Thread: Solo Crappie Chickamauga Lake 12/21/2017

I had a crappie trip to the Watts Bar tailwaters with my BIL and nephew planned for today, but the Dixie Stampede did a number on Leon's stomach, and they had to cancel, so what is a body to do when left high and dry? Just suck it up and go solo down here in familiar waters.

I hit a lot of places that normally have fish, but the fish were no shows on the first several places that I checked. Fooling with bass for 2 months has messed me up and caused me to lose contact with the crappie. After a few fruitless stops, I finally checked a creek channel edge in 20 feet of water and on one of my WP marks, I found a school of crappie. But, it was like pulling teeth to get them to bite. Only two did bite, but the first one that I landed was a beauty 13.25" white crappie that was thick and sassy. I thought it was a bass when I first hooked it up and felt the fight. The second one looked like a twin to the first one but alas, it pulled off right at the boat. I think that I put too much pressure on it. I was trying to hustle it out of the school so that it wouldn't spook them, but when it got off, it must have led a wagon train away from where I was spot locked.

I fished with Bobby Garland 2" Baby Shad in the Eclipse color on 1/16 oz jigs with a power bait crappie nibble in 20 feet of water. The fish were deep. I'll post 3 pics, but they are all the same fish. Grin.

The weather was cloudy, but no wind for about an hour, then it got up from the south about 5-6 mph, so I called my sweetie and asked her to bring the truck and trailer back to the ramp and we would load up. Our kids are going caroling tonight in a town about 50 minutes away and we want to go listen to them. Water temp 51.1 degrees.

Always a good report no matter how many you catch. To cold for me to be out there, Maybe next weekend.