Hello Guys and Gals,
My Father in law and I go to Reelfoot lake in TN. everyear and this is my first year using a flyrod. Does anyone have any Ideas on what fly to use for crappies or bluegills. I was thinking of tying up some white grizzles any help would be great. I leave 4/27
I bluegill fish a lake out here in California, and run across crappie schools all the time. The only fly I have used for three or four years now is a #10 olive woolly bugger, fished on a sinking leader. Troll it behind the float tube, and the fish love it.
You might also try Al’s Crappie Candy [url=http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/fotw2/052801fotw.html:109ea]http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/fotw2/052801fotw.html[/url:109ea]
RRhyne56
[url=http://www.robinscustomleadersandflies.com:109ea]http://www.robinscustomleadersandflies.com[/url:109ea]
IM = robinrhyne@hotmail.com
Small white Clousers, size 8 or 10. Make sure there’s some flash tied in. JGW
Soft hackle with flash for the body…
I’ve caught lots of crappies and bluegills on weighted prince nymphs, size 10 and 8. Also have caught lots on a small girdle bug looking fly with chenille body and rubber legs in various colors in the same sizes.
I have excellent luck with the Carter’s Dragon tied in either black/olive or in bright chartruese/white or purple/white. The receipe for the Carter’s Dragon as I have it is as follows:
Carter?s Dragon
Hook: 1X long hook size 6 to 12 (take your pick)
Thread: Black 6/0
Tail: Small bunch of black rabbit fur ? 2 pieces of silver Krystal Flash on each side
Body: Black chenille or mohair yarn
Collar: Hackel, either black, grizzly, olive or silver badger
Beard: Black Krystal Flash
Eye: Black or silver dumbbell eyes
Fairly straightforward fly to tie. Tie in a bunch of black rabbit fur for the tail. Add two pieces of Krystal flash on each side of the tail for some flash. Tie in the chenille and wrap the thread to the eye of the hook. Tie in the dumbbell eyes on top of hook shank. Wrap the chenille up to the eyes, tie off and clip excess chenille. Tie in a hackle feather by its tip behind the dumbbell eyes… Make two wraps for the collar, tie off and clip excess. Tie in a small bunch of black Krystal Flash on the under side of the hook directly in front of the dumbbell eyes. The Krystal flash should reach to the end of the hook.
Fish this pattern by letting it sink for about 10 seconds. Then make very quick 3-6? strips with a two second pause between strips. This is an excellent Crappie and winter Bluegill fly, but hold on, because bass find it equally irresistible.
Jim Smith
I went to school near there. I didn’t fish Reelfoot Lake with a fly rod, but when we went after crappies with a fly rod in some of the creeks, we used terrestrials like black ants or black and orange ants. I think that sizes 12 and 14 were the best. It is a true hoot to have crappie come up and hit a dry, but I think that those circumstances were too different from the lake to count. Still, have some ants and black gnats. Try some micro jigs. Rick Z. seems to take tons, so look at his flies. I would probably tie some small minnow-type streamers if I were long-rodding for them now. Never forget the wolley bugger. Have a variety of colors. White, yellow, and black are very common, but don’t forget olive and chartreuse.
I final and unfortunate note, don’t be out and about around the lake much after dark. There used to be some strange and unpleasant (read “Dangerous!”) folks wandering around late at night. To put it another way, a classmate of mine told me that if I got a flat tire there, to keep driving on the rim until I got clear of that area. Hopefully things have improved now, but be aware and alert. People don’t usually talk about their hometowns like this unless there is a reason. Another local, who was a respected faculty member, said the same thing. The difference between night and day was quite marked. I certainly plan to go back and fish there some day, it’s just a couple of spots that are dicey and only at night.
Ed
p.s. You might catch a catfish or three if you try red wooley buggers, or at least some that have a fair amount of red on them.
[This message has been edited by EdD (edited 14 January 2006).]
Scrappy,
First, welcome to the best board on the net & checkout our Michigan Fish-In for August…we’d love to have you join us!
Two fly suggestions…1) a black ghost streamer has always done very well for me & 2) Clouser or crappie candy, white with “hot pink”…white & hot pink have been absolutely deadly on large crappie for me for as long as I can remember. Slight variation (store bought) is the very small flyrod sized jigs with hot pink head & white marabou.
Mike
This site’s about sharing!
Ditto on the Crappie Candy and small Clousers. I use Clousers mostly. For me, they work even better than real minnows.
I tie my clousers with Olive Green Angel Hair on top, a few strands (very few-just 3-4)of black bucktail in the center to imitate a lateral line on chub minnows, and a few strands of holo-green Krystal Flash under that, and white angel hair on the bottom. Use a #12 Mustad 94840 or equivalent and keep the length of the fly to 1-1/2-2", about the same length as a crappie minnow. When you fish it, put a drop or 2 of Baitfish, or Crappie Smelly Jelly on the head.
Watch your line real close when fishing them this time of year, because sometimes they hit real light, and your only warning may just be a slight, momentary un-natural movement of the line. Here in Ga., I’ve been catching them about 4’ deep suspended over structure in 10’-20’ of water (at least at Carter’s Lake). I caught 15 last week (in about 2 hours), in my belly boat using this pattern. I quit because I got cold and came home.
I guess some might think this is cheating, but I also use a wonderful gadget put out by Hawk-Eye Fish Finders. It’s a portable Sonar/Temperature Gauge/Fish Finder that you can wear around your neck in a belly boat. Just drop the probe in the water and it tells depth, temperature at various depths, bottom contour and composition, fish location and depth and digital compass heading. No one who fishes from a belly boat, pontoon boat or canoe should be without one. You can even use them from a dock or shore.
Hope this helps. Go get 'em…
Semper Fi!
Look in the panfish archives or search for “Ricks Favorite crappie flies”. There are pictues and the patterns in that.
Have fun.
Rick
Marabou muddler minnows, I’ve caught more fish on this fly then any other. Any color really, but my two top producers are all white, and brown dear hair and olive marabou. On #8-#12 2x streamer hooks. If that doesnt work go with a cricket pattern, or gurgle pops.
First let me say that I envy you. I’ve always wanted to fish Reelfoot Lake. I’ve done very well on bluegills with a McGinty wet fly. For crappies, a Black/Olive Wooly Bugger has done the job for me. Good luck and let us know how you do.
In my "extensive " experience fishing for crappie and or gills, I have found that of the two species, gills will eat anything about one inch long and visible to them. Crappie are a bit more selective. Light colors ( white, silver or yellow) and again one inch or smaller will tempt them to dine.
In a pinch, I once wound knitting yarn around a #10 hook and tied it off with a square knot and caught bluegills till the knot failed. BTW, that about describes the extent of my “tying” skills too.
Mark
I’d rather be in Wyoming!