what I learened today

1. I need a bigger boat
2. I need a depth/fish finder
3. I need a new back up trolling
motor battery
4. Just because there is trees does not mean there are fish.
5. Dont pass up the first lake

Sounds like u need a T.K.O. KETCHN KARD!!!

Flat-head red it was very humbling yesterday! The thing is I wanted to fish cedar creek originally
But my step dad who does not get to fish much wanted to fish purtis creek

I feel your pain (doing my best Arkansas governor impression). Usually I have an intern bring me a cigar after a bad day.

If you are going to fish bigger lakes, like Cedar Creek, yes you might want to get a bigger boat and I have to agree with you about the fish finder making life a whole lot easier. I just bought a new trolling motor battery, you are right about some trees not holding fish and I often chuckle quietly to myself as I drive past a perfectly good fishing lake (usually more than one lake) while I'm on my way to another Ketchn adventure at a "new" lake.

But before you talk yourself into a big yankee style fishing boat, a $2500 fish finder and a multiplicity of blue top AGM batteries stop and think about the real reason you weren't catching any fish. Purtis Creek has plenty of crappie in it as do most of our area lakes. You weren't catching because you weren't fishing where the fish were.

Most of the guys who catch crappie regularly don't even need a fish finder anymore. They just go out to the same few spots they know are holding fish at this time of year and they do it every year. I've only fished Purtis Creek a half dozen times and it took some searching to figure out where the fish were. Thankfully it is a small body of water and the best part about it is that the entire thing is no wake. Even so, the last time I was there it was tough going and we only caught a few. But other times it was a Ketchn frenzy.

If you don't know someone willing to tell you where they are, what you need is time on the water. Heck, even if someone tells you that they caught them at the big stump off the point on lake x yesterday you can still go out the next day and not find them. So spending time on the water and learning the body of water you are fishing is very important.

By all means, get yourself the equipment your heart desires, because life is short and we don't get to fish as often as we like. Just be careful not to become one of those guys with more boat and electronics than sense. Otherwise you'll have great equipment and still not be catching fish. Although, being very comfortable on the water makes it much more tolerable.

I am one of the yank's with gear. Get sidescan if you can.....helps eliminate water in a hurry!

Shhhhh!!!! Ur makin it sound waaaaaay too easy P.N.S.P.
There might be other people listening.

Illinoise???? Just kiddin man. Welcome.

P. N. S. P. I agree 100%

And plateboater to the
forum

Nothing wrong with having best electronics as long as:
1) Your pocket book allowed
2) Learn how to utilize it, maximize it once have it/them
3) Expensive electronics are not for looks, but for looking down under what can not be seen!!!

Nothing wrong with having a nicer bigger boat as long as:
1) Your pocket book allowed
2) Too nice of a boat to be afraid of getting a scratch here and there while nosing in the timbers is not necessarily the best bang for your bucks
3) Always work HARD on your boat while on land to prepare for NOT having to work on your boat at all on water!!! (Regular maintenance is critical)

But more importantly, having a bad trip is never a total waste, it is "the time on the water experience" you have earned to put it in your library for self correction of future trips!!! Understanding and remembering your own Personal bad trips is worth more than someone else's bad trips by a mile

1....maybe not .....wish i had a lil 2 man rite now myself ...
2....a cheapo 100 dollar dual beam is fine ....
3....if its the only propulsion device yes ....
4....trees in the water are like trees in woods ....
not every tree has a deer behind it either ya know
5....i think i have past alot a fish on the way to not so many a few times myself
dont beat yourself up to much sir ....
them purtis kreek fish was a bit tuff on us last month ...
that post spawn thang ya know
we all have them trips that dont end up with a full livewell
btw ...what about the brim ??

How often u get ta smoke them Cuban Seegars there P.N.S.P.? J.K.

25 you reminded me of my frustration when I was getting a handle on this crappie fishing thing. Still don't have it all figured out yet and if go back to Grapevine and refuse to fish the docks, there's a good chance I'll get skunked again. Ketchn and I have strategized, philosophized, organized and actionized many plans on how to make them fish bite. Where to fish, why the fish were there and what bait to use. But it all boils down to fishing where the fish are. And it ain't always easy to figure out where that is.

I've been fishing with sidescan and I'm pretty sure those little white dots were fish but they weren't crappie. We didn't catch any. I've also fished with someone who was using a St Croix rod and while I caught a couple of two or three crappie, he didn't catch even one.

I agree wholeheartedly with SLABmeSILLY. There is absolutely nothing wrong with getting the best equipment your pocketbook will allow. If I live long enough I'll have the new wireless thermal scan imaging with DNA recognition on the Nova Scotia design inspired boat.

It's not the equipment that catches the fish, it's the fisherman. And like SLABmeSILLY said, you just got a valuable lesson in what not to do or what didn't work. Man I dislike those lesson days and dread knowing that there are so many more to come for me. That's what gives the old guys a good laugh (in a good way) when they see or read about our rookie misadventures.

