crappie this weekend

[ho_shi]

2 and 3 weeks ago catching some good good slabs on minnow
last week small jigs and tubes small crappie

what this weekend???? any guestmations

water less then 4 ft at deepest channel about 30 ft across lightly stained or dirty some stumps and cover

[bryophyte]

...this weekend. Going tomorrow myself. been really cold up here, but when cabin fever sets in, you know you gotta go! :)

[ho_shi]

what would your baits of choice??

[bryophyte]

ho_shi, I am just learning to deep-water fish w/ jigs (tubes mostly). I have had best luck recently with minnows. Struck out on sat. w/ jigs.

[ho_shi]

hmmm bry welcome i see you a older member but little posts. hope you have fun we been making things round here pop lately.

Didnt get to go out this weekend, rearranged some stuff in my yard and made some room, set some boats and trailers out for sale see how it goes. The guy i go crappie fishin with sick so not hear how he did.

[bryophyte]

Yeah, ho_shi, I have been a member for a spell. Lost my handle/password notes for a while. Found them now, and I am enjoying the board.

Good luck re-organizing. I did some revamping yesterday and today on my boats. Going fishing Wed. and then leaving Thurs. afternoon for a Fri. and Sat. effort aftter the crappie in AR. OK. Have fun! :-)

[ho_shi]

glad you came back

[gofish]

hoshi.....how ya fishin the jigs? right fore the ice came on i was usin a ratso or 2 inch tube under a bobber 2 to 6 ft deep over a weededge and over submerged trees in 30 ft of water.tube in between fronts an ratso after.tipped with a crappie nibble. any little pocket of deeper water in a spot like that will school em up tight in it even a 6 inch difference will do.
bryophyte.....usin a long rod try 6lb fireline,itll give ya a better feel to git started.pm me with specifics on what your fishin an i can maybe give ya some help/hints...ice out i fish a lot of 15 to 35 ft deep verticall structure every year

[ho_shi]

hmmm jig with different color tubes. bobber stop about 2 -2 1/2 ft one of them line slip foam bobbers. only 2-3 f deep possible 4 in places

[gofish]

try castin or bigger tube.cant remember where i got em but i found a place that makes 2 1/2 inch finesse tubes for bass in brighter colors,use em for crappie more than bass,specially early spring/dirty water

[hushpuppy]

I don't know if they work up where ya'll are but the spec's tear up grassshrimp up down here.

[Schoe]

John, tell me what is a grass shrimp? Schoe

[hushpuppy]

Its a small (less than 1") translusant freshwater shrimp that lives deep inside grass mats. The thicker the grass the better. I have seen them sold in pet stores as feeders or freshwater shrimp. We can catch our own down here with a dip net shoved into the weeds. If you bring a dip net with you to Turkey creek I will show you. You also get a good supply of small crawdads like that. You put one of those shrimp on a small hook with little or no weight and I'd bet it wouldn't make it to the bottom.

[wewamohawk]

i have never used them but i heard they are real good ;;maurice

[hushpuppy]

I guess they are used more around here than anywhere else. Not many people know about them. They sure do work.

[bryophyte]

Grass shrimp are the very best bluegill and crappie bait I have ever used. Fished them down your way in Lake Okeechobee. They are here in northern LA, but they are much harder to get. Not enough places with weeds up here.

Too, you are right about no weight on your hook. A fellow taught me about that in Lake Okeechobee.

Good fishing; safe boating to you.

[hushpuppy]

Grass shrimp and minnows are the only way we fish for them down here. I tell you what, Ya'll got me wantin' to go spec fishin'.

[Schoe]

Hushpuppy, what kind of dip net do I need to procure some of those fresh water shrimp? I presume the longest handle with smallest mesh I can find. It would be nice to have some to bring back up here to the panhandle. Schoe

[hushpuppy]

Schoe, the handle doesn't need to be too long. 4 or 5 foot will be good. The mesh size needs to be fairly small. 1/4" holes is good. Nothing fancy. You will be plunging it into the weeds pretty fast, so nothing too expensive either. Bring some shorts with you. If you want and will be down for the weekend I can take you to my spec hole. You can watch the folks catch em' with a hand line. pretty neat.

[Pegleg]

Schoe, I get all the grass shrimp I need by pickin up water lettuce or water hyacynth and shakein them over a plastic bucket. You'd be surprized at the amount of small baits that hide in the roots of these floatin plants. Another method is to buy some of Loby Bait's stoni's in light green or clear/blue fleck colors. Put them on 1/64 oz. jigs or just on # 10 or #12 hooks. They work great and you don't get all those critters crawlin around your boat.:D

[Schoe]

Thanks for the info guys. Hushpuppy, whats this about bringing shorts? You probably forgot that I have been there before and seen all those Gators!!!

Are you just wanting to get even for the Oysters???? Schoe

[Pegleg]

Schoe,
Thats why you don't want to long a handle on your net. A 5 foot net handle is just the right size to poke the gators out of the way.

