OUTSIDE THE BOX
The cycle continues every year. Prior to the spawn the fish become extremely scattered and unpredictable. Water temperatures are up and down all over the scale. Every day is a different day. One day on, one day off. This is a frustrating time for a lot of fishermen. The warm weather brings all the fair weather fishermen out and they are under the assumption the fish are going to be jumping in the boat. They soon find out the bite is few and far between. Every so often, you might run on to a short lived pattern that produces fish but most generally it’s a “flash in the pan”. Until the water temperature levels out and maintains somewhat of a stable temperature, the fishing is going to be marginal at best. Spider rigging in creek channels and coves where spawning occurs will produce fish if you are into spider rigging. I for one am not and prefer to go outside the box and go to manmade structures that are privately owned. I make a trip or two to North Missouri to watershed structures that were built for erosion control. These structures are 3-5 acres lakes and are full of fish. The nice thing about these smaller structures is that the water warms up quickly and the fish are very active. It’s a change of pace and a relaxing time.
Fishing these small structures is not so much different than fishing the larger impoundments. The choice of baits may vary a bit and but the method is fairly consistent. They may be fished by walking the bank of putting a small boat on the water. One can either use a set of oars or a small electric trolling motor. An anchor can also be used to hold the boat in a stable position much like the power poles’ effect. Since most of these “ponds” are not very deep, the boat can be anchors easily and moved into the correct position.
Casting and retrieving is the most used techniques. The key to the cast and retrieve is to keep the rod tip up and watch for the bite. Generally, the fish are aggressive and you can readily feel the bite. However, keeping the tip up is essential to get a good feel as well as see the light bite. Another technique is using a bobber above the bait. The bobber can be fastened at whatever depth is necessary. Usually, 12-18 inches is enough depth. The method of using the “cork” is simply casting it out and letting it set or “pop” it along slowly. Crappie, Bluegill, and Bass cannot resist this subtle approach. This method works in the large impoundments as well. Once the cork goes down, set the hook quickly and retrieve the fish. If you miss the fish, let it set for a few seconds and continue the retrieve. The fish will more than likely come back to the bait or be attracted to it. Artificial baits are effective as well as live bait. I prefer the artificial route. I don’t have to worry about keeping bait alive and can change up colors quickly.
My favorite rig for fishing small structure is the same that I use for spawning fish in large lakes. I use a roadrunner head with my choice of colored swimmin’ minnow, curly tailed grub, or 1 ½-2” crappie jig. I will also use a plain 1/16th oz. jig head and cast and retrieve. My favorite colors are blue, light purple, Tennessee shad, bleeding Tennessee shad, and white/chartreuse with a pink head. I recommend if you have a favorite color, use it.
I try to cast to the bank and retrieve if I’m in a boat or parallel to the bank if I’m walking the shoreline. I will cast across the water outlet or shallow bay areas. The retrieve is fairly fast since the water is usually shallow. I try to retrieve it a slow as possible. As I am retrieving the lure, I flip it or jig it to give the retrieve an uneven swim. This technique will many times excite a bite.
Everyone needs to go outside the box once in a while. Exploring new places and different types of fishing keeps the mind fresh and the enthusiasm high. These ponds need to be fished and fish harvested to prevent overpopulation. Crappie in small impoundments left unharvested are prone to become over populated and have stunted fish. It’s fun and produces a lot of quality fish. It is good to have several structures located to give you a change of pace. Permission is required on private ponds. Try it, I think you will like it. Good luck and good fishing!
