Hoping for a Great year of Fishing!
All of my reels have been cleaned, oiled, and the new "Low Vis Gray" SEAGUAR SMACKDOWN Tourney Braid is on!
The Keitechs are stocked, and I'm just waiting for 40 degree water again!
Good Fishing to You all!
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Hoping for a Great year of Fishing!
All of my reels have been cleaned, oiled, and the new "Low Vis Gray" SEAGUAR SMACKDOWN Tourney Braid is on!
The Keitechs are stocked, and I'm just waiting for 40 degree water again!
Good Fishing to You all!
I'm going to try to make it, but if I see any snow/rain , I'm going back to bed..If I brought a goose , would they cook it ?? It. 12;30AM now and no snow yet. Hope to see youall..
cjp
cjpolecat, Hope you didn't go for breakfast at CB this morning as it was cancelled a couple of day ago because of the weather. Will try again in February .
yep, I did, and it was fun. All I had for weather was rain , but that was kinda fun. I'll try harder next time...
eat more goose...
cjp
Hey, If you have lost electric power, I have a 6200 Watt generator for sale, never used.
cjp
Tips for lure color selection*
Choosing lure color for maximum benefit. When you start combining the effect of all of the above influences you can see that it is most unlikely that we'll be fishing under conditions that are perfect for light penetration into the water. More often than not, some or all of the above factors will come into play and will alter how the fish see lure color.*
Well, here are a few tips to consider:*
1. Use dark colors at night. THIS PROVIDES CONTRAST.
When you think about it, all colors appear to us at night to be black or shades of dark grey. Usually when we see something at night it's a shadow, and dark colors give the best shadow. Also, fish usually attack lures from below at night and during low light conditions. This is because it maximizes the benefit of any limited light available. Under these conditions a dark lure throws the best silhouette and is therefore the most visible. Black, dark blue and purple are good choices at this time of day.*
2. During winter or periods when there is lots of particulate material in the water (such as silt or algae), reds and oranges are the first colors to be filtered out. Under these conditions, lures with plenty of yellow, green or blue appear the most colorful below the surface. FLUORESCENT COLORS DO NOT FADE if UV light is available (past Violet)! Also use darker contrasting colors of White!
3. Red, orange, yellow, White, silver, metallic, flakes in colors, and FLUORESCENT colors, are most intense during bright summer days in clear, shallow water. Metallic finishes have some benefits at depth because they have a tendency to create flash, even under relatively low light conditions. Mind you, all colors are visible under these bright conditions and if the fish are actively feeding on baitfish that are blue in color, then that's the color to use. MATCH THE HATCH!
4. Color choice IS NOT A CONSIDERATION if you are fishing or trolling deep, particularly under low light conditions or if the water is colored or dirty. EVERYTHING will look shades of Gray or Black....The most important factors under these conditions are lure size, shape and action.*
5. When fishing top water lures, color is FAR LESS important than size, shape and action. A fish coming up below a surface or shallow running lure has the light behind it, making the lure appear grey or black. Try it for yourself - hold a fluorescent lure up to the sun and view it from below. Black and dark colors remain the best for surface lures because they throw a great silhouette.*
6. Red and orange lures come into their own in tannin stained waters, as do FLUORESCENT hues...along with Black or White!*
The reality is often that the size, shape, action or noise made by the lure play a much more important role in eliciting a strike. Don't underestimate angler confidence either - we will tend to persevere more and try harder with a lure we have had success with in the past.*
Choose a lure based on the size of local baitfish, the depth at which your quarry is to be found, and the action most likely to produce results....then think about color.
The exception would be fishing in clear, shallow water, especially if the fish are feeding predominantly on baitfish or prey, of a particular color.
Good Fishing!
Intimidator
Keitech USA Pro Staff
COLOR RESEARCH FOR "FEEDING" FISH!
Colors underwater never appear the same as they do in your hand...the sayings about "colors catching fishermen" are very true!