[Sharon]

Ive seen the old timers catch them in the lakes around here, I hear them say they got some, but never really seen them.. must be real small? :confused:

[Pegleg]

They are very small. Most of them average 1/2 inch long. I have caught some in a swamp over by Rodman pool that were around an inch. You usually put two on a size #8 or #10 hook.

[Sharon]

Guess I better get a microscope next time I go out there... danggg thats little!

[hushpuppy]

Schoe, I wouldn't stear you wrong. I'm gonna be right behind you. (8 or 10 feet)...lol

[Sharon]

Schoe, I wouldn't stear you wrong. I'm gonna be right behind you. (8 or 10 feet)...lol

What a pal :rolleyes: LOL

[hushpuppy]

Don't tell Schoe.....I have a friend that has a friend, that raises those little suckers. We don't even need to get out of the truck to get a couple thousand or so...shhhhh. I would still like him to bring his net so he can learn how to catch them for the future.

[Schoe]

OK Puppy, I am all for netting those little buggers but have been given some food for thought. Your friend raises them??? I am currious if they would do well growing up amd multiplying in Ill.

One of the lakes in Wis. that I fish has a fresh water Shrimp that only gets to maybe 1/4 in. and the Crappie and Gills are usually full of them. I wonder if that is the same species? Schoe

[hushpuppy]

I don't see why you couldn't raise them up there. If you kept them out of the cold that is. Like I said, the pet stores sell them around here. As far as them being the same species, I don't know. I didn't want to mention the man that raises them because he usualy doesn't sell to the public and is always running out of them. We will see if he has any when Ya'll get down here. Are you comin' down just for that weekend or are Ya'll gonna pre-fish a little? Let me know and I'll start planning somethin'.

[Schoe]

We will leave here early on Fri. the 9th and should be there sometime before noon and won't head back till Sun. affternoon.

We have reservations at the Motel 6 in Lakeland which Ray said was about 30 minutes frrom Turkey Creek and we will be staying there Fri. and Sat. night. I will keep in touch. Please PM me your Phone # and I will do the same. Schoe

[hushpuppy]

That's perfect. The fishin' hole is just outside of Lakeland. About 10 mins or so.

[Schoe]

Good deal, we are looking forward to this trip. Along with dip bait and or Chicken livers, what else would you reccomend we bring for bait? Schoe

[hushpuppy]

If I take you to "MY" lake. You have to keep it "On The Level". Don't want a bunch of people crowdin' the pond, if you know what I mean...lol

[hushpuppy]

Actually, the lake has a couple condo type rental places. You may just want to go back again next year.

[Sharon]

That's perfect. The fishin' hole is just outside of Lakeland. About 10 mins or so.

:confused: Thats gettin close to my neck of the woods, wheres the "hole" ?

Dang Schoe you and the wife are gonna have to drive out this way, we can go to dinner, and plan our strategies :p Which Motel in Lakeland? North 98? Heck Ill drive out there, since I know the area. :D

[TONY ON ICE]

SCHOE

10 or so years ago, I used to order freshwater shrimp from a supplier somewhere in Florida. Used to pay about $65.00 per 1000 delivered alive in a sealed foam cooler. The place where I got them (I've got CRS disease and can't remember the name) used to call the "Glass Shrimp" because they were almost clear other than their tiny internal organs which showed through.
The shrimp stayed alived for a few weeks with nothing more than an occassional addition of some fresh water. According to the people I got the from, the shrimp could live in salt or fresh water for short periods of time.
I wasn't worried about the salt water aspect becuase they were going to get used as bait for bluegills, crappies and perch.
They worked great, stayed on the hook better than I expected and flat out caught fish. Only drawback I found was the time it took to put them on the hook when the bite was hot so I decided to tie some imitation glass (grass)shrimp patterns on small jig hooks of 1/80th and 1/64th oz.
Those tiny jigs caught fish almost as well as the real thing but saved a ton of time in rebaiting the hooks. It was a fair enough trade off for me so I haven't used the live shrimp since. They are awsome baits though !

In the works right now, we have a plastic grass shrimp design that will be molded around a super sticky and micro fine wire hook. It's intended for the icefishing community but my feeling is that it will be even more productive in open water. Some experimenting with colors (realistic) and plastic formulas to get the natural look and feel are the next step.
As all "Maki Plastics", they'll be as life like as possible and have a feel that is alive to the touch !
We hope to have some prototypes ready soon and when the ice goes out here in Central NY , get a chance to field test and get to our Pro Staff.

In the very near future, we will be making a push into the open water plastic baits. Our icefishing baits catch fish summer and winter but we want to make some larger baits for open water crappies, bluegills and other panfish that are more aggressive during the warmer months.

I'll be sure to let you know when we get that grass shrimp bait perfected and ready for action. Pictures to follow !

