Crappie & Cats 12-09-06

[rsimms]

Tried the crappie on Chickamauga this afternoon. Started late... wimped out on that early morning "frostbite" stuff. Very slow. I caught three crappie (all good keepers), and a miscellaneous yellow bass and bluegill ... HOWEVER I saw Jmax, ChooChooSnakeman (pictured below), BBass and Flip1Up and another friend of mine on the water. They all "donated" a crappie or two so I came home with a good mess. Me and the wife just had a fine crappie dinner. She says "thanks everybody." FYI, a friend caught 22 crappie out on the Bay one day last week. He was in the same place doing same the thing today and caught two. He points out water has risen about two feet in recent days??? Suspects that screwed 'em up.
I missed two BIG catfish late afternoon at Harrison Bluff. My &%^$ reel broke... went into permanent free spool on me. It was the only only catfish rod I had. I was perturbed... got both big bites within first five minutes.... catfish appeared to be HOT... and me without a working rod and reel. I started to do like polo-dog and see if I could hook and catch one on a 10-foot crappie rod with 4 lb. test.
ALSO, somewhere during the day I let my good insulated coveralls blow out of the boat. emoBang Probably back in Wolftever Creek? If anybody happened to find some dark brown camo coveralls floating out there today, please send them home.

 

[Fat Albert]

<font color="#3300ff">Richard, I am glad you had a goooooood meal and fished in the pleasant afternoon.  However, that is the worst picture of two grusome fishermen that I have ever seen.... It is a wonder your camera is not broken....Two surly guys...J/K, Jmax and CCSM

</font>

 

[flip1up]

Richard, at the weigh-in I asked DHaun if the Crappie had started biting on the flats in the creek, I also told him I saw you in the bay. He said that should answer my question, good point.

Hate you lost your coveralls, a good pair that you like is hard to replace, and expensive. I had a net fly out of my boat the other day, it almost took 2jigs head off. Actually he almost caught it. Its now found a new home in the middle of the river channel in front of Harrison Bluff.

Glad you had a good mess of Crappie for the dinner table.

 

[flip1up]

FA, I had to crack up a little today. Both Jmax and CCSM were hung on the same thing at the same time. Jmax just shook his head and smiled. After they left that area BBass and me both lost Silver Buddies on the same structure. What ever is down there has got a bunch of lures attached.

 

[rsimms]

Fat Albert - 12/9/2006 9:27 PM

<font color="#3300ff">Richard, I am glad you had a goooooood meal and fished in the pleasant afternoon. However, that is the worst picture of two grusome fishermen that I have ever seen.... It is a wonder your camera is not broken....Two surly guys...J/K, Jmax and CCSM

</font>

I don't know CCSM well enough to give him grief. But Jmax isn't surly. That's just the standard Jmax "hunker." When he "hunkers," he's working real hard (with a smidgen of deperation), trying to catch fish. However when he does that "laid back, cross-legged" pose, he's just fishin' for fun. emoBigsmile

 

[pondguy]

must have been one of those days I broke one rod myself.I think I getting one of those Rino rods today.

 

[Buoy-Master]

Good to see you again Richard. Sorry about the coveralls and the reel. </p>

If anyone trolls outside Woftever, theres a school of Silver buddys down there. DO NOT MISTAKE THEM FOR FISH!

</p>

 

[drumking]

Richard, you must have been hot to remove the coveralls and then lose them. Your boat must be like mine in that you don't have enough dry storage to put stuff away like that.

How deep were the Crappie? What time did you catch them? Heh heh heh.emoBigsmile emoGeezer

 

[rsimms]

drumking - 12/10/2006 9:30 AM

Richard, you must have been hot to remove the coveralls and then lose them. Your boat must be like mine in that you don't have enough dry storage to put stuff away like that.

How deep were the Crappie? What time did you catch them? Heh heh heh.emoBigsmile emoGeezer

Right about storage... I have some but it's full of other fishing stuff and life preservers. Truth be known, I've NEVER seen a boat that had enough storage???

Crappie were right on edge of Wolftever Creek channel out in the Bay. I've always found the south side of the channel has more cover... don't know why. Top of creek channel is 20-21 feet .... off in creek channel is 24 to 28. Most fish come from right on the lip however. I was there from about 1 to 3 pm. A friend of mine fished it early however and didn't do any better. He's convinced the dramatic rise in the water in recent days has freaked 'em out. I marked LOTS of fish schooled up here and there on creek channel. Of course you don't know what's crappie, yellow bass, drum, etc.? Jmax was hammering the baby yellow bass on his jigging spoon. In my experience, where you find yellow bass, you'll also find crappie. I did catch one BIG (10-11 inch) yellow bass on minnow... he gotten eaten with the crappie. emoHungry

 

[polo-dog]

Rsimms, glad to hear that you were getting out there. I may have to try the channel edge thing sometime, sounds fun. If I see your coveralls this week I'll pick them up for you. I still have hopes of getting that cat this year but the conditions just haven't been right. Creek's too clear. Haven't had a bite there yet this year. What situation were the cats active on? I thought I might try for them some this week on some frozen shad that I've got.

