Aug 18/19, 2012 - Big Bear Bass and the Crappie-Slay at the Miss Liberty

[etaggart]

First two pix from below are from August 12 - nothing special, but what the heck.

Got up super early Saturday Aug 18 and on the water launching from B's Backyard BBQ by 5:30am. Totally calm water most of the morning through 10am when I stopped.

Started by working a wacky-rigged senko along Pine Knot Landing's rock jetty on the side that faces the middle of the lake. First couple of casts and landed a beautiful 3lb LMB!!!! Finally I thought I had found where the larger kids were playing. Camera failed so no pic of that one But , in a couple more casts I picked up a 3lb 8oz momma (pic below)! Took the risk of taking my Galaxy Nexus out of its protective waterproof, floating case for this one as I HAD to get a picture. Worse case I was gambling for a $350 photo-op as that damn lake has taken more than one phone from me.

I thought I was off to the races with big-un's, but only picked up smaller LMBs until about 8:30 - lost count - easily 7 ot 8 more but generall young ones. The bite seemed to turn off quickly - tried working deeper and under docs, but no luck.

Lots of carp-schools roaming the top water - tried a new hair-rig with corn nuggets hooked to a bobber on my fly rod. Had some takers but they grabbed the corn without taking the hook. Have to rework that rig.

After not getting any more bites for a while, I switched to a wooly bugger on the fly rod and a 4" plastic "Bold Bluegil" on the bass rod working double-handed for crappie. Few around the docs, but when I got to the Miss Liberty, it was on!!! Hundreds of crappie swarming around the big fake-paddle-wheeler - I was getting double-hookups with the little buggers all the time. Got way more than 2 dozen in an hour or so and picked up a couple small LMBs in the process.

Worked the docs and rocks on my way back to where I launched but only picked up a few more crappie.



Sunday was generally a repeat, but no big bass. Probably 10 or so young LMBs, all were 1lbish. Picked up some on a nice bass-fly as well. Bite turned-off around 8:30, switched to different lures, deeper, etc. but no luck. Switched-it-up to working around the Miss Liberty again, but this time with a bigger bass lure and a bass fly hoping for something bigger than crappie. Lots of hits, but few takers. Finally picked up a fairly young small mouth bass (pic) and even got a crappie on the big bass lure - couldn't believe that one - I don't think it could have fit all the way in its mouth, but it was a taker!!! Switched back to the small stuff for more fun/action. Picked up dozens of crappie and got a small bluegil along the way (pic). That gill was a wicked fighter on the fly for such a small fish.


Overall an active weekend, just not many bigger fish. Post-up if you have any thoughts on where the big bass are at in BBL these days. Next time I'm up I may try working private docs in Metcalfe Bay and Boulder Bay.


Cheers,

Eric

[crappiemike]

Nice work up there,,,
On them dinkers......
Still fun to catch........



Cm

[fishmounter]

There must not be much forage for the crappie at BBL. They never seem to get very big. Stunted? I guess there are no shad there?

[etaggart]

No shad that I know of. I think the sunfish in BBL are slow growers because half the year the water's pretty cool. Others probably know what the small fish feed on. Definately nymphs, snails and weeds. There's lots of crawfish in some areas. But I'm not sure about bait fish - other than baby bass/crappie/etc..

[fishmounter]

Crappie are primarily small fish eaters, but I guess they will adapt and eat whatever they can find to survive. I know at my local Lake Perris, the crappie can be huge, but that lake has just a ton of food; micro organisms, aquatic and terestrial insects, mollusks, millions of shad and all kinds of various minnows. That's also why the Bluegill and Redears get so big too. , not to mention the bass...

[bowler]

First two pix from below are from August 12 - nothing special, but what the heck.

Got up super early Saturday Aug 18 and on the water launching from B's Backyard BBQ by 5:30am. Totally calm water most of the morning through 10am when I stopped.

