Crappie in Ponds

I have been doing many consultations for people wanting to make and maintain a trophy crappie pond. So many, in fact that I decided to write an in depth article about crappie ponds in the April issue of Heartland Outdoors Magazine. It is a must read for anyone wanting to learn about managing crappies in ponds. Here is a pic of Logan Sauder holding up a nice stringer of crappie he caught from his 6 acre pond last March.

Just recently I was down near Vandalia, Il coming up with a stocking and management plan for a brand new 1.5 acre pond with a 100% focus on growing, catching, and eating crappie. Creating a specialized outside the box fishery is my absolute favorite! I hate to say this, but I get very bored with the typical bass, bluegill, catfish pond and really look forward to helping folks raise 'the other' fish in ponds.

This spring we will be stocking our own brand new 1/2 acre pond with feed trained smallmouth bass and feed trained yellow perch! You will be hearing more about this project as it progresses. Also this spring we are stocking a dozen other brand new ponds with various combinations of hybrid striped bass, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, walleye, and crappies!

Anyhow on our way to Vandalia we stopped by Pana Wholesale Bait company to get the fathead minnows to start the food chain for the ultimate crappie pond. Here is a good look at them just before going into the pond:


There was about a 15 degree difference in water temps so we let them acclimate in the pond for about 25 minutes before releasing them.

Mrs. Armstrong had the honors of placing the first fish into the newly filled pond. And yes, we headed 3 hours south on Monday and it started getting colder the whole way down and it actually turned to snow for about an hour!


I'm not giving out anymore information on how to create the ultimate crappie pond here online. NCAA tournament is on in the background and its soon going to be the center of my attention. You will have to get a copy of the magazine and read the article for more info. Just call(309) 741-9790 or email jeff@heartlandoutdoors.com to get an April issue mailed to your door. I write how to articles monthly in the magazine about topics like Hybrid Striped Bass, Rainbow Trout, Ice Fishing, etc. None of those articles have been published online anywhere yet and probably won't be for quite awhile.

My Birthday treat conitinued and a bit more

better than kissing a woman

Dave Percys Face after i told him i had poached his river for ten years!!

After putting all the pictures on of my previous outing i thought i shall do the write up on such a top day..
JT had invited me to join a few of the lads on my birthday on the holy river Wye on the cressbrook and litton stretch lower section..
I met JT in Rowsley and had a breakfast around 10 and we both chatted about getting onto the Wye for the grayling on the last day of the season..we both hoped for a hatch and one on the dry too..
I have not fished the Wye for Grayling over the winter and looked forward to some action here, my membership saw me on the Peacock at Rowsley in the trout season but a divorce sent my head wayward for the winter months and i started Grayling fish too late for the Wye..well women and fishing dont mix as most know!!
Divorce sent me on my arse and i fought to get my money together for the Peacock again for the forthcoming season but in the end i could not scrape the money together so missed out on the deadline, was hard to take as i met some sound lads on there including Jan Hobat (river keeper) who has become a good friend, my Sundays saw loads of locals coming out to see me, i learnt so much there and improved my dry fly no end.. i hope to join again in the future but for now a day ticket here and there will sort me out.. like my famous qoute on my fly forum page ' the true riches are found in a anglers soul and not his wallet!! ' could not be more true as i am chomping at the bit to get out back on the dry....

We pulled onto the car park and met up with John Pearson, Dave Percival and Chris Prior, been a while since i had met up with Chris and Dave and there was some rate good piss take thrown in as normal, Dave checking me over to see if i was clean shaven enough and wearing the right gear lol!!! Well the usual 'Fuck offs were made and we all set on our way to get on the Grayling... I stood and watched John Pearson for a while and its obvious the lad is right on his game, he is always thinking of ways to improve and he kindly gave me a few bits of kit that were very impressive which i will review in a future post...
JT and JP were hitting the grayling and catching in good numbers, i was happy to just be there and had the crack with Percy..i just wondered about looking for that hatch...well nothing happened so i had a few chucks in a pool with the bugs and was rewarded with 4 lovely Wye Grayling...the Wye Grayling are plentiful but i have never seen something in there to really get my heart pounding,  its full of them but compared to the Dove i see no comparison to size..maybe its the ammount of fish in there that stops them growing so big, i am unsure but the Dove does produce the biggies..
Towards the back end of the day i saw a rise at the back of a pool....was it a trout or Grayling? it looked Grayling..i starred at Grayling rises for a solid week in Poland and i can now see a big difference..
I selected a jt stripped quil emerger as there were trickles of ldo coming off.. first cast into the flow saw the cdc tuft just sticking out the surface.. i had the old heart pound that i have not felt for a few months due to no dry fly action!!! if you love your dry fly you will know the feeling i am talking about...if you dont its just like you stripped a bird down to her knickers and you know what coming next!!! lol
Wallop that grayling swirl where you never see the fish... i struck late out of time but hooked up to the fish i knew straight away it was a grayling and JT and Prior were cheering for me...God i landed it and had the biggest smile on my face ever....That was it for me, how could it get any better.. i packed my rod up and just went taking pictures..the last day of the graling season and i take one on the dry...winner..
So we all went back to Dave Percy's local for a pint and some snappin, full of shit kickers and inbreds but great food and great company..
Thanks for the pressie JT and thanks to the cress n litt boys