 

[rsimms]

polo-dog - 12/10/2006 10:36 AM
What situation were the cats active on? I thought I might try for them some this week on some frozen shad that I've got.

mid-channel humps ... I was bouncing fresh-caught bluegill, butterflied. BIG bluegill... that's how I know they were BIG bites. I've had a hard road to hoe with faulty reels this year. I'm giving up on Shakespeare reels.... I like their rods, hate their reels. emoEnforce

 

[bluewave]

Rsimms, thanks for the posting. I'm going to try to put in this afternoon and find Wolftever Creek. New water for me so your posting will at least give me a place to start. I'll keep an eye out for the coveralls as well.

Going to see if I can stretch a line.

 

[rsimms]

bluewave - 12/10/2006 11:11 AM
Rsimms, thanks for the posting. I'm going to try to put in this afternoon and find Wolftever Creek. New water for me so your posting will at least give me a place to start. I'll keep an eye out for the coveralls as well.
Going to see if I can stretch a line.

Good luck... make note I'm referring to section of creek channel out in Harrison Bay (outside Wolftever Bridge ... not back in the creek. I'd started crisscrossing about 200 to 300 yards outside of Wolftever Bridge... however channel goes a LONG ways. Lots of territory to explore.

 

[Jmax]

Rsimms I feel so bad about this but I got to say it. When CCSM and I was hauling out of the Wolf right before it narrows down and makes the bend to the right going out I saw what I thought was a log in the water. I went off to the side of it and saw it was some kind of brown clothing that was in the water.emoBang I was on plain and did not stop to get it. I would lay odds that that was your coveralls and they had just fallen over and had not sunk low yet. Sorry for not picking them up but I didn't know.

I got to agree with FA, that is two sorrry looking fellers if I ever saw two. That must have been one of those yellows or crappie I had on my line???? Didn't know you got a pic of me catching one. Nice look'en boat.emoBigsmile Jmax

 

[rsimms]

Jmax - 12/10/2006 3:57 PM

Rsimms I feel so bad about this but I got to say it. When CCSM and I was hauling out of the Wolf right before it narrows down and makes the bend to the right going out I saw what I thought was a log in the water. I went off to the side of it and saw it was some kind of brown clothing that was in the water.emoBang I was on plain and did not stop to get it. I would lay odds that that was your coveralls and they had just fallen over and had not sunk low yet. Sorry for not picking them up but I didn't know.

I got to agree with FA, that is two sorrry looking fellers if I ever saw two. That must have been one of those yellows or crappie I had on my line???? Didn't know you got a pic of me catching one. Nice look'en boat.emoBigsmile Jmax

That's OK... I'd have done the same. I was actually worried about somebody running over them and fouling a prop real bad. I bet somebody will "catch" them sometime. That'll be be a treat. emoLaugh

 

[Jmax]

Now you didn't loose a pair of underwear did Ya!emoLaugh If you all remember the Tx Dhuan and I took at the beginning of the year I caught a pair of underwear that Dhaun had a great enjoyment out of telling folks I had jigged up a pair of draws. Are you the one that keeps loosing his clothing?emoBigsmile Jmax

 

[fisherpal2k]

emoUpsmile Be careful how you answer that Richard! Sorry you lost the coveralls but sometyimes it happens. Hey Jmax, just waht was you guys jigging for on that log?emoPoke

 

[polo-dog]

Rsimms, you've started the winter edge of the channel crappiethon out in Harrison bay. As I drove over WT bridge today there were a bunch of boats out there on either side of the channel trying to jig up some crappies. Word travels fast around here.

 

[rsimms]

polo-dog - 12/11/2006 1:28 PM
Rsimms, you've started the winter edge of the channel crappiethon out in Harrison bay. As I drove over WT bridge today there were a bunch of boats out there on either side of the channel trying to jig up some crappies. Word travels fast around here.

Actually I know two of 'em who were out there today. Just fair fishing today... one fellow caught seven in about four hours, other fellow had six.

 

[polo-dog]

I would have expected as much. From what I remember the best fishing out there on the channel is later in the winter isn't it?