The three fish I mainly researched, Bass, Walleye, and Crappie, can see colors, it is thought that they actually see the yellow, orange, red, green, better than humans. They can tell the difference between smoke and smoke with red flakes or silver glitter, pumpkin and red pumpkin, watermelon and red or black flaked watermelon. They also have better visual acuity which helps at dawn or dusk. Research has also shown that sometimes they will scrutinize colors before committing to eat...they will pick a color that they are presently eating (match the hatch).
Since most of my fishing is in stained water I made it easy and used just the info FOR STAINED/FERTILE WATER LIKE CJ.
*If the STAINED water has a visibility of 5 feet anywhere in the lake, Fish can see FLAKES well, Natural colors are a must...Silver, Gold, subtle greens/browns.
*If the water has a visibility of 1-3 feet, use brighter colors like firetiger, Fluorescents, citrus shad.
*If the water has less than a foot of visibility use dark colors, dark patterns, bright craw patterns, Black/Blue.*
*Contrast is key, you need to make it stand out, to get them to "See It"...contrast the rocks, bottom, water color, cover, etc!
BLUEBIRD SKYS offer another problem...in stained water, high "Bluebird sun" CAN MUTE NATURAL COLORS, so go brighter (Fluorescent, and add flash).
On cloudy days!
* shiny colors lose their effectiveness under cloud cover...silver and gold turn gray, use white and pearl instead.
* Natural colors cannot be distinguished ON THE BOTTOM, use brown, black, blue/black, or other dark combos that contrast.*
* Cloudy stained water filters out RED...it appears to turn into a grey!
* FIRETIGER stands out in all conditions, Black, and Fluorescent/pearl colors, also.
SHAD AT CJ WITH LIGHT PENETRATION TO ANY DEPTH will appear silvery, with subtle greens, blues, purple, and gold....on a cloudy day they will look light gray with a darker back!
Too often a lure will be selected on color, when the chosen color is often not visible to fish anyway. SAME WITH LINE COLOR, beads, hooks, etc, IN THE WATER!*
AND FOR THOSE OF US THAT LIKE GATORS....THEY SEE IN "HIGH DEFINITION" black and white AT NIGHT! "All fish with the rods and cones like Bass, Crappie, and Walleye, see in BLACK and White at night....but unlike all the other fishes, Walleye have HD night vision and "see" better than their prey"...Walleye have the best night vision and can also pick up any UV given off!
Good Fishing!
Intimidator
Keitech USA Pro Staff
THE LIGHT/COLOR EQUATION
The color of a lure is the result of the color of light it reflects. As this light penetrates the water column in wavelengths, colors begin to be absorbed as the depth increases. Red produces the longest wavelengths, followed in order by orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Those colors with the longest wavelength are absorbed first, meaning the hue fades and gradually appears black much quicker than all other colors. Warm colors are first to go, while cool colors hold on to their hue longest.
Shiny lures such as silver and gold are less effective when cloud cover rolls in, and can become almost invisible without the sun shining, even in clear water. The reason for this is that they reflect the grayness that is surrounding them, instead of the bright rays of the sun. Tossing dark colors during periods such as this will often work best, giving your lure the greatest contrast and silhouette.
Keep in mind that as the sun sets, those colors possessing the longest wavelengths—starting with red—will disappear the quickest. Once the sun rises, blue and green are the first colors a fish will see, with red being last.
Largemouth bass see colors very well to a depth of approximately five feet when water clarity is good. Since the majority of their prey reside in shallow water, duplicating or “matching the hatch” of the predominant baitfish (generally shades of silver, white, or perch) can be advantageous. Once that same depth of water becomes stained, and vision is restricted, a switch to brighter hues—chartreuse, red, orange—will often put the odds in your favor. Although all colors are absorbed quickly in this circumstance, orange and red will still be most visible when underwater. Chartreuse is a close second. If the water turns the color of chocolate milk, stick to dark colors.
