Williamsport 3-21-2013

[Alphahawk]

After getting my knee drained and a shot I asked the doc should I go home and ice...or could I fish. Said since it was not hot go fishing....so I did. Had Bluecat all to myself....well except for Mr. Eagle. Didn't take long to find the crappie. I caught over 60 fish in a little over two hours. Did not keep any as I came straight from Nashville and did not go by the house for cooler. All fish were caught on a Bison colored Trout Magnet. A couple of dozen were caught under the float....what a hoot! The box I used for reference is almost 11 inches long. All pics are of different fish and all fish were about same length.....around 12 to 13 inches. They sure are pretty out of that clear water. All of the fish were Black Nose. In a week or so I feel I will start catching bigger fish.....hope to be back in kayak by then. Many people will tell you a Black Nose will fight harder than other crappie....I don't know about that....I just know I had a lot of fun...LOL. The Gills and Shell Cracker were noticeably absent today.


Regards

[old sailor]

Glad you are able to get out. Nothings safe now.

[commdd]

Very Nice! tell us more about those blacknose crappie.. are they hatchery fish? where do they originate?.. great looking fish!!

[Alphahawk]

Originally Posted by commdd

Very Nice! tell us more about those blacknose crappie.. are they hatchery fish? where do they originate?.. great looking fish!!

They are a black crappie....they are not a sub-specie. They just have a gene that creates that black stripe. They get big and seem to do best in deep clear lakes. They have been stocked in Dale Hollow......Center Hill and other lakes. They reproduce normally.....but whatever the reason they do not usually do well in shallow water lakes. I got this info a couple of years back from a guy over at the Normandy hatchery. A lot of people will tell you they fight harder but I don't think so. I catch a few....very few.....out of Kentucky Lake and Pickwick. But Williamsport is full of them. I think TN got its first batch out of Arkansas years ago. They seem to be all over the lakes in the Ozark's there. I told the TWRA officer that is caretaker of TN Region 2 family fishing lakes that I think in one or two years Williamsport will be the place to catch big crappie. That prediction may not come true but I really do think the 16 inch crappie will be the norm out of that lake in two years...and maybe next...IMHO. When I get my kayak in there I think I might get onto some 15 inch fish....will keep the forum posted.


Regards

[Reel Tune]

Glad to see you getting out. Last winter Jan-March 2012 I was catching a lot of 9" crappie out there. I was out there yesterday and the water temps were in the low 50's (51-53 by 1230). I was catching largemouth very shallow. When I arrived around 0700, shad were getting hammered on top real good for 35-40 minutes, but unlike the norm I couldn't entice any of those fish.

Jeremy

Nice Catchin'......

[SAMBOLIE]

Originally Posted by Alphahawk

They are a black crappie....they are not a sub-specie. They just have a gene that creates that black stripe. They get big and seem to do best in deep clear lakes. They have been stocked in Dale Hollow......Center Hill and other lakes. They reproduce normally.....but whatever the reason they do not usually do well in shallow water lakes. I got this info a couple of years back from a guy over at the Normandy hatchery. A lot of people will tell you they fight harder but I don't think so. I catch a few....very few.....out of Kentucky Lake and Pickwick. But Williamsport is full of them. I think TN got its first batch out of Arkansas years ago. They seem to be all over the lakes in the Ozark's there. I told the TWRA officer that is caretaker of TN Region 2 family fishing lakes that I think in one or two years Williamsport will be the place to catch big crappie. That prediction may not come true but I really do think the 16 inch crappie will be the norm out of that lake in two years...and maybe next...IMHO. When I get my kayak in there I think I might get onto some 15 inch fish....will keep the forum posted.
Regards

If they are from Arkansas and stay in deep water they must have a Bill Clinton gene. Do you think that they originated in a lake where Bill used to swim?

[MNfisher]

Nice!!! Happy to see you fishing again!

[commdd]

Alpha, great info as always! Keep gettin em! regards

[Alphahawk]

Originally Posted by MidTNKayakAngler

Glad to see you getting out. Last winter Jan-March 2012 I was catching a lot of 9" crappie out there. I was out there yesterday and the water temps were in the low 50's (51-53 by 1230). I was catching largemouth very shallow. When I arrived around 0700, shad were getting hammered on top real good for 35-40 minutes, but unlike the norm I couldn't entice any of those fish.

Jeremy

Sorry I missed you. Did the wind drive you off the lake? I caught a lot of 9 inch fish last year also and thought they would never get any bigger....it was just so many in there. Well they appear to be thriving.


Regards

[Reel Tune]

It got windy, but I deployed the drift chute and planned out the drifts I wanted. The bite started off hot at 0700, and slowed way down. I had to get off the water because I needed some sleep before going into work at 2300.

The fish that were blowing up early on top I think were hybrids, and looked to be in the 5-6lb range, nice ones.

Jeremy

[nomad60]

Nice going, Alpha! Sure is nice to read your reports again. Makes my day sitting at a desk so much better. Well ok, not that much because I wish I could be out there too