By Ronnie Parris
Hey folks, I hope you’re doing well. This weather has been something else here in the mountains. It’s really getting hot and so is the fishing. This last month has been the best crappie fishing we have experienced in years. I think it’s probably due to a great spawn the last couple years. Plus, the fact that they are getting everything they can eat, with both bluebacks and threadfin in the lake at the numbers we have.
The preferred bait seems to change from trip to trip but the outcome has been the same with live wells full of huge slabs. Bobby Garlands have probably been the most consistent bite as well as Keitechs and tiny curly tails. Some days I have done better on small crank baits and spinner type baits. On thing has been consistent is the depth the fish are biting at. If you see fish st 5 to 10 foot deep they are feeding. Days that they hold at 15 to 25 they just don’t feed.
Light line and light tackle are a must so try 6 pound test or less a long light weight rods will fit the bill. Double rigs are a good tactic with jigs, and I watch color and change to fit what they bite each day. Live bait I usually use minnows, but they haven’t produced good this year. If the crappie are bunched, I usually cast small jigs to them and the key is slowly they are not fast chasers so you really can’t go too slow. Days that they are scattered I troll running around 1 mile an hour with the electric motor and I watch to see which side gets hit when I make turns to tell if I need more or less speed. I run 6 rods using planner boards to get a widespread. Crappie have very soft mouths so pay close attention to hook sets and fighting them and you will put more in the boat.
Crappie fishing is a fun trip to take the kids on since action is fast. The picture with this article is my grandson’s and we really had a blast. Crappie are great table fare so take a few home. Size limit here is 8 inches but you really should release anything under-0 inches because the fillets are so much better on a little bigger crappie. Fontana has some toads so you shouldn’t have trouble finding plenty of big ones. We have regularly caught 12 to 15 inches this year. So, get out there and have some fun and as always take a kid fishing.