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High water, nasty water, dingy water, stained water...Don't care what you call it..Fishing here has sucked for the past several weeks...I guess I need to rent a guide to "show" me the way...But things will get better...Always have...This is the Big Sandy Report by..............Cane Pole
Hey Cane Pole:
If you want to catch crappie on Big Sandy give Richard Williams a call. He will help you find some big crappie if anyone can.
731 - 644-3793.
If you can't afford to hire Richard give the mouth of Sulfur Creek a check. Start out at the mouth and work you way back along the South Bank where the creek channel runs though the Sulfur Bay.
Also check out the drops in the 20ft range along the old TN river out from the mouth of Sulfur Creek. Search for some structure along those drops and you may find some good crappie.
It's summer time and the water is hot. Yesterday was summer solice and the longest day of the year. So the crappie are going to be out on the drops in the main lake now.
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Originally Posted by Cane Pole
Thanks Moose. I know my way around Big Sandy pretty good. Have fished the area 40-50 years...I am just gripping...Seems like it is always bad weather on my days off work...( it has been)...I don't fish bad weather...Too much metal in my body to take chances....I have plenty of brush piles all over the area. Most people who fish West Big Sandy hit my boat dock area first...Good...
Moose, do you live in this area?
Cane Pole
Hi Cane Pole:
I live near Evansville, IN. I use to fish Kentucky Lake a lot when I was much younger. Dad took me fishing there twice a year. I learned to love fishing by going with Dad to the Cypress Bay area just downriver from Big Sandy. When we went out of cypress bay we always heading downriver towards Shannon Creek to fish. I could see the bride upriver towards Big Sandy each day as we fished but we only ventured down that way one time. Back in those days we didn't have enough gas to make the long trip the boats we used. We fished out of those rental boats for years until I got my Fisher Marine Bass Boat but still my boat was not designed for rough water and that limited the distances I could travel on Kentucy Lake.
I did finally get to fish the Big Sandy area last November but only for one day. Still I caught a nice 1.35lb and a .8lb crappie that afternoon. We only fished from 7 am to around 1 pm and had to fish around 15 other boats in Sulfur Creek. Most of the good fishing holes already were occupied by the time we got there. The tournament winer was fishing the ledges that day but it was too windy for my boat to go out on the main lake. I enjoyed fishing that area for a change and If I return to Kentucky Lake I will definately fish that area again.
Do you know Richard Williams? You might ask him what the crappie are doing. Also might try a different colored jig or tipping the jigs with some nice Rosy Red minnows. Try something that the crappie have not seen before.
Rising water should put the crappie in shallow water where new food sources can be found.
Even in warm water the crappie can be found in 4ft of water even during the hottest part of the day. Also think about the current in Kentucky Lake. Find out when they are holding the water and and when the damn is generating power. Fish in a current will look for current breaks to get out of the current yet still be in a spot where they can feed. The downstream end of an island or underwater hump might be a good place to fish when they are letting water out of the damn and there is a current in the lake. Also water clarity may effect the ablity of the crappie to see your baits. Try something with some flash like a small spinner bait or one of those road runners with a small spinner on it.
Bottom line is that if the fish are not biting like normal then either they are moved to a new spot or not liking what you are offering them to eat.
Also remember that during the summertime the fish have a banquet of natural food organisms to feed on. They may be full and in a negative mood when you are fishing for them.
Do you ever fish at night with lights?
The lake that I fish is high also and I have switched to a different lake that is much closer to home. Patoka is where I have a better chance of catching larger crappie but it's 1.5 hours away where as the new Fish and Wildlife area is right next to where I live and only a 5 minute drive from my house. This area only has a few large crappie and mostly 8" crappie but it's close and I don't keep the fish anyway. I returned 15 White Crappie to the Pit just yesterday.
Still I look forward to the day I can return to Kentucky Lake and catch some big crappie. I still need to catch a large fish on my new Richard Williams Signature Crappie pole. LOL
I say off the water when the weather is bad also. I can't swim like I use to. These days I always wear my life jacket. Back when I was younger I swam a mile every day. But that was many years ago.
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Originally Posted by Cane Pole
Hi Moose, Just got back in from spending several days at Big Sandy. I am fortunate enough to have a home on the lakefront...Had a lot of storm damage...Trees down, boat dock damage, etc...Got in some good nite fishing though...Caught a lot of fish...Several real nice ones...I have used the Rosy Red minnows, but they are not available around here...Friends up the road bring them in from Missouri,and always bring me some....They do work...I have heard of Richard Williams, but have never met him...I do read his fishing reports though...I read all reports that I can find to tell you the truth...Every little bit helps....
later,
Cane Pole
I agree with cane pole . Every little thing you read you,ll pick up something.
Billy McKnett
Hey Canepole:
Maybe you can fish the TeeZur Crappie Fishing Tournament this fall with the guys.
I may plan to come down for that one if the weather is nice. Richard posted some of the details on the old crappie.com web site.
I wish that Richard would post some fishing reports on this TN or the new Crappie.com forum.
I too read as much as I can.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cane Pole
Caught a nice mess of slabs Friday nite...Fishing 15 ft with minnows...Caught a couple nice ones by slow cranking chartruse rattletrap (miniture 11/2 in)...
Lots of boat traffic, but no one fishing but me that I could see, but I could hear the music from a distance...
Happy Crappie Days (and nites)
Cane Pole
Moose, I just might fish that tournament if I get the chance....