Spring Crappie Camp 2009

[Darryl Morris]

Sounds like a real good time!!! When will the list of waypoints be available?

Hey there BigGun300. I see this is your first post. Where are you from and when do you plan on getting to crappie camp? Waypoints will be available closer to camp time so they will be relevant to the location of the fish on that weekend. I am thinking this year we might not post the waypoints on the site but rather having a place set up that Friday evening where I can load crappie camper's gps units. This will also give me a firsthand chance to meet all the campers and answer any questions folks may have, give a realtime fishing report, etc.

[Southern Chuter]

I'll be there with my wife and grand-daughter. We have #96 reserved and will arrive on the 6th and stay at least untill Sunday. I've never been to Greeson before and I'm looking forward to it. Is there a list of things people need to bring? I'll be bringing a cooker, oil and a few bags of fillets anyway. I can't wait; that will be the first chance I've had to fish in six weeks.

[Biggun300]

Hey Darryl, I live in Blevins, Arkansas. Not very far from the lake. I have never fished Lake Greeson. I fish mostly at Felsenthal NWR (we have a camp on the river there). I am really just getting into crappie fishing due to my 11 year old son's interest in fishing for crappie. He has been tying his on buck-tail jigs for the last couple of years and even sold some at last years' Watermelon Festival at Hope. We've never heard of the Crappie Camp before, but, we really would like to come up that weekend and join in. Is there a fee? Do we need to bring anything for the cookout? Sounds like a lot of fun!!!!

[shocker037]

I got my sit reserved #97, just letting you guys know if you want to teach someone something well come and look me up! just really started crappie fishing and I am willing to learn, is there anything I can bring. and I will probally be by myself so if anyone needs to get in a boat with someone you are welcome to go fishing with me. I also have never been to greason. thanks chip

[shocker037]

I got my sit reserved #97, just letting you guys know if you want to teach someone something well come and look me up! just really started crappie fishing and I am willing to learn, is there anything I can bring. will we meet up sometime maybe friday to see what some people might what to do, such as help us newbies out and to get the gps cords. I am looking forward to this crappie camp this will be my first one! thanks for doing this. chipper

[Jerry Blake]

It's been an unusual spring so far with water temps hovering just at or below spawning temps for the last month, which has kept the crappie scattered and a bit difficult to pattern. They have been as shallow as a couple feet and as deep as 23-feet in the last few weeks depending on the weather, time of day and whim of fancy I guess.

This morning we finally found some bunched up on brushpiles in 10 to 20-feet of water and got a pretty good mess:

But by the afternoon they were scattered again and pretty tight-lipped. We did find a few in some shallow lay-downs hitting minnows 3 to 4-feet deep in 5 to 6-feet of water.

The good news is that the crappie are probably only about half done spawning and there will likely still be some spawning during Crappie Camp but probably in the 5 to 10-foot range.

There are a lot of trees that the Game and Fish Biologists cut down that run on out into 10 to 15-feet of water. They are a bit difficult to fish but will probably be worth the effort. There are some around Daisy State Park, in Self Creek and in the coves on both sides of the main channel going down the lake (east) from Daisy. Some of the trees are completely submerged except for the butt end but they aren't hard to find.

The water is up in the buck brush and if the surface temps are still below 70-degrees there may still be a few fish spawning around the deeper bushes.

Since the fish have been so scattered and still may be during Crappie Camp I've compiled a file that contains waypoints for all the Bamboo Crappie Condos

we have close to Self Creek and Daisy State Park. Some of them will likely be too deep but most of them should hold some crappie.

When you click on the file it will open in a text format. Then click on "File" (usually in the upper left corner of your browser window), then on "Save As" and save the file to your desktop or other location where you can find it. You can name it whatever you want but be sure the name has the ".gpx" file extension at the end. Then when you click on the file it should open in EasyGPS or ExpertGPS if you have either program installed on your computer. EasyGPS is available as a free download from EasyGPS - FREE GPS Software for your Garmin, Magellan, or Lowrance GPS

. From there you can load it onto any Garmin GPS and many others. If you need the file formatted for a Lowrance unit you'll have to convert it using Lowrance's .gpx to .usr conversion program available from Lowrance - Seize the Day

. If you need it formatted for a Humminbird GPS you'll have to use HumminbirdPC available from Humminbird

.

