allenb3812
Active member
- Joined
- Feb 6, 2011
- Messages
- 38
Arrived at the River Park to low water conditions but there was some flow. Put in at daylight and up river I started. Only managed 4 keeper Crappie but they were all slabs. Managed to catch some large Gills along with 1 Cracker and several yellow stripe. Added a couple nice redeyes to the mix. Decided to do a little Shiner Fishing. Said Hi to Sam Simmons and partner as they were looking for bait for what I figured was a monster Catfish hunt. Managed 5 or 6 Spots all small when the rod loaded up and a couple minutes later a nice 5 lb Smallie was in the boat. Sam and I were discussing it unusual to catch one with water so low. Moved to some deep water to see if Crappie were suspended but no takers. Decided to try a minnow/jig combination on the bottom. About a hour and a half later I was out of minnows and had boated 23 sauger. Non were big enough to keep but there was 2-14" and 2 or 3-13" along with what we use to call cigars. This is a place I have picked up 1 to 3 a trip over the last few years at this time(all small)but nothing like this in the last 15/20 years. Have not caught a keeper sauger below the Chick in quite a few years. This place quite a few years back was a place where you could catch small ones(males) Mid Dec through Jan with larger ones(Females) Feb through mid March depending on water Temp. Hope this holds true. One thing I noticed was that 4 or 5 of them had at one time had there tail broke and was bent pretty bad. Read the post in the discussion section on how the Sauger have all but disappeared. Maybe this is looking at the glass half full but I hope not. Going back Friday to see.
