Two Days of December Crappie Bonanza
With no ice in sight, it is time for serious anglers to get
the layers on and hit the water. I called Chunsum Choi (JC1Crappies) and Ted
Yates (Soonerbass) both DuPage Angler.com members. We decided to hit crappies
because the river bite has been slower and honestly it sounded warmer then
wading. We met in the dark not expecting more then a couple of fish each.
The three of us wanted to increase our odds so we tied
double rigs. This rig was floats with two offerings under it. This is a
favorite presentation of DuPage Angler Brim Reaper that he uses for bluegill and
seemed the right choice for cold winter bites. We just had to beef up the
offerings. Chunsum used Gulp Minnows and Crabby Squirts, Ted tube jigs and Lake
Fork Shads, I used two tube jigs. The
rigs are set 2-4 down and just need an occasional twitch to trigger a bite. Ted
had discovered a rock pile way the heck out there and our yellow spotted foes
were on the far side of said pile. So weighted foam floats were used once more
to get the distance needed to reach the target areas.
The bite started slow but lucky for us it just got better
and better. The outside air had a definite chill and layers were in order. The
mornings are frigid so when the sun popped out at moments it was more then
welcome. I suggest this time a year with wind, rain, snow, mud, and wet
conditions around, it is smart to bring extra clothes like gloves, socks, and hand
warmers. Wearing your snow boots will ensure good traction and keep feet warm and
dry. One weapon we had was BeardHeads! These hat beard combos kept our heads
warm and the wind out. They also provided laughs and added more personality to
the smack talk among us anglers.
The double rigs were knocking the crappies dead, when
Soonerbass scores not one but three beautiful white crappies! White crappie can
be found in our area but are not in numbers or size and are a prize when
fishing speckle villains.
As the day goes we catch a few bass, and Ted Soonerbass, show
off white crappie pants, catches two at once!!!! Bastard! LOL!
The day ends so well that we decide to come back the next day. We
are greeted by colder temps wind and rain. UGH well, we are here so might as
well make some casts. The crappie didn't watch the weather cast because they were
still in the mood to fill up for the upcoming freezing weather. The bite was great
again and at times we would catch them on every cast. We caught dozens on this
two day catch fest and released every fish to fight another day.
We missed some big bass as well. Including a 4-5 pound I fought with 2lb line all the way to shore only to loose the big mouth jerk right at my feet.
The crappies in this lake always relate to the wind and the
bite turns on and off with wind conditions. Once the wind died and the rain picked
up the bite stopped like someone controlled it by a light switch. That’s when
we realized that we were wet, hungry, and cold. Funny how catching fish helps
you not notice certain things like hunger. We shook hands, smiled, and each
went on our way. On the way home Chunsum sends me a text that his shoulders are
sore and as I type this my neck and shoulders are also sore from making a
million long casts. He says we can chalk this up to sports injuries for the
40+!
When you look outside and the weather sucks, instead of
hanging it up or waiting for ice get your butt off the couch and get back out
there. Dress in layers, be prepared to change presentations on the fly, invite
some friends, bullshit, laugh, and if your lucky maybe you too will have a
crappie bonanza!
