Cataract (10/17)

[Team9nine]

Went back out to Cataract Lake for some more abuse As mentioned in my last report the little ones have taken over. Ended the day by catching about 45 crappie, not bad for a double cold front day. However, only 4 measured (10" +) and were subsequently tossed back. Fished a variety of depths and structure and didn't really seem to make a difference. Lots of places where they weren't.

After doing some research, it would seem that these are 2+ year olds, probably from a great spawn back in 2002. They are all cookie cutter 6-7 inchers. So I wondered to myself why they weren't showing up in our catches last fall, or even this spring if they are 2 + year olds. A little more research gave me my answer. In most cases, it appears crappie don't switch over to a diet of minnows until they reach about 150 mm (6") in length. Prior to that, their diet is largely composed of various planktons and insects. In fact, the reasearch suggests that the biggest determining factor in getting a healthy population of large crappie in a lake is having adequate sized baitfish for consumption for these little guys when they're ready to switch their diet. If not, they must continue to live off planktons and insects and will have their growth hindered until they can find a supply of small baitfish to munch on, probably not until the following year. It just so happens that right now, our 1.5" tubes are the perfect little baitfish size these little specks are looking for :D

So, looks like we'll have to start looking for new waters if we're going to eat this winter. Hard to compete against hundreds if not thousands of little crappie looking for their first minnow meal. And for those that might be wondering, I tried switching over to a 2.5" tube on the same holes to entice only the bigger crappie and never got a bite

-Team9

[Moose1am]

Seems like Patoka Lake also had some good spawns the last few years. But I saw a lot of those tiny 1" to 1.5" long baby gizzard Shad swimming on the surface of the lake in the back of a bay that I fished off the main lake. So the crappie should have some thing to feed on when they start feeding on minnows this fall. You are right about the diet of plankton and micro invertibrates and invertibrates though. That is exactly what I have read also. The key to big crappie is a good food supply. The best lakes down south have Threadfin shad which need warm water in the winters to survive. But Threadin shad don't grow that big and the adults can be eaten by big crappie and bass. Threadfin shad also have a fall spawn which gives the 6 and 7" crappie some baby threadfin shad to feed on during the winter months and the early fall. Maybe that is why the crappie come back into shallow water in Oct and Nov when the shad are hatching out. Those gizzard shads grow too big for even the big crappie to feed on as they can reach 12" to 16" in lengh and that is way to big for even a 2lb crappie to eat. Not sure how often the Gizzard Shad spawn. I am thinking maybe twice a year but I am guessing and can't document.

But studying the life cycle of the prey is one of the keys to finding the crappie. Having good water quality is another key to good growth rates.

According to the fishery biologist Indiana District 7 the best growth rates for crappie are at Hovey Lake. It also has the least fishing pressure and some of the largest crappie in IN. People fish the so called drain and I read a report in our newspaper today that the crappie are hitting minnows in the drain part of the lake. I have never fished Hovey due to the motor size restriction but would love to catch some nice big crappie someday.

Thanks for the report Team9nine.
BTW all my jig bodies are 1.5" long in the spring summer and fall. In fact I used a 1.5" long Squirmin Squirt last Sunday to catch a nice 11" long Patoka Lake White Crappie right at 6 pm. The Solunar tables predicted the good or best fishing between 4:30 pm and 6:30 PM that day. We fished all day and caught fish all day long but they really turned on the later it got in the day. We left the lake right about 6:15PM so as to get back before it got too dark. Had to put the cover back on the boat in the dark anyway. LOL

Went back out to Cataract Lake for some more abuse As mentioned in my last report the little ones have taken over. Ended the day by catching about 45 crappie, not bad for a double cold front day. However, only 4 measured (10" +) and were subsequently tossed back. Fished a variety of depths and structure and didn't really seem to make a difference. Lots of places where they weren't.

After doing some research, it would seem that these are 2+ year olds, probably from a great spawn back in 2002. They are all cookie cutter 6-7 inchers. So I wondered to myself why they weren't showing up in our catches last fall, or even this spring if they are 2 + year olds. A little more research gave me my answer. In most cases, it appears crappie don't switch over to a diet of minnows until they reach about 150 mm (6") in length. Prior to that, their diet is largely composed of various planktons and insects. In fact, the reasearch suggests that the biggest determining factor in getting a healthy population of large crappie in a lake is having adequate sized baitfish for consumption for these little guys when they're ready to switch their diet. If not, they must continue to live off planktons and insects and will have their growth hindered until they can find a supply of small baitfish to munch on, probably not until the following year. It just so happens that right now, our 1.5" tubes are the perfect little baitfish size these little specks are looking for :D

So, looks like we'll have to start looking for new waters if we're going to eat this winter. Hard to compete against hundreds if not thousands of little crappie looking for their first minnow meal. And for those that might be wondering, I tried switching over to a 2.5" tube on the same holes to entice only the bigger crappie and never got a bite

-Team9