THE CRITERIA FOR CONTRAST
The ability for a fish to see a lure has a lot to do with background color. If fishing a green-colored lure in thick vegetation, or in algae-stained water, although it may appear natural, a fish may struggle to spot it. More often than not, we actually camouflage our baits without knowing it.
A key in these situations is to choose a lure that contrasts against the background you are fishing. Two-toned lures are an excellent choice when faced with this dilemma. Bass are functionally most sensitive to colors in the ranges of red-orange and yellow-green. However, that is not to say that “colors” like black and white, or colors like blue that are perceived as grey are ineffective, since sometimes these colors contrast better against the prevailing background than do colors to which the bass is more sensitive. For instance, in a reddish muddy river, although the dominant available color is red and bass are most sensitive to red-orange, a lure with a brownish red crawdad pattern would be difficult for the bass to see. Black lures, on the other hand, would contrast much better and be more easily detected.
PREDATOR/PREY CORRELATION
Walleye feeding on perch or smallmouth bass on crayfish are tuned in to the nuances of that specific prey, and rely on the recognition of body shape/profile and color to hunt each morsel down. “One way fish use color vision is in recognizing specific visual patterns. As a fish grows, it gradually accumulates distinct mental images of objects that are important to its survival. Color, or rather color patterns, play a big role in fashioning those mental images, helping to separate one image from another. That is huge when it comes to discerning one prey species from another or avoiding specific predators, since the appropriate behavioral response is highly dependent on what the prey or predator is. For example, in cases when fish are feeding with more reserve and are being more selective, the fish may be hunting for a particular favorite prey, meaning that it is searching for a particular visual pattern. In these cases, it is important to play the old game of “matching the hatch,” to essentially give the fish what it is looking for.
Brown is a color that routinely works well for smallmouth bass. Although it may not appear true to its color once far down below, it will still match the same colorations of a crayfish found at those depths. (Remember: any two items that look the same above water will resemble each other down below.) This is where shade comes in to play. The same can be said for largemouth bass feeding on smelt. Tossing a white/silver lure will replicate the sheen of this baitfish precisely, and activate the recognition switch first through the eyes of the bass, then ultimately in the brain. Spend some time in the shallows seeking out the resident baitfish, or check for regurgitated minnows or craws when bringing a fish to the surface. This will give you invaluable insight into a good starting color to toss.
Working clear water is also a time to experiment with natural colors, and as mentioned earlier, those that contrast the background surroundings. Clear water allows a fish to inspect a bait more closely, and as opposed to murky water and reactionary strikes, the more time a fish can give your lure the once over is the more reason to make it appear as lifelike as possible.
Good Fishing!
Intimidator
Just adding some other info about Bass eyesight!*
Bass eyesight is its most important sense as a bass feeds primarily by sight, especially in clear water.
It can see in all directions because their eyes are set slightly forward and on the sides of its head giving each eye virtually a 180-degree visual field arc of vision on each side of its body.
There are, however, blind spots. It cannot see directly behind or below itself. Items in this "dead zone" will go unnoticed. Bass are weary of attack from the rear so often back into cover as a precautionary posture.
The lens of a bass' eye extends beyond the plane of the pupil giving the bass an exceptionally wide lateral field of view. Vision to its sides is monocular (sees with one eye) and farsighted providing at most a viewing distance no more than 50 feet in clear water.
The visual acuity laterally of a bass' eyesight, the ability to distinguish fine details in images, is quite sharp, though depth perception is inferior to that in its frontal vision. The peripheral ability inherent in bass eyesight to focus on distant objects to its sides contributes to it being one of our top freshwater predators.
