Thread: MTL - Route U

I'll be out there tomorrow and give an updated report.

Went out Saturday and the spawn seems to have started.

Found them far back in coves right on the bank. Kept about 15 really nice ones between two of us but caught about 8 dinks to every keeper. Bought 6 dozen minnows and ran out fairly quickly. Tried a few jigs rather lazily but weren't hitting..

We heard they are lowering the water level 1' per night - no idea what that means for the spawn but you wouldn't think it would be good.

It was good to get out to MTL again on a nice day after not getting up there in years.

We went out for a few hours Saturday afternoon, we fished Ely Branch, and caught 4 dinks. We found nothing on the banks. Fish were caught on minnows in 20 to 25 fow, 6 to 8 feet deep. Found that fish were widely scattered. Went out Sunday mid-morning for a few hours in Sandy Creek. Tried jigs of all colors and sizes...no bites at all. Talked to as many people as we could, seemed like everyone had about the same luck as we had. Water temps were mid 70's both days, both locations. That seemed high to me, but the 2 ff taking readings off the back of the boat at the same level read almost identical temps, while the one on the tm in a little deeper water was reading about 5 degrees cooler on a consistant basis.
We came across a couple of guys at Robert Allen that said they had caught a lot of nice ones but wouldn't give any info on where they fished, what they used or how deep they fished.
I hope that the folks saying everything is running a few weeks behind are right and that there is great fishing ahead of us on MTL!!!

Thanks for the report Mark, maybe gonna finally get a chance to go next weekend. I think it should just about ready to get good.

We fished 3 hours and caught one dink until we found them. Talked to several people who had the same luck also.
The fish we found were tightly packed and were starting to spawn. If they were any closer to the bank they would have been walking on land.

Headed up this weekend. Are the ramps open or just the high water? Stay mostly in the South Fork and Florida area. Thanks for any help. Haven't been up for a couple of weeks.

Just about all ramps are open now, except maybe for the dirt ramps. I know that the Lick Creek access off Route J was closed last weekend, but the major ramps are open for business.

I'm starting to believe we are going to miss a big part of the spawn??? Come on its almost June!! Will the crappie hold on to there eggs this long? Are we not that far behind? Or just spoiled from the early warm weather the last few years??? I might go Friday afternoon. Such a messed up spring this year!