Thread: First Post Fishin Story

Greetings to all,
As a new member I wanted to take a moment to say hello and share my most recent fishin story.

I grew up on a farm in Fairfield county that is now mostly under Lake Monticello. I remember watching the lake fill up and have fished it in one form or another since I was about 5-10 years old. When I was a kid, the crappy would run like mad after about 4 good warm days in the spring, and we would be there waitin with the flavor of the year jig and plenty of buckets. The frequency of bite was so high back then it almost broke me from fishin at all if I had to wait for a bite. I got over it.

Last Saturday 3-21-11 I decided to try the dock at my Dad's house during the day. I had a buddy that was new to fishin and he was feverish to go wet a hook. I had had moderate luck with a bright green Crappie Delight jig, so we picked up a few and went to it. I been fishin this dock most of my life, so I pointed him towards a likely area and went to running my usual pattern of the left side of the dock... 5-8 casts later, nothing, not even a bump... I cranked up my brainpan a little and started thinkin, OK, it's 85ish degrees, water been warmin up for 3-5 days, moon is almost full... I turned around and cast back towards the bank, zero to 10 feet of water. FISH ON! Thinkin I was just lucky, I cast the same line again, and 2nd run, another fish. I put 8 in the bucket in about 15 to 20 minutes, my buddy had nothing, so I moved him over to where I was. He cast righ beside me and still nothing. I put a few more in the pot, and then started watching him. After a few fruitless casts, I told him, let your jig settle a second before you start reelin, and reel a little faster. Sure nuff, he hit the next cast, and then it was really on. We ended up with 42 fish in under 2 hours. I actually got tired and called a couple friends to come get some, the ones that used the same jig and same pattern carried em home. The hard-headed must use a minnow group, left empty handed. Some things you just can't teach.

Anyway, that's my story. Hope to have a new one next time... Maybe even tonight. :D

Be well,

Birdson
Lake Monticello

Birdson, great story! I too am new to the forum. I bought a lot on Lake Monticello almost two years back and plan to build a little getaway home w/ a dock and my first boat in a few years. It is on the west side of the big lake in Windjammer Pointe off Cole Trestle Rd... thought as a native you might be familiar with the location.

Anyway, I get down occasionally to check on the property and wet a hook from the bank... but the only thing I can bit by is the fire ants!! Any help for me you can give... suggestions as to where to fish from the bank near my lot for crappie... or any panfish or bass for that matter? Or any other spot around the lake I can access from the bank until I can get a boat in the water down there? So is the fishing better or best on Monty for crappie and other panfish in March and April?

Appreciate any help I can get from a native. Look forward to your reply and your future posts.