Saturday, May 21, 2011

My Best Crappie Fishing Trip on Smith Lake EVER!!

Not a fly fishing report sorry to say. The fishing trip started off today as being a bass fishing outing using topwater lures at daylight. Fishing the Rapala one of the oldest topwater lures was the choice at daybreak. Things started off slow and didn’t improve until the sun came up and 3 Kentucky Spots were boated, with the Rapala. If you haven’t used this lure it is deadly when worked with a slight jerk imitating a wounded minnow. This jerk motion is what produced the BEST crappie fishing trip I have ever had on Smith Lake today. 10:30 is when I spotted some tiny minnows skipping across the surface in the back of a nook just off the main body of the lake. By 10:30 on any Saturday fishing Smith you have got plenty of big ski boats churning and steering up the water to the point where you have dingy water mixing with the super clear water. This situation will cause the small minnows and tiny shad to ease into this type of water and try to hide in the dingy water from the bass that is chasing them: and this you might say is what produced the best crappie trip I have had on Smith Lake. Before today I had never caught more than 3 or 4 crappies on this lake. The first cast I made into the dingy water I thought was going to produce bass, but instead, produce huge crappie on the Rapala. I knew when I landed that first fish they had to be more where that one came from and as I suspected there was, to the tune of 18 in this little nook with a few brush piles for them to trap the minnows in. The 18 was caught in 1 ½ hours, which seems like a long time to land 18 crappie, but consider the conditions, wind 10 mph, out of the east, heavy boat traffic producing huge wakes and last the lost of my trolling battery trying to contend with the wind and boat traffic; but with a trip like today, I will count my blessings.  
I don't have to tell you how good these fish are when fried or baked. I was lucky and may never catch this many carppie again in one place on this lake. As a matter of fact, you might say that this catch today was truly by accident---but that is what makes fishing so interesting to me, you never know what you are going to encounter when you hit the water. That is why I love it so.

6 comments:

  1. Hope you enjoyed a few for dinner tonight! "you just never know" --- that is why I love it too...

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  2. Hey, Bill, don't worry about it not being a "fly fishing" report. I am all over this type of post. Gotta' love a Rapala for what it produces and has produced for ages in the fishing world. I would love to get in to some Crappie like that. Got an extra seat on the boat?

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  3. thats a nice bag of crappies there

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  4. I'll be sure to bring along an ultralight and my Rapala collection when I come down. My favorite color pattern is "Tennessee Shad"... I've caught lots of fish on that lure.

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  5. Man Bill, you really slayed 'em! Now that's some fun!
    Great going!

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  6. E.M.B.
    Crappie has to be the best of the best when it comes to eating warm water fish. Thanks for the comment
    @ Mel
    If you are ever down this way I will save a seat in the boat for you. I think I could learn something from you when it comes to fishing. Thanks for the comment
    @Blake
    As stated in the post--my personal best on Smith Thanks for the comment
    @Jay
    Really looking forward to our trip. The spots are hitting the Rapala now that the water has warmed. Yes bring whatever you want to, and we will try it. Thanks for the comment
    @Chris
    Next to the fly rod, the micro light is my second choice when it comes to light fishing, which is all I do now. Thanks for the comment

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