the rules of engagement ?

[Ketchn]

if i come slipping along in some timber and you see me jerking the fire out them on every tree .....and you are in said timber and not jerking them its best to assume you aint doing something quite right . It wasnt about location for sure , they were all over every tree like Christmas ornaments , the ticket would be to ask me what i am doing rather than trying to cut me off though as i work a tree line ...because i was on a mission to fill me freezer back up and i will in fact do what i did and circle around right behind you and hammer them on the timber you just left !
the rules of engagement are as follows with me ...simply ease up friendly like and ask me ...i will tell ya exactly what i am doing and give you some baits and even show you how to use them as well .....
so sorry for the saturday morning fishing show exhibition ....but remember "the rules of engagement".....
because in the end , i want everyone to ketch crappie not just me
now the particulars ... i was using a large white plastic on 4 lb test with a chart head number 6 1/32 ....with a glo white berkley gulp brand crappie nibble on it , the fish that wanted to eat were the ones around 14 to 15 down in 16 to 24 foot of water . the bites were 75% slack line bites and almost no fish "thumped" the bait !
p.s. thursday night is crappie eating night at my house and the last bag got used up last week , so yes i killed a bunch for the freezer .

[SLARUE]

Nice catch,is that the thermocline at 20 ft?

[Ketchn]

no sir that was the bottom . i didnt see a thermocline out there and that photo is deceptive to some degree ...
that was laydowns deep and bait above and crappie fish mixed in below the bait on the laydowns...
the fish above everything right in the bait were most likely striped fish .....
seen several blow ups in the timber from i what i think was hybrids and maybe black bass
and seen some bait balls up high in the water column with fish right in them as well

[Jakesdad]

Nice story and pics. Nice to hear that people are willing to help others as long as proper respect is given. Im that way when it comes to turkey hunting(to an extent ) Am usually willing to share to a degree what has been working on birds and general areas ive seen/heard birds as long as you're respectful of me and my space. But if ya try to be sneaky and slide in behind my back.........

[saltyDawg88]

Great report and I feel the same way you do. Keep up the good work!

[Cane Pole]

Nice story and pics. Nice to hear that people are willing to help others as long as proper respect is given. Im that way when it comes to turkey hunting(to an extent ) Am usually willing to share to a degree what has been working on birds and general areas ive seen/heard birds as long as you're respectful of me and my space. But if ya try to be sneaky and slide in behind my back.........

We have a lots of turkey hens at the farm, but I am too lazy to hunt em, so I just get me Tom's at wal mart.

[Nutbush]

Nice thread Ketchn! I have noticed that you are kne of the few that uses a white jig, but consistently ketches fish. Oh btw, I got me some of those white jigs the other day.

[crappiewisdom]

We have a lots of turkey hens at the farm, but I am too lazy to hunt em, so I just get me Tom's at wal mart.

I always feel funny walking thru Walmart, making my turkey call, wearing my orange hunting vest, carrying my gun. I get a lot of funny looks...

[ad1974]

Nice catch!

[wicklundrh]

I'm glad he posted this! Kudos to you my friend.

I think there is a stigma with some generations of fisherman (may even be passed down) that everyone is so secretive about fishing, their spots, how they catch them, and so on. Sometimes, people seem like they are scared to come up and approach, ask questions, or engage in conversation with other fisherman. Many of us are fathers (or mothers), sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, who want nothing more than to show our family and friends a good time and teach them tricks to help them catch more fish. Maybe the stigma is MEN in general. We all know how we get labeled as "hating to ask for directions, failing to read direction, or hating to ask for help".

In the end, there is nothing wrong with seeing someone having success and asking what they are doing that is so differnt than what we are doing. I recall a crappie outing a few years ago. We all knew that fish were in the trees but many were having issues getting them. A few of us were having good success and noticed that we were pendulum pitching our offering to the trees and allowing the bait to swing down and back to the boat whereas the others were verticle. If we didn't pass on what we saw or witnessed, the success rate of others would have been lacking.