Reelfoot or Ky Lake

[popper]

Hey guys,

I am planning on trying to fish for some crappie in early march this year. I fish for Bass 99.9% of the time and don't know i lick about crappie. What i am wanting to do is catch a bunch of fish to fillet up and stock up for 2008. My question is, Reel foot or Ky lake. I worry if i go to Ky lake i would start throwing a jerkbait and never set it down. I haven't been to reelfoot in 8 years and was wondering how fishin has been down there.

What would you recommend?

Thanks

[Rudypoo4444]

I don't know anything about reelfoot, but 2 weeks ago, the crappie bite on KY lake was said to be outstanding.

[kylakenitro]

i normally just fish for bass too, but the crappie fishing in late march an early april is pretty awesome. If the weather stays nice. In alot of places on the lake if a cold front comes in and messes up the shallow bite you can pull out to the creek channels and keep from getting skunked. Reelfoot is nice to, i dont know how the drought affected it last year, havnt heard from anyone who's fished it.
come on down to ky lake and catch a Crappie

[mhall]

Early March is a tad early for Kentucky lake unless we get some unusally warm weather. The same can be said for Reelfoot, but if you are hellbent on going at that time of year versus three to four weeks later I'd pick Reelfoot. Now I'm talking crappie here, the bass is another story, and man I here ya on the jerkbait, get your arm broke for sure.

[popper]

Mhall,

I am pretty set on early March for crappie b/c i will be fishing for nothing but Bass starting the 3rd week of March. My problem is i wouldn't have a clue on were to fish for crappie on Ky lake. I have only a couple of spots on Reelfoot and that was several years ago. Have you fished or anyone fished reelfoot the last couple of years? I am curious on how the crappie have been down there.

Thanks

[Col Forbin]

I would call some of the crappie guides down here (ky lake) and ask about it - they should give you some honest opinions. People that really know what they are doing down here can get into them year round. Dave Stewart has posted the names of some good crappie guides before on here - I don't remember their names. I never have much luck here on crappie - but I fish almost exclusively for bass. I try catching crappie, but start throwing a jig n' pig about ten minutes into crappie fishing. There is no way I could resist throwing a jerk bait in early march. I fished a BFL last year march 15th, and the guy I was paired up with was throwing a small jerkbait and caught two of the biggest crappie I have ever seen. So you can at least convince yourself you are fishing for crappie.

[kc]

I did the same last March on KY. Playing around with a small jerk I caught quite a mess of crappie in the 1.5 lb to 2 lb range. Made me forget about bass for a while fishing that small jerk on a sjr700 and light line. Some of those black crappie even jumped near the boat. Late day, deeper gravel banks on East side with brush nearby.

[mhall]

Mhall,

I am pretty set on early March for crappie b/c i will be fishing for nothing but Bass starting the 3rd week of March. My problem is i wouldn't have a clue on were to fish for crappie on Ky lake. I have only a couple of spots on Reelfoot and that was several years ago. Have you fished or anyone fished reelfoot the last couple of years? I am curious on how the crappie have been down there.

Thanks

Some of the Reelfoot people were down at the boat show and will also be at the Strader show. I haven't been to the swamp in several years now but would love to get back down there. As said above give Dave a call if interested in Kentucky Lake.

[CTFSHWHISKER]

mhall is correct as far as early march goes,unless we get some unusally warm weather you won't get the good bite shallow so you should find some deeper piles of brush in staging areas as then they'll probably be moving up and down as cold spells come and go.If they are scattered in deeper water trolling bandit cranks works well.