Kawartha Crappies

[Dutch]

After a pretty stressful week of work (after only 3 days) I decided to hit my favorite local shore spot to see if the Crappies were in. After fishing for a few minutes I caught a couple of smaller perch, but no crappies.

 

I tired walking the bank and casting to a few spots that aren't accessible due to heavy, heavy weed later in the Summer and picked up a loner cruising the shorline. I had seen some baitfish in pretty tight, so I figure that's what they were after. Couple more casts with nothing else and went back to the bread and butter spot. I thought they may start moving in to feed on those baitfish as the sun went down more. I was right and picked up 5 more crappies all in about 15 minutes, enough for a feed for my wife and I. The largest one was about 11", with others anywhere between 7"-9". After the sun went completely down, they turned right off, so it was time to head home and do some cleaning.

 

Fish were caught on a 1.5" tube, pumkinseed with chartreuse tails and 1/16 oz. jig head.

 

That's what I love about the Kawarthas, I had a 10 minute drive home. Most of my shore spots are within 15 minutes of my house.

 

Nothing like a night of half-decent fishing to take the edge off a couple of bad work days.

 

Here a pic before:

 

 

And after (my own version of surf and turf, 8 oz. beef filet, fried crappie and musroom rice), nothing better!

 

Edited May 5, 2007 by Dutch

[tbayboy]

Oh man that looks good - especially after just finishing some nuked mystery meat . Nothing like a little time by the water to relieve the stress, nice job. Gonna have to do spend some time finding shore spots myself I think (or break down and buy a canoe/kayak)

[steverowbotham]

good job man, I got into some nice crappie today too, forgot how fu nthey can be.... and how tasty too!

[b2kptbo]

Good work Darren, let me when it's dinner time...

[BryceBurzynski]

Nice! and you just made me hungry!

[mattyk]

looks tasty!

[canadian_copper]

nice slabs dutch

[fishinfool]

WTG Dutch

It's always nice to get some of the best tasting fish on the planet.

I have been into them in smaller numbers for the last two weekends.

Don't know if they have come and gone or if they haven't come in heavy yet but there haven't been that many this year as last year.

What does everyone else here think??

Do we have more to come?

[Beans]

I'm guessing (and hoping) the crappie haven't really come in yet...we are getting some but not like other years at opening...it is still very cold at night (0*C, +1*C, +2*C) so I think they are dropping back at night as it gets cool...CPH said his top eye was icing up the other morning...

 

Today was the first day I noticed there were a lot of dandelions blooming in the neighborhood and I heard that the crappie don't really turn on until then...

 

Will know better tomorrow morning...

[Beans]

So much for that dandelion theory...The bite was "hot" for a half hour at 06:00 AM then stopped...only the odd stragler was caught...the bluegills were still around but we didn't see a crappie after 08:00 AM...0*C at 07:00 AM

 

Maybe some rain and +10*C overnight might do some good...???

[kuhaman]

Good job Dutch, I pitched tubes all day today and all I got was bluegill.

[fishindevil]

Nice haul there dutch,i got into some real nice slabs last weekend as well,in the tri-lakes area....and they didnt turn on till late afternoon when it warmed up a few degrees,..well done thanks for sharing cheers

[Daplumma]

Good stuff,Crappies are the best tasting freshwater fish that I have ever tasted,bar none.Thats a fine looking plate of vittles there.

Joe

[Dutch]

I love the taste and texture of crappie - by far the best overall freahwater eating fish, IMO.

 

I haven't been out since that night, but, as was mentioned in a previous post, my wife and I are looking at a waterfront property on Chemong. We took another look at the place on Saturday afternoon and stepped out on the dock and saw 10-15 crappie sunning themselves. Some real nice slabs too. We are talking about 3 feet max.

 

They seemed to be pretty active and were chasing bluegill and small perch off. I think they are in tight in the bays where the water temp is 3-5 degrees higher during the day. Just a thought, but maybe try long casts to shore and working a tube back. Forget the 8-10 fow thing and go shallow!