Bass have binocular (two-eyed, three dimensional) vision directly above and to the front of its head. This is where the two lateral fields of view overlap and where there is better depth perception. At rest it can focus forward at only roughly 5-12 inches. This binocular vision is what the bass uses to study its prey after locating it laterally then moving closer in a frontal assault before eating or attacking it. This decision is made in a matter of seconds!*
Never doubt that they can see farther, 30 to 40 feet, by changing position or focus. They are also quite capable of seeing the angler above the water’s surface. Have you ever had a bass grab a bait or lure you cast just as it hit the water? It saw it coming!
Maintain a low profile, muted colored clothing and stealth when approaching an area where you expect to find bass. You can easily spook them.
A bass is a visual hunter. Bass eyesight, its vision, is motion based. Motion is an indication of life which could be food. Objects that do not move are ignored as they see them as non-living things. Motion, as with most all predators, grabs its attention and is interpreted by its brain as food.
When motion is detected a bass can determine, at the same time, the location, size, color, shape, size, flash and action of the object and do so at a substantial distance.
As for size, a feeding bass, especially with age, experience and learned behavior, will be quite selective. They will seek to get the biggest reward for the least exertion of energy but experience will deter them from prey, real or artificial, that poses a threat of injury or which may be beyond its ability to handle in a struggle.
Bass eyesight is wired to see specific shapes as food, specifically objects that are long and slender like prey fish. They evaluate shapes relative to how they fit this instinctual wiring. That may explain why they so readily attack plastic worms, though worms are not aquatic creatures and a bass might never see one in its natural habitat.
Color plays a much smaller part in catching bass than most of us think. That's not to say bass can't see colors or that they don't, on any given day, have preferences. They see best medium green and red shades and to a much lesser extent blue and purple. When these colors fall in the darker end of their shades a bass sees merely a dark object.
Color fades to dark as the available light diminishes in deeper water so play little part in catching bass. The preceding link takes you to a good explanation of color and water depth. But color in top water or shallow water lures, where there is a greater amount of light, is more important when fished in daylight.
Action relates to motion detection. Bass don't react to stationary objects as possible food. They are able to track rapidly moving objects without blurring. They tend to be excited by erratic movement rather than sustained motion as well as variations in speed. Starting and stopping, especially starts, draw strikes.
What matters to we bass anglers is simply this. Studies have established that bass color vision is strongest in medium to light reds, red-orange and yellow-greens. As for blues and purples it's quite weak.
When fishing, remember, the deeper the water or less clear the water, the less light and color there will be.
When light hits objects, some of the wavelengths are absorbed and some are reflected (scattered), depending on the materials in the object. The reflected wavelengths, colors if you will, are what we receive through our eyes and process by our brain. No two people, or other creatures including fish, see colors the same way because of the different make up of the brains.
There are seven groups of color, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet, has a different wavelength (some short some long) which determines the rapidity with which they fade or transform as light diminishes and particulate in the medium through which the light is passing increases.
Simply put, all we need to know is..... lots of light, lots of color; little light, little color.
For example, the rate colors transform from bright to gray or black as water deepens and available light diminishes. Note which colors fade out the quickest when water is "clear", "stained" or "muddy", and use it as your rule of thumb yardstick, for determining the best color to use.*
Good Fishing!
Intimidator
Early season Crappie at CJ
CJ IS LOADED WITH CRAPPIE....NICE CRAPPIE...and some HUGE CRAPPIE!
The problem is fishing the right Pattern...
When the CJ water temps are in the low 50's from the surface to about a foot below, if you go down further in the water column it is still in the 40's....THIS IS A LATE WINTER/EARLY SPRING Pattern.
Crappie at this time are sluggish and are eating EASY and SMALL meals...MOST of them are not going to chase anything unless they get warmed up!
The best technique at this time is vertical depth fishing...THINK ICE FISHING!
They are deep, on drop-offs, or deep cover, some will move slowly looking for food. Some way up in the North end, will have a different pattern of extremes...one day the water may be warmer and they'll wake up, but it cools faster and they'll slow down quicker...shallow water has more extremes then in the main lake.
