Fishing Report Archives

Hey Y’all from the Excel Storm Cat 230. Willie Nelson’s song “On the Road Again” has been my anthem lately. Hopefully, I’ll be home and fishing on our beautiful lakes for the near future.

My latest venture was to Grenada and Enid Lakes in Mississippi for the Crappie.com Crankfest, a gathering of crappie fishermen who love to pull or push crankbaits. The weather was wonderful and even though our catches were not as good as in some previous years, we had 4 great days with old and new friends.

The highlight of my trip was being able to fish with a friend we call BillBob. We use screen names on Crappie.com and BillBob is actually Ted from Indianapolis. Ted served with Honor in Vietnam, where he was severely wounded and was exposed to Agent Orange.

He is now dealing with severe health problems and was doubtful about showing up until just a couple of days before the event started. Ed (Slab), the owner of Crappie.com and I were able to get Ted into the Storm Cat along with a couple from Ohio who are new to the crankbait tactic.

The 3 days prior, our best tactic had been pulling Pico cranks behind Off Shore OR12 planer boards. We found the fish on Enid Sunday were receptive to that tactic and we had a wonderful time and caught several nice crappie. It was a wonderful trip and one I look forward to each year.

I have been reluctant to use the Off Shore boards on guide trips but after watching some folks who had never done it become quick learners, I plan on using the technique on some future trips. If you would be interested in learning how to fish with planer boards, give me a call.

Thursday, I met with Dennis and James of Lynnhurst Family Resort at the Murray Bait Company store on Hwy 94, east of Murray. They have recently become the new owners and are in the beginning stages of stocking the store with items the weekend fisherman as well as the very experienced crappie, bream, and catfish fisherman will need on their way to the lake.

They plan on continuing the honor system for minnow purchases during the hours they aren’t open. This is something most fishermen, who bought bait there in the past, have come to love. As long as the public respects the store and is honest with their purchases, this will be available. They now have dry ice, something that can be hard to find. Drop by to meet the new owners.

The reports I am getting from the lakes are all over the place. As the lake levels drop and we get some cooler night temperatures, we should see the annual migration of the baitfish toward the bays.

The baitfish bring the hungry gamefish with them, and this means improved fishing. The folks who are Livescope fishing are doing better than those using more traditional tactics. The crappie are moving from the deeper ledges and structure to mid depths of 12-18 feet. Find the baitballs and you will find the fish.

The lake levels are about 2 feet below summer pool and will continue dropping until around Labor Day. Lower water levels mean all those gremlins that have stayed well below the surface will again become a danger when running in shallower areas.

Be careful out there! Wear your PFDs. The recreational traffic will be on the lakes in force until after Labor Day. Watch out for those who won’t watch out for you. Enjoy your time on the water and keep in mind the calendar is going to turn to September soon and that means better fishing.

Welcome to our slice of Heaven!