I had never intentionally caught a crappie until about 4 years ago. I had NO idea what I was doing when I joined this site. I met several of you guys over the years and hit if off really well. Two men on here helped me more than they'll ever know and I want to publicly thank them.
Mitch (Slabprowler) took me in like an orphan. He and I have become good friends over the past several years. He has taught me more about crappie fishing than I could ever thank him for. I enjoy being around Mitch more than probably anyone I've ever known. He is a great person, as anyone who knows him can attest to.
Mitch spent a lot of time helping me learn how to longline and I could catch them that way pretty easy after a few trips, but I wanted to learn how to single pole, cast and reel. We both did and we both got pretty good at it. He's still way better than me at it, but at least I don't feel defeated before I fish with him or someone else now. I really feel like I can hold my own catching them. Of course, I have days where I still think I don't know how to catch them, but there's days I feel like I can catch every fish in the river. Thank you my friend!
Glenn (Lowe175) probably deserves some kind of trophy for taking me fishing. I may be the worst case scenario he's ever seen when I started. :D Seriously. He told me a year or so ago, "I wasn't sure you'd ever be able to catch one." and he was right! I was fishing with him, and Mitch, when it finally clicked. He told me, "if your line does anything you didn't make it do, set the hook." Now that seems simple, but it took a while for my brain to catch on. I finally figured this much out. When setting the hook becomes and involuntary reflex, instead of a conscious thought, you're getting to the point of being a crappie fisherman. Thank you so much for your help Glenn!
Lake Guntersville still try's my patience. This big ol grass fed lake isn't like fishing brush piles. Mitch lives upriver, and I live on the south end. There's enough difference between up there, and down here, that it's like fishing two completely different bodies of water. I've fished up there for several years. First with Mitch, then with a guide, and now I can go on my own and find and catch 'em. My confidence has gotten to the point that now I'm trying again, to catch them on the south end of the lake.
My son made this trip with me. I quit deer hunting because I burned him out on it when he was 13-14. My wife is the one that encouraged me to get a boat and start fishing with him. He has been a trooper and never gave up. It took him longer to figure it out how to catch one than it did me, but he's got it figured out too. He's in from college for Christmas and I spent all day with him on the water yesterday, looking for new fishing spots. We didn't wear them out, but we had a great day.
So thank you Crappie.com, these two guys, and more of you that I didn't mention for helping me learn how to catch these fish.
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