Night Fishing for Slabs -- Region 7 Lakes

[Kaptain Kaliko]

I would like to know if there are any other slab-seekers out there,
who ply the waters of lakes and reservoirs of Region 7 ( or vicinity )
at night ? Type of lights used ? Depths ? Baits ? ..... and, results ?

I am brand new to the forum . I recently re-located to Central
New York , from Virginia . I am originally from the Syracuse area,
but haven' t been in the area for almost twenty years ..... so , I' m
getting re-aquainted with the area, and all the great waters .
I fish for almost all species , but I plan and target specific ones
per outing . I can' t say enough about how great the area waters
are for many species ! I seem to appreciate all this a lot more now at age 44 .
By the way , I am a writer ( copywriter-freelance ) and I' m breaking-in to the outdoor / fishing writer' s market . Also , I' ll be
getting my guide license soon , in case anyone has the need for one. My focus ( target species ) will include Crappie -- of course, and
jumbo-panfish ....like bull ' gills , elephant perch, and 'great white' bass.
I' ll be utilizing 10' to 14' sticks w/ 4 to 8 # lines , and employing
traditional methods mixed with a few new tactics that I have developed over the years . I' ll be concentrating on ' skinny water ' ,
night fishing , and ' electric - only ' waters . Such methods are under-
utilized today. With the desires of many anglers -- their needs of
" instant gratification", and the mindset of " faster - is - better " .... it is
common for these impatient types to fail at rendering their quarry,
and lay blame on any convenient factor.
You' ve heard them all -- " It was too windy", or " too cold "....or,
any of the dozens of other lame excuses. Fact is -- you live in New
York ! It gets cold here ! And not just in the winter . Be prepared for the worst .... but above all, be prepared to fish . Make a list , and check-off items as you go .
Night fishing for crappie is a good example of the need for a list . There is so much gear needed , in order to complete a sucess-
ful outing ....plus , you actually need to remember that it gets cold at night .
You' ll need summer clothing -- and at least , an autumn
jacket and sweatshirt . I can' t tell you how many times I' ve been out with a buddy who forgets to bring a night coat ! That' s why I
keep a spare, hooded sweatshirt behind the seat of my truck .
Needless to say , that sweatshirt has been worn-out by a few dozen dudes ... and even a few gals .
Enough for now on the night-bite . I' ll be glad to share some more thoughts on this ( and other topics ) later . Just wanted to introduce myself , and make a footprint .... actually , a footnote .*

A thought to leave you all with ;
It is often the angler who dares to ' be different ' -- one who will try something new , breaking away from the norm and venturing out
into unfamiliar territory -- this is the angler who will be rewarded ,
remembered , and revered . The world is full of fast-talkers , fanatics,
and followers . Be innovative -- and brave . Success comes to those
who create .
And a final note ; please be careful when ' lipping ' that crappie out of the water . Never hold a crappie horizontally by the lip , unless it' s frypan or freezer bound. The weight of the fish can actually cause damage to its mouth and jaw, if held in such a manner . Always hold the fish vertically .
Crappie can actually get a kind of ' lock-jaw ' from rough handling . You can help the fish you intend to release by gently closing its mouth , manually , as you assist its re-entry into the water . Hold the fish upright in the water , gripping by the tail and carefully pull back and forth to get water flowing through the gills.
This should automatically promote closure of the mouth .
Crappie will quickly die if they cannot get enough oxygen through their gills , so be sure to help the little guys out . That eight-inch fish may reward you in a few years -- as a tasty dinner .

Time to sign out ---
Kaptain Kaliko ( Kapn' K )

[fishnfilet]

hey kaptain........been starting to get some nice slabs out my way ( seneca river ).... after the heat wave, been picking up my limit bout every time out,pink maribou seems to be the ticket....welcome to the forum..............dave

[KARL]

......quote..........."I would like to know if there are any other slab-seekers out there,
who ply the waters of lakes and reservoirs of Region 7 ( or vicinity )
at night ? Type of lights used ? Depths ? Baits ? ..... and, results ?".............
....see article section of site...Rango's article....

