Crappie swap

[vicrider 0]

WOW!!!

 

For a simple crappie swap this is an outstanding set of flies. I expect nice, well tied flies in any swap on this board but this is exceptional. Thanks to all the SM.

[ACAMS 0]

You guys forgot to send me samples!!!!

 

Life got in the way and I missed this one ..... durn the luck, hope pics get posted so I can see what I missed!

[PJ2 0]

thanks to all the guys! really great stuff. as soon as the casts come off, I will be using these! I just hope you guys liked mine as much as i like yours!

[eastern fly 0]

I like these flies!! How do some of you fish them?

 

Kevin

[vicrider 0]

Eastern Fly, over the years I've found that if it's crappie you're targeting they seem to like a steady and relatively slow presentation. I've always done better keeping the fly above the fish and doing a hand crawl with my fingers and keeping rod tip fairly high. Crappie usually just stop the fly. No strike as such. Don't overset since they are papermouths in some areas for a reason. I've seen people rip the set with heavier rod and line and bring in a set of lips. Yuk.

[add147 0]

eastern fly,

Crappie are sort of a lazy fishing meaning the will not swim down for a bite to eat they will swim up some but not very far. If the bait is below them forget it you are wasting your time. I have fish for crappie since I live in East Texas and they are a strange fish. If the bite is on then you will be catching them like crazy if not the bait could be right in front of their mouth and they will just look at it. Never fished for crappie with a fly but I have used live shiners (minnows) and jigs (marabou and plastic). In my opinion you cannot beat a better tasting fish for a meal than crappie!!!!

 

BTW thanks everyone for a great swap!!!! Everyone tied some great looking flies indeed!!!!

[tidewaterfly 0]

Kevin, I'm primarily fishing in shallow tidal creeks for them and in the same manner as I might do for bass, except don't often go right into the heavy snags. I'll find them around the edges of Spadderdock pads, downed timber & brush, or up under bridges or other structure. Last one I caught took a Polar Fiber baitfish pattern I had cast & retrieved past the support poles of a duck blind, while searching for bass. When possible I cast past places I think I may find them, allow the fly to sink by counting it down & start a retrieve of short and often steady strips. I'll vary strip length & cadence until I find whatever is working. Sometimes they'll hit while the fly is sinking, but most often once I make a strip or two. These waters are no more than 5 ft in most places so they're "looking up" most anyway.

 

I use this approach for whatever I may find in those creeks & it works for Bluegills, White & Yellow Perch, LM Bass, Crappies & Pickerel. Except for fishing topwater flies, very seldom have I found I need to do anything special if these fish species are in a biting mood during the warmer months. I don't usually fly fish for them in the colder times. If I get out on the water then, it's usually with spinning gear.

[mikechell 0]

Of all the fresh water pan fish, Crappie are the most "school" oriented.

1) They are bait followers, and will swim under populations of small fry and minnows, picking off stragglers once in a while.

2) They are not "herders" ... they don't do like some salt water fish and corral in a ball of bait fish.

3) They are rarely "cover" oriented, except when that is where the bait fish are. Crappie don't "hang out" in weeds and laydowns ... they watch them for the stray fish to swim out of.

4) If you catch one, there are more in the area. Since they are schooling fish, there are always more of the school in the area. But, if the bait fish are moving, so are they. If you catch one, and no more hits follow, try to determine which way the bait school is moving. The Crappie school is following it, or under it if the water is deep enough.

5) They feed, most often, by leisurely picking off straying bait. They rarely go into the bait school, as that makes the next prey fish harder to catch. So, fishing your fly around the outside of the bait school (especially behind it, if you know which way it's moving) and mimicking an injured, weak or dying prey, will get you the most and largest fish.

 

Good luck.

[Quinn NH 0]

Got mine today. Great job everyone this was a fun swap!

 

Quinn

[Guest rich mc]

mine came in last night one of the better swaps ive been in. I normally fish mine with a strike indicator down to a max of 7-8 ft mostly over fish cribs that top off 6ft below the surface and when they slow down ,change colors for a few more or grab the musky rod cause he may have appeared . thanks SM and all

[vicrider 0]

Rich, years ago, (60) my dad and uncle and I were fish Upper Gresham Lake in WI for crappies. We had about a dozen or so on one of those old metal snap stringers hanging over the side of the boat. Suddenly there a swirl, a splash, and the boat actually rocked. A musky bigger than any my Dad or uncle had caught ripped off a few of the crappie. Hope he didn't break any teeth. I was about 11 or 12 at that time and one of those things I'll never forget.

 

Then, about 40 years ago a friend and I were fishing Dumbbell Lake in MN. We had about 4 or 5 decent eater walleyes on a rope stringer when my friend said, "Look over the side of the boat quietly". There under the walleye was about 4 or 5 musky from 20" to close to 20#s. Dropped a jig and minnow over the side and a medium sized one nailed it instantly, bolted and snapped the line and took the others with him.

 

I should mention that on Dumbbell it became famous for musky ripping walleyes off people's hooks. You'd be quietly fishing the lake with some other boats scattered around and suddenly someone would be yelling as a musky took off with their walleye. I once led one hanging onto a walleye right up to the boat and my buddy netted it. He didn't like that at all and about 40" of musky still fresh with a temper can throw a lot water. Tipped the net over and let him swim as quick as we could.

Edited June 3, 2015 by vicrider

[Guest rich mc]

I fished upper gresham in maybe 1970 had a over 4ftmuskie pick up an 18 inch walleye fish was longer than the 48 inch wide boat 13 inch piece of walleye was missin. I live near shabbona lake in Illinois were the musky keep picking off crappies angler reel in rich mc

[vicrider 0]

Yep, the game of stocking musky everywhere seems to be the holy grail for the DNRs. They grow big, drive people crazy following baits and ripping off fish you're bringing in, and don't seem to effect the overall balance of most lakes. Since I lived up in northern MN for years the northerns were never the fish the musky in WI were. I lived the western Chicago suburbs in Downers Grove, and fished the Grass Lake Chain of Lakes and drove up to fish the driftless area in WI.

 

Then in Mnpls/St. Paul area the city lakes are got musky dumped in and with a 48" size limit to keep one and C&R the standard on all fish they got to be almost a nuisance. People leaving the city to fish the great musky lakes were driving away from some of the best fishing for them.

[BassBugn 0]

Flies look great, looking forward to fishing them over the weekend at a nearby lake supposedly filled with large crappie??!!!. Thanks to everyone and to the SM for hosting.

[bsoberg 0]

wow the nice flies!!!! Thank you it was fun. Bruce