CJ WATER TEMPS AND FISHING THREAD!

[INTIMIDATOR]

Went out with my buddy Rob last night for the first true BANK Night Fishing Extravaganza of the year...we got to CJ at 9pm and fished until 4am....we started out hitting Bass Cove's 1 and 2, the flats, pipe, and gazebo areas...we ended up with 15 Bass from 16 to 22 inches (8 large and 7 smallies)....Black Blue Chatterbaits with a Black Keitech 3.8 swimmer as a trailer was the ticket, and topwater Black and Blue Crazy Flapper Craws.
Even though we had a Great Bass night the Walleye bite was even better...we headed to deep water and started throwing 1/4 oz 2/0 sickles with 3.8 craws in different colors (even they can't see color at night, they see B/W shades)....we ended up with 22 Walleye with 18 being legal...Rob caught the largest which was right at 27 inches, he put it back in....we both took home our limit of fish from 16 to 22 inches each. All were around the deep water rocks feeding presumably on craws???? The Kicker was, that I also ended up keeping 12 Crappie over 12 inches that were caught deep jigging with the craws!
Best night fishing that I can remember in a long while....GOOD FISHING!

[INTIMIDATOR]

Couldn't hold out any longer...got back out to CJ at 11am and fished until 2pm when the rains started.
Sky was dark, water quality is great...they were dumping water, top gates full open before the coming floods??

Good day to show how strong patterns are at CJ...I couldn't find a Walleye or Bass in the same locations as last night...which shows they move in and out to feed at different times.
Hit deep water and could only catch dink Crappie on bright colors....as soon as I switched to 3.8 black and started burning, I started catching BIG Crappie. These Daggone slabs wouldn't touch anything else, but throw on a black swimbait with Chartreuse Niblet and increase speed and thump...and they mashed it...amazing! Ended up with 39 and 26 keepers...biggest was 14.5....all went back in to grow!
😆

[Yepper2468]

She opened up her arms and took the monkey off my back! Eye in the boat Friday morning! Finally. Wasn't but 16" but nonetheless what I've been after. Also caught a few Crapps but only kept 4. So one Eye and 4 Crapps. Dinner is served. Can't wait to get back at it. Good luck out there!

[INTIMIDATOR]

She opened up her arms and took the monkey off my back! Eye in the boat Friday morning! Finally. Wasn't but 16" but nonetheless what I've been after. Also caught a few Crapps but only kept 4. So one Eye and 4 Crapps. Dinner is served. Can't wait to get back at it. Good luck out there!

Congrats on your first CJ Gator....now you're hooked too!
Just read, listen, and ask questions, and you'll figure out the CJ patterns. The more techniques you learn the more comfortable you'll be throughout the year.

[jab]

She opened up her arms and took the monkey off my back! Eye in the boat Friday morning! Finally. Wasn't but 16" but nonetheless what I've been after. Also caught a few Crapps but only kept 4. So one Eye and 4 Crapps. Dinner is served. Can't wait to get back at it. Good luck out there!

How long was the eye?

[INTIMIDATOR]

How long was the eye?

Come-on teach...."wasn't but 16 inches"!lol

[INTIMIDATOR]

Had a few people unsure about Chatterbaits and how to fish the craws on topwater for Bass.

Chatterbaits are just abnoxious blade baits, that vibrate so much they rattle your pole and make all kinds of noise coming thru the water...add a thumping swimbait, and you are guaranteed to attract and piss off any Bass in the area....they just can't help themselves, it makes them so mad, they have to kill it...and these are the most brutal strikes you can get...I've fished these things since the late 80's and they are my favorite night time Bass lure.
You can fish it at any depth and any speed...I like the Kaotik brand because you can fish them slow and keep it in the strike zones longer at night...and they are super obnoxious!
They work on Smallies and Largemouth.

The craws are fantastic on the surface with a bare EWG 3/0 Trokar.
I like the Trokar hooks because they don't break under pressure and I don't think I have ever lost a fish with them....and they are sharp...most of the night bites are extremely violent and you really don't have a chance to set the hook, or you'll pull it out..normally they hook themselves if you use a super sharp hook, and you can just concentrate on keeping tension on them.
Once you cast it out and it hits the water, just slowly start reeling, it comes to the surface, and flaps like it's crazy...hince the name!
😆
I never use any other color at night for Bass, except black, or black and blue...it silhouettes perfectly against water and the dark sky. They can see it well on the surface or in the water.

Night Bass fishing is a whole different experience, they are in full feeding and killing mode...it's loud, harsh, nasty, and exciting! And with it being dark YOUR senses are heightened also...what a rush!

Good Fishing!

[jab]

Come-on teach...."wasn't but 16 inches"!lol

That's why I retired eight years ago ... I kept speeding reading essays while grading them!

[CrappieDreamer]

Anyone have a report on the water conditions today. I am thinking of heading to the lake late this afternoon. Anyone else going to be there?

[CrappieDreamer]

I went to CJ late yesterday afternoon/evening. Caught quite a few dinks on both black Keitech swimmers (with crappie nibbles) and chartreuse grubs. Caught a few keepers on both. Action died after dark. Another guy down the bank from me was fishing dual jigs (one white and one green). He caught a number of good sized keepers (mostly on green). He said he also caught a nice 4-5lb gator at dark.

Water was surprisingly "normal" after all of the rain.

I still haven't caught my first gator at CJ! One of these nights...