You can fish vertical like with a little jig under a bobber set to depth, you just leave it set and jiggle it in front of their face...some use a meal worm to entice them even more.
You can also use minnows, other live bait, or swimbaits or lures under a bobber!
You can vertical jig without a bobber if you can control depth from a boat, or swim a swimbait or lure by controlling depth from using different weights and techniques...this is normally the hardest for people to achieve.
The main thing is that Crappie are not going to chase food at this time...they are in a mode of sustaining until the water warms, if you do not keep the bait in front of their faces, they will not bother with it.
Once the water temp hits 60 degrees at depth, is when you can throw out a piece of tin foil to catch Crappies...this is when all the "Experts" can tell you how to catch them....then after the spawn, the "Experts" disappear again, because "they just don't bite in the summer"! lol
During the summer, the fish are back to depth, on drop-offs, and deep cover, for cooler water...they will crush a lure if you get it close, they mainly will feed shallow from after dusk till just after dawn...then back to deeper water.
Crappie see the same color palette as Walleye...Pink, Yellow, Orange and Red spectrum...they are suckers like Walleye for Fluorescent colors of the spectrum....dark reds through blues and violet look gray to them...black is a dark CONTRAST color! Natural colors are great when you are MATCHING A HATCH...the mayfly larva when they shed are perfect examples, same with newly hatched fry.
Vibration, through a swimming tail, or blade, or spinner, help them to locate food until they see it...flash, color, and scent all can be helpful...technique varies...sometimes they want it presented slow, sometimes dying, and sometimes they want it burning through the water.
Normally if they stop biting you have alerted their "flight/fright" sense...there are still plenty of fish...change colors, change presentation, and change technique, and normally the bite will pick up again....normally they take a break from about 10-11am until 4-6pm, especially when the sun is out...if it is cloudy they may bite all day!
EARLY SPAWN TIMEFRAME
They are in the same pattern as here....the small males are building nests where-ever the BIG Males allow....At CJ, the BIG Males are normally in the best spots in about 10-12 fow. Small fish normally start spawning first, then the SLABS...People get so impatient and just throw close to the bank and catch small fish....keep throwing out to deeper water first, let it hit bottom, and slowly bring it back...bobber fish the same way.
The Big Slabs you are looking for, just like other times, will not normally associate with smaller fish and will have the BEST nesting spots WHICH ARE DEEPER!*
Sometimes The BIG Slabs will feed shallow, Raid Smaller Nests, or Run off Smaller males that might be too close, or feed on fry that have just hatched....BUT, if you cast deep, make sure you stay on the bottom, you will get some BIG Fish, then bring it in shallow and do it again!
Areas at CJ where there is manmade rip rap, the rocks extend out into the water UP TO 25 yards, some areas are less....what this does is create a line on the normal bottom. If it is preferred gravel, there may be a single rock or two, that will make a perfect nest that the male can back into, and helps him defend his nest...most of the BIG Males and Females are in this area!
Normal Sandy or gravel areas are open and hard to defend, so smaller males will find small pockets in rocks closer to shore....most, especially in High Pressured areas NEVER get to do the deed!
But, there are so many nest areas that People can't get to and don't try to fish, so they get no pressure....And the Prolific Crappie continues to reproduce!
We'll see this year with no size or creel limits...with People taking all the Crappie they can, in a couple years, you will see the population of Crappie decline!
Good Fishing!
Intimidator
There's going to be alot of talk again about proper catch and release of Crappie and also questions about Crappie in general….we have a lot of Knowledgeable Crappie guys on here to help out!
With the new Size and Creel limits....THERE ARE NONE! People will be taking as many Crappie as they can catch!
Even though Crappie reproduce in great numbers, a bad spawn due to weather, or just Blatent POACHING, can hurt a year’s class of fish, a couple bad years, and things can start to drop off….if you are losing a lot of fish to the fryer, and dead fish from fishermen, plus bad spawns, the Crappie fishery can suffer…. And if you are trying to grow a healthy population of larger fish and a nice Crappie fishery, a few key ideas need to be shared and followed, so you don’t have a lot of floaters, or damage to populations on heavily pressured lakes or areas!
