Slow Bite Friday

[Crappie Snapper]

Fished Stumpy Pond Friday from daylight to 11:45.The bite was real slow compared to last week.I guess this warm spell has changed some things.Ended up keeping 21 fish with biggest being 1.3 lbs.The Lake was very crowded with there being 11 boats fishing in the same area as me and my brother.I guess the word of this place has really gotten out.Talked to 2 guy,s from Granite Falls N.C. that came down for some Stumpy Pond action.Well was going back Saturday but I,am changing the intake gasket on my Z-71 cause it,s pouring anti-freeze all over the place.Hope this helps,good fishing to all!!!!!!

[gcromer]

Hi Crappie Snapper

We've never fished Stumpy Pond before, but it sounds like it could be some good fishing there. I do fish Wateree sometimes..

We went to the Santee Swamp Friday and our boat had a good day of fishing.. Stated at 9:15 and left at 2:00

There were a lot of duck hunter there and we were the only fishermen there until as we left out we saw a couple of boats.. I would think the nice weather will pick things up.
Gerald

[funfishing]

That is a good day of fish'in I hope to get back at soon.

[ritchie]

Just wondering if anyone had any tips on vertical trolling for crappie??? I have always just fished around boat docks and tree tops etc, New to the trolling and vertical presentations. How are the poles set up?? minnows or jigs?? Any help would be appreciated..

[Bowfin]

I also fished Stumpy Friday, but didn't catch anything. I only fished from 10:30 to 2:30. I tried tight lining minnows a few feet off the bottom, but no success, not even a catfish or whitebass. I used lead head jigs with minnow hooked through the lip, dropped to the bottom then realed up three cranks. Maybe when I slow troll, it pulls the line too far from the bottom? parked over a few spots where I saw fish on the finder in around 24 ft of water, but I think my finder tells lies. I can't wait until I get this crappie fishing dialed in. Feel free to critique my technicque Crappie Snapper, as I'm a newb trying to figure it out. It was also a lot colder out there than was forcast, I knew I should have brought my jacket.

Bowfin

[Crappie Snapper]

When it comes to tight lining the most important thing is depth control.You also have got to have faith in your electronic fish finding equipment.I have learned over the years of tightlining and trolling that if they are on the graph they are there and if there not on the graph there not!!!The secret to depth control is lead.You have got to use enough weight on your line to keep the bait straight down.With no wind blowing I use only 1 or 2 split shot on my line but with heavy wind i will change to a carolina rig with a slip weight,barrel swivel and 12 inch leader with hook.I have used up to 3/4 oz. of lead before to keep my bait straight down before..I fish 16 rods at one time,8 in front,8 in back.If I mark fish on bottom and at other depths I will fish multiple depths.Say maybe 4 on bottom 2 at 12, 2 at 20 in 24 ft. of water.Like Friday when me and my partner got to my favorite spot the fish where stack up so thick from bottom to 12 ft. deep in 24 ft. of water.But what my graph also showed was big schools of bait fish among them.This time of year you have got to have patients.I sat on that school of fish for 2 hours back and forth and caught 21 of them.The bait fish will move out and then you will catch more fish.Some of the fish will leave with the bait but most will hold tight together in the same area.It gets frustrating when you see all these fish on the graph and they want bite, but stay at it.It seems to me once you get a couple of them triggered to bite the others will come in a frenzy.I will also use a jig and hook setup on about 5 rods.I use a 1/16th oz.white with red head feather jig with skirt at top and hook and minnow on bottom.This had paid off in the past.Hope this helps answer some of your questions. Take care I got to go cook some crappies :D

[crapp hunter]

hey gcromer,
i see that you went to santee swamp.. where is that at. i go down to santee cooper ( diversion canal ) every couple of months ,but haven't heard of santee swamp. also wanting information on stumpy pond if you have anything . thanks.
crapp hunter

[big "E"]

Hi Crappie Snapper

We've never fished Stumpy Pond before, but it sounds like it could be some good fishing there. I do fish Wateree sometimes..

We went to the Santee Swamp Friday and our boat had a good day of fishing.. Stated at 9:15 and left at 2:00

There were a lot of duck hunter there and we were the only fishermen there until as we left out we saw a couple of boats.. I would think the nice weather will pick things up.
Gerald

Are those from the swamp you sent me pics. of?That is a pretty tight grouping size wise huh?They almost look like clones of one another :D.Nice catch....E.

[gcromer]

Hi Crapp Hunter

I go in the upper area of Lake Marion. It about 10-12 miles above Low Falls Landing, between 601 Hi-way and Low Falls, off the river on the east side of the river....

Big E. Yep that's the same place. We were throwing back some 10" fish that day. It was one of those days that we were in the right place and we couldn't do anything wrong..

I was able to get away again today, the family gave me some relief from caring for the wife and I went back. but it was a whole different story today.. We had 2 keeper crappie and 1 bass. Something took my jig and never stopped. At first I thought I had gotten hung up on a underwater stump, but the line started to move... and away it went back out into the main stream with me in tow.

I tried to keep up with the trolling motor and couldn't and it just keep taking off line until it got to the end and that was that..... never made a swirl or anything. Down there it could have been a big cat, mud fish or gar. If it had been a bass I think there would have been a different king of fight.. No fight at all. Just stripped the line and kept going. I've landed 6 and 8 pond mud fish before on 4 pound line. Now I've never known a gater to hit a jig, but I didn't see any trash stirred up like one was leaving in a hurry and I don't hardly ever seen one in this area. But ther are a few there.

I think the big thing with fishing today was that the water had dropped 1 1/2 feet since Friday a week ago and was dropping today while I was there.. The water temp had gone up from 47 to 55. I think the dropping water is what did it.. But that's the way the swamp it, like a woman, Hot one day and Cold the next....

Gerald

hey gcromer,
i see that you went to santee swamp.. where is that at. i go down to santee cooper ( diversion canal ) every couple of months ,but haven't heard of santee swamp. also wanting information on stumpy pond if you have anything . thanks.
crapp hunter

[rango]

Hi Crappie Snapper

We've never fished Stumpy Pond before, but it sounds like it could be some good fishing there. I do fish Wateree sometimes..

We went to the Santee Swamp Friday and our boat had a good day of fishing.. Stated at 9:15 and left at 2:00

There were a lot of duck hunter there and we were the only fishermen there until as we left out we saw a couple of boats.. I would think the nice weather will pick things up.
Gerald

thats one heck of a mess of nice fish gerald.. congratulations to you on that fine catch