Thread: CJ Brown 2018

There really isn't a bad area right now...the Crappie have moved in, so just move around till you find them.
This is the time of year when "Catching" can be done by anyone with anything...The lake will be packed with all kinds of Fishermen.
Then in a few more weeks "Fishing" will take over and the lake will not be very busy again!
Enjoy CJ's bounty now, because she will get tough after this...but to me, that is when it gets fun and enjoyable!

Guess who's back! Took Friday off at work so will be headed out in the afternoon and maybe early Saturday!

Congrats....I've been using the Big 4 inch Easy Shiners to get the Big Crappie...but most will pretty much hit anything!
Went out last night again after 5pm and had a blast....The "Professionals" were out telling everyone what color and baits to use...one gentleman and his buddy told me I would never catch any Crappie with that Big a Bait and that color (Ghost Rainbow), so after a couple twelves, a couple fourteens, and a fifteen, they started talking about how the Big Crappie don't taste as good as the ones they were catching.
So, me being in a Great Mood, decided to help them lower their live bait bill during the spawn time pattern...so I cut a strip of white plastic from a coffee cup lid and a larger strip from a sandwich bag and put them on my jig...and I out caught both of them, pissed them off, and then even returned their Favorite eating small fish, that I was catching, into to the lake!
They became agitated because I didn't give them the fish....and I proceeded to tell them the story of "teaching a man to fish"!
I left for a more peaceful environment and later took home my 30 over 12", with a 16 kicker! Caught over 100 in less than 3 hours...my clicker died after hour 2 at 98 fish!

Originally Posted by INTIMIDATOR

Congrats....I've been using the Big 4 inch Easy Shiners to get the Big Crappie...but most will pretty much hit anything!
Went out last night again after 5pm and had a blast....The "Professionals" were out telling everyone what color and baits to use...one gentleman and his buddy told me I would never catch any Crappie with that Big a Bait and that color (Ghost Rainbow), so after a couple twelves, a couple fourteens, and a fifteen, they started talking about how the Big Crappie don't taste as good as the ones they were catching.
So, me being in a Great Mood, decided to help them lower their live bait bill during the spawn time pattern...so I cut a strip of white plastic from a coffee cup lid and a larger strip from a sandwich bag and put them on my jig...and I out caught both of them, pissed them off, and then even returned their Favorite eating small fish, that I was catching, into to the lake!
They became agitated because I didn't give them the fish....and I proceeded to tell them the story of "teaching a man to fish"!
I left for a more peaceful environment and later took home my 30 over 12", with a 16 kicker! Caught over 100 in less than 3 hours...my clicker died after hour 2 at 98 fish!

I hit the marina today and I'm completely flabbergasted. I got skunked. I have no idea what I'm doing wrong, but it's clearly something as I watched over 200 fish get pulled in right in front of me by literally everyone I could see. I'm pretty sure I'm the only person on CJ today that put up a goose egg. The bait shop was out of minnows, so I fished jigs all day... Most on a 1/16th oz head, various colors. 1.5" baby shads, "2 grubs, tubes, etc... Fished under a float from 4-7 feet with a twitch/slow retrieve. I lost one right as I was bringing it up to the rocks, but other than that I can't definitively say I connected with anything. What am I doing wrong? I've never been so frustrated in my life!

I just came up with a battle cry for the Wolfpack.. "EAT MORE GOOSE".. Boy, I really gotta find a job.
CJP

Didn't get back from my grandma's till about 9:30.. by then there were no bites to be had.. maybe tomorrow

Originally Posted by veritas524

I hit the marina today and I'm completely flabbergasted. I got skunked. I have no idea what I'm doing wrong, but it's clearly something as I watched over 200 fish get pulled in right in front of me by literally everyone I could see. I'm pretty sure I'm the only person on CJ today that put up a goose egg. The bait shop was out of minnows, so I fished jigs all day... Most on a 1/16th oz head, various colors. 1.5" baby shads, "2 grubs, tubes, etc... Fished under a float from 4-7 feet with a twitch/slow retrieve. I lost one right as I was bringing it up to the rocks, but other than that I can't definitively say I connected with anything. What am I doing wrong? I've never been so frustrated in my life!

COLOR...FULL SUN you need White or Chartreuse, best is a Chartreuse jig head and white body with a Chartreuse Crappie nibblet.
CLOUDY...if white and Chartreuse aren't working, use a shad color...Keitech has a Shad color that is dead on! Dark colors also contrast and work, my favorite is black/blue.

PACE...you can not burn a bait...they are looking for a easy meal. SLOWWWWWW. Twitch and let it sink, then slowly retrieve.

CAST...They are on the bottom, cast as far as you can, let it go to the bottom and sit..then start your Pace.

I'm using 1/8th oz jig heads made by Crappiedreamer with 1/0 sickle hooks and a 3" or 4" Keitech Easy Shiner....this gets to the bottom faster and stays deeper on the slow retrieval.
Big fish get the pick spawning locations, usually in 10 feet of open water away from smaller fish and gills. They will but up to a large rock or structure to help protect the nest. Small fish get the crap spots and are normally caught close to shore in the rocks.
After the spawn, I will use the 3.3 and 3.8 inch Swing Impact Fats, and 2.8 Craws.

Originally Posted by INTIMIDATOR

COLOR...FULL SUN you need White or Chartreuse, best is a Chartreuse jig head and white body with a Chartreuse Crappie nibblet.
CLOUDY...if white and Chartreuse aren't working, use a shad color...Keitech has a Shad color that is dead on! Dark colors also contrast and work, my favorite is black/blue.

PACE...you can not burn a bait...they are looking for a easy meal. SLOWWWWWW. Twitch and let it sink, then slowly retrieve.

CAST...They are on the bottom, cast as far as you can, let it go to the bottom and sit..then start your Pace.

I'm using 1/8th oz jig heads made by Crappiedreamer with 1/0 sickle hooks and a 3" or 4" Keitech Easy Shiner....this gets to the bottom faster and stays deeper on the slow retrieval.
Big fish get the pick spawning locations, usually in 10 feet of open water away from smaller fish and gills. They will but up to a large rock or structure to help protect the nest. Small fish get the crap spots and are normally caught close to shore in the rocks.
After the spawn, I will use the 3.3 and 3.8 inch Swing Impact Fats, and 2.8 Craws.

Thanks for the info. I was throwing white, pink, and chartreuse and was bouncing it off the bottom... I still have no clue what was going on that day. I went back yesterday to the other side of the lake with my kids and we caught around 25 fish and had a blast. We caught most on minnows, but I caught quite a few with the same methods I was using at the marina. Perhaps I just needed my two good luck charms! Hopefully we will be able to go back this weekend, as my kids (3 & 4) really enjoyed their time.