Here's Crappie Pappy's article too.... doh, and yet another idea for a contest....

[Slab]

In an effort to give equal time to the main man, Crappy Pappy, here's a link to his "most wonderful" article about "Verticle Casting".

http://www.crappie.com/articles/crappiepappy.htm

Just thought I'd solicite some positive comments for you CP as Rango seems to have received such high praise for his article.

You know what, I think we're going to start yet one more contest, about best Crappie Fishing article. I think what I'll do is the same thing as the Funny fishing story contest we have going with Richard Williams. I'll create another board you can post your articles in, or you can link to the location of the article, or you can send it to me for publication on Crappie.com. It'll have to be an original article, and you will have to be the author. I'll start the contest right after the "Funny Story" contest, so sharpen your pencils now!

[stray]

Crappie Pappy, I like you article and I learned some. We normally vertical cast in the lakes that I fish in, there is a lot of standing timber. And by casting and deep retrieval or horizontal trolling you keep loosing jigs. I’ve also notice that we get a lot of hits (maybe 30% to 40% of the time) when the jig is on the way down. The only way that you know is the reduction of weight on the pole (sort of like the jig landed on a limb). Have you had this happen with you? I still miss a lot of strikes when this happens; I guess it is the lack of experience.

Great article and good fishing

[CrappiePappy]

I don't remember getting many, if any, strikes on the way down .... except maybe a Bluegill peck or two.
If you got the hits as your jig was falling, those Crappie must have been hungry or very aggressive .... LOL!! But seriously - about the only thing one can do, under those circumstances, is to drop the jig on a controlled (tight) line ... and if it stops before you think it should - engage the reel and set the hook. And, if this is as much of an ongoing situation as you say (30-40% of the time), then using a weedless jig would be my first recommendation. At least, with a weedless jig, you won't be sticking those "branches" as often, and losing your jig ... but, still have a good chance at sticking those "fish".
Most times I am using a 1/16oz jig on 4-6lb mono ... and I have to quickly lift my rodtip, to strip out line (the jig just isn't heavy enough to pull line off, by itself). It is possible that I am getting hits during this maneuver ... but, I don't recall noticing. I don't worry much about hits I don't see ... I figure, if they hit it on the way down, they're probably in the mood to hit it on the way up - and I'll be ready for them, when they do.
One of the "types" of hits, that occurs when slowly reeling a jig back up ... is when the line just goes slack. That's one of my most favorite types of hit ... not only because it's so obviously a hit -- but, I've caught some of my bigger Crappie when that type of hit occurs !! Apparently what happens is - the fish comes up under the jig and engulfs it, and their momentum carries them (& the jig in their mouth) a few inches past the point of contact ... and since I am reeling the jig back in so slow, they lift the weight of the jig off the line, causing the line to go slack (before my reeling can straighten the line back out). They can't feel any rodtip pressure, but I can see the line go slack - and know, instantly, to set the hook. :D
I haven't tried Vertical Casting with PowerPro, yet ... but, I will give it a try, during some upcoming trips. I only have one concern - that the limpness of the line will make detecting those "slack line" hits, a little harder to see. I don't know that to be the case, I'm just speculating. But, I do know that mono will coil ... but, that doesn't bother me - it does help to detect those slack line bites. And since I set the hook hard/fast, when Vertical Casting (in order to get the fish coming towards the surface, and out of the branches), I straighten out any coils in the line and still get a solid hookset.

I started Vertical Casting with the cheap marabou type jigs ... but, after buggering up a few good spots; by snagging the (non-weedless) jig on some branches .... I tried the weedless jighead, and still caught fish. I still use the non-weedless jigheads, but mostly around bridge pilons or around sparse cover or open water. Whenever the situation is dense cover, deep brush, blowdowns, or any tricky/awkward manuvering is required - I'll have a weedless jighead tied on !!
Thanks for your response, and keep after'em ......... luck2ya ...cp

[Mo'nBack]

Not trying to add anything to CrappiePappy's wonderful insight and expertise, and you may be doing this already, but if you use line that you can easily see, you might see the strikes on the way down. I've seen this around here and have caught alot of fish by seeing the line go a little slack on the way down. Sometimes they act as if they are just grabbing it in their mouths and holding onto it for a second. I've seen that if I wait too long to set the hook, they don't get hooked well enough.The Gold Stren Hi-Vis or the Iron Silk Hi-Vis are 2 good choices. There are others out there, so you might have to just look and pick out the color that suits you the best. Hope this helps.

[CrappiePappy]

and I do just that. My partner & I have used Stren Gold & Iron Silk Solar Mint (and Trilene XT Solar, before it was discontinued).
I'm in the process of trying out PowerPro Yellow ... but, primarily for casting purposes. I'm going to try it out, when Vertical Casting is a necessary method, just to see if the "no coil, no stretch" properties of it are better or worse for the method.
And, I'm going to start watching my line a little more closely ... as the jig falls :D Maybe I can catch one of those rascals taking a "taste test" ...LOL!! .............. luck2ya'll ............cp

[Fishin_Magician]

CP,

Awesome article I am going to have to give the tactic a shot. I tend to drop my baits down into brush and hold it perfectly still until I get a strike. This method prob. helps work more water.

