Not all fish are at the bottom. My recent fishing trip revealed that there are lots of fish in shallower areas.
Not all fish are deep...
My recent outing was a quick hop. Our lakes are busier than I have ever seen them but from what I am noticing “nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd”. People are stacked up in the deeper holes. I searched all by myself in 6-8’ of water and used my Aqua-Vu Micro camera to check for fish. Cameras are a fun tool because fish are curious when they see it and more often than not they come check it out. I started seeing Bluegills and Largemouth Bass.
I drilled 15 more holes in a circle and hopped until I saw a Crappie. During the day they roam more and I find you almost need to get away from the Gills to entice the Crappies to bite. Otherwise the Gills won’t leave you alone. After ainsaw the first Crappie I drilled more holes in a tighter group and began fishing. I dropped my Vexilar FLX-30 in the hole and used the 180 frequency to have a wider cone for the shallow water. I also use Low Power if else the bait looks huge. The first Crappie flew in and nocked 12” of slack in my line!
He absolutely smashed my 1/32oz lead jig (more to come on that) and a B+Y Baits Super Minnow. The head was Pink Pearl and the body was Glow White. I managed quite a few Crappies on that one and then changed to a Chartreuse jig with the same color bait. They loved the longer tail and how it could quiver to get subtle action when they were close. As night rolled in the bite slowed and I made a change to a all Black Pearl jig and a Chartreuse Super Minnow. That turned them on again! Even after dark I was surprised how the fish had no problem finding the black jig!!
Lead jigs still work. I find tungsten is heavy and not always the best option. It can be tough to get the jig to jump forward on a jig stroke and the lighter body allows you to get that slower fall. It also helps when fish come on that aren’t aggressive. They can inhale the baits easier. They also don’t feel so heavy in their mouth when they eat it. This gives you more time to set the hook if your not on it right away. The light line and bright color lets me do a slack check to make sure they have it before setting the hook.
Here’s the fine details..
Clam Inline reels (Spooler Elite) Thorne Bros. Power Noodle Shakespeare Ice Noodle Berkley Micro Ice 3lb Solar color line Vexilar FLX-30 (any Vexilar with Low Power) Aqua Vu Micro cameras (light and small) Ice was 14”. Strange since we are so deep into the ice season. There are still thinner spots so always use good judgement.
Water clarity was 4-5’. Depth fished was 6-8’ Scattered weeds. Move away from Bluegills till you find Crappies. Fish high in the water column and slowly work down. Fish are shallower than you think!
Good fishing,
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