Jerry

[fatboy]

Looks like Hamilton is starting to turn on.

[Jerry Blake]

Hey Fatboy,

Sorry the crappie didn't cooperate for you at the brawl but it sounds like you guys had a good time anyway.

Yes the crappie are biting on Hamilton and we're getting some gooduns and pretty good numbers. They are still scattered and we're catching them from 10 to 20-feet deep.

Fished Greeson today and caught a lot of fish but released at least 3 for every one we kept.

I'm looking forward to seeing you at the TeeZur Tournament.

[fatboy]

Jerry, if you don't mind, bring a few extra Rosey Reds that i can buy so i can keep my minnows, minnows , minnows reputation intact.

[Jerry Blake]

Hey Fatboy,

I'll do it. Right now they are hitting small - 1.5 to 2-inch - shiners as well or better than Rosies here so I'll probably bring both.

[fatboy]

As long as it has a heartbeat, i'll take it. Seeker is on my rump about switching over to jigs.

[Jerry Blake]

Hey Fatboy,

I would much rather catch a crappie on a jig than on a minnow but minnows are much easier for my clients to use and are generally more reliable.

Yesterday, after I finished my morning trip I went out on my own to check some other brushpiles. Couldn't really establish a "preferred depth" all morning so I was trying to figure out what they were up to.

I was fishing two slip float rigs and tight-lining a jig with a third rod, which worked out great on the first place I fished because nothing was biting.

It didn't work at all on the next place because I couldn't keep both minnow rigs in the water much less have a chance to fish the jig much because they were biting so fast.

The first two hit at the same time and I had to grab one pole in each hand to set the hooks and get them turned around.

Then I stuck the butts of both poles in my waist, held both poles in one hand about a foot in front of the handles and reeled them one at a time until I could flop them both into the bottom of the boat.

I caught 7 or 8 crappie - one real nice one, a huge bream and a small kentucky bass on that brushpile in about 15-minutes. Did I take you to the one at the State Park past point 11? That's the one.

Point is there is no need to choose between the jig and the minnow because you can fish both at the same time. Just put the minnow rig in a rod holder and keep an eye on your float (or the rod tip if you're tight-lining) and jig away.

When you catch one on the minnow rig just lay your jigging pole across your knees and reel him in. I've caught quite a few fish with my jigging pole laid across my knees or on the deck too, while messing with the minnow poles.

When they all hit at once see if you can get them all turned around before they tangle everything up.

[fatboy]

Yes we went to point 11, the state installed brush pile, the long one? Cmon now, help me out, i am trying to be a diehard Minnow man, but after fishing with you twice, plus seeing what seeker can catch in my boat, i guess i will go half and half. Would still like some Reds to shake things up a bit though.

[fatboy]

Jerry, my ex, which is a long story, told me that all Dylan talked about the last time she saw them was how he liked you and how you taught him how to set the hook. The bad thing is , it made me look like that youngin' had never been fishing with me before. He talks of you often and i just want you to know that you have a fan for life, Gary.LOL. Jerry.

[Darryl Morris]

Most agreed. Why choose? Whatever's working that day is the preferred choice. In fact, got a quick story to prove the point. Last year, I took my wife and younger son to a small impoundment near my home. There were several boats on the water that day. Some obviously using minnows only under floats. Others were slow trolling jigs only or minnows only. We had tried both with only nominal success. Eventually, I found that the combination of a red/char tube jig tipped with a shiner really turned on the bigger slabs. Ended the day with 15 of our creel measuring 13-15 inches.

As I've always been told, "they don't get fat on plastic." But then again, it just doesn't get any better than swimming a jig through shallow water in the early spring.

Darryl
Fish for Fun

[crappieseeker]

Fatboy, if you had been fishing regular with me over the last 15 years, I'd say you would still use minnows ocassionaly, but 90% of the time, I think you would be using jigs. I minnow fished as a young boy, but when I got old enough to learn fishing a little better, I switched to jigs and havent regretted it. I still use minnows once in a blue moon, cause on some ocassions as bad as I hate to admit it, they will work better. If I was gonna have to pick one over the other though, you know where I'm going. All you guys on here are great. Take Care