Fall Whim

Cedar Creek Reservoir

Time: 7:45 AM - 4:00 PM
Air Temperature: 54 - 88 degrees during trip
Water Temperature: 75 Degrees
Lake Level: 579.81
Weather Conditions: Mostly Sunny. Winds North 0-7 mph

I decided on a whim today to head over to Cedar Creek and crappie fish.  Why is this a whim, you ask? Well, I typically hang up my crappie rods (quite literally, I have a very nice rod rack) from May until late November.  I usually chase catfish during summer and fall months.  However, I had a hunch I might could catch some crappie on submerged brush and there was a taste of fall in the air, so I gave it a go.

And limited out!

I concentrated entirely on the east side of Britton Bridge and mostly around the bay where the powerlines cross.  All caught on white and chartreuse tipped with a tuffie or a slip bobber with a tuffie in 12-14 FOW. Caught 49 total and took my 30 fish limit home.

It was an all-around perfect day.  Think I will try it again very soon!

Slabs upon Slabs - Ending it Right.

Cedar Creek Reservoir

Time: 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Air Temperature: 63 - 80 degrees during trip
Water Temperature: 68 degrees
Lake Level: 580.24
Weather Conditions: Mostly sunny, perfect.  Winds  S 7-15 mph. Manageable.

I started out today thinking this could be my final spring crappie fishing trip and I can report it will be.  I'll be going out on a high note!

After blanking out and producing a big goose egg on my first two stops of the morning (old boat dock bay near Britton Bride landing and the creek under the bridge on the next southern bay), I had my doubts to the morning.  I had put in a solid hour with zero bites.

I moved to the willow tree on the east side of the Britton Bridge levee at 9:00 and immediately began pulling in SLABS! I was amazed at how many fish this tree was holding.  I think I probably caught 12-15 out of it back to back in my first pass.  I fished the little bay behind it and then moved on along the southern shores fishing typical spots and caught fish everywhere.  I also had particularly good luck in the 2nd southern bay past the levee.  I don't fish this one often, but the same fallen log where my Dad and Ronnie had good luck produced well again today.  

I fished the other southern shore areas that had produced well this year and caught steady fish in every one.  After lunch, I went back up to the willow tree and started over and consistently pulled fish out of the levee area again.

At 2:00, I caught my limit.  Technically, I didn't want to stop, so I threw the smallest crappie from my livewell back and caught one more to replace it.  I think this is my first time every culling crappie!  The fishing was so good today, once I started catching, I averaged a keeper every 10 minutes for 5 straight hours.  I ended the day by catching 31 big enough to measure and kept 30 of them for my limit.

Today's fish were BIG.  I caught 4 fish over 14 inches weighing in at up to 1.5 pounds.  

I had a fantastic spring crappie fishing and was happy to have gotten to share it with all my guests.  A big thanks to my Dad Ronny Watkins, Ronnie Pierce, Doug and Douglas Ainsworth, Kyle Macomber, James Harris, and Cameron McDonald for all making time to spend a day fishing with me this spring.  You guys truly made it more enjoyable and we will catch up again next season.

Starting Spring Crappie Right

Cedar Creek Reservoir

Time: 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Air Temperature: 42 - 62 degrees during trip
Water Temperature: 55 Degrees
Lake Level: 580.6
Weather Conditions: Partly Cloudy. Winds N-NE 3-10 mph

I decided to take the day off of work today and start my spring crappie season at Cedar Creek.  Glad I did!

I fished minnows under a bobber today in the shallows and caught every fish in the bushes/log jams/tree tops, etc in about 3-8 FOW.  I fished all my typical spots.  Fish were a bit scattered, but they are in the pre-spawn pattern with males beginning to stake out bed locations.  Males are starting to get their spawning colors.  

I caught almost exclusively males today.  Had a lot of stolen minnows and caught about half of the fish in the blow down in the bend of the small end of the river.  I picked up 2-4 in just about every place I stopped.

I caught my limit fish #30 right around 3:30 and stopped to recount.  That's when I realized that I had kept every single fish I had caught today - ZERO shorts.  Never had that happen before!  I think I started the day with four dozen minnows.  Had ONE minnow left when I finished with a limit!

I call that a success!

Location: Cedar Creek Reservoir - Alabama

Time: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Air Temperature: 59 degrees AM - 79 degrees afternoon
Water Temperature: 66 - 74 degrees
Lake Level: 581.25' - A bit high for conditions.
Weather Conditions: Moderate Winds from South. Sunny.

Today was a first... I've been crappie fishing for about 25 years and today was the first day I've ever caught my limit (30 fish) of crappie.

I fished same as the past 3-4 trips to Cedar Creek.  Concentrated on the same locations of tree tops, brush piles, log jams, etc on the shallow banks in bays and pockets.  Launched boat on the S.E. ramp by the bridge and started by heading straight out front to the north bay and fished log jams.  Immediately began catching crappie.  Also caught one catfish there in the bay.  Fished with minnows under a bobber about 2' to 4' deep.  Water was high, so it made fishing some of normal spots a bit challenging.  

Moved over to the largest north bay where the other boat ramp is and fished the east pockets.  Caught good fish there too.  Then moved over the the large bay and creek area to the west on the north side of the lake and fished my normal pockets and tree tops and log jams.  Caught good fish there too and one large bluegill.  Then moved out to western most set of bays near the dam.  Caught fish there too on the west side of that bay.  Did not catch anything on the beaver dam, but wind was starting to get up.  

Fished the log jam back in the middle bay by the road on the way back and picked up a couple more fish.  Then headed back towards the truck but decided to stop and fish the first bay that I had started in that morning.  Caught a couple more, but winds were getting up.  Had a conversation with another boat and they made the comment that some people had reported catching good fish to the east of the bridge.  I had never fished over there, but that would likely get me out of the wind.  I had about 25 crappie in the boat at this point and decided to spend the last 30 minutes past the bridge on the south shore to keep out of the wind. 

Started by fishing the log jam, but the area was very shallow.  I had passed up a green tree submerged under the water by the road levee on my way in the area, but decided to fish it on my way out.  Good idea!!  The tree was in 5' of water.  I immediately began catching crappie.  After catching about 5 more, I decided I better stop and count fish.  I had already thrown back the catfish and bluegill, so all the fish in the well were crappie.  I moved fish from the front well to the back and counted.  30 fish on the money!!  It was straight up 5:00, so I packed it in.  I had also thrown back 2-3 short fish today.

An older gentleman nearly 80 years old approached me at the landing and asked me how I did.  He was very surprised when I told him I had caught my limit.  He said, "How did you do that??"  He said him and his wife only caught 1 crappie and a couple bass.    I have been out-fished by these old locals all my life.  It was nice to be the one catching fish for a change! 

I cleaned the fish when I got home.  Ended up with just over 5 lbs of dressed fillets.  Several of the females still had eggs much to my surprise.  Makes me think last year I gave up on the spawn too early and assumed it was over when I should have been fishing tree tops instead of submerged beds and brush.  I suppose you live and learn...

Overall, this was the best day I've ever had crappie fishing.  Sure hope I can repeat it in the future!