Started by working a wacky-rigged senko along Pine Knot Landing's rock jetty on the side that faces the middle of the lake. First couple of casts and landed a beautiful 3lb LMB!!!! Finally I thought I had found where the larger kids were playing. Camera failed so no pic of that one But , in a couple more casts I picked up a 3lb 8oz momma (pic below)! Took the risk of taking my Galaxy Nexus out of its protective waterproof, floating case for this one as I HAD to get a picture. Worse case I was gambling for a $350 photo-op as that damn lake has taken more than one phone from me.

I thought I was off to the races with big-un's, but only picked up smaller LMBs until about 8:30 - lost count - easily 7 ot 8 more but generall young ones. The bite seemed to turn off quickly - tried working deeper and under docs, but no luck.

Lots of carp-schools roaming the top water - tried a new hair-rig with corn nuggets hooked to a bobber on my fly rod. Had some takers but they grabbed the corn without taking the hook. Have to rework that rig.

After not getting any more bites for a while, I switched to a wooly bugger on the fly rod and a 4" plastic "Bold Bluegil" on the bass rod working double-handed for crappie. Few around the docs, but when I got to the Miss Liberty, it was on!!! Hundreds of crappie swarming around the big fake-paddle-wheeler - I was getting double-hookups with the little buggers all the time. Got way more than 2 dozen in an hour or so and picked up a couple small LMBs in the process.

Worked the docs and rocks on my way back to where I launched but only picked up a few more crappie.



Sunday was generally a repeat, but no big bass. Probably 10 or so young LMBs, all were 1lbish. Picked up some on a nice bass-fly as well. Bite turned-off around 8:30, switched to different lures, deeper, etc. but no luck. Switched-it-up to working around the Miss Liberty again, but this time with a bigger bass lure and a bass fly hoping for something bigger than crappie. Lots of hits, but few takers. Finally picked up a fairly young small mouth bass (pic) and even got a crappie on the big bass lure - couldn't believe that one - I don't think it could have fit all the way in its mouth, but it was a taker!!! Switched back to the small stuff for more fun/action. Picked up dozens of crappie and got a small bluegil along the way (pic). That gill was a wicked fighter on the fly for such a small fish.


Overall an active weekend, just not many bigger fish. Post-up if you have any thoughts on where the big bass are at in BBL these days. Next time I'm up I may try working private docs in Metcalfe Bay and Boulder Bay.


Cheers,

Eric

Etaggart i was in bbl the same weekend. I took up some crayfish for bait. Me and my wife end up catching 31 bullhead catfish some of them came off the crayfish. But on Saturday night my wife caught a nice 2lbs trout for shore that is her PB. I'm going up there Labor day weekend if you want to met up. I have to leave early Sunday because i booked an over night trip to try for some of the Dorado and Yellowtail off the coast.

[etaggart]

Hey Bowler - I don't think I'll be able to fish this weekend

Interesting re: crawfish - I've got a few plastic varieties in my arsenal, but I haven't been able to entice any bass with them off the rocks unless it's a time when the bass seem to be hitting anything that moves. I've tried a number of different colors/styles and not sure what I'm doing wrong. I assume the best presentation for a bug to a bass is to toss it up high on the rocks and work it down slowly (like it's moving down naturally) or walk it across a sandy/weedy bottom. Anyone else have tips on how to present plastic crawfish for BBL Bass?

Eric

[bowler]

Hey Bowler - I don't think I'll be able to fish this weekend

Interesting re: crawfish - I've got a few plastic varieties in my arsenal, but I haven't been able to entice any bass with them off the rocks unless it's a time when the bass seem to be hitting anything that moves. I've tried a number of different colors/styles and not sure what I'm doing wrong. I assume the best presentation for a bug to a bass is to toss it up high on the rocks and work it down slowly (like it's moving down naturally) or walk it across a sandy/weedy bottom. Anyone else have tips on how to present plastic crawfish for BBL Bass?

Eric

What time were you fishing by pine knot? The bass were not even hitting live crawfish. I got one good hit on topwater lure but that was all on bass. I think you fish plastic crawfish it the same way you fish a plastic worm.

[etaggart]

I started fishing about 5:30am and the bite seemed to stop around 8:30

[M@M]

Thanks for the report! ....... I haven't been able to catch any crappie in weeks, fishing from shore. Looks like you found them. nice job!!