Thread: Massacre of Kansas

CRAPPIE!:D:D (Bet you thought I was going to talk trash about the game...) NOPE! It was a hard-fought game, and I am actually referring to the beat-down I put on the crappie at Wabaunsee.:D

Well, I got the Stabil run through the fuel system on Friday, but the temperature was so darn nice I couldn't help but wet a line. The water temps were in the low to mid-50s everywhere I went, and the fish were schooled up an suspended. I found them over depths of 10' to 20+'. They were already schooling up in some of their typical winter spots, but not all of them. I drove around and checked three of the most reliable, and found the fish schooled up on 2 of 3.

Anyway, I was mostly dippin' vertically. The fish showed a preference for red/chart tubes about 7' down over 11-14 FOW. I tried some other colors, and they also worked somewhat but red/chart was definitely the preferred combo. The 1/10 keeper rule was in full-effect on Friday. I caught nearly 150, but kept only 15. I threw back a few nice ones before I decided to keep, but then I also kept a couple 9 1/2"ers also to help use up the breading.:D Still, not to bad for a few hours of fishing.

Couple pics. One of the unlucky crappies, and another showing the iridescent purple color on the top of their backs. These were definitely wildcat crappies. :D:D

Nice catch, find any ducks on the lake.

Great job

Sounds like a blast!Man I have got to get out this weekend.Probably pom.-melvern one day and hopefully truman the next.

Hey purple crappie....I hear you got a new champ...Pics buddy...lets see her.

Originally Posted by Ronald Meeder

Nice catch, find any ducks on the lake.

A few ducks were around, not many. Mostly I was being watched by 4 local (they nested in a pontoon boat last spring) mallards. I did get honked at by a few geese... There were about 50 coots at the end of our cove and I saw some merganzers as well. There was a smallish flock of ducks in the distance, but I was too focused on the fishing to pay much attention to them. Not anything that would get a waterfowler's heart pumping...

We fried up some of these babies tonight. MMMMM!!!! I gotta get out and do this again tomorrow! Also, it is clearly good luck for me to fish on the Friday before a home game.:D:D

FWIW, I battered these with Andy's Tempura mixed with beer. I gotta say, it was the best battered fish I think I have ever had! 5 hours later, and I'm still thinkin' about 'em.

Hope to have a good report for you all on Sunday.

great catch

Tried Wabaunsee again on Friday... What a difference a week makes!

My first stop was back at the Winter/early Spring spot that I caught them at last week. NADA! Checked the whole area and could only graph fish tight to the bottom. They didn't want anything I had to throw at them either!

So the search began... I drove all over the place and stopped in a few spots out of the wind with the same unfortunate results. So, finally I buttoned up my collar and headed to the down-wind side of the lake. I passed over a rock pile in 12' and the graph lit up like a Christmas tree!

The wind was pretty huffy over there, and boat control was a little tough. I tossed a marker buoy upwind of my spot and did my best to stay on the pile. The bite was fast and furious!:D But, umm, the 1/10 keeper rule was NOT in effect! I landed 27 crappie in about an hour on the pile! Biggest one, about 7"!!! No joke...

After about an hour of that I got tired of fighting the wind and drained my empty livewell on the trip back to the dock. I'm used to catching dinks, but that was ridiculous!!! Hope you other fellas had some better success than I had...

Luckily, it is now bird season, so I have a better way to spend cold, windy days.:D