Rayburn crappie action still red hot
Rayburn crappie action still red hot
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By Chester Moore, Jr. - Port Arthur News Outdoors Editor Posted: 11/03/05 - 12:27:21 am CST
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Want to catch crappie?
If you do, head out to Rayburn Lake because the fishing is excellent on main lake brush piles.
My father Chester Moore, Sr. and I fished with guide Roger Bacon there last week and brought home a two-man limit of 50 crappie after fishing only for a little over three hours.
“The fishing pressure on Rayburn really starts to wind down but if anglers want to catch crappie, the fishing is solid right now,” Bacon said.
The key factor is the wind.
It is hard to fish main lake brush when the wind is blowing fiercely across the big reservoir.
“If the winds are slow and the lake is calm, the fishing is good. The fish have been hitting on brush out on the main lake and the crappie have been about 12 to 15 feet down,” Bacon said.
Live shiners have been the best choice for anglers wanting to bring home a limit of these tasty pan fish, but jigs are also producing.
Bacon recommends anglers rigging up with six pound test like Ande Back Country and be prepared to be tangled and perhaps broken off by big fish.
“You're going to get hung up on the brush piles and will catch other species besides crappie,” he said.
Last week my father and I caught several largemouths, a yellow bass and a couple of channel cats alongside the crappie.
Anglers can expect to catch lots of fish in the 11 to 12-inch class and occasionally a few big fish.
“Rayburn has some really big crappie on it. Most of the fish you catch will be good eating-sized but it's certainly possible to get a wall hanger here,” Bacon said.
“This is certainly not the most publicized time to catch crappie here, but the fishing can be better than you might expect,” he added.