[Pegleg]

Wow. That'll be great Tony. I'm a big fan of Loby's and Maki's baits. I use em alot here in Florida. Its hard to find tiny jigs like ya'll use down here. I bought a hundred from a guy that bought out a bait shop up north. He was glad to get rid of em. He couldn't sell em to the fishermen down here.LOL
Pegleg

[T Bartels]

Tony, sounds like those would work great!!!! Good luck with getting them made and everything!!! Tell me when they're ready to be tested!! I'll be more than willing!!;) :D ;) lol

[TONY ON ICE]

PEGLEG
If I ever find a pair of glasses that work for meor can get the surgery to correct my eyes, I'd jump right back into the jig making game again.
Back in the mid 80's, to mid 90's I painted, tied and sold an average of 1000 dozen crappie,bluegill and perch jigs per year. The eyes have aged a bit to the point where I don't have the ability to tie with the "Consistency" and quality that I used to. If only making jigs by the hundreds, I can still keep up with the best of them on all aspects but these days, I'd much rather fish with my 85 year old father and focus on the plastic bait business.

If you let me know what size (weight and hook size) that you like,I may have a stash that I can send you some samples from.
I know you've been using Maki Plastics for a while and it's great to hear that they're working good for you.
Maki and I are getting ready to make a push into the south with Maki Plastics. With the long seasons and hungry fish, we're looking into areas where we can visit and not have to worry about the ice being bad or the weather so cold and windy that we can fish. We love our ice fishing but there comes a time that we realize we need to soak up some sun and fish in comfort :D

Anyway, here's a picture of my absolute favorite bluegill jig . I've been tying these since the early 70's. I don't paint the heads on my personal stock. Never found a difference in theior fish catching ability.
These are tied on 1/80th oz heads with Mustad this wire aberdeen jig hooks
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o161/TONY-ON-ICE/ICEJIGS.jpg

[hushpuppy]

That's good stuff Tony. I have never tried plastic baits for specs, I'm sure they would work though. We do have something like the rig you are talkin' about down here. It's called a "Sabuki" or something like that. They make them with little plastic shrimps on them. They are sold for saltwater but may work just as well. I don't have too much of a problem getting live shrimp so I use them more often than not.

[Illinoisgiller]

Tony on ice- Nice jigs, Is that calf tail hair? Mike

[TONY ON ICE]

HUSHPUPPY
I use plastics eclusively and rarely resort to live minnows for crappies anymore. With the different styles of plastics on the market these days, it's almost certain that you can find something that will trigger the fish on most days.

We have some new designs in the works that are geared towards slab crappiesand big bluegills. More natural and lifelike is the direction we're going with the new plastics.

I've seen those sabuki /sabiki rigs when I was in Florida many times. Matter of fact, Capt Kev and I may have a virtually indestructible version of the rig coming out in the future. A little experimentation and then get it into the hands of the fishermen/women for testing.

Definitely try the plastics for the crappies. The aggressive fish in the schools will engulf them most times. After that, you can finnesse them into the boat by changing colors, styles and sizes. Lots of options.


ILLINOISGILLER
That's is calf tail that I used on those jigs. The coarse characteristics and it's bouyancy make it the perfect material for tiny jigs. It keeps the shape even after many fish have been caught and slows down the fall a bit. I've used craft hair, marabou and floss for tails when more action is needed on larger jigs but for me, the calftail is the best all around material for these applications.

I'll post some other pictures of jigs I make that are intended for icefishing but with the addition of a plastic bait or some calftail, they work great all season.

[bryophyte]

Hey, Tony. When I lived in FL, I could catch and use grass shrimp as does Hush Puppy. Now I live in N LA. Grass shrimp are here, but they are hard to get. I really need a good plastic imitation of a grass shrimp for crappies and bluegills. I do hope you will notify me one way or the other when you have such a plastic lure ready. Can't wait to see it. Thanks a million. bryophyte

[hushpuppy]

Usin' a plastic grass shrimp would shure save some time...and finger pokin'...lol

[hushpuppy]

We had a Mayfly hatch at the spec hole this weekend. I wish i could have hooked a couple of those things on my hook. Those poor little things didn't stand a chance. The fish were smashin' em' as fast as they could.

[capt.kirk]

Hush Puppy,It happened to me and a buddy setting in the Reeds on
Fox Lake in Indiana,all the sudden the water exploded when they hatched,
I had just thrown a top water bait and got 2 at the same time,right away
I tied on another bait with the 1 that i was using,started catching Bass
Gills,and Crappie on the same cast.A person would have to see it to belive it,
It was INSANE for about 45min,then it was over,and never had it happen
since.Kirk

[Schoe]

I will have to add my two cents to the Mayfly hatch. My nephew and I were Cat fishing by Cordova ILL. on the mighty Miss. when we saw a heck of a commotion along the head end of an island below a log jam and some overhanging limbs so we eased over and anchored outside a few yards. I was hoping for Moon-eye Shad to use for cut bait so we cast chunks of NightCrawlers into the swirrells where the fish were popping the Mayflys. Like you fellas we caught Moon eyes, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, and nice ones at that.

There was a eddy that came around the log jam and that's where loads of the Mayflys came floating around just like a smorgasbord for the fishes. It lasted a couple hours till we had to leave so I went back there the next day and nothing was going on and no Mayflys but we caught some Cats just off of there with the Moon eye cut bait. Schoe