Glossary Of Terms - a continuation of Jerry's thread
Here's the latest summary:
Angler – Politically Correct term for Fisherman to include Fisherwoman
Asleep at the Reel - Missing a bite because of delayed reaction generally caused by inattention such as day-dreaming. napping, snacking or sight seeing.
Bar Ditch - A fishery that was created when dirt was "Borrowed" to build a road, dam or levy.
Brooder - A huge minnow almost as big as some of the dinks you’re catching.
Catch And Release - The practice of returning fish to the water, which may or may not have been intentional. Also known as "Taking A Look At It" when a fish is brought to the surface or swung in the air where everyone can see it and then comes off the hook before it is landed or "Long Distance Release" when the fish comes off the hook when it is still deep or far from the boat.
Cover - Bamboo Crappie Condos, Brush Piles, Weed Beds, Rock Piles, Standing Timber, Stake Beds, Stumps, etc. where fish can hide from predators and ambush prey from.
Dining Room - The one spot on an area of cover where the fish are biting. Also known as being "In The Zone".
Bite - When a fish makes an attempt to eat your lure, jig or live bait. Bites vary from a "Nudge" to a "Thump" and include "Ticks", "Taps", "Pecks, and "Wallops".
Brush Pile - Trees or bushes placed under water to provide cover for fish. Also referred to as "Cribs", "Tops", "Mats" and "Trash". Usually placed for the purpose of concentrating fish so they can be found by anglers but can also provide Habitat.
Bycatch – Species other than crappie that are caught while crappie fishing. May or may not be something you would want to keep.
Fiddler - small channel cat
Fish Attractor - Natural or man-made objects or structures placed underwater for the purpose of concentrating fish so anglers can find them more easily. Fish Attractors may or may not provide good Cover or Habitat but are not intended to do so. However, Cover and Habitat are usually good Fish Attractors.
Fish Size Classification Terms:
Keeper – Any fish of any species that is big enough to “stink the grease” and therefore worth keeping. The decision as to whether a fish qualifies as a Keeper often depends on what is already “in the box”.
Dink – Crappie too small to keep. Also known as "Slabis Minimus", "Sailor", "Grease Tester", “Taterchip”, or “Desperation Keeper”.*
Desperation Keeper - Fish that would not normally be kept but is kept because nothing else is biting and the angler and/or angler's buddies and/or family are FISH HAWNGRY. May or may not be legal to keep.*
Suicide – Dink or other fish that would not ordinarily be kept either because of its sizes or species but is hook-injured and kept so it doesn't’t go to waste. Also knows as a "Swallower", “Floater”, “Milk Dripper” or “Grease Tester”.
Eater – Average size crappie or other fish that is not big enough to brag about but big enough to contribute to “Getting A Mess”.*
Slab – Above average size crappie - gives an angler minimal bragging rights. Also known as “Pig”, “Barn Door”, "Hawg” or “Two Pound Crappie" - hefted weight, not weighed on a scale.*
Good-Ole-Bigun – Crappie that is in the top 1% in length and weight of crappie caught in the fishery where it was caught. Gives an angler considerable bragging rights, especially if no one else on the trip catches anything comparable. Often considered for mounting or for having a replica made. Also knows as "Slabis Maximus", “Mounter”, “Wallhanger”, “Big-Ole-Goodun” and often shortened to just “Bigun”.*
*Length/weight varies from region to region and lake to lake depending on the size of fish available to catch in the fishery.*
Crumb Grabber(s) – Angler(s) who move in on you while you’re catching fish.
Float - Device attached to fishing line to maintain the depth of a bait or lure and to indicate when an angler is getting a bite. Also known as, "Bobber", "Strike Indicator" (fly fishing), "Slip-float" and "Cork".
Green Carp – Largemouth or Spotted Bass/Kentucky Bass caught while crappie fishing.
Green Carp Fisherman – An angler that primarily fishes for black bass, which often requires a high-powered/fast boat.
Green Carp Tournament Fisherman – An angler that fishes competitively for black bass, many of which believe that their entry fee into any given tournament gives them privileges that ordinary anglers are not entitled to. Many Green Carp Tournament Fishermen appear to believe that it is more important for them to get to their next “Honey Hole” than it is to be courteous to other boaters/anglers.
Habitat - Natural or man-made objects or structures that benefit crappie throughout their life cycle. Good habitat has tight cover for small crappie to hide in and more open areas for larger crappie. Quality habitat also provides cover for minnow species, insect larvae and small crustaceans that crappie feed on.
Jig Tipper - Minnow too small to put on a bare hook but just right for tipping a jig for finicky crappie.
Lake Lice - Tubers, wake-boarders, joy riders, jet-boaters, etc. that run around the lake making waves and noise, often without any consideration for anglers. Also known as "Water Lice", "Water Bugs" and "Water Fleas".
Lay-down - Tree that has fallen or been cut to fall down the bank so that some or all of the tree is in the water.
Mess – Enough crappie or other fish to feed any given number of people. As in, “We caught a mess of fish for the fish fry at the fire station (could be 5-people, could be 50)” or “I caught a mess for dinner for my family (could be 2-people, could be 20).”
Monkey - Angler who run around the lake looking for other boats in a group and joins them because someone in the group caught a fish.
Nightstalker - A person who fishes for crappie at night.
Nightstalking - Crappie fishing at night, usually with some type of floating and/or submersible lights.
Poser - One who thinks he knows everything there is to know about crappie fishing but has difficulty applying his vast knowledge on the water. Posers tend to be braggarts and belittle others in an effort to make themselves feel superior, especially on Internet forums where they mistakenly believe they can maintain anonymity.
Ruent – Southern term for a person that after being exposed to crappie fishing thinks about going fishing all the time, spends all their extra (and sometimes not extra) funds on boats, electronics and tackle and goes fishing whenever possible. Also known as, “Ate Up”, “Hooked”, “Ruined” and unfortunately sometimes “Divorced”.
Sexual Harassment - When a fish pulls the skirt down on your tube-jig. Also known as having your "Panties Yanked".
Structure - Generally refers to what is on the bottom of the lake such as points, humps, saddles, ditches, ledges, road beds, drop-offs, channels, creek beds, flats, etc. Often used interchangeably with "Cover" although most Structure doesn't provide much cover. Cover that is strategically placed on certain types of Structure can make an excellent Fish Attractor and can also provide good quality Habitat.
Taterchip – Small crappie that if fried up would be the size and texture of a Potato Chip. Can also refer to a foot-flattened minnow or dehydrated minnow that was left on a hook from a previous outing.
Thug – A catfish that attacks your nightstalking set-up and creates a mess of your lines.
