My friend Jeff and I launched our canoes in a local flow in hopes to catch a few fish on a fair December Saturday afternoon. The squirrels were very active on the riverbank.
Conditions
Ambient: ~55 F
Water: 47-52 F
Clarity: Fairly clear, dark, ~3' visibility
We were throwing rapalas, spinnerbaits, and bettlespins here and there looking for crappie and bass, maybe a pickerel. We made it to a shallow flat on the warm side of the river and I began working an x-rap on a jerk-pause. As the breeze blew me upstream, I took advantage of the slow movement and dangled a 1/4 oz white maribou hair jig behind me in ~6' of water between the shallow flat and the channel. I landed a few small bass on the x-rap.
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Shortly after my crappie jig got hit. It was a nice slab. I tied another identical jig onto my other spinning rod and dangled both rods off the front of the canoe, hoping to see the ever so light crappie bite. I landed a few more fish and then the light winds died. I picked up my spinnerbait rod and started it using it as my trolling motor to slowly tow the canoe parallel to the bank. I ended up catching my best bass on that spinnerbait randomly casting ahead and a few more crappie to boot on the jigs.
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All told, I caught ~10 crappie in a 300 yard stretch. 7 made their way home in the cooler.
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I got lucky with the crappie, but it goes to show you can find suspended fish without electronics with a little ingenuity and patience. I think a drop shot 2-jig setup would have served me well yesterday. I'll be better prepared next time.
-Jeff
Conditions
Ambient: ~55 F
Water: 47-52 F
Clarity: Fairly clear, dark, ~3' visibility
We were throwing rapalas, spinnerbaits, and bettlespins here and there looking for crappie and bass, maybe a pickerel. We made it to a shallow flat on the warm side of the river and I began working an x-rap on a jerk-pause. As the breeze blew me upstream, I took advantage of the slow movement and dangled a 1/4 oz white maribou hair jig behind me in ~6' of water between the shallow flat and the channel. I landed a few small bass on the x-rap.
Shortly after my crappie jig got hit. It was a nice slab. I tied another identical jig onto my other spinning rod and dangled both rods off the front of the canoe, hoping to see the ever so light crappie bite. I landed a few more fish and then the light winds died. I picked up my spinnerbait rod and started it using it as my trolling motor to slowly tow the canoe parallel to the bank. I ended up catching my best bass on that spinnerbait randomly casting ahead and a few more crappie to boot on the jigs.
All told, I caught ~10 crappie in a 300 yard stretch. 7 made their way home in the cooler.
I got lucky with the crappie, but it goes to show you can find suspended fish without electronics with a little ingenuity and patience. I think a drop shot 2-jig setup would have served me well yesterday. I'll be better prepared next time.
-Jeff