BEAST off a crappie

[AtticaFish]

Got in a quick trip up to the new reservoir here in Attica on Saturday.  Fished from 3:30 to 5:00 and found the fish very willing to play.  Started out with a small 1/64 leadfree black/chart/pink kip jig with waxworm tip fixed about 6'-7' below a weighted float.  Caught bluegill on my first 2 consecutive casts, so just kept throwing with out any meat tip and continued to catch fish.  Nice beefy 8"-9" bluegill too.  On one of the casts, got a lift bite (float just laid flat in the water) and set the hook to the sound of peeling drag coming from my UL with 4lb mono.

HOLY COW!   :bigfish:

Crappie measured 16.5"!!!  That is biggest one i have ever caught by a full inch.  It was windy and a little on the cool side, but the action sure kept me happy happy.  Ended my day with 16 bluegill and only the one big crappie.  

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[Jig Man]

Dang nice mess of fish AF, glad you could get out...

 

[hookup]

That catch is worth a second beer

 

[Hawnjigs]

Holy crappie, that slab is bigger than the wipers I was struggling to entice today.

How'd you know where the fish were? A structural anomaly feature?

 

[AtticaFish]

hookup - I believe it deserved 3 that day.

Hawnjigs -  No definitive answer why honestly.  The entire reservoir is nothing but rip-rap with (from what i can tell) no bottom structure contour other than a steady drop to the basin.  There is a poured concrete slab and fill pipe right behind where i was standing in the photo.  I believe this pump station is used to pull water from the old reservoir and dump out here, but have never seen it in use in the 10 years or so since they built the reservoir.  I was also told there is additional plumbing straight out from this very small point, but really no clue where it is at.  I've caught fish in other spots on the reservoir...... but not like i do here.  Have landed Fish Ohio recognition size bluegill, crappie, largemouth bass and channel cats all standing in this same location.  This is just THE spot to catch fish on this reservoir.

 

[duffy]

Nice Catch! That crappie looks like it could eat one of those bluegills.   Sort of makes you wonder if the water's warmer by those pipes or they sort of act like an inlet.

 

[Fatman]

Very cool

 

[slammingjack]

Nice mess of fish!

 

[AllenOK]

AF, do you have an underwater camera? If so, maybe drilling some holes through ice and exploring with the camera during winter will reveal what's down there that attracts fish.

 

[redear]

way to go attica! and thanks for showing the jig, you know those kiptails are my thing, did you tie that jig? that very same color combo kiptail except red thread has produced many times for me, except we use nibbles as they don't carry waxworms around here.

 

[AtticaFish]

duffy - Not sure what exactly they even use this pump area for. There are 2 large concrete structures at the top of the above ground dike in 2 separate locations. Each of these areas has an inlet/outlet (?) pipe near them at a level that is sometimes above water and sometimes below depending what the current water level is. Then there is another larger pipe at the opposite end of the reservoir with a miniature concrete spillway. I've asked a couple of the water dept. workers and they don't know what does what..... just what buttons to push.

AllenOK - I do not have an underwater camera. I've actually tried fishing this same area through the ice in years past and have never done very well in this spot. The better areas i have found on the ice are way out in the middle over the deep area of the reservoir basin. Tried drilling bunch of holes in the area and dropping my flasher in but have never seen any anomalies that i could see. It is a mystery.

redear - I did tie and paint the jig... head was poured by Hawnjigs. The little kip jigs have become a staple for me and a few friends i have given them to for bluegill and crappie. Even convinced my Dad of the power of kip jigs and he is a dyed-in-the-wool minnow/worm fisherman. He recently got skunked with some friends taking a boat out on Erie so got out his smaller rod and played around at the docks once they got back and caught some decent crappie. He does keep a box of waxworms for when the bite is tough but has learned that it is not always necessary.

 

[AtticaFish]

Slightly off topic from the original crappie post but...............

Got out yesterday (Saturday) after working till noon.  Got started fishing at around 2:00 and fished until 3:30 when the rain got steady enough to become annoying.  Brought home 15 bluegill, all 8" and bigger while i easily released just as many of them all around this same size.  Also caught a large bass (photo is on my phone) but no crappie.

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Since the rain had become pretty steady, i put out the awning on the camper and stayed nice and dry.  Even ended up dragging the grill over and cooked dinner in the same spot. haha.  Kind of nice because i cranked up the radio in the camper and had tunes to listen to the whole time.

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[duffy]

Sure looks peaceful. I can hear the rain on the awning from here.