Thread: Hot Weather, Hot Water, Lite Bite

Summer is here, and it has been hot up here in E TN. Last week the wife and I did some hiking in SW VA and found 70 degree weather up at 5200ft elevation on Whitetop Mountain.



A nice breeze and view up there for sure.

I have made a few trips the last couple weeks, even tried two night trips under the green lights but had little luck, catching a lot of small White Bass and just a handful of Crappie. No pics, just memories. My neighbor did cut down a dead Ash Tree, and I got a couple truck loads of nice firewood, already seasoned and ready to split.




That stack is 10ft Long and 6ft High. Did I mention it is hot here?

Anyway to the fishing. I left work this afternoon in search of some deep Summertime fish, and found a few in their usual haunts. Water temps were 90 when I launched, and I even found some 91 degree bath water on the main channel. First couple stops only produced small fish, but they did bend my rod.


Cookie cutters that will be future keepers I hope. Bobby Garland Baits were used on 1/32 jig heads with light wire hooks. I moved to a deeper bluff area that had some shade and found a little cooler water and some better fish.


Today’s quarry seemed to be sitting right down on the bottom, both Blacks and Whites were home, but that is normal. Another move or two produced a couple more nice keepers, and they too were sitting right down on the bottom.

I got a new measuring board from Cabelas last week and put it to good use tonight. Almost a TARP, but the bite was so light I would not have know it was such a nice fish. Skeetbum from FL described a type of Crappie Bite that involves the gills flaring as they suck the bait in and a light tick is barely felt. That describes the bite tonight from these fish. Evidence follows.




The bait was way down in the throat, stuck in the actual esophagus/stomach and I barely felt a thing. Now remember I am using a nice piece of Japanese Graphite with a very fine diameter braided line fishing straight down with a constant tight line. Drumking mentioned this light bite last week in his great report. Slab Sauce was used, as always, and even though I did not have high hopes for the evening bite on an almost Full Moon, tonight turned out to be a good trip. 27 was the number on the counter when I left, but that included 10 little White Bass that I found stacked in with the Crappie. They were released, and 10 Crappie made the cut for the bucket picture.

My helper tonight eagerly waiting for eggs, but was sorely disappointed.

Here are the best fish of the evening, very thick and full of Shad.


If you do get out there, drink lots of water as it is HOT. But remember, they still have to eat, they are biting!!


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app