I just have to say that I agree with Joe 100%. There is no finer game fish than wipers on the fly. The entire genus Morone, stripers and whites in particular, are tough fighters and great eating.
Thanks for helping to spread the gospel of sandies and wipers Joe.
I was laughing as I read this story. It is soooo similar to fishing for Stripers in the Salt. Wind pushing bait onto the shoreline, following the birds (run and gun) with your boat, the strike that feels like a freight train and turns out to be only a dink.
Nice story.
jed
Using the same technique you can catch some pretty nice crappie along the dams. As water temperatures start to drop, they move in to feed heavy before winter sets in. You will need to fish deeper for the crappie. Lately, I have been having a lot of fun catching 14" to 15" crappie here. They also taste very good!!
Crappie may be great eating but they put up about as much fight as the French Army.
Yeah… but they taste good! 
The last three large crappie I caught acted more like bass than they did crappie.
Not as muc h fisght as a bluegill, but the crappie here don’t like the idea of being hooked.
Rick
WarrenP–
You’re right about the crappie, and what’s more, the crappie you catch in these situations tend to be pretty decent ones more often than not. I fish them more in the Spring, but have caught several while chasing fall whites and wipers. You’ll also pick up the occasional drum and walleye this way.
14 and 15-inch crappie? Lord have mercy! Warren, you need to write a Panfish or Warm Water story (or ten) ASAP detailing how you go about doing this.
Rick, the last three large crappies I caught…happened two years ago. In recent months friends stopping by the house will sometimes find me lying on the kitchen floor twitching, after collapsing with crappie withdrawal convulsions.
Bluegill (222, that is), I may just have to go back to that lake dam again if there’s a decent chance of getting into some crappie. The only scary thing is the hightened risk of breaking off my flies on submerged rip-rap, by letting the flies sink deeper in the water column than I would do for wipers.
Joe
“Better small than not at all.”
Joe,
Here is a picture of a one day catch walking the rip rap on Normandy Lake dam using a white flashy clouser:
It was a very good read.
Warren, NICE Crappies!
Thanks, Chris, they really put a bend in a fly rod!
They were a lot of fun. May just have to make another trip now that our nights have cooled down some more which should bring the water temperature down some more.
Warren, What weight rod is that in the crappie picture?
Chris,
It is a custom built Rainshadow blank in 8 1/2 foot 2piece 6 weight that I had a gentleman build for me about 4 to 5 years ago. Cost me $135 and I have really had some great times with it. I can cast the heavier clousers with the 6 weight better than with my smaller weight rods. It is probably a med fast rod. I have been looking for another one to take its place. I want a little faster rod for my casting stroke.
:shock: Holy cow, I’d like to get into some crappies like that.