First and foremost, thank you Lord for the rain. We've come up sixteen inches since last Thursday and I think we still have a few more to go. The crappie are still going strong, with fish still being found in a multitude of places. The unusually cool water temps have held them shallow for much longer than usual, and they continue to feed heavy as the shad spawn tapers off.
Fish can still be found along deeper shoreline structure, as a few last minute spawners fill the calling as the May full moon rolls through. Dock fish are readily available and can be found under the deeper main lake docks. Brush piles have been my "go to" lately, as the fish are really starting to hold to them and they are much easier for our clients to fish, which means more filets at the end of the trip.
If I had to guess, I'd say we at least have another full month of good crappie fishing before they become hard to get. The unusually cool spring temps, mixed with a fresh batch of rain, has our water temps back around the low 70s and high 60s. That is awesome in my book! More and more fish will start to call brush their home as May ends and June begins. That pattern, mixed with more consistent weather, allows both the fishermen and the guide to have some laid back fun trips on the water. I love the spawn, but I really feel like a stable brush pile pattern is a whole lot easier to deal with. Our average half day trips should come back with 30-40 keeper crappie. Obviously there are exceptions to that number, but that's a good target number and a healthy take home.
As more and more people come down to Cedar Creek for some meat hauling, we ask for a helping hand in building habitat for the crappie. Side imaging is making it easier for people to target brush piles, which is great, but we still need to protect our resource. I've seen a lot of anchoring boats lately, and that is really tough on the habitat. If all fishermen on the TFF would please help build and sink a few piles in 10-15ft of water, our crappie would be very happy indeed. Not looking for coordinates, just a healthy fishery smile. Thanks TFF for your continual support, please let us know if we can ever be of any help.
Current Pattern: I'm fishing brush from 4-12ft. If I don't get bit quickly, I'm not sticking around for more than three to five minutes.
Technique: Vertical jigging roughly one to two feet above the pile, or pitching my jig in front of the pile and letting it swing back to me. This pitching technique has been working well in the high winds we've been experiencing. I think it looks more natural compared to a jig trying to be held still as the boat rocks like crazy in the waves.
Rod and Reel: 7ft Crappie Maxx pole and a Pflueger President reel. The reel is strung with six pound hi-vis Wally Marshall mono.
Tackle: White Hot/CR Special Thump Buddies and High Noon Thump Jumpers all rigged on either 1/16th oz or 1/8th oz unpainted, collarless, number 4 bronze sickle hook jig heads. All tackle provided by www.constantpursuitoutfitters.com.
Guide Tip: With these cloudy mornings, I'm fishing shallow and using a bright chartreuse jig. Look for fish suspended above deeper piles, and match their depth.