I do have one question. Do you need to anchor or be perfectly still to vertical cast? Seems like you would need to be. I do not often anchor near brush for fear that wind will blow me around and drag anchors into the structure and spook the fish. I usually painstakingly "hover" over the brush with the trolling motor.

Going the try this tactic this weekend over my deep water brush piles in the open lake.

~Fishin' Magician~

[CrappiePappy]

I tend to use the method more when I can't cast to or drift over cover ... like a blowdown, or heavy standing timber. I have used it next to bridge pilons, and submerged brush piles ... but, only sparingly. It worked in all cases, but I tend to make the most use of it when I can't present the jig any other way. It's most effective when the Crappie are down "in" the branches, rather than "suspended over" them (totally submerged wood) or "outside" of them (standing timber).
I never use an anchor ... don't even carry one in the boat. I use the trolling motor to keep me on/over a spot ... or else I use "Brush Grippers" tied to the boat and clamped onto a branch. Most times I've already cast my jig around the cover, and worked as much water that way as possible - then I move in next to the cover and use the Vertical Casting method to probe the more dense areas.
Maintaining a steady boat position is important when using this method in heavy cover ... mainly because you want to drop the jig straight down thru the branches, and reel it straight back up. If using it over deep, submerged cover ... it helps to be able to maintain a steady position, but not quite as crucial. Well, unless you're using non-weedless jigs, that is ... then it's VERY crucial ...LOL!! Otherwise, you're going to be tying on new jigs all day ... and probably moving to new spots, often.
When I say "slow retrieve" the jig back up ... I'm talking taking a full minute to minute & a half to retrieve a jig from 20ft down. That is, of course, considering you're retrieving thru cover that breaks the surface. For a brush pile or standing timber that's 10ft off bottom in 20ft of water ... you can speed up the retrieve, after you've cleared the top of the cover by 4-5ft. The fish will usually let you know how far away from the cover they will go to grab the bait. Sometimes they won't go 6" past the outside edge, if any ... sometimes they'll follow it right up to within a foot of the surface and grab it, turn and head back down. Since I'm watching my line & rod tip, during the retrieve, I like to hold the rod tip no more than a foot or so above the surface. That way I can watch the rod tip, line, and the first foot of water below the surface ... all at the same time. I don't hop or jiggle my rod, while retrieving, to impart any extra action to the jig. My partners have, and caught fish, but I've done better with a slow & steady retrieve.

I have no qualms about other people tweaking, adding to, or modifying this method - in any way they want. In fact, I recommend it & applaud it. I just hope those, that do, will explain what they did .. so that I and the other members can benefit from their experimentation & modifications. As I've always said ... I'm no expert, and don't claim to be - I just share my experiences, good & bad, and let others be the judge of whether or not the info will work for them, in their own situations. I didn't "invent" the method ... I just gave it a "name". ....luck2ya ...cp

[Fishin_Magician]

Thanks CP,

I think I get a better idea of the situation in which you would want to use this tactic. If it is dead calm out there Saturday I might just try it out in the open lake. Who knows maybe I need to get right down in the brush. But sounds like it is better suited for those lay-downs on steep banks back in the coves or in areas with less wind or skier wakes... I forgot its summer open lake is going to be a jet-ski playground this weekend.

I will get a chance to try it out this winter at my other favored lake. Its all about fishing dense brush and lay-downs back in little bayous. Most the good trees I fish are fallen off a steep bank and outer edges reach the 15-18' depth mark.

I think I have read somewhere that you use "Oldham’s weedless" jigs? Is that right? I can't remember if its oldhams or oldtoms but they have a little loop of fine wire on the jig head. I ordered some a year ago and caught fish on them until I ran out. Really liked them. Is that still the kind of weedless you use? I cannot find them at the local bass pro shops they only have the heavier jig with bass jig sized hook. Any links where to order some online would be greatly appreciated.

Anyways thanks for the knowledge,

~Fishin' Magician~

[labill]

Great article, CP. I've seen that method before, but never heard it called "vertical casting," but it's a fitting name for it. A good read, and informative.

[stray]

When my fishing partner got me started he was using the “Brush Grippers” to tie up to the standing trees, and they work great. Then when I bought my boat a co worker gave me a couple tying pole he use to use. These are just PVC pipe cap on each end with holes in the ends and though one side of the pipe with a rope though the pipe and a lope at one end. You just put the lope over a branch and draw it up and tie of the cleat on the boat. These help to keep the boat from setting there rubbing the tree you tying to fish. You can also reach a foot or two below the surface to tie off, where with brush grippers you would have to get your arm wet to tie up.

I will try to get some pictures tomorrow and get them posted. And I can do a sketch with measurements if anyone wants it.

Kevin