LTD

Nice one
Glen

Jimmy and Colton

Yesterday I fished Jimmy and Colton from Texas. Neither of them had ever done any fly fishing before so that was exciting. We spent some time in the grass learning how to cast then headed to the water...The water was dingy but we dug our heels in and managed to get some trout to the boat. After lunch we decided to move up to the dam to find some clean water..We caught some nice trout in the deep water and had a great afternoon! Today I took Colton to dry run creek! Pics to come soon!

A Maiden Voyage

Sunday I fished the Little Red with Will and his folks, John and Marcy. We had falling pressure and a pretty tough bite but we managed to hammer some fish at pretty much every stop we made. We tried to mix the day up a bit and catch some fish wading, as well as from the boat...John certainly took home the cup for the day and busted heads with this nice brownie. Marcy and Will managed to hold their own as well and caught some very good fish! It was certainly fun fishing with the whole family and watching Will pick up on some of the tricks he had learned the day before!

Will Man!

Saturday I got the opportunity to go to one of my favorite places on earth to fish...Dry Run Creek! I took Will Maiden out for a little fun. I've fished with will before in the past on the Little Red and knew he was a perfect candidate for this magical place. He crushed it. Will probably caught 50 or so fish! Five of them were probably over 18 inches and 15 or so were caught on dry's. He was truly spoiled! It was awesome. This is one of the beasts he caught all by himself on a 4wt!

Z Fish Report (3/16/11)



Tim Dixon of Philadelphia, PA with a sailfish
caught on the Blue Bayou with Margarito.
 Holding the fish is deckhand Raffa

The blue water is still way out beyond the 50 mile mark, but at least clean water has moved into about the 18 mile areas. Offshore fishing still remains slow, and will probably stay this way for a few more weeks. The boats are averaging less than a sailfish or striped marlin a day each.


 Mike Bulkley, with Captain Francisco of the super panga Huntress, had this to say when they fished on Tuesday: We ran one trip offshore and managed to get 4 Dorado under a floating weed pile. No other strikes. We came back inshore and caught Bonita about a mile off the beach. The blue water is about 18-20 miles out and not really blue, more clean than green. Saw one sail free jumping on the 12 mile line in green water. Francisco then went back to the same spot at 22 miles and a 240º heading and released 3 sailfish.

Again, about the only high note has been the inshore action. It has been excellent for sierras, jack crevalle, and even quite a few pompano.

John Rhodes of Phildelpia with Cheva on the Dos
Hermanos II. Note the double hook-up with Tim on the spin rod.

Early in the week John Pratt of Wisconsin and his two sons, ages 10 and 5, fished with Cheva on the panga Dos Hermanos II and had a blast. They got about 25 fish of several species, which is just the thing needed to get kids hooked on fishing. A blue water boat ride will just burn them out.
Ed Kunze
To order a copy of my fishing book about fishing here on the West Coast of Mexico:

http://www.mexperience.com/store/vuitem.php?itemid=13&sc=KUNZE-13

New Rod - Japan Style

Ordered a New Lure Rod today from Japan (Details to follow).

I have to blog what my web translater made of the 

Manufacturer's Website information on the rod................

Hooked seize power also ensures Rankashibasu, excellent operability and manipulate Biggumino even tighter, "to seize attractive eaten" will change and shape the ideals of the angler. Rod not only high-power, but through the power of the lifting force to move the bat from the berries and delicate sense byte enables instant communication and speedy physically not take the strain.

Can't wait to try it, and see if it's all true !!