Crappie Storm

The clouds were boiling, the storm was brewing, but... The Crappie were biting like crazy! I knew it was going to start raining soon, no worries that's the best time to catch fish. So about an hour and a half before the rain set in I hopped in the truck and headed to the ole fishing hole.

When I get there the wind is just staring to pick up, just enough to make my bobber dance on the waters surface. The very first cast something hits my jig, short striking so I miss. The next cast is a solid strike!

As I set the hook this fish runs for the lillypad roots and hangs me up, I get it free but this is a determined fish. It feels odd too, more like a catfish. Finally I get it worked lose and up where I can see it, I'm surprised, it's a nice crappie a 13"er, in the bucket it goes.

Now I walk off the dam to the other side of the lillypads, the fish are really biting hard! I catch a few small crappie and toss them in the bucket to stock another pond close to home and then the bluegill start biting, all small ones though so they go back in the lake.

It's just starting to sprinkle a bit off and on and now I'm not getting bites further out. The crappie have moved towards the bank so I short cast and catch another couple small ones. I cast in front of the lillypads and start retrieving.

About 5 feet from the bank a big crappie nails my jig, this one makes my drag sing! I get it to the bank and wow that's a nice crappie!

I just had to show this baby off properly beside my rod and reel. Last spring I caught 8 this size, over 15" and one was nearly 17". I've fished this lake for over 40 years, the same family still owns it and I've caught many nice crappie, channel catfish and bass from this old lake.

Well folks, enjoy the pictures, I sure enjoyed catching the fish before I got rained out. <(;HF+< jono

Fishing Missouri Creeks and Ponds

Hi Folks,

Creek fishing is something that I grew up doing. From about 8 years old I began roaming the area surrounding my childhood home, there was a creek behind our house just down the hill. As a boy I'd grab my rod and reel and walk down to the water to fish and play in the creek.

Catching bass, perch and catfish just about anytime during the year was my kinda fun. Bullfrogs, crawdads, minnows, turtles, lizards, and most any water creatures were my quarry and fun as a kid. Children now days make pets of those critters, for me they were everywhere I looked.

So for me creek and pond fishing are second nature, how I 'cut my teeth' so to speak. When it comes to reading the water, well I learned that as a boy, and haven't forgotten how. When I fish a new pond, as happens every year, if they're biting I'll find them and catch them .

A couple weeks ago I went to a local creek. This time of year it's not wading weather, for me anyway and this section I fished has limited access. The fish just weren't biting there, but I was watching a school of bass from 2-6 LBs swimming around. This about drove me nuts since they saw me too and just wouldn't bite.

Oh well... I moved on to a pond that was close by, fished for a while and finally started catching fish. Normally at this pond the crappie were snapping at my jig, this day however they ignored everything I threw their way.

I walked around to the farthest side which is really shallow and started getting strikes, caught some bluegill and tossed them back. That's a good sign at least, for the first 45 minutes I didn't even get a strike. Tossing my jig/bobber combo out, nearly across the pond something attacks my bobber.. A Bass!!

No hookset though so I keep casting. For the next half hour I catch some bass and perch, one of the bass is 3 and a half pounds and 2 are about 2 LBs which gives me fresh fish dinner. Anyone who's had fresh fish from the water, to the skillet, to the plate, knows just what I mean. That's all I really wanted anyway so I'm happy. <(;HF+<