“Must Have’s” for Spring Time Crappie (part 2)

Terminal tackle is obviously important in any fishing application but what is between you and a fish and just as vital as lure selection? Line! There are many so many options on the market that it is easy to feel overwhelmed with what to put on your favorite rod.

I have had success with many different companies and types of line but during the winter months, I like to run Cajun Red Ice as I detect the majority of my bites by sight. The red shows up well against a winter schemed background and is the first color in the visible spectrum to be filtered out under the water because of the material composition and red color. Cajun Red Line is a great option for all seasons of fishing and not to mention that it is a very smooth and long lasting line.

Recently, I came across Cajun Optix and have had great success with it. This line is marketed as three lines in one. It is described as being: “Low-visibility, High-visibility, and Depth-indicating. Optix line features alternating sections of low-vis red and high-vis yellow, and tying your lure to the end of a red section minimizes line detection by the fish, while the yellow color lets you more easily see your line above the water.” It can be purchased in pound tests from 4-30 and has a very thin diameter. The price is comparable with any other company and is definitely worth a shot!

When you like to eat fish like us, you need a good selection of knives. The majority of the time, I run an electric knife as it is much quicker and equally as efficient once you get the feel for it… I have cut through the spines of many, many fish (I still do on occasion)! It is certainly possible to use any electric knife (turkey carver included) but having a “fillet” styled blade works best.

A great starter knife is made my Rapala. When Bobby and I clean fish together after a day on the water, we can do a limit of crappie in about 30 minutes. Makes for a much more pleasant experience when one person fillets and the other de-ribs the fillets. The best knife option for removing the ribs if an electric knife isn’t available is a paring knife. You can get them for a few bucks at most any kitchen store and the last for a long time. I keep these on hand for cutting up deer as well.

During the summer months, when I work two full time jobs, fresh fish isn’t always available so I rely on the meals that I put in the freezer throughout the winter and spring. I like to use a FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer to preserve the various food that I harvest throughout the year. The packages, after being sealed, contain no air so you don’t get freezer burn. Although the bags are a bit more expensive than regular freezer bags there is no waste in the long run. You can seal your favorite dishes with seasoning right in the package so it is ready to be grilled, baked, or fried as soon as it’s thawed!

2-3-12 – Afternoon River Bite

I headed to the Connecticut River after work today on what turned out to be a solo trip. My buddy had been there all day with another guy and the fishing had been very poor. Upon my arrival they were ready to head elsewhere. I checked some of their holes with my Aqua Vu Micro underwater camera and determined there were plenty of fish hung up in the weeds. I tried to get them to stay telling them they will turn on and we would just have to wait them out!

I punched a series of holes along a 4-6 foot contour that we fished for a while. It took a bit but the first fish I got onto was a nice one – a bluegill just shy of 10″! I asked them if they were going to stay after seeing the gill and they decided not to. So off they went to a different setback and back I went down the hole. As they drove by me on the main road, leaving me the entire honey hole to myself, I pulled another decent bluegill. For the next four hours I pulled fish after fish.

The series of holes that I initially punched held fish at both ends but not in the middle. I extended my rows in both directions and then went back and forth fishing until I exhausted the current supply of willing to bite fish on either end. I always try to keep track of the number of fish I catch while I am on the Connecticut River but a few times during the excitement today I lost track. My total was somewhere between 210 – 220 fish. Three of fish were perch, around 35 were black crappie (20 were 8″ or more), and the remainder were bluegill/pumpkinseed (5 were 10″ or more). I only kept seven fish today. Two perch, four bluegill, and one pumpkinseed. Just enough for a two person meal.

Today was the first time in a while I caught more fish without my Vexilar than with. The weeds were so thick in most holes that it did no good to use a flasher as the whole screen was red. Knowing how deep the water is and using the camera to determine what depth most fish are holding at made it easy enough to fish. Today the majority of the fish were between 1.5-2 feet off the bottom.

My strategy was to use a rod with 6 pound Cajun Line and the drag cranked tight. This way I could set the hook hard without spooling out any additional line and land a larger fish with tight drag having less concern of breaking off if the opportunity presented itself. For the most part the fish wanted the jig moving fast but vertically no more than an inch. I focused on watching the line a lot more than normal today. Most times the fish swam to the side with my bait rather than biting it. It seemed a lot like smelt fishing!