"The Mother Wad"

[cfsinc]

Maybe you guys can help me with the answer to somthing that has puzzled me for a number of years. I've fished for crappie here in Mississippi for over 25 years and I've been lucky enough to experience it only two times. Usually in the spawn you can catch numerous crappie in one spot but what I'm talking about is an unbelievable experience. I've had friends to experience it also and we've compared notes and there are a few things that seem to be common when the "mother wad" is located. First, it is usually very early (last week of February to about 10th of March) and the water is still fairly cold, second, it seems to always occur in open water or maybe just a stump or two, third, the area is in about 3 feet of water. The two I stumbled on were concentrated in an area about six by ten feet. When I started catching these fish they were all about 1 3/4 to 2 pounds and all males. I limited out (thirty) in less than thirty minutes but stayed and kept catching and releasing them until I had caught at least 60. I went home and drew a map to the spot for a buddy of mine and he went and limited out just as quickly. He came to my business to show me his fish when another buddy of mine drove up. We gave him the map and he limited out before dark. All these fish without ever moving. Needless to say, the three of us were back at daylight. We sat around the spot with our boats pointing at the area (about the size of a car) and each limited out again. I always try that spot each spring but have never found them there since. As I said, I have several friends that have experienced this. Most times they are there only a day or two. They seem to be packed in a tight wad (hence "Mother Wad") and attack a jig as soon as it hits the water and gets close to the bottom. Anybody else experienced this and if so, what do you think causes it?

[socolais]

I don't know, but guessing maybe pre-spawn staging, or one last banquet before the males go to work?

[Tn_countryboy]

cfsinc did you take notice of the water temp??

[fiddlefarter]

Once when I was about 15 I was with my Uncle and we got into them kinda like that. It was a Sunday in Feb. with about a 60 deg.temp and a little wind. I had to go to school the next day, but I think he went back and did it again. We've fished the same area in similar conditions many times since and haven't got into them like that since. I only wish I had been at an age where I would have thought about the conditions and pondered on why it was like that. At that age I didn't give a damn why, I just wanted to catch as many as fast as I could.

[KARL]

Maybe you guys can help me with the answer to somthing that has puzzled me for a number of years. I've fished for crappie here in Mississippi for over 25 years and I've been lucky enough to experience it only two times. Usually in the spawn you can catch numerous crappie in one spot but what I'm talking about is an unbelievable experience. I've had friends to experience it also and we've compared notes and there are a few things that seem to be common when the "mother wad" is located. First, it is usually very early (last week of February to about 10th of March) and the water is still fairly cold, second, it seems to always occur in open water or maybe just a stump or two, third, the area is in about 3 feet of water. The two I stumbled on were concentrated in an area about six by ten feet. When I started catching these fish they were all about 1 3/4 to 2 pounds and all males. I limited out (thirty) in less than thirty minutes but stayed and kept catching and releasing them until I had caught at least 60. I went home and drew a map to the spot for a buddy of mine and he went and limited out just as quickly. He came to my business to show me his fish when another buddy of mine drove up. We gave him the map and he limited out before dark. All these fish without ever moving. Needless to say, the three of us were back at daylight. We sat around the spot with our boats pointing at the area (about the size of a car) and each limited out again. I always try that spot each spring but have never found them there since. As I said, I have several friends that have experienced this. Most times they are there only a day or two. They seem to be packed in a tight wad (hence "Mother Wad") and attack a jig as soon as it hits the water and gets close to the bottom. Anybody else experienced this and if so, what do you think causes it?

..
..I don't know, but I would like to be put on the map list..LOL :D

[Crapbie]

I knew I left my crappie bachelor pad somewhere, you had best give me a map so I can go collect : )

[cfsinc]

cfsinc did you take notice of the water temp??

The water temp was in the low 50's. Not what you'd think would lead them to shallow water. As I said, all the guys I've talked to described the same type conditions.

[chaunc]

Has anyone moved the brushpile they were hanging at? If guys are getting snagged and pulling the brushpile constantly, it will move the pile off of the hot spot. If so, try putting fresh brush down in the old spot. Might help bring them back. Cant hurt to try. I had an early season spot that some guys saw me catching crappie at and when i was done they moved right in. I watched them for about 20 minutes, get snag after snag, and pulling branches up and throwing them back in. The next weekend i went back it just wasn't the same. Brushpile was destroyed with only a few fish around it. Public waters, what can i say.

[DENNIS BOWERS]

I DID IT TWO WEEKS AGO TODAY BUT IT WAS ON TWO LAYDOWNS IN 14-16 FT OF WATER.THE CRAPPIE WERE ALL SUSPENDED AT 6-10FT.I FIGURED THEY WERE STAGING-THE NEXT DAY THE 1 LAYDOWN WAS EMPTY, THE 2 one still held fish but they had lockjaw!! GOOD FISHIN TO YA!!!DENNIS

[Bruce Carp]

Done it several times during the spawn, catch several limits then nothing. think some messes with the brushpile and it is over. What a shame. usually a depression or hole covered with brush.