Proper Catch and release….if you are out for fun and not looking to get a mess for the fryer… and you are going to release crappie that you catch, there are a few things to keep in mind.
1. Just as with a Bass, DO NOT hold the fish horizontal by the jaw…Don’t torque the bottom jaw down at any time, you can injure, dislocate, and even break the fishes jaw.
2. If you are taking pictures, you can hold the fish by the bottom lip and let him dangle straight down, or hold them by the lip and support the belly, to hold it horizontal.
3. Make sure your hands are wet, if you are going to grab or hold the fish by the body….the protective slim coat on the fish is its defense against parasites, disease, etc. Also try not to let it flop around on the boat, use absorbent gloves, towels, etc, to hold them….removal of the slime coat is just taking chances with the fish’s survival.
4. If a fish is deep or gut hooked, don’t just rip it out. If you can’t get it out with hemostats or needle-nose, try the procedure of going through the gill plates, pay attention to not damage the gills. If all else fails then cut the line as close to the hook as possible and hopefully Mother Nature will “Find A Way”!
One Point I want to make…if you are continually gut hooking a crappie, then IMHO you are using way to small of a hook, and your technique needs some work!
I cannot remember the last time I have had a gut hooked fish….I use a #1 Sickle Hook jig head for smaller swimbaits and when they are really feeding, I use a 1/0 sickle jig head for the BIG BOY swimbaits. The hook is either in the corner of the mouth or roof of the mouth 99.9% of the time. Other guys use different size lures or hooks with the same success rates, so ask questions if you are having problems or if you need more info! When a Crappie is in BIG BOY FEEDING MODE, it is going to inhale a small bait and hook…there are times when a Crappie is feeding small, but those are normally in COLD WATER periods.*
Using microscopic hooks/jigs/lures meant for Bluegill etc, is just asking for problems if you are going to C&R Crappie.
Now, if you are just catching fish for the table….NO ISSUES!
Ice fishing is a whole different technique…Crappie at this time are looking for that small meal they don’t have to work for, and most are going home to the fryer anyway. But still if you catch small fish or C&R, the same precautions apply…and don’t just throw them down on the ice and then try to throw them back in later.
The small fish you put back in, are going to be your next year’s keepers, so take care of your resource!
Some Crappie Info for New guys.....I still have never seen a true Black Crappie come out of CJ! Please post a pic showing the dorsal spines if you ever get one!
A MALE White Crappie will turn Black during the spawn, but, Male Black Crappies do not change colors! A BLACK CRAPPIE will stay Black...A White Crappie will turn Pale White in Muddy or heavy Stained Water, but will also turn Black in Clear Water.
THE ONLY SURE WAY to tell the difference between a White and a Black crappie are by counting Dorsal Spines…A White will have 5-6 Dorsal spines, and a Black will have 7-8.
NORMALLY, comparing two same aged/growth rate fish, White Crappie are longer and Black Crappie are thicker/taller/more compressed. Both put on weight at the same rates.
The biggest differences between the two are where they like to live and what they like to MAINLY eat.
Black Crappie prefer fewer fish in their diets, they eat more insects, crustaceans, invertebrates, and larva….Whites like more Sushi.
Black Crappie also prefer little or no current, and clearer water with more vegetation with mud or sandy bottoms…these are areas their primary food likes also.
Movements of both are seasonal, they use the same migration routes year after year, and they migrate following structure, using channels, drop-offs, river beds, sunken trees, rocks, edge lines, etc.
We have managed to disrupt many of the old patterns by adding all of the cover, now you are seeing the new patterns starting, and ALOT of deviation from the old! This is really going to come into effect with the next few classes of fish and the new spawns…their patterns will revolve around all of the new stuff that has been added.
