Pond at work, 3-28-2015

[AllenOK]

I wanted to try that Peacock and Starling soft hackle micro jig today, and see if I would have a better hookup ratio than the size 12 Aberbeen hook.

I was fishing the jig under a weighted float, so I could throw it with one of my panfish rods. First cast went into the emerging cattails, and sure enough, snagged. I was able to pull it out without loosing the jig. Second cast went more parallel to the weedline. I did a slow, steady retrieve. I was almost done with that retrieve, and the float rig was practically at my feet, when something grabbed the jig and tried to pull the pole out of my hand (I'm expecting 'gills, not bigger fish). I tightened up on the pole and fought the fish for a few seconds, quickly bring it up to the top (only 12 - 18" deep). I was thinking LMB when I first got a glimpse of it, but then realized that the body shape and coloring was all wrong. This thing was almost straight silver. No black stripe down the sides. What the????

Then I realized I had a flipping Crappie on the end of my line! WTF?!?!?! There aren't supposed to be any Crappie in this pond! Once I got over that shock, and was reaching for my camera, I realized two things at once; A) No camera, and, B) Hey, this things have a black stripe on it's nose! I've seen these before, but never caught one. Then I realized I had my phone, which has a camera.

Here's a shot with the Stripe:

View attachment 3

And a better shot, with my size 12 shoe for scale:

View attachment 4

 

[JUNGLEJIM1]

Cool stripe crappie, someone probably released some in the lake. Wouldn't complain to much unless you get too many in there and they become stunted.

 

[LedHed]

Crazy lookin crappie - nice catch!

Think someone was talking about the striped crappie on BB.C last year. Didn't think they would be in you neck of the woods...

 

[AllenOK]

I've never caught a Crappie out of that pond before (small pond, about an acre in size). I've never seen baby Crappie, either. I'm hoping it's just a single fish.

LedHed, I think this is called an "Arkansas Crappie"?? I know I've heard of the the Striped Crappie coming from there. It's not that far away; if someone has a decent bait tank with an aerator hookup in the vehicle, they could transport it and dump it in. Personally, I think it probably came in with some of the fish that gets stocked into this pond. I think they buy the fry/fingerlings from a hatchery in Arkansas.

 

[LedHed]

Interesting - thought they were further south.

Had some crappie in my "pool pond" - had to get rid of them because they would eat up all the mosquito fish and fry.

 

[PanfishHunter]

We have those down here. On the forum i go on we call em Racing Stripe crappie. They're quite prominent in lake livingston. Never been given a straight answer, but they're pretty sure it's a black crappie/white crappie hybrid.

 

[plateboater]

Nice work.......

 

[JUNGLEJIM1]

I've caught several striped crappie out of a river here. These had faint markings of a Black Crappie almost totally white except for the prominent stripe. I think it's a genetic mutation but they are here in Missouri as well.