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Chains and Crappie -- E Texas Report #11895985 10/24/16 12:10 AM
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Glitchmo Offline OP
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Thanks to everyone who responded to my earlier thread -- your help paid off!



Christina and I are slowly making our way through all the nearby state parks -- she's sightseeing and I'm fishing.



This weekend we were in Daingerfield State Park in Eastern Texas. From a fishing perspective, the most interesting thing about this location is that it is or is nearly the westernmost location in the US to find chain pickerel, which are pretty much smaller northern pike (same genus). Down here, it's usually a winter fishery centering around their spawn in February. During the heat of the summer they have to stay deep. Still, I hoped I could coax one into coming up for me.



I did manage to get one -- throwing a white/chart clouser (is there anything that won't eat this fly?) along some weed beds near shore. It's a smaller model, but decent for this body of water. I was very happy to have polished off my main goal for the trip by the end of the first day!

Fan casting the same fly from shore found me a school of 6-9" black crappie.



These guys were initially very eager, but after the 10th fish or so they got a little timid, and what had been big hits became very subtle. I switched to a slightly slower and more delicate presentation -- I suspended a white balanced leech below a strike indica ... ok its a bobber. This fly, which is used a lot at Pyramid Lake (Nevada), is basically a wooly bugger, but tied such that it rests horizontally instead of vertically (like a baitfish would) when suspended. The same concept as the Near Deere which is popular here. Then, the wave action imparts just a little action to the fly. And the bobber helps with subtle hits. Or that's the theory anyways. Either way, it worked, and I got another twenty or so fish out of the same 5 square yards of water over the next hour or so. Only one topped 10" (the legal size here) so they were all C&R.

Today we went canoeing around the lake, and I didn't catch anything, but went back and hit the same spot for another 10 crappie afterwards.

Anyways, that's all. We've got another couple trips planned hopefully before it gets cold, so you guys might hear from me again soon.



Obligatory action shot. The pickerel hit just off camera to the left.

Re: Chains and Crappie -- E Texas Report [Re: Glitchmo] #11896004 10/24/16 12:20 AM
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banker-always fishing Offline
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coolphotos Awesome post. Thanks for sharing. cheers


[Linked Image][Linked Image]

IGFA World Record Rio Grande Cichlid. Lake Dunlap.

John 3:16

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Re: Chains and Crappie -- E Texas Report [Re: Glitchmo] #11896123 10/24/16 01:06 AM
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McKinneyLonghorn Offline
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Great post. I need to get out to some of the East Texas state parks and see what I can catch.

Re: Chains and Crappie -- E Texas Report [Re: Glitchmo] #11896319 10/24/16 03:18 AM
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MassAction Offline
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I had no idea there were pickerel species in Texas. Great catch and write up!

I'm going to have to head there sometime this winter to try and find one as well. What size leader did you use? Are they so toothy that wire is needed?

Re: Chains and Crappie -- E Texas Report [Re: Glitchmo] #11896337 10/24/16 03:34 AM
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AlexG Offline
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Lake Hawkins is a really good Lake for Picks in the winter. I think it might be the western most lake for them. Also, bonus Eagles, bass, and crappie.

Re: Chains and Crappie -- E Texas Report [Re: Glitchmo] #11896585 10/24/16 12:52 PM
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J-Moe Offline
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Great post thumb

Re: Chains and Crappie -- E Texas Report [Re: Glitchmo] #11896597 10/24/16 01:06 PM
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fray Offline
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Nice post and good information

Re: Chains and Crappie -- E Texas Report [Re: Glitchmo] #11896657 10/24/16 01:55 PM
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Meadowlark Offline
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Great catch there on the pickerel...and demonstrating again the versatility of the clouser.

Re: Chains and Crappie -- E Texas Report [Re: MassAction] #11896666 10/24/16 02:03 PM
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Glitchmo Offline OP
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Thanks everyone!

Originally Posted By: MassAction
I had no idea there were pickerel species in Texas. Great catch and write up!

I'm going to have to head there sometime this winter to try and find one as well. What size leader did you use? Are they so toothy that wire is needed?


That fish was caught on 8lb fluoro leader, but I was honestly fishing for bass at that point. I should have been using 15lb or so, and I was probably lucky to land that fish. Wire is definitely not necessary.

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