Real time stuff -

Check this out - This was from a friend of mine last evening. The fishing trip was yesterday at our local Army Corps lake in southeastern Pa. If I'm not mistaken these crappie were found in 44 feet of water:


"Crappieman just left, and after viewing the best film on crappies I've ever seen in my life, I told him that we can finally put all of that crappie bullchit we've been reading in books and magazines to rest.

I was going to buy a bucket of minnows for tomorrow, but I'm not now.

I planned to use larger jigs tipped with plastic, but I'm not now.

I have a coffee can of spikes in the fridge, and that's what I plan on using. And wax worms too. On the smallest white jig I can I can get away with.

After seeing that amazing film, I am now convinced that during my years of fishing for crappies, thousands of mature crappies have looked at my bait and rejected it. Why? Too danged big, moving or falling too fast, and wrong danged color.

Here's what Crappieman's film showed.

Mature crappies thicker than any bluegill school I ever saw. They were everywhere. And guess what they were doing? Yep, they were feeding. Not on minnows like the so called experts tell us is their main food source, but on some kind of tiny top of the chain zooplankton, or larva. It was the same thing I see at Mauch Chunk.

They appear to be white in color, and about half the size of a spike or maggot. Maybe even smaller. They were suspended for the most part, but some appeared to float upwards.

The crappies were gorging themselves on those small critters. Not small immature crappies, but large mature crappies. Some appeared to exceed 12 inches.

The didn't chase, because they didn't have to. Very little energy was expended as they merely moved forward very slowly, and sucked those things in like a vacuum cleaner. They didn't even turn their head to get one. They just opened their mouths and sucked them in one at a time as they moved about very slowly.

I am still in awe of that film. Every serious crappie angler should see it. Crappieman is going to try to reproduce it, and he told me that he'll make it available to our members here. If he does, you are in for the biggest surprise of your life. I was, and I really shouldn't have been because I had an inkling from the getgo that our baits were too danged big.

If you recall, Crappieman stated on numerous posts that his goal was to capture on film panfish on the feed. Well, he done did it big time! And on crappies nonetheless, the one species of panfish that I thought might be exempt from the small bait theory because of their large mouths.

I hope each and everyone of you get to see this film, because in my opinion, it may be the best recording of feeding crappies ever recorded. If there is a better one, why the heck has it not been shown on TV?

I have but one thing to say to you Crappieman. Today you have done more to further my education on fishing that all of the fishing books and magazines ever written. Combined!

Congratulations buddy! You done it. And not in fleeting motion, but almost an hour of it. Amazing!"

That is very interesting. Hope we get to see that film soon, AMAZING! Thanks for posting Big Zig!

Mike

I haven't seen it yet, but am looking forward to it. I have come to find that the footage was of fish suspended at 6 feet in 44 feet of water around/under a bridge.

Update: I have a tape being held for me, probably won't get to see it until sometime in February.
The crappie are still holding around the bridge - we are beginning to believe this may be their winter location. Water temperature is still in the high 40's (49º), and water is tainted a dark green. We'll keep an eye on things as the water temp. continues to drop..............