Thread: Cherokee Change Up

I am a cast and retrieve kind of guy, 95% of the time I have a Single Pole (UL) in my hand when pursuing our finned friends but today I decided to change it up a little bit and do a Spider Rig trip to Cherokee.

So I dusted off the long poles and hit the local bait store for some Minnows. I ran into a member here Elyj who was also getting bait. He hasn’t posted here in several years but maybe he will chime in as to his trip/success today also. I congratulated him on his new job as the local High School Principal. With a Crappie Fisherman at the helm, I think our Youth will have great leadership. Anyway, my first couple stops were at some shallow brushpiles to check on the status of the spawn. The little males were home, but no big girls to be found.



At least I got to throw my UL for a bit and actually feel the thump. About 9am I set up the long poles and settled in to my comfy seat and watched the rod tips like a hawk.

A catfish, a couple Spotted Bass, then finally a rod tip dipped to the waters surface and it was on! Crappie, and a nice one. It got plum crazy for a few minutes as the boat hovered over a nice school of Specks and I was pulling rods up like hot potatoes. A flurry of 3, followed by a a quick turn around and another round of catching. I had 9 in the boat real quick, never reeled once as the fish were caught exactly 12ft (over 20FOW) deep, so I just set the hook and boat lifted them straight up over the side. I stayed with this school and in no time had a limit, and they were nice ones.


They filled a bucket full for sure




The big girl had a small cut on her, and I did see a Water Turkey in the creek channel, probably just escaped him. She was a TARP, and I stuck a nice male about the same size. A good day, not my usual modus operandi, but a fun day. Get out there, they are biting!!


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Originally Posted by StantheMan2567

The eggs in the females looked ready, dark red vessels in the egg sacs, and the sacs were soft and easy to burst with the knife. I caught 5 non keeper males on some tree tops in 5-8ft water right after daylight so that tells me they will begin the spawn any time, water temperatures were 66, right on cue with the blooming Dogwoods. Nature knows, I find it fun figuring it out. Get out there soon, we miss your reports!!


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Thanks for the info! I have 8-10 12’ rods, rod holders and bases, planer boards, a few boxes of crankbaits, and all I want to do is single pole fish! When I’m feeling extra froggy, I shoot docks! I need to get spider rigging and long line trolling in my arsenal, but I always end up with a mess, which is a hassle, which makes me anxious, and is not enjoyable! In other words, I suck at it!!