe 30 min on the damn trolling jigs but we waited a little too long in the day and the skiers and jet skis made it difficult. I think we caught 3 or 4 crappie. So all in all it SUCKED!
I will more than likely not be out for 2 weeks again. My sons 3rd Birthday is this weekend so with family in town it makes it tough. I may pull the boat to work one day and hit Clinton for 3 hours after work.
I just got a lead pot so I can make my own jigs. Boy, the only 1/32oz jigs I can find around here have some of the tiniest hooks I have ever seen. I think if you put a minnow on there, you wouldn't have any hook left. .
I just love the Matzuo sickle jig hooks although you have to order them from Cabela's - no one seems to carry them in the stores. I can get a #4 hook in the 1/32oz mold and that makes a great minnow rig. it gives you a much bigger hook gap and sharper, too. for what its worth....
Chad, that does suck, man. I wish you guys had more luck out in this neck of the woods. It would be nice actually meet some of you guys. I guess that will never happen if nobody catches fish when they come out here.
Congrats on your boy's 3rd birthday. My girl is 3 as well. She's a fishing machine, let me tell ya.
Thanks for the hook/jig advice guys. I will check out those sickle hooks when my current supply runs out. I got the "minnow jig" mold from Cabelas that makes 1/32 and 1/16 oz jigs, 4 of each. The 1/32 oz side says to use a #4 hook, but I was pouring them with a #2 hook and it worked just fine. I ordered the mustad lite wire hooks from Cabelas. I would say they are pretty good hooks because I didn't lose any fish, even a 6# channel cat. I had to put quite a bit of pressure to keep him from going under the dock, and the hook didn't tear or out or straighten. If you don't think a #2 hook would be too big, you might try pouring some with that mustad hook... Or I'll just give you some to try next time you head West.
Hope you have better luck on your home waters. Nothing like seeing your Coworkers faces through the office windows as you drive out of the parking lot towing your boat! "See ya, SUCKERS!!!" I have said that many times, but it never gets old...
Council Grove City Lake
Linear Mode
