Question for Jerry Blake

[Eager Beaver]

I was wondering Jerry, if you kept track of what time of day your biggest Crappies bite. Do they bite within a certain time of day or do they bite all through out the day at different times. Just wondering! EB

[GRIZZ]

Back when I was putting the kind of number in the boat Jerry does now except all by my lonesome I learned something about gettin monsters. With numbers come size. Most decent lakes that can produce biggies still need sheer numbers in the boat to get them. Back when I was putting several thousand in the boat per year I could count on these numbers. On most days that I put a couple hundred or more on and off my hooks I could count on gettin at least one 2lb and I averaged at least 1 3lb per year when my totals were around 3 grand/yr. Of course the lake has to produce 2's and 3's.

My conclusion. You want biggies? Get lucky or get good. Jerry is good is the reason he gets the biggies, plus he does the numbers and has a lake that produces biggies. Either that or move to a lake that produces 3's more often and get lucky. There are a few out there.

Just my 2 cents.

[Jerry Blake]

Hey EB:

The big ones may bite a bit better early in the morning but it's not really anything you can rely on. Yesterday our first bite was a crappie that was 2-pounds, 1-ounce and 16.5-inches long. The day before our biggest crappie didn't bite until late in the morning and after we had fished the Bamboo Crappie Condo we were on for probably nearly an hour.

Probably the best tactic for getting above average fish is to move if your catching smaller fish and don't just keep fishing the same spot just because you're catching something. In order for a fishery to produce big crappie it needs plenty of habitat and forage. Crappie that can hang around and eat instead of running around looking for some place to hide and something to eat are going to grow faster and get bigger before they die of old age.

Since we've been putting large amounts of cover in Lake Greeson (over 800 Bamboo Crappie Condos in the last four years) our average crappie is much larger than they used to be. I think we're seeing about a 4.5-inch per year growth rate for at least the first three years and that's way above average from what I've read it should be.

[Eager Beaver]

Thanks Jerry, I meant no disrespect if that was what Grizz was going for. I was just wondering since you always get a few really big ones on each trip. Here they come all through out the day. If I start catching small fish I do move to another spot and try until I find the size of fish I want to catch. People always say that you (in general) catch the biggest fish early in the morning and I was just wondering if this was true with you. Fish bite all day if you know where they are and what they want to bite on. I wait until later in the morning when the early fishermen come in off the lake and have decent catches while I am on the lake.

EB

[GRIZZ]

EB, I was just trying to pitch in with a little help from back when I used to get bigger ones far more than I do now. I have nothing but the greatest respect for Jerry and his skills. My eyes and ears are always open to learn from him every chance I get, and anyone else with skills for that matter. My lake has deteriorated to the point where it just doesn't produce the fish it used to no matter how much anyone fishes it, but it used to be one of the best crappie lakes in the country.

Sorry if I clouded the waters.

[Eager Beaver]

No problem Grizz, maybe I didn't get across what I was asking Jerry. I simply wanted to know if he caught the big ones first thing in the morning or if they got them through out the day. Jerry has put a lot of time into his chosen profession to improve it and is reaping the rewards now. I too have a lot of respect for Jerry, and all the knowledge that he has learned over the years. EB

[skeetbum]

On the lakes I fish I find that good sized fish tend to bite when I first start fishing that piece of cover. This may go on for up to 2 or 3 hours, but then the size seems to dwindle and then slow to a point that I move on. A short while back my partner and I were doing well on a particular piece of structure. I said that I thought we had gotten what there was to get. He said that in his experience there was more to be had. He was right, and we doubled our keepers before leaving that spot. I never have been very patient and maybe I've been leaving fish behind. Point is, change colors and maybe technique to get what's there.

[GRIZZ]

I guess I didn't read your post very carefully before I relied. One thing I remember is that I caught a lot of my big fish later in the day with one exception. If it was foggy first thing at dawn, that often created or maybe extended the dawn bite, a bite that lasted until it lifted and full sun returned. I often caught large fish in groups during that time, but not groups of monsters in the 2 -3 range. I just caught nice groups of larger fish in the 1.5 lb range right up till the fog lifted, then they turned right off. I did catch some biggies in those group catches but not in numbers greater than other times of the day. I love fishing in the morning fog. Of course where I fish is so structurally and geographically different than where Jerry fishes it's hard to tell what similarities might occur, but from my experience fishing in southern rez's, I have seen similar patterns even when fishing with Jerry and Darryl in AR.

It sure is fun hunting for the biggies though. I find that catching sheer numbers is still fun, but what really gets me out on the water now after several decades of crappie fishing is finding 2's and 3's or maybe even a 4 some day. :D

[NIMROD]

Good fish usually bite first on Nimrod. That is on each brushpile or stakebed. If I catch several small fish and big ones quit ,I move to another spot. Not unusal for us to fish 20 to 40 spots in a outing. As for time of day that can be different according to time of year and weather. I've caught many good fish in mid day.

[Eager Beaver]

Thanks for the replies guys. I was just wondering since people say to fish early in the morning for bigger fish. I have never found this to be true. I catch big ones not only when I first get to a new spot but after several fish have visited the boat. I catch big ones throught the day. Just trying to bust one of the many fishing myths. I thought since Jerry is always posting some really big fish on each trip that he might shed some light on the subject. EB