Certain tools put you ahead of the game in my opinion.... and sometimes those tools may cost more. NOTHING WRONG WITH HAVING EXPENSIVE EQUIPMENT. Down and side imaging is a very valuable tool. Bigger is better when your talking about si/di but my 798 has improved my catch alot. And those have been found for under $900 on the forum. Fishing big water in a little boat can also be a hassle in the wind. My 17ft bassboat is enough in winds under 15mph, but thats my limit. I get a good 6 hours on a full charge from my trolling motor battery after continuous use. While being taught to fish trees, Im learning not to stay at one spot too long. Fish long enough to fish the back and front sides of the tree at different depths. Then move on. When they are there, the message is clear.

All good advice above!
Just remember what B-O-A-T stands for...
Bust Out Another Thousand!

B-O-A-T ......bahahahahahahah
Great advice guys

Well here it goes!
1 I had an 18'bass boat with big fast motor!
2 I never spend much on rods and reels but not cheap ether
3 I also had 12' boat with just a trolling motor
4 have had and used depth/fish finder
5 I have fished from a tube
6 I have had a 14' stick steer
7 I have been fishing now for 31 years or a weee bit longer
8 I have caught just as good and just as bad from all rigs they all had good point and bad points!
But I am working on rebuilding what I had or at least be ready for different situations


Thank you all for the great information

I see bass guys beat the bank all the time where I can see there are no fish. I hardly ever see them catch one. I rely on that humminbird so much I just zip around until I see fish. In a lake, I think it's a waste of time to fish structure that does not show fish.

That said, if you locate a school and it happens to be buffalo or carp or some other undesirable fish, Humminbird won't help with that. Best to just take Ernest's advice from his video and limit each spot to about 5 min. No fish then move on.

Good subject 25 and a lot of good input. I have a BassCat Puma with a 250 Merc, but find it a lot easier to fish out of my 14' stick steer. And easier means I can fish longer & concentrate better. Once I sit down in the front seat, I don't have to get back up till I return to the dock. everything I need is within reach.
Side Scan is GREAT! Just learning my unit, but it is already putting me on fish & has convinced me to pass up spots that don't currently have fish on the screen. I am fairly new to the art of the THUMP, but love it when I figure them out! Still working on locating them at night , but know if I keep at it I will find some good places.
Take care & stay safe!

Nice advice, CV

998c SI combo.....$1299.00

Let me know if it meets your budget. Best deal going for an 8" Display with side/down image, GPS and 2D sonar. (NEW) 2 yr warranty.

David @ shut-up-and-fish

thanks david! But right now my list is just a wish list

Welcome to the southern redneck fishing forum, premier (crappie) section...

Had sidescan capability for about 3 months now...LOVE IT...THAT 20% WATER is MUCH EASIER to FIND....

Why do my post' from the phone come under the quote I was quoting now??? I HATE SPRINT!!!!

Red...thanks for the kind words. You actually better articulated the point I was trying to make. There is a difference between want and need. Ingenuity comes from our desire to make things easier. So while onboard GPS navigation in your car can make road trips a whole lot easier most folks don't use it to find their way home from work everyday. Although some still manage to get lost with the aid of GPS. How did those ancient mariners travel with out the aid of satelite navigation?

Once again, buy all and any equipment your heart desires! But those who understand where the fish move to and why they are there are going to catch fish more often than those who simply scan the brush and look at the white dots. And if you fish a body of water long enough you'll know which brush or timber usually holds fish from experience.

lets go ketchn ....never mind the equipment
we kan an will ketch em promise ....
even on a 12.99 zebco combo ....
just ask mister kleenem ....LOL

agree with all that has been said...

my 2 cents...find a lake that fits your boat and that you like and fish the doo doo out of it...

learn the lake...

what area(s) is out of the wind or at least not that bad when the wind is blowing from any direction..

what the terrain looks like on the bottom...old creek channels, drop offs, roadbeds, culverts, bridges, hard/soft bottom...topozone.com works well if you can match it up with lake maps...and don't forget about brush piles....

what baits work at what time on what structure...isn't that what we all hope to find?

Thanks alabama, jack and the rest of the forum guys

did ya find ya sum with awl them tips er not sir ?

6.Enjoy each and every trip. The trips with your step dad are numbered.....

[quote=lookingfor25]P. N. S. P. I agree 100%

Look, all the equipment will do is PROVIDE you the MEANS to get to/on the FISH, catching them is where the TALENT of the FISHERMAN IS REQUIRED. You sir, HAVE the fish catching talent, so DON'T worry about the LACK of equipment for a GIVEN DAY, just THANK THE LORD that you have fish CATCHING talent!!!!

Thank you Crapicat Sir

Now that you understand the equipment angle....don't get too hung up on it and look for some back seats to fish from for a while, get some boat rods, save your change, you will have one before long.

Crapicat I am working on a way bigger project than a boat or anything like that! But I may have to brake down for a few new rods