Crappie Success

[J. Rentch]

Went to an Smithville pond today with several friends. My target fish today was Crappie. I launched about 10:30 and headed to the western shoreline. I was throwing a #8 Chartreuse Crystal Bugger on my 6wt.
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Within the first 10 minutes I landed a 16-18" Pickerel. It had swallowed the fly, but was not too difficult to remove. I continued fishing the west side of the pond with no success. I had one nibble, but nothing strong. I moved over to the east side and worked my way back to the launch area with no bites. I spoke to several other folks in kayaks and canoes and they had little or no success.
Finally about 2:30 I landed my first Crappie of the day on the same Crystal Bugger.
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I continued down the same shoreline and had one other Crappie hit.
My friends had very little success. Was a tough day on the water, but it felt good to feel the warm sun in the afternoon.

[bignose]

Nice job!

C'mon Spring!

[Mark]

So...John catches a pickerel on a crappie fly -- not a crappy fly, mind you, but a nice fly for crappie that he tied.

Here's an over exposed photo of his catch:

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Further, he caught that pickerel soon after we launched. I thought a good day was ahead of us.

Meanwhile and for a long while I should add, I was casting pickerel flies. Many, many casts to prime pickerel spots. Pick it up and lay it down over and over and for naught. I did not have bite for 3 hours. I did have plenty of casting practice. I tried shallows. I tried deeper water. I tried areas where I knew pads and spatterdock would soon fill the water. I cast under overhanging branches. I cast between branches of deadfall. I gave it my best effort.

Finally, success. I caught a crappie on a pickerel fly. My first bite of the day:

Mark Crappie.jpg

It hit a pink over yellow bendback minnow tied on a 2/0 hook. I was using floating line in about 3 feet of water. I could see emerging spatterdock on the bottom.

But again, I was searching for a pickerel. Surely, there had to one in the pond willing to humor me. And at last there was:

Mark Pick.jpg

I caught this fish on intermediate line in perhaps 5 feet of water. I let the line sink and worked the fly very slowly. Perhaps I should have tried that technique sooner. I would have tried it more but I had to leave for home. I left soon after hooking the pickerel.

It hit an articulated rootbeer crystal bugger tied on a 2/0 hook:

Mark Pick Fly.jpg

That has been my go-to fly for picks since the fall. That and bendbacks.

So again, a very slow day. But two fish on two bites at the end of the day made the drive home cheerier. And besides that, after our miserable February, during which I fished only one day, it was just nice to be on the water. I threw a lot of line today, probably more than mile. But I also stopped at times just to watch the turtles and birds and feel the sun on my back. It was a good day to go fishing.

[J.A. Veil]

Smithville was clean and calm yesterday. I hoped for a good bite. I worked spots that usually produce pickerel and crappie, but never found any of them. I avoided a skunk (just barely) by catching a 10" largemouth. I never fish with a fly rod, but did catch the bass on what I consider a "spinning rod fly" (a 1/16-oz jighead and 2" twistertail) on a 6' ultralight rod.

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[DanMarino]

Nice going guys! I hope to get out in MD in a week or two.