Back this boat into the water and let’s go. Who said anything about skiing or motor-boating? We’re off to go crappie fishing on this pontoon.
It seems like everyone is fishing for crappie from a pontoon nowadays. Even the guides seem to be joining in and taking out clients on a pontoon.
What’s the attraction to pontoons and crappie fishing for crappie fishing guides? The biggest reason is space. Pontoons have more than enough room for a client to bring everything they may need for a day on the lake plus have plenty of room to move around. There is also enough space on pontoons that several clients can fish the same brush pile at the same time by standing on one side or the front of the boat.
Advancement in the design of pontoons has also made fishing more functional for crappie fishing guides. In the past, pontoons were slow moving, five miles-an-hour, aluminum sides, wood paneling siding, barbeque and jump off the back vessels. Not anymore with triple tunnel pontoons with 300 horsepower outboards capable of going over 50 miles-an-hour.
An example of a typical fishing pontoon is the G3 SunCatcher (www.g3boats.com). It’s over 22 feet long and rated for a 225 horsepower outboard. Fishing features on this pontoon include two bow and two aft deluxe upholstered fishing chairs in every corner of the boat with forward and aft livewells, rod holders and storage for fishing rods or landing net.
Living the Dream Guide Service on Toledo Bend Reservoir has been using pontoons for guiding crappies for years. “We use the bigger pontoon for a large group where having more room is better. The smaller pontoon we use with smaller groups and to get into places you can’t get with the big pontoon,” said Jerry Thompson, fishing guide with Living the Dream Guide Service (www.ltdguideservice.com).
“I love having so much space for clients to move around on the pontoon and have enough space to cast,” said Jerry Thompson.
Thompson uses artificial and live bait to catch crappie year-round. “I normally will fish with artificial lures until about July when I switch over to using small minnows rigged on #4 Mustad Aberdeen hooks,” said Thompson.
Early in the year, Thompson will fish with a 1/16- or 1/32-ounce jighead rigged with soft plastic Bobby Garland Crappie Baits. “In March till the end of April, I will fish the fresh brush piles. They always seem to be holding crappie. I will also fish bride piles, but instead of getting up close to them, I will make long casts so the boat doesn’t scare them,” said Thompson.
In the spring prior to the crappie moving on to the nest, Thompson will fish with 1/8-ounce Road Runners in black/blue chartreuse. Thompson will target larger crappie knowing he may not catch as many, but they will be bigger on the breakline in 4- to 8-feet of water close to where the crappie will spawn. “Anglers can use a spinning rod we supply to fish with the 1/8-ounce Road Runner, but I prefer a small baitcasting rod and reel combination rigged with 8-pound test fishing line,” said Thompson.
One other key to catching crappie on Toledo Bend Reservoir is to fish around logs. Of course if you have been to Toledo Bend Reservoir you know that there is standing timber everywhere. “I’m talking about logs that have been cut and lying on the bottom. Logs like that will hold big schools of large crappie. I find most of those logs when the water level is low making them easy to see,” said Thompson.
Besides finding submerged logs, Thompson also builds his own brush piles. Sometime he will use over 40 sweet gum and willow trees in each brush pile, but will have at least six trees to start with. “I will weigh the bottom down, but tie a ½-gallon empty jug. That will float the trees upward and put them in 3- to 23-feet of water within 50 yards of water depths of 30- to 60-feet of water,” said Thompson.
Louisiana Wildlife & Fisheries also build artificial reefs on Toledo Bend Reservoir. A pocket guide detailing the name of the reefs, GPS coordinates of the reefs, description of the reef and depth along with the nearest boat launch is in the pamphlet.
When fishing for crappie, Thompson believes that the best spots will always be one made by nature and not manmade. “One other thing I look for in a great crappie spot is the place leading to dirt or should I say up to the shoreline. A hump out in the middle or away from shore will never hold as many crappie as one leading to dirt,” said Thompson.
Pontoons may not have been originally designed for crappie fishing, but that is all changing. Everything you would find on a regular boat is now part of or is an available option on a fishing pontoon.
Back this boat into the water and let’s go crappie fishing on a pontoon.
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