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Hey all! I was wondering if ANYONE has had luck at Lake Girardeau in recent years? I've fished off the banks there a few times but I rarely catch anything. Now that I have a boat, I was wondering if it was worth it to explore more? I've been told that they are stocking more crappie now, and even heard stories of large crappie coming from there, but it always seems like the big crappie stories were from years ago. If anyone has any tips and hints, feel free to send em my way!
Welcome to the board. I caught some good ones last year scanning brush piles in deeper water in the cove around the corner from the boat ramp. I wouldn't call them big but some solid 11-12 inch fish. I caught most on a kentucky rig minnow. The conservation department sinks cover in certain places around the lake and since there are only black crappie stocked in there, they will relate to cover. just locate brush piles and you should catch a few
from MDC 2021 prospects
Lake Girardeau
Driving Directions:
Seven miles west of Jackson on Highway 34, go six miles south on Route U. Watch for signs.
Best Bets
Bluegill, Redear Sunfish, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass
Prospects
This 162-acre lake located in Cape Girardeau County supports a fair largemouth bass population. Largemouth bass remain very numerous, although most are below 12 inches long. A few bass over six pounds are present. Anglers are encouraged to harvest up to their daily limit of six bass below 12" inches to allow those remaining fish to grow larger. Largemouth Bass may be found along the outer edges of aquatic vegetation such as water willow and other floating leaf vegetation in the spring and summer. Bluegill angling should be good with a few fish larger than 8 inches. Redear sunfish fishing should continue to be good. Fish 7-10" are abundant, and master angler-size fish are also common. Anglers should target these along shallow water and shoreline vegetation during the spawning months of May and June. Channel catfish are also a good bet and are stocked annual at 30 per acre. Preferred baits include chicken livers, nightcrawlers, prepared baits, and cut bait. The black crappie population continue to consist of low-density high quality population with reports of several fish being caught greater than 12 inches. Crappie angling is best using minnows or jigs during April and May.
Thanks, Speck. I've always wondered what is out there but never had a way to get to them until now. I'd been told that going over by where the dam is would be a good place to start as well. Looking forward to exploring more out there one day.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Speck
Can't help on that body of water (or maybe any for that matter:dono:Rofl)but welcome and congrats on the boat, now go catch some and let us know!
HAHAHA oh I'm sure you've got plenty of good advice you can dish out! Thanks, I appreciate it. My Dad got a new boat for Christmas and gave me the old one because he wanted to keep it in the family so I'm really excited for it. Its an 81 model Sea Nymph Traveler. Needs a little cosmetic work done on it but he's kept it in great shape all these years. I'll definitely report back once I get her out on my own!
Quote:
Originally Posted by keeferfish
One other note, my son and I wore them out a few years ago one day in April. They were up on the banks around any tree or stump in two feet of water or less. Definitely caught them in spawning pattern. We were casting jigs about a foot under a bobber and catching one on about every cast. That's not very common for Lake Girardeau aka The Dead Sea.
I'm definitely going to start referring to it as The Dead Sea myself. That's about the most true name I've heard for that lake. Yeah it sounds like you all really got on them at the right time. Definitely an anomaly haha
Quote:
Originally Posted by Speck
Haven't fished there since the late 60:s when I was a teenager. Was a nice lake then, and I believe they introduced muskies to the lake shortly after. Was told it totally wrecked the lake. Glad to hear it is fishable once again.
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