Here's the file:

http://www.actionfishingtrips.com/Sp2009CCwpts.gpx



Darryl has graciously offered to load the file for anyone that isn't able to get it done before Crappie Camp. His number is 501-844-5418. He can do it for Garmin, Lowrance or Humminbird.

We're sill planning on having seminars starting at 3:00 on Saturday at the Pavilion at Daisy State Park with a "Pot Luck" Fish Fry starting about 6:00. If everyone will bring one side dish or desert or drinks or disposable plates/paper towels/tableware we'll have everything we need.

If you have any fish that you want to donate to the fish fry bring them to my boat slip Friday evening or by 1:00 on Saturday and I'll be happy to fillet them. I'll leave an ice chest with ice for you to leave them in. My boat slip is right next to the store/registration office (docks with the green roofs) at Self Creek Marina. You can reach me at 501-844-9028 if you need directions.

[jmorgan98]

Jerry/Darryl.............. What do you need us to bring to the Crappie Camp ?
Paper towels, plasticware, paper plates etc. ? Last year you had a list of "needed" items. I do plan on being there and will be bringing 2 or 3 of my buddies from Iron Mountain with me. They really enjoy catching and eating crappie as well as sharing some secrets with others. Just let me know what you need.

I'm not sure everyone knows just how much you 2 do to make crappie fishing more enjoyable and productive. When the words " cream of the crop " are spoken, you 2 are definately on the "top" of the list.

I would also like to give a public salute to Johnny Cantrell with the Corps of Engineers for the work he has done with the Center Point FFA in placing the Crappie Condo's in DeGray Lake and soon to be placed in Lake Greeson. I had the opportunity and privledge of helping Johnny, Jeffrey, Jake and Darryl, plus some others that I must apologize for forgetting their names, place some of these Crappie Condos in DeGray Lake. These are some really dedicated and professional people. I salute all of you.

I have changed the names of these structures from Crappie Condo's to....."The Cantrell Hotel" ......Crappie check in... but they don't check out.

[AgriHawg]

I would also like to give a public salute to Johnny Cantrell with the Corps of Engineers for the work he has done with the Center Point FFA in placing the Crappie Condo's in DeGray Lake and soon to be placed in Lake Greeson. I had the opportunity and privledge of helping Johnny, Jeffrey, Jake and Darryl, plus some others that I must apologize for forgetting their names, place some of these Crappie Condos in DeGray Lake. These are some really dedicated and professional people. I salute all of you.

Johnny, Jeffrey and the rest of the Corp. guys are top notch. I've really enjoyed working with them.

[Darryl Morris]

I have just gone through the four pages of the the Crappie Camp thread. This is a list of what I saw or know folks have committed to bring to the Fish Fry.

Southern Chuter - Cooker, Oil, Fillets (couple bags - 2 quarts?)
Darryl Morris - Cookers, plasticware (got lots from previous camps) and Beans (spicy Mexican style), Fillets (one gallon)
Jerry Blake - Cornmeal, mustard, hot sause
Carlos Dugan - homemade hushpuppies
Don Hines - Cooker and help cook?

Here is what we need to once again have a great Fish Fry:
- Side dishes like fries, slaw and more brown beans, plus any other you specialize in (please remember to bring an appropriate serving utensil)
- Desserts
- oil
- paper towels
- napkins
- paper plates
- paper cups
- trash bags
- Ketchup and Tartar Sause
- Drinks (Sodas, water, tea, etc ...)
- Ice
- Fillets (fresh from your camp weekend or frozen from home, normally Jerry and I have plenty for everyone but this year has been busy, we'll cook what's needed and folks can take home what we don't)

Please post what you plan to bring and anything I have forgotten.

[jmorgan98]

I will bring trash bags and paper towels.