April fool?

[Randy Peyer]

I headed out about two thirty this afternoon. The temperature didn't reach 65 like it was supposed to but 55 was still pleasant enough to give it a try. Fished the middle section of the Three Lakes Chain. I hit several cribs and brushpiles looking for crappies. The water temp has regressed a little from last week. It fell to 45 degrees in the main basin from 47 last Thursday, ten days ago. I am a little afraid of what may happen with the ice being out so soon. We are not going to get a steady warm up of the water, and it is usually not the best for spawning conditions with up and down temps. I fished 7 different cribs. I caught 2 walleyes by one and a smallmouth bass by another. But did pretty well by a larger brushpile in deeper water, about 16'. I caught 6 crappie, all but one between 11 and 12". I also caught 8 perch 8 1/2 to 10". All were caught on crappie minnows, thats all I tried. They were all very near the bottom, even the crappie. I had some lines over the cribs and some along side near the bottom and all bites came on the deep lines. The intersting thing to me is that even though the fish were all caught within 20' of each other the perch only had crayfish in their stomachs and the crappie only had wigglers in them. I'm guessing the crappies had just came from an adjacent mudflat. I don't know why the perch were not closer to spawning areas as they were all very full of eggs and they should be up shallow by now. Thanks..talk to you soon Randy Peyer


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