[Kaptain Kaliko]

hey kaptain........been starting to get some nice slabs out my way ( seneca river ).... after the heat wave, been picking up my limit bout every time out,pink maribou seems to be the ticket....welcome to the forum..............dave

Hey Fishnfilet .... Thanks for the welcome! I really don' t spend much time on forums ... as most guys ( like us ) would rather be out on the water .... but I thought it would be a good idea to interact with some local slabseekers .
I also go after steelhead in the fall and winter
( finger lakes ) and occasional smallies anywhere I can find them .
So , you' re in the Auburn area taking crappie from the Seneca River .... are you anywhere near Montezuma Refuge ? Do they let anyone fish that area ? I' ve been by the MWR and it looks mighty tempting !
Also , the pink jigs sound about right .... what kind of tails / style are these ? Jighead size / ozs.? Are you slow-trolling , casting , jigging in place ?
Our night-fishing Saturday was hot , right up until a weird , windy front blasted through around 10:00p ...churning up the water and scattering fish to all levels of the water column.
Took a pair of 13's , three 12 - 12.5's , and lots of 10 inchers .... all on double drop-shots w/ white, 1/4 oz jigheads tipped w/ fatheads on bottoms and Wally Marshall aberdeens w/ small
shiners ( 2.5 - 3") on top droppers . The bottom
jigs were employed as keels while drifting very
slowly , as the shiners were fixed about 18" above the jigs . Most of the bigger slabs took the shiners , while most of the smaller fish ate the jigs . We also casted a few Mimic Minnows ,
in the perch pattern - 2" , by Northland Tackle ,
but the crappies wanted real meat .
The green lights worked out just great , creating a sort of surreal atmosphere around
the boat . We used the new Tite-Lok rod holders - all aluminum - around $28.00 apiece , from Gander Mountain . These babies are the best I' ve used , for crappie drift or still-fishing .
Well .... gotta go - give me a holler , when you can .... keep the Seneca slabs 'a comin' !
Kap'n K

[kunes]

KK--where did you catch those nitetime slabs?

[fishnfilet]

hey capt.---yeah that front got us to........managed couple dozen sat night...just fatheads with a bobber and circle hook... walleyes were everywhere,fishing for both..watching my bobber and casting stickbaits!!!! had a blast!!!!!! weather starting to cool down fri got a little nippy!!! prime time is a coming........see ya.......dave

[Kaptain Kaliko]

hey capt.---yeah that front got us to........managed couple dozen sat night...just fatheads with a bobber and circle hook... walleyes were everywhere,fishing for both..watching my bobber and casting stickbaits!!!! had a blast!!!!!! weather starting to cool down fri got a little nippy!!! prime time is a coming........see ya.......dave

Hey Fishnfilet !! I believe you know what' s coming up ....and this goes for all you slabseekers out there .... We are approaching the
start of a very productive ( historically speaking ) moon-phase pattern,
and if most other aspects of the weather fall into favorable focus ,
we stand to reap wonderful rewards ( slabs ) !
Throughout history , ( and I did a little research on this ) , whenever we come into a full-moon phase occuring in the SECOND
HALF OF AUGUST --this includes the three-day period just before AND
the three-day period after the full-moon -- this week-long moon-phase event is ( and has been throughout history ) the MOST productive time to nail slabs ( and walleyes ). This peak period should remain
very productive for those who wish to wet their crappie-sticks during the peak feeding times -- especially if those times occur in the early evening hours , and right up through midnight .
To be certain , check the solar-lunar tables found in most any current fish and game publication , like New York Game and Fish .
Want to boost your chances of hauling in the big boys ?
First - You MUST fish waters that actually hold big fish !
Second - The biggest slabs want a MEAL , not a snack ! Get ahold of a couple of 2" , 2 1/2" , or even 3" crankbaits or diving plugs ....
as you go up in lure size , slim down on the overall profile . Big
slabs DO take 3" plugs ! I have caught my biggest crappies on top-
water and diving plugs -- even a few on 4" Heddon Chubs !
Don' t be afraid to try this . You will NOT catch as many total fish , but the ones you do .... let' s just say -- WOW !!
Also , remember this -- as we move into the season of cooler nights , crappies will continue to rise in the water column , due to
water surface temps slowly falling . Whether you' re jigging with a
jig/minnow , straight jig , or chucking cranks and plugs, don' t forget to work the top three feet of water . Later in August ( as air and
water temps fall ) the upper few feet of water should become quite
rewarding , especially for those night-stalkers working small shiners ( or the biggest fatheads you can find ) under a lighted, stationary or slip bobber .
By all means , get out there during the next five or six nights ( or
peak daytime feeds -- check the charts ) ....and get yourself some nice slabs for the frying pan !
Peak times are rapidly approaching . Today is Wednesday the 9th , and action during peak feeding times should be optimum from Wednesday, August 17th , right through Tuesday the 22nd .
I' m already planning my trip .... and if you' re a real slab-seeker ,
you ought to be too ! Get out there !
This is Kapn' K -- signing out for now .

[Kaptain Kaliko]

KK--where did you catch those nitetime slabs?

Reply -- A north-country lake -- Saratoga .

[fishnfilet]

hey kapt just put windows in off us9, owner of house said saratoga lake was a good ice fishing spot....down here in poughkeepsie for a week,gonna try my luck down this way.....good luck..dave