WACO MONDAY . first trip there this year.

we got on the water around 9.00 and being a check it out for myself kinda guy, we we checking some known good producing spots on the south and mid lake area, mostly small fish, or very few fish ob the piles. we gradually worked our way to the north end and the fishing got progressively better. All baits offered seemed to work good, with pink/white medium sized slab bandits being very good, scents seemed to make all the difference, so a chartruese crappie nibble worked fine.
Most of the 10 and 11 inch females we caught still had eggs, and the males were still dark. fish are quite skinny, except for the black crappie, they have quite a bit more shoulders on them. the 10 and 11 inch white crappie we caught are hardly worth keeping they were so skinny, and next trip will be released. Fish were in all different depths, but most were sitting right on the bottom tight near the brush. we saw a guy scanning pile after pile after pile around us, but not fishing , he was looking for a plum tree, but he evidently doesnt know that you cant always see fish if they are sitting right on the bottom. if you scan several piles and dont see anything, this is likely the case, so drop a jig tight to the brush, right to the bottom and see what gives. we left the lake at 12.30 as buddy wasnt feeling well. we took 16 home. The fishing seemed to get better around 10 am.

You just basically my described my trip Sunday evening...i found the same thing....fish tight to the bottom, big females still with eggs and dark males

Seems when they are on the bottom is when i catch the Whales. But not always.

whats strange is how most of the fish are all doing the same around the lake. then the next day they are all scattered around the piles, then suspended over the piles.

Good stuff there LP... lots of times the fish will be very tight to or even in a brush pile and no finder will pick them up....
If it's a known pile to hold fish I'm gonna tickle a couple limbs before giving up on it....

Good time fishing and learning. That's some good information especially for a greenhorn like me. Thanks for the report.

yes , its worth at least a try, because if that indeed is the pattern, you can go from pile to pile, whacking them, while joe blow that dont know, scans 40 brushpiles and then convinces himself All of the fish are roaming somewhere in open water, then goes home. Alot of times when they are sitting on bottom, they will hit a jig due to you just invading thier space, they really just dont like something dropping on thier head when they are sitting on the bottom.
Sonar is just a tool, to gather information, but never the definitive answer as to if they are there or not.

This ^^

Good stuff. Thanks.

>E