Attachment 468059
The Wastehouse in the East Pearl River is a favorite for many Crappie Anglers. It's Mouth is located right above the I-10 Bridge on the East Pearl. This time of year I start tracking how far the bait have migrated into The Wastehouse simply because the Crappie usually follow. Well, not Yet. One fish has moved in, saturating every deep hole where clouds of bait are, shading every place Crappie like to shade, that is a multitude of species of GAR.
The Gar are everywhere, while fishing I saw several Gar swim by with small Crappie, Bluegill, Pearch, in their mouths. It looks like they were foul hooked with a tear along the bone but no its small fish we like to eat too. When I found Crappie they were tucked tight in heavy cover and shade. They were hungry too. Pulling out a trick from Ketchn I downsized to some #6 Matzuo Jigheads with a bait I get from Jason's Jigs Store on EBay. Here is the description
Jason's Crappie Stinger Iridescent Prism
Attachment 468060
The Crappie ate these well but once the active fish were done I switched to Shiners. This is where things got interesting as the Stingers got the bite started but I threw almost every fish back. The Shiners put the fish in the box. Another comment from Ketchn was as a Shiner hits the hot water it dies which was true for most of the Shiners hooked in the mouth. A Cajun way to hook Saltwater live bait is thru the eyes. When I switched to hooking the Shiners that way a fish was on before it had a chance to die. I'm looking forward to the Crappie Wisperer to read this and comment if He knows why the Shiners live longer eye hooked.
Water clarity is the best for Mid August in The Wastehouse I have seem in 7 years. The temps are well up in the high 80's at 7am. That's high 80's under the trolling motor where the transducer is located. Most of the older crowd know where the big, not part of the Food Chain, rod bending, fighting Crappie are, deep in the Main Channel. Since I'm a dedicated Single Pole angler Carolina Rigging Shiners and dropping them on the bottom in the passes does not appeal to me personally but it is effective with current flow to concentrate the fish. The Gar and Catfish bycatch is unappealing too.