Water levels are about one foot below summer pool. Water temps are about 70. South end is gin clear, north pretty stained due to recent rains.

Crappie….. I have put away the white bass rods to concentrate solely on crappie for the remainder of the year. We are getting into my favorite time to crappie fish. Three long rods and a jig. All of us up on the nose comfortably vertically fishing over cover. Weather it is a Shelbyville Cube a stump or a brush pile. There are tons of fish on all of them.

Depending on how many I have in the boat I am fishing two different ways. Three in the boat besides myself we are setting beside structure and fishing a simple slip bobber and minnow rig. I watch their presentation with my Livescanner to make sure they are at the right depth and that fish are under them. I can see 50ft. around the boat and watch in real time fish swimming around and put your bait right on them. Yes it is cheating you say but catching is what my guide service is all about. Right now we are boating over a hundred crappie every day. Sunny days are the best simply because they search out cover for shade and protection.

If I have just two then I set extra seats up on the nose and we vertical fish over structure tight lining with a 12ft. B & M Diamond crappie rod. I have the clients right now rigged with a 1/2oz. weight that I can adjust how long the leader is and a number 4 Tru-turn hook and minnow. Pretty simple you feel weight on the rod just lift and swing them in.

I have a 1/8oz. weight with a barrel swivel on each end. One end has 15lb. Suffix braided line going back to the reel and the other has a one foot leader of 15lb. Fluorocarbon line and a tiny 1/32oz. white hair jig. The slow fall is deadly. I also use a Brushpile Jigs Hammer on a 1/32oz. jig head. Color varies on water color, sunny or overcast but I stick with Green Goblin, Peppercorn or about anything in between them on the color chart.

My calendar is about full but I do have October 1,2,10,17,22,23,28,29 so better hurry. After this week just 6 open days the rest of the year. Weather is beautiful trees are starting to turn and I am seeing several Eagles every day. Give me a call SOON!!!! 217-840-1221

Steve Welch
Latest posts by Steve Welch (see all)