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Crappie are in close!!
Went out over lunch today and ended up catching 5 total. Took me a good 30 minutes to figure out what they were looking for. Turns out, the fly itself didn't really matter the retrieve, however, was very critical.
The first one was on a nice easy hand twist retrieve, so I thought slow. I tried to keep it slow and would see them swim up to the fly, follow for about a foot and dash off. Figgured it was too fast still, so I slowed it down more. Same results. Changed from a white crappie candy variant to a faux bead head hairs ear and caught another one. Figured I had 'em now, they had just wanted more of a 'bug' than a 'minnow' pattern. No more on that one. Tried a black wooly bugger and got the same results. It would not sink more than a foot in the water column though, so I thought maybe I was too shallow. Switched to a green bodied wooly bugger with black tail and brown hackle. It was sinking deeper and I was seeing them follow again so I thought I had them.
Got frustrated after a 'bad' cast and was pulling it in quicker when I caught my third. I may have been retrieving slow, but I don't think I am slow, so I took the hint. Quicker 1-2 foot strips or quicker hand-twist retrieves and I quickly caught the next two. Unfortunately it was then time to get back to work, so I had to leave. Also, unfortunately it is supposed to start raining quite hard tonight and rain through tomorrow (It is headed your way next Rick) so I doubt there will be any fishing til at least the weekend.
How are all y'all doing?
Don
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Was hoping for something along those lines Sunday, but we're still iced in. Maybe by the weekend! I can't wait. JGW
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Don,
Good report. Thanks. To my knowledge the crappie have not moved to the banks here in Oklahoma but if you're catching them shallow in Nebraska maybe I should go check.
Robert
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I know the rain is coming. We need it for the ground but not to muddy the ponds. this willl be my first weekend out in a month.
Great fun to figure out what it takes isn't it.
rick
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I had hopes for a mess of crappie this past Saturday but the North wind came up, temps dropped some and if they were on the bite that put them down. I never got so much as a look. Last year around here they really went for a black, white and yellow Clouser with a bit of silver flashabou in it. It was a #10 or #8 3X I believe.
Vic
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Around my way I was hitting them on a clouser tied on a #8 hook. Green, yellow and orange. Green on top , yellow in the middle and orange on the bottom. Then take a green sharpie and draw a few verticle lines. It ends up looking like a small perch and they just couldn't get enough of it
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They've been shallow and in close to the banks here in N. TX for almost 6 weeks.