Originally Posted by
Champlain Islander
I know all about the trolling motor in the wind. It seems that this year has been windy every day. I hate it and it is hard to finesse fish when the wind is catching your line. I plan to try a back water canal tomorrow if it isn't too bad. Water temp should be up in the 50's and I will be looking for sunfish and crappie. If I get them though they probably won't be as large as your catch. We do get them 12 to 14" but the average runs around 9 to 10".
The average crappie in the lake I'm fishing is probably 8 inches at best. Gotta be on the spawn before most people have any idea they are spawning. The biggest fish in the lake will be up spawning 1-3 weeks before the average fish and all the fisherman start piling in.
That usually means checking the spawning hot spots early and often so I don't miss it.
We caught this one yesterday in a lake known for being overpopulated with small crappie, I lost 2 yesterday that I bet would have gone 17 inches. Those big ones are tough to land with that soft mouth.
This is a male colored up and coming in looking to start building beds. When the females arrive they will be even bigger then a week later the 8-9 inchers will be stacked on the banks.
I can't even count how many people out catching small crappie one right after another in the heat of the spawn Ive heard say "I don't think the big ones are spawning yet" they have no idea that the big fish have already come and gone.