Percy Priest Crappie 9/6/13

[ttitan27]

Hit Percy Priest at sunrise this morning and did some trolling for crappie. Action was really steady till about 9:30 am and then it shut down. Wound up with 17 keepers almost all in the 11-12 inch range with one that went 14 inches and a few shorts that got thrown back. Also one keeper largemouth at 17.5 inches that came home with me as well. Several yellow stripe that I let go.

All fish caught trolling on 300 series bandit in baby bass color in 14-17 foot of water at 1.7 mph. Lots of bait was in the area and as soon as you trolled over a bait ball, you almost always hooked up. I was fishing the Hurricane creek general area.

Here are a few from early in the morning. Good eating!

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a105/Dbllunger/IMG_20130906_080943_934_zpsb245001e.jpg (http://s10.photobucket.com/user/Dbllunger/media/IMG_20130906_080943_934_zpsb245001e.jpg.html)

[MNfisher]

Nice fish! Good fishin!

[tacklemake]

Nice fish thank you.....................woody

[jad2t]

You have some good eating ahead of you!

[FloatNFish]

Good looking fish! What kind of boat do you have? I fish that area at sunrise a lot during the week. I'm in a green center console Alumacraft. Stop by if you see me.

-Alex

[Alphahawk]

Nice looking cooler of crappie. I plan on filling the freezer starting on September 19.




Regards

[ttitan27]

Good looking fish! What kind of boat do you have? I fish that area at sunrise a lot during the week. I'm in a green center console Alumacraft. Stop by if you see me.

-Alex

I have a 16 ft. Seark with a 25 Johnson tiller handle. That is the first time I have actually fished that particular area. I normally fish the Jefferson Springs area but the baitfish have seemed to move from there lately and a friend told me he had seen fish in the jumps near Hurricane creek. I figured there had to be some crappie in the area as well.

[nomad60]

Nice mess of crappie there! When you guys troll with the bandits, are you using your big motor or the trolling motor? I've been thinking of trying that here in the Cumberland but the depth changes so drastically, from 20 feet or more and suddenly you're in 4 feet of water, I'm scared of getting snagged and losing the lures.

[creekcrappie]

Nice fish, I don't know if it gets any better eating than that. I love trolling bandits, have you tried the natural shad color?

[ttitan27]

Nice mess of crappie there! When you guys troll with the bandits, are you using your big motor or the trolling motor? I've been thinking of trying that here in the Cumberland but the depth changes so drastically, from 20 feet or more and suddenly you're in 4 feet of water, I'm scared of getting snagged and losing the lures.

I use my "big" motor which is a 25hp Johnson. Im sure you could use an electric trolling motor if it will get you to that speed and not wear out your battery to quick

[ttitan27]

Nice fish, I don't know if it gets any better eating than that. I love trolling bandits, have you tried the natural shad color?

I have tried it and it has been effective. Today the clear favorite was the baby bass. You have to experiment to find what they want

[agelesssone]

Nomad, it really helps if your graph has a map card that shows the contour lines of the lake. That way you can steer the boat to stay at the desired depth range you want to fish. You'll still get snagged on brushpiles, trees, and depth changes where the maps aren't 100% accurate.

That's when you need a lure knocker to slide down the snagged line and knock/pull the snagged lure loose. A five dollar knocker (Basspro shop) can easily save you $100.00 worth of crankbaits. I've saved six on one morning's fishing. That would be $30-35.00 saved.

Bandit 200/300 baby bass are two of my favorites.

[tkwalker]

Nomad, it really helps if your graph has a map card that shows the contour lines of the lake. That way you can steer the boat to stay at the desired depth range you want to fish. You'll still get snagged on brushpiles, trees, and depth changes where the maps aren't 100% accurate.

That's when you need a lure knocker to slide down the snagged line and knock/pull the snagged lure loose. A five dollar knocker (Basspro shop) can easily save you $100.00 worth of crankbaits. I've saved six on one morning's fishing. That would be $30-35.00 saved.

Bandit 200/300 baby bass are two of my favorites.

Go to the Catfish section of BP buy you a bag of 3 or 4 oz. lead weights and some large snaps ... and make you some knockers ... You will come out $$$ ahead .. <'TK>< ;)

[todrut]

Nice looking cooler of crappie. I plan on filling the freezer starting on September 19.

Regards

I would have guessed your freezer runeth over...

[Alphahawk]

I would have guessed your freezer runeth over...

No I am at zero balance....LOL. I took my last 60 filets to the Gathering the forum had and while not all of them were eaten there someone took the rest for their Sunday school class the next day....which I was glad they all were consumed. While I eat crappie most of the ones I catch are given away or I keep enough for my family to have a big fish fry each year. I prefer Gills....walleye.....spotted bass.....even white bass. Most think crappie is King at the table but while I do eat them they just don't have a lot of flavor IMHO.....very delicate flavor.


Regards

[todrut]

I have yet to try a walleye or gill. Never caught a gill large enough and never caught a walleye at all yet. Trying to learn to catch the walleye in cumberland river below Cordell Hull Dam. Are you going to bring some trout home from your trip for the freezer???