1-14-07 Crappie

[drumking]

I fished just over 2 hours this morning for crappie. I went upriver and fished just outside a couple of docks. The fish weren't under the docks, but were very close to the docks. I landed 17 crappie (9 keepers), 1 bluegill, 1 spot, and 1 smallmouth. The fished were located on the edge of eddy water and current. I was casting into about 12 feet of water and sitting over 35 feet of water.

Nearly all fish were caught on white tubes, 1/32oz bleeding hook jigs and on the count of 1000/12. Then I just glided the jig very slowly, barely moving it. Most of the strikes were visible rather than feel, if you know what I mean. emoBigsmile

Near 10:00 the current suddenly changed and the fish disappeared, so I came home. I checked the flowrate from TVA and it didn't change on Chickamauga, but
Watts Bar had a 23,000 CFS increase in their flow while I was out there. That probably is the reason that the fish moved. I'm going to invite my neighbor for a fishfry tonight.
emoGeezer

 

[polo-dog]

I really think that the change in flow is the critical point there DK. You were right to quit when you did I would expect. What size were most of those crappies? I'm glad that you are still on the fish.

 

[drumking]

Polo, the crappie were 11 to 12" in length mostly and very thick. Healthy and fighters too. I failed to mention on the original post that I also caught 1 spot and 1 smallmouth. A couple of bluegill too. The 8 throwback crappie were around 9 to 9 1/2".emoGeezer

 

[fischnrod]

That is definately a nice looking mess of fish.

 

[fishing fire]

Well its good to see that some are catching slabs. I've been fishing for crappie for two years now and can only imagine how many crappie i've lost to sensitive bites. Fool has instructed me to watch my line. And I have yet to master it but i've seen fool catch plenty that way guess i'm still a rookie in that respect. But thats something you can't teach thats for sure. That seperates the experienced from the none. Well like I said good job just thought I would throw that in there cause it does make a big difference.

 

[Guest]

That's a nice stringer of slabs you got there. I can't wait to get over this flu bug I've got so I can get back out there. I think I'm having withdrawelsemoBigsmile .

 

[Gator]

Way to go DK. I knew there were more Slabs out there.

 

[drumking]

Gator, we will hit them big one day, just you watch.emoGeezer

 

[polo-dog]

Did you notice that all of the DK crappies are black crappies. No white crappies in the bunch. I haven't noticed on the other posts if they are mostly blacks or whites. I'll have to think about that. I thought that white crappies were more dominant here. Maybe my thinking was wrong again! Probably. What's your experience DK?

 

[drumking]

polo-dog - 1/16/2007 3:48 PM

Did you notice that all of the DK crappies are black crappies. No white crappies in the bunch. I haven't noticed on the other posts if they are mostly blacks or whites. I'll have to think about that. I thought that white crappies were more dominant here. Maybe my thinking was wrong again! Probably. What's your experience DK?

99% Black Crappie for me, but of course the area that I fish is more conducive to black crappie than whites. You will find more black crappie in or near current. White crappie prefer slack or still backwater. I don't fish that kind of water until the spawn.

 

[polo-dog]

At spawn time do you catch more blacks or whites? Do the whites tend to be bigger? I wonder where all the white crappies are right now. I see almost no white crappies in any of the picks from recently. Rsimms, do you catch as many whites as blacks in the spring when trolling for them?

 

[Guest]

At one time Chick was mostly all white crappies but now is mostly all black.
For more info see (sorry for the poor cut and paste):

Factors Affecting Abundance of White Crappies in Chickamauga Reservoir, Tennessee, 1970-1989
THOMAS A. MCDONOUGH

Tennessee Valley Authority, Data Systems Department, Knoxville, Tennessee 37902, USA

JOHNNY P. BUCHANAN

Tennessee Valley Authority, Aquatic Biology Laboratory, Norris, Tennessee 37928, USA

Abstract.—Angler catches of white crappie Pomoxis annularis and the abundance of adult white crappies in cove rotenone samples decreased significantly in Chickamauga Reservoir from 1970 through 1989. Conversely, densities of larvae and young of year increased (nonsignificantly) during this period. In the 1970s, year-class strength was variable, but high young-of-year densities resulted in increased abundance and angler catch rates when the cohorts reached adult sizes. During the 1980s, reproductive success and survival through the first summer were adequate, but few white crappies reached harvestable size. Expansion of aquatic vegetation and resulting changes in fish and invertebrate community structures appeared to be the most important factors affecting survival of young white crappies in Chickamauga Reservoir. Also, low dissolved oxygen conditions associated with a 1985–1988 drought may have limited survival of age-1 and older white crappies. Prior to 1988, white crappies were the predominant Pomoxis species (over 90%) in Chickamauga Reservoir; in 1988 and 1989, however, juvenile black crappies P. nigromaculatus made up over 80% of crappies collected. This shift in dominance was judged to be related to the expansion of aquatic macrophytes. White crappies have continued to dominate angler catches. Continuing creel and population surveys will be required to determine if the harvest of black crappies will offset the decline in white crappie stocks, or if high juvenile mortality also will affect black crappies.