I went to Orange Lake this past Thursday (Aug. 3) and caught a mixed bag of 19 bluegill and shell crackers plus one keeper crappie. I was using grass shrimp in the pads at the south end and had the place all to myself. There were only about 10 rigs at the ramp. It was plenty hot but I rigged up a beach umbrella for shade. I had to keep moving. I would go into an area and stir up the pads and catch 2-3 keepers then the little bait stealers would arrive and I'd have to move to another area.

After I took my boat out, I talked to a guy from Newberry. He was trolling minnow tipped jigs in deep water and he had sixteen 10-13" crappie. He said he fished hard and culled a lotta of little ones. He said he fishes for crappie all year. I was surprised at that since I've always heard the bite is better in the winter. But like he said, they gotta eat all year.