Once Crappie find a suitable environment for that particular season and pattern, they will remain until conditions change to a new season and pattern. They may hold tighter to nearby cover or suspend, etc, but unless something drastic happens, they are staying put in the seasonal area! THIS IS ALSO WHY YOU CAN OUT-FISH AN ENTIRE AREA LIKE THE MARINA, OR AREAS OF COVER!
Fight…
People complain that Crappie do not fight???
First you have to understand that Crappie have 2 main feeding patterns in the summer….You also have to remember that most of the time you are fishing for Crappie, your time to fish and their time to eat are totally different.
Crappie like most fish are trying to stack the odds in their favor when hunting….their preferred time to hunt is in the early morning or during darkness.
I believe the fish feeding in the early morning didn’t fare so well at the night’s hunt or get full enough! …..They will also feed during cloudy/dark gloomy days. Crappie have a MAJOR advantage because of their superior eyesight AND NIGHT VISION!
Fish that are feeding at this time just SMASH a swimbait or lure….they hit that lure with everything they have….and then put up a great fight for their size.*
When the sun is out they are chillin’, looking for shade, or just waiting until they have the advantage over the prey again…fish at this time will eat, but most of the time you have to present it properly or drop it right on their noses…STILL, sometimes you cannot get them to bite.
These can be the times when they are finicky…. if they have full bellies, your offering has to be A SERIOUSLY EASY MEAL…AT THESE TIMES, Crappie can barely nudged a bait, they taste it, look it over, and gently take it in….then they may fight, shake their head once or twice, or surfboard right to you!
Of course, these are basic guides and other circumstances come into play.
During the Spawn, it is a whole different ballgame…there are A LOT of Professionals running around then, each has a magic bait, color, or technique!
I never try to help someone to become a Crappie fisherman at this time…every lure and technique known to man, works….and you can get into bad habits that will frustrate you for the rest of the year.
Just because you caught every Crappie Possible during the Spring Doesn’t mean a thing the rest of the year….the rest of the year determines if you are a Crappie fisherman or not!
I tried to explain this to a couple guys once….they said I was full of it…..so I caught a 9 inch crappie on a 5 inch swimbait, and actually was catching same sized crappie on the 5.8 inch swimmers most of the day ….this last spawn I was catching crappie on a piece of plastic and paper on my jig head, just to prove my point (I still have the pics)….I could have fished all day long with the plastic and paper and caught fish….these guys kept telling me they were experts and I had to use certain things that they were using or I wouldn’t be able to catch fish like them! I never see these people out the rest of the year, because ”The Crappie just aren’t biting anymore"!...amazing isn’t it!
Good Fishing!
Intimidator
lots of excellent information Sir Intimidator !
Hey, What a game huh.IO won $75 on the game but I lost $125 on instant replay. I can't win.. I'm hungry (for goose
cjp)
Heading to the Columbus, Ohio Fishing Expo this Saturday at the expo center in the fair grounds 10am to 7pm,just hope I can remember 1/4 of what watch in the demonstrations .
made it out to the Marina Saturday for several hours. no bites, no fish and saw very few caught...
What is the COE going to do once the Spring Rains start???
Looking forward to fishing from the parking lots again, and the very top of the breaker walls, and having deep water in the emergency spillway....I hope the COE can't release water till June!
I was weird the last time this happened, seeing Bass spawning in the woods! That's actually when the fish population of CJ exploded! It's just about time for My Walleye season to hopefully start.
Hope this is a great year for all of us that fish C J , the day I stop learning about fishing is the day I need to put my pole away.
Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app
??? I'm confused...you guys aren't even up to summer pool yet. What level does it have to be to hit the parking lots?
CJ is only dropped 3 ft from summer pool in Winter....in the Spring of 2008 she was probably 6 ft above summer pool, but spread out more.
The Marina Parking lots were flooded, water was in the restaurant, and water was at the very top of the Marina Breaker walls.
I fished that week and did Fantastic...no one else was out fishing.
Water on the west bank was up into the woods. CJ proved how much water she could hold because water wasn't even close to going over the emergency spillway....it was probably only half way up...meaning CJ could double her size before it would release from the emergency spillway to spare the main dam from danger.
That was the most water I have ever seen in CJ since she was built.
That's why I bitch so much about the COE's operation of the lake.
Wow...all that for only a single 6' rise over 10 years ago, now that's crazy. Dang... EF, Paint Creek, Caesar's and several other go up that much 10 times a year. The other day I looked at Paint and it was up something like 43'. I think it was 2008 when EF was up over 40' and all the restrooms were under water. We still had quite a ways to go before the water hit the spillway. Every time we get rain like we're getting now I wish CJ was a closer drive cause it's so stable. It's all perspective I guess.
At a 3 foot drop, fish cannot get into the North end creeks...the sediment in the shallow north needs dredged badly. The islands are man made and it all turns into mud flats. If they drop the level more than 3 feet most coves are void of water and any vegetation that trys to start dies. At summer pool fish freely go up into the creeks. There's some deep holes in the creeks, and great spawning areas. It could be managed properly, but it may require getting up from the desk once a day! Lol
Most people make the determination between White and Black on color alone.
A white Crappie Male turns Mostly Black during spawn...so people call them Black Crappie.
White crappie will also turn darker in clear water, they also turn mostly white/golden in muddy water.
My point was, the only true way to tell them apart is dorsal spines!
Waiting on my (yearly) Massive order from Keitechusa.com to come in....but I did get my dye from Jansnetcraft.com. So I decided to get a start on dying some Walleye baits for CJ.
Those look good. Might have to check into that!!!
Hello again to all. It’s been at least a year since my last post. Been busy with life, kids, work, and a total house remodel. I only made it to CJ once last year. As a matter of fact I only made it out twice all season until I was in Minnesota for a week. That’s a rough year when you’re looking at your new boat not being utilized. I’ve just read through all of the 2018 posts to get caught up with where things are up at the lake. Now that things are finally getting under control at the house I’ve stocked up on my gear and ready to get started very soon. Really hope to be more interactive on this site and hopefully meet some of you on the water. In reading old posts from last year I read where mr. downtime worked for uncle buster for 37 yrs. So, I may in fact know one of you already and if not we probably know the same people.I’ve worked there for 25. Anyway, glad to see all the same names are still at it and sharing stories. I still hope to someday solve the riddle of the infamous CJ walleye. Til then, good luck out there.
Heading to the sunshine state soon for a few weeks to visit our daughter and her family as well as let the Ohio water warm up. Will be going for crappie,brim and just about any fish as like most of us winter has been a long one. Yepper2468 hope to see you and others on cj as we all try to learn more about our local lakes.
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Mr.Intimidator..... is the main boat launch feasible to put in? I’m just curious of the water levels up there. CC is a nightmare by some of the pics I’ve been sent. Thanks.
I appreciate the reply. Wasn’t sure how much ice would be there. I’m sure hoping this is about the last of the cold cold stuff. I’m not a fair weather type of guy, but I gotta draw the line when it’s this cold. Hopefully in a couple weeks then. I’m ready!
Lake Talkon (in the panhandle) we always did good there. now I bet we have to wait until you get back to eat breakfast huh...
better hurry and get back.
sent from my
OLD DELL COMPUTER
cjp
ps. have a good time
Thanks Fritz ,we will have a great time with the daughter n family as well as a little fishing.
Tom 513, Florida is a good place to visit and were getting to know some really great people but the summer heat is a bit much for us just miss the kids.
MR. iNTIMIDATOR
Ain't 2nd, 3rd child hoods great? I've been thru several myself. puberty is a piece of cake now,
CJP
Wife said I’m still in my first childhood, never